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- [00:00]
A
My guest today, Dr. Rachel Elnar, M.D. is an incredible woman and I am so honored that I met her. Dr. Rachel is the founder and CEO of Kalem Diagnostic Solutions, a biohacking company that is developing state of the art technology to give biopsy results in minutes and end the nightmare of the long waits for results. And it will revolutionize medicine as we know it for sure. Dr. Wellner is board Certified license to practice medicine in several states. She has written extensively about oncology and related topics and on top of it, she is the author of the Dr. Rus series, a delightful and engaging collection of children's books that blend adventure with health education. The series features Dr. Rue, a charismatic kangaroo doctor and her team of lovable friends. Together they embark on exciting journeys across the globe, solving medical mysteries and teaching valuable health lessons along the way, making health an adventure Targeted at children ages 4 to 8, the doctoral series is an innovative approach to introducing important health concepts to young readers. Dr. Rachel is so busy and she was so kind to open her home to me and my team so we could record this episode since she couldn't even drive to our studios. So this is a very special, very important episode of Cat on the Loose. We are literally on the loose today and Marina del Rey with Dr. Rachel for a super, super special conversation and I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, 100% organic, never scripted, never edited. And I am so happy and honored to present to you guys the latest partner of Cat on the Loose, a new brand of mocktails owned by another Latino woman. And the brand is named Saum S A o so comes from the famous Latin phrase which I love so much, mens sana in corporis Sano in English means a healthy mind in a healthy body. It was created by entrepreneur Tatiana dupont to inspire us all to decompress and de stress in a healthy, conscious way. Instead of going for the famous alcohol during happy hour, let's go for some delicious mocktails with adaptogens, which are natural substances that help our bodies manage stress and restore balance after stressful situations without the harmful effects of alcohol. Plus nootropics, which are great for brain health, herbs and monk fruit instead of sugar. Check out the delicious flavors on some mocktails on Instagram, sao mocktails and drink.sun mocktails.com online. For more information and to order yours now. I'm absolutely obsessed. A lot of you guys know I was married to an alcoholic for a really long time. He lost his life to this horrible disease. So I'm all about fighting alcohol abuse and whenever I find Amazing alternatives for us to fight stress, but not with alcohol. I'm right on board. So I'm insane, insanely, insanely happy to be partnering with this incredible brand. And I know they're going to go to the moon and back. Very well deserved. Incredible work, some mocktails. Check it out, guys.
- [03:31]
B
Hi, America.
- [03:32]
A
Dr. Rachel, first of all, I have to say thank you for opening up your home to us. Because if I would not come to you, we probably would never do this, right?
- [03:41]
B
Mi casa, su casa. Welcome to my house. Are you kidding?
- [03:44]
A
I know, I'm so great. We try to choose schedule you to be on the podcast for so many months, and I know you're so, so, so, so busy. Finally, I'm like, okay, I gotta go to this woman because I want to talk to her and I don't want to wait anymore. So thank you with all my heart. You know, I'm a huge fan.
- [03:59]
B
I think you the same way. You know, you're such a busy person and you're so needed and so important, and thank you for taking the time to come see me.
- [04:09]
A
Powerful women. So for you guys that are listening to the podcast, please, please, please go watch this episode. Because first of all, our background today is different. Cat on the Loose is literally on the loose. We are in Marina Del Rey. It's your home, but it's also your creative studio. We are going to talk about all of it because not only you are a fantastic doctor, you have an incredible body of work as a doctor, but you are the writer of this beautiful, beautiful children's books. I don't even have children, and I fell in love with the books. Dr. Rue. These adorable, adorable characters. You guys got to see it because it's something you have to see on video. We cannot talk about it and explain. And we're going to talk about all the books, how you are teaching kids about health in a fun way.
- [04:58]
B
That's why she's on location. On location. Kids can be healthy anywhere they go.
- [05:04]
A
Yes, yes, yes. Well, let's start from the beginning. For people that don't know you, you are obviously a super successful doctor. You're an md. You've done so much in the name of science, and you started a company called klm. So can you explain to people that don't know your work what is Kaelum? Because I know it's going to change medicine as we know it, and I think I have an audience of women all over the world, and I think this is so important. So let's pause and talk about Kaelum. For a sec.
- [05:34]
B
Sure, Kat. So Kalum Diagnostic Solutions. I named the company Kalum, which is a Latin word for heaven, actually. And essentially, like I. I recognized as a breast cancer surgeon that there was a significant pain point for patients. There are a lot of pain points when you're dealing with breast cancer, but one significant one was when a patient would go and have a biopsy done. So a patient would have, let's say, a spot on her mammogram that look suspicious, that look like it could be cancer. And so the doctor said, we have to take a piece of that tissue out and analyze it to see what it is. That's what a biopsy is. Right. So often, unbeknownst to the patient who prepares herself for that biopsy and thinks that that's the worst, and then it's over. Then that patient's told to go home, come back in several days, anywhere from three days, 10 days, sometimes weeks, it takes for a biopsy to come back. And during that time, that patient is so full of anxiety, it's very hard to describe. I would get calls, 2:00 in the morning, things like that, from patients saying, I just know I have cancer. And in the breast cancer space, 80% of biopsies are benign. So most of those meaning the negative. Exactly. Most of those patients did not have cancer.
- [07:02]
A
So you're suffering, anticipating the result, and it turns out it's nothing. And it happened to me, by the way. Yeah.
- [07:09]
B
Oh, and the patients that end up having cancer, a lot of them will actually attest to the fact that the worst part was waiting knowing that they couldn't do anything about it. They're powerless. It's. I wouldn't say it's equally as painful, but it is as painful, or it's very painful for the physicians because the physicians have their hands tied. We can't do anything for the patient. The medical centers can't treat the patient. So with this pain point in mind, knowing how long it takes for biopsies to be tested because of the long process it takes to process tissues and read slides and things like that, I have devised a system or device that actually performs rapid biopsy biopsy results in five minutes. So while the patient is actually there in the procedure room, there's a printout using software AI, in addition to some interesting autofluorescent techniques that actually will render that biopsy result so the patient can learn right away whether she has cancer. Now, I should say it's not limited to breast cancer.
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A
Right.
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B
You know, we're trying to Tackle the top five to begin with, which is skin, colon, prostate, breast, and lung.
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A
That's pretty incredible. So this is what Calum is developing, technology that will give patients biopsy results in under five minutes. That's incredible. And obviously, it will change the world. It will change medicine as we know it.
- [08:44]
B
Well, you know, if you just think about it, the minute a patient knows what's going on, he or she can get treated. Outcomes will change. Cancer is a time sensitive problem.
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A
Yeah.
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B
The earlier, the faster that you treat it, the earlier you diagnose it, the faster that you treat it, the better the outcome for the patient. You let that cancer sit there and not do anything, the cancer is going to grow, it is going to spread, and it is going to kill. And that's what, you know, KLM is all about, is trying to stop that process as early as possible.
- [09:15]
A
And this is why when I met you, ever since I met you a few months ago, I was like, we have to talk about it. We have to spread the news. Because it did happen to me, by the way. I do. I'm very religious about getting my mammograms. Because you're a doctor. You tell me if I'm right. Many years ago, my doctor told me, girls with big boobs like us, we have a lot of tissue right in our breasts. And many times the mammogram comes saying, like, oh, you need to go get retested. You might have something in there. They don't know what it is because they can't see as well as women with small boobs. And it happened to me twice. Once, many years ago, they thought I had something and they brought me back to do a different test. Turned out to be nothing. And last year, exactly the situation that you mentioned. In the middle of my summer, I did my mammogram and they called me and said, we think you have something in there. And they were going to give me the result three weeks later. I don't know why, because that's how long it took. It was going to take here in California, Kaiser. And all those three weeks, my life was in pause. Because like you said, if you might have a cancer diagnostic, you're not thinking about going on vacation. You're not thinking about making plans for the future. You're thinking like you don't even want to make breakfast. Exactly. My life was paralyzed. I remember sitting on my couch working and literally making plans like, okay, if something happens to me, this is what I got to do. No, no, no. So, yeah, it's paralyzing. It's paralyzing. Thank God. Turn out again, it was nothing again. But when I met you, I was like, oh my God, the agony, the agony of the waiting. And so many women that were there that day with me that went back to the test. You're sitting in that waiting room and your life is on the balance. And it's just one of the most horrible feelings in the world.
- [11:08]
B
I had to have a biopsy when I was 25. And even at that age of 25, knowing that the risk of cancer that is just so low, right? It's almost, it's almost not possible. It does happen, but it's very rare. But I can tell you that waiting for those biopsies, I just had that thinking feeling like my heart was in my feet, that I had breast cancer. I'm sure of it. I know something's wrong. I know this is not right. That kind of thing. I didn't. Thank God it was. Everything was benign. Now, just to dispel a little bit that large breasts. There's maybe one study out there that says that, you know, women with large breasts are at increased risk for cancer. It's intuitively you think that you have a higher risk because there's more breast tissue. But the truth is, you know, just to dispel, not, not to panic women with large breasts because it really isn't a very large risk factor. But what is a risk factor is dense breasts.
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A
Dense breasts.
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B
Dense breasts. And you know, dense breasts means women that have. It's very fibrotic tissue. This issue is sort of firm. Mammogram is hard to see through it and those patients have an increased risk of breast cancer.
- [12:22]
A
So I. Do you. So now this is a, I think this is a question that a lot of women have because depending on which doctor they go to and even which state you are at, because I know California varies from Florida and varies from somewhere else, different opinions. But you're a doctor and you're an definitely an expert in your field. In general, do you think most women should get a mammogram every year?
- [12:47]
B
You know, some of the guidelines have said every two years. Now, you know, generally speaking, the American Society of Breast Surgeons we recommend every year. Some of the task force have said every two years. But you know, we, even with all of this new technology, which is kind of incredible, the AI imaging mammogram is still the tried and true. So the physicians will still recommend the mammogram as the most sensitive and specific test to get done. It's not always the only test. That needs to get done. Oftentimes, patients will also need an ultrasound, possibly an mri, depending on her risk. But, you know, it's a case by case situation. But in general, the guideline is, once you are about 40 years old, you should start getting mammograms once a year.
- [13:42]
A
About 40. But they should, because I know so many. It's unbelievable to me. I still hear women saying, I don't think I need it. I'm scared. It hurts. I mean, you can save your life.
- [13:54]
B
It's not the most pleasant. No, it's not pleasant. And some people have very sensitive breasts. Yeah. So it does hurt when the breasts get compressed by the mammogram machine, but.
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A
It'S like a second.
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B
The truth is, it's not so bad. And one out of eight women in this country get breast cancer. That's 12%.
- [14:13]
A
One out of eight women.
- [14:14]
B
Wow. That's 12%. Catch your ma'am.
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A
Yeah. And the pain.
- [14:19]
B
Deal with the pain. Endure it. I'm not insensitive to it. I'm just saying endure it. Because for a few moments while you're having that test, you could be saving your life.
- [14:32]
A
No, and listen, I think I agree. Hurts. And like I said, big boobs hurts even more, I think. But it's only a few seconds. It's not like you're there for many minutes. It's only a few seconds. Right.
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B
You know, everybody's different. And I've heard some women say it's like, it's the worst experience I've had. And other women, you know, like, for me, I've had done.
- [14:54]
A
And I'm like, yes, same.
- [14:55]
B
I don't care. It's fine. But. But. And other women just, you know, it doesn't bother. But everybody has different threshold for. For pain and. And their bodies are different. So there's no judgment here in terms of, you know, of how difficult it can be. But it is. Early detection is known to be one of the most important, important factors in determining survivability and breast cancer. Yeah.
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A
Goal.
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B
Have to get.
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A
Go get tested.
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B
And that's. That's also what's prompting me to do this early biopsy. Because, you know, think about it. Instead of waiting two weeks to find out, you know, right away, it's actionable.
- [15:33]
A
So this test that Calum is developing at your bio lab in Texas is being tested now. Right.
- [15:43]
B
And our tests are. Our test results are incredible.
- [15:46]
A
Amazing.
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B
It works.
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A
So hopefully it's something that will be rolled out.
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B
Yeah. You know, there's always the process. There's like the FDA and everything else. The regulatory, you know, there's, what's CMS for CPT codes and there's, there's a lot of, there's a lot of red tape when you are trying to do something like this. But the way that I'm doing this is on specimen biopsies has already been taken out of the body. So there's no danger or harm to the person. And you know, my test has proven that there's no injury to the tissue. It will still go to pathology for confirmation, but you'll get an actionable answer right away. Oh my God. That's basically the, you know, the physician, whoever's in here, that patient can do, can, can take care, can operate or get the chemo or do whatever needs to be done. No, almost immediately.
- [16:38]
A
That's incredible.
- [16:39]
B
No more waiting.
- [16:40]
A
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- [19:34]
B
You know, it's interesting with men versus women, and if you study the history of, like, cancer, for instance, there's this really good book called the Emperor of all maladies, Dr. Mukherjee. I forget his first name. It's really good. And it goes over from the beginning, how cancer was discovered, early treatments were discovered and things like that. And in, like, the 70s, there was a big movement of women who were advocates, and they started raising awareness about breast cancer. And more and more women joined and became very vocal about it. I think it kind of like paralleled the ERA and the women's movement and all that stuff. So even to this day, there are, you know, I don't know, hundreds of advocacy groups for women with breast cancer or who are afraid of breast cancer or fighting against breast cancer. And they're vocal. And men tend to be a little more introverted about it, and they don't want to talk about it. Okay. Prostate cancer could mean if they have to have their prostate removed now we have great treatments. Now there's robotic surgery, radiation, nothing this that, but it can cause, in rare instances, impotence and incontinence. These are the. Some very big fears for men. I mean, you know, just as a woman's afraid of losing her breast, a man, this is, you know, men, it's.
- [20:58]
A
A very fine themselves.
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B
And, you know, I found, I mean, support groups for men, they're just not as available and they're not as talkative. Yeah.
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A
So that's why I think about it. Right? Yeah.
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B
You know, why not talk about it? Get support you need. Get the treatment that you need, and you're not alone.
- [21:21]
A
Yeah, I agree. And I think men need more platforms and she'll be able to talk about it. That's why I mentioned. Yeah, and I appreciate it because I get messages from men that want to know, talk about it, how to get tested, where should I go? I'm embarrassed, I'm scared, I'm afraid. And there are always resources right where they. And because it's. That's important for them to get tested.
- [21:43]
B
They need to, you know, it's. For men. You know, it starts with an exam in the doctor's office. They do a digital rectal exam and feel for the prostate to see if it's enlarged or through any lumps on it. And a man will also have a blood test his, you know, prostate levels to basically check to see if they're elevated. And if those two things are a problem, then they will be recommended for biopsies and several biopsies are taken. It's not comfortable. I will not say that it's comfortable. Sometimes that psa, that prostate specific antigen, I was talking about the hormone, sometimes it will be elevated and it's not cancerous just because the prostate's enlarged. So, you know, men need to get a little. I think a lot of men are educated about it, but I think it's important for more men to be educated about it, that, you know, to learn more. The knowledge is power. Understanding that elevated PSA doesn't always mean cancer. Oftentimes it means a benign problem. And it just is a matter of then going to the doctor, having the exam. And the doctor will determine if he needs biopsy.
- [22:55]
A
Yeah, go talk to your doctor. Now. Let me ask you about skin cancer, because the past few months it's been so much in the media because so many influencers and podcasters.
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B
It's not the sun.
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A
No.
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B
What do you know? California is 105 degrees.
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A
They go and they're like, oh, sunscreens cause cancer. It's like this big controversy. I don't wear sunscreen. And this is like more chemicals. La la la la la la la. And so I need to ask your opinion about it. Oh, she's showing her book because you're educating children and adults. I think a lot about those.
- [23:34]
B
Skipping ahead here. Paige, page ahead and is spoiler alert.
- [23:38]
A
Wait a second. So I think Dr. Ru is for adults as well.
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B
Okay. So this book is called doctor in the Case of the Red Hot Hawaiians and these Little Piglets. Their skin is red and itchy. So Dr. Rue gets called over to Hawaii, she flies her own plane, and she brings her team with her and she has to figure out what's going on. And this book goes over a bunch of different causes. Spider bispacity, volcanic ash, things like that. So it's exciting for kids to try to figure out what the cause is. But it ends up being pretty simple. These piglets were dancing for their luau. They were practicing and somebody had cut down some trees, so there was a little deforestation and the sun was getting on their face and they weren't putting on their sunblock. You need to wear your sunblock. It's important, okay? Sunblock does not cause cancer. That being said, you know, I'm all about buying organic products and healthy products. So read your labels. You know, sometimes creams have some toxic elements in them. So read your labels. Buy organic products if you know, especially makes you feel safe. But it's very unusual for something like a product like sunblock to cause skin cancer. The sun though does cause skin cancer.
- [25:00]
A
So it's.
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B
You're not wearing your sunlight. So the SPF 30 hoola, smear it here, rub it there, spread or squirt it everywhere. Don't forget your backing dose. Don't forget shoulders, bellies, ears and nose lotion. Gel foam or spray sunblock heaps pad. Raise it away. Don't let sun make you sick. Smooth on sunblock. Nice and thick.
- [25:21]
A
Woo hoo.
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B
So that's why you guys have to go get Dr. Roo because these books are so fun.
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A
Oh my God. So I was going to say it's not just for kids because you can educate adults as well because I'm not a doctor. But you know, I have been obsessed, obsessed with sunscreen ever since I was 18 years old. Because when I was, you know, being half Brazilian, I grew up going to the beach with my parents. La la la.
- [25:51]
B
It was just human Brazilian.
- [25:53]
A
We worship. But you know, we had freaking.
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B
We had the tin and the Vaseline and the baby lotion. How dark should we possibly get?
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A
I did, but my parents never put sunscreen on me. You know, we would literally just burn in the sun.
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B
Burn. That's what we wanted.
- [26:13]
A
I got like a lobster. I was like, lobster.
- [26:16]
B
Can I tell you? I'm going to tell America.
- [26:18]
A
I never got tanned.
- [26:19]
B
I used to go to the tanning.
- [26:23]
A
No, that's cray cray, right?
- [26:24]
B
I used to. Not the spray tan, like literally the tanning machine. Oh my God. I went, you know, I love my mom and she's smart now, but she didn't know. So when she was, you know, maybe 40 and I was, you know, a late Teenager, she starts taking me to the tanning salon and yeah, they didn't know anything about getting tanned in the tanning salon in the winter in Connecticut.
- [26:51]
A
Yeah, they didn't know anybody.
- [26:54]
B
I mean now these are places that I would. Oh my God.
- [26:57]
A
They should be illegal, I think.
- [26:59]
B
Yeah, I mean but I did have like a pre.
- [27:02]
A
Cancerous like right here. I had a bunch of little freckles.
- [27:06]
B
Yeah.
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A
And I went to the. Well, I have a little scar, you can barely see it. But I went to the dermatologist and he took the freckles and he did a little biopsy and I was 18 and he told me and I never forgot and a big shout out to him. Dr. Nestor, Mark Nestor in my. He's one of the pulpes of dermatologists in the world. He's fantastic.
- [27:26]
B
Where is he?
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A
In Aventura, Florida. Dr.
- [27:29]
B
I love Aventura. That's for my grandmother.
- [27:30]
A
He's fantastic.
- [27:31]
B
Oh my God.
- [27:32]
A
Yeah, he. He talks about skin cancer all over the world. And he said to me, if you don't start putting sunscreen, you're going to be wrinkle like a prune. You're going to get, you're going to get skin. And he scared me to put sunscreen ever since then. And everybody tells me that I have pretty fabulous skin for my age. And I think I do.
- [27:49]
B
Yeah, you do.
- [27:50]
A
So when I see. And we live in California, look at the sun, right? So when I see these bitches and I see this influencers try to influence people and telling people like, oh, don't put sunscreen. It causes cancer. It's worse than the sun. I want to strangle them. I wish they could see your face now.
- [28:08]
B
No, you need SPF 36 or higher, right. You just.
- [28:13]
A
Every day. Every day.
- [28:15]
B
So there are sensitive areas. Your face for instance, your hands, you.
- [28:21]
A
Know, here, the chest area.
- [28:23]
B
Chest is incredible. You know, cuz girls don't discrepancy and they'll never go away because you know, I would. I used to go running and out in the sun and I didn't want to cover this up and I didn't.
- [28:36]
A
And nobody put. They would put sunscreen here. And you forget the neck and the chest area which is exposed all the time. This is where I had my little pre cancerous one. So you dismiss defying like you said, buy organic. Read the label. But sunscreen is super important.
- [28:52]
B
It is incredibly important. You have to sometimes weigh things. Weigh risks versus benefits. Okay? Nothing in this world is perfect. The food we eat is not perfect. It's far from perfect. The air we breathe is not perfect, but it's what we have.
- [29:10]
A
Right.
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B
So do your best to try to be just intuitively smart about things and don't just completely drop something that's important. And I'll go back to Kailyn for a second, which is interesting. There is a procedure called Mohs surgery. When someone has a skin cancer on the face, the dermatologist will take a little slice and another slice and another slice, and they go to send it for pathology. Takes about an hour. So the whole procedure takes three to five hours. So that's another use for my unit is in five minutes. You can tell as the person if you've cleared the patient of the cancer.
- [29:51]
A
Amazing.
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B
So, you know, that's another thing that I really, really want to do because it's very awful for patients to sit in a chair for six hours waiting for pathology results and things like that. Not to mention, how many more patients can those dermatologists treat? Yeah, right. You know, you. A dermatologist wants to treat as many patients as they can. They don't want patients to weed and have the skin cancer grow and.
- [30:17]
A
Oh, no. And we, we say skin. A lot of people think it's not serious because, oh, it's skin cancer.
- [30:23]
B
But it kills if you don't feel the. One of the most serious. Right.
- [30:27]
A
If you don't get it soon enough. Right.
- [30:30]
B
I mean, basal cell and squamous cell in general are less aggressive and you do have more time. And they're generally treatable. Generally. I don't want to say always. They're generally treatable if they're on the skin. And people don't usually suffer recurrent, maybe recurrence, but not death or metastases from those types. That being said, yeah, you're right. If it doesn't get treated, it will.
- [30:58]
A
It can kill.
- [30:59]
B
And melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. There it is. Oh, my God. So, you know, this is. This is no joke. Skin cancer is no joke. And, you know, skin is the largest organ in the body. People don't realize that. It's called the integument. It's an organ. It covers your whole body. Yeah. So, you know, you get the whole thing checked. You have to go see the doctors to check your back and things like that and, you know, places that you can't see.
- [31:27]
A
And I love that you said, use your common sense because nothing is going to be perfect.
- [31:30]
B
Right. There is. You know, I had so many patients ask me, what do I do now for a diet. I Have a very good friend who has been a vegan and gluten free and organic for most of her life since she was a teenager. And then she had breast cancer at 42. And she still keeps her diet. And I encourage her to keep her diet. Although I joked, I said I don't want to tell her to say her name, but I was like, hunting, go get a hamburger, please. You know, I joke with her because go get a cheeseburger. Yeah, but it's fine. No, no, I support what she's doing. That's fine. It's good for her lifestyle. She feels good and she, and she likes it. But it didn't prevent the kids.
- [32:16]
A
Right.
- [32:17]
B
So the point is, is that there really, we, we as humans have to understand that we can't control everything.
- [32:26]
A
Right.
- [32:27]
B
We can control some things. We want to be, you know, sovereign about our lives and do the best that we can do and educate ourselves the best we can, but we cannot control it.
- [32:40]
A
Yeah, we can make everything perfect. I live by kind of like the 80, 20% rule, because I can never be perfect. Like 80% of the time. I try to eat a really clean diet. I drink lots of water. I eat organic. Like, I have a super clean lifestyle.
- [32:57]
B
You just need to have a shakeup. Hot dog on the glass.
- [33:01]
A
Yeah, I will have my glass of wine. Yeah, I will eat.
- [33:04]
B
If you're in New York City, you better go get a hot dog on the street.
- [33:06]
A
I will eat my burger. Yeah, exactly. Every once in a while.
- [33:10]
B
And you do it for me, do it twice a year.
- [33:13]
A
And it works for me that way. I feel like I don't feel too guilty, but I feel good about what I do.
- [33:18]
B
Most of the time you don't, you're not doing anything. You know, the human body in general is pretty good. Healing itself is pretty good at detoxing. It's good. If you eat something toxic or whatever, it's usually not going to sit in your body. Your body can detox.
- [33:34]
A
It detox.
- [33:35]
B
So especially if we move right.
- [33:37]
A
I think for me, like just moving exercise, like walking.
- [33:40]
B
People ask me, why cancer? Why so much cancer? Why so much? Well, we have come a long way with health. Heart disease has gone way down, right? What's, what else is left to cancer? I mean, we've, we've become healthier as a society. So cancer is your own body that starts to betray you and your own cells that keep growing without, without stopping, without having any checks and balances. So some of it is just that we're living long, longer or live or we're getting older. It's good. We're healthier, we're living longer. And cancer, you know, starts to happen.
- [34:17]
A
Yeah.
- [34:18]
B
Because what happens as we age, the DNA, which is our genetic code, which also has repair genes, it starts to break down a little bit. So those repair genes are not as successful as they used to be. And when those repair genes don't fix the DNA, cancer becomes expressed. So as we age, I don't want to say it becomes inevitable. Not everybody gets cancer, but it becomes before common. So. But it is also happening in younger people, too. So, you know, my theory on that, aside from, you know, family history, which is very strong, you know, I do think that there's pollution and, you know, our food could be better and things like that.
- [35:04]
A
Oh, my God. Yes, we can. We could do better.
- [35:07]
B
There are issues. Want to hear another one?
- [35:11]
A
Yeah. So let's. Okay.
- [35:12]
B
Before we run out of time, I have the nutrition one. It'd be very.
- [35:15]
A
Yeah, let's do. Before we run out of time. So let's shift gears to the doctor was because they're adorable. And again, guys, go look at the videos on a YouTube channel. Karen, the Loose podcast, and on our Instagram, because they're so cute. And I agree, like, because I'm not a kid, but when I was looking at the books myself, I fell in love with the characters because they're so cute.
- [35:36]
B
Cute and like I said, amazing.
- [35:38]
A
They're so educational. And you are a poet and you're an artist. So, okay, let's talk about the nutritional one, because I think everybody could learn. I mean, with all due respect, Americans could learn a lot. A lot about nutrition. A lot. Thank you so much.
- [35:54]
B
Well, so first of all, Doctor who's hanging out behind cats.
- [35:58]
A
So doctor is the girl kangaroo.
- [36:01]
B
Doctor, Female kangaroo. Doctor.
- [36:03]
A
She's so cute.
- [36:04]
B
She has got a magic pouch, right? So she's a marsupial, and marsupials have pouches. That's what makes them marsupials. So in her pouch. And I thought this was just the cutest idea. You know how doctors used to walk around with their little bag of medical supplies? So I figured, let's put the medical supplies in her pouch, right? So she's got those medical supplies in her pouch, and whenever she gets the call to duty, it sparkles and kicks and becomes kind of magical, and she becomes Dr. Rue. She is. Otherwise she's a doctor, Marsha, but she becomes Dr. Roo. So I love it, you know, in this book called Nutrition.
- [36:42]
A
So one of the books you wrote all about nutrition because there are a bunch of books, by the way, guys, and the books are available on Amazon, and I am putting the link on this episode if you guys have kids, nieces, nephews, sons, daughters. And if you want to read it for yourself, because, like I said, they're fun, even for adults. But they are available on Amazon. So one of them is exclusively about nutrition.
- [37:02]
B
Yeah.
- [37:03]
A
So that's super cool.
- [37:03]
B
Okay, so it's doctor in the case of the picnic pirates, and she gets called to Washington, D.C. where they're having a Fourth of July barbecue, and the little bear cubs are not feeling well. And the little bear cubs. It's so interesting what we tried to do in this book, or what I did in this book. I tried to take things that these animals actually did. So bear cubs tumble, okay? They actually tumble in real life. So in this book, I had them tumbling and doing acrobatics, and that's what they were going to do for the Fourth of July show. But all of a sudden, they're getting sick. They don't feel well. They're angry, they're tired, they're moody. They don't know what's going on. And so, you know, they're like, are you watching too much bear tv? Are they sleepy? Are they hibernating too much? And then I explain the concept of a hibernating versus sleeping. Right? So I look at. I look at everything. Every chance to educate kids, you know, that I could find.
- [38:04]
A
Can you do the food wrap?
- [38:06]
B
I'm gonna try. Okay.
- [38:08]
A
There is a really cute wrap at the end.
- [38:10]
B
Okay. So Louis Lama over here, he's like a straight guy, right? He's like a straight man in the sense that he's like. You think he's so serious all the time, and you don't think he's got any real sides to him. And all of a sudden, at the end of. During that performance, when they figure out what's wrong with the kids or the bear cubs, he gets up and sings the pyramid rap. Now, I'll be honest, this pyramid, they've replaced it with a food plate. But, you know, I love this image for kids. It still teaches kids what? How to eat properly. Okay, I am FP Louie, and I'm here to say this is what you eat to make a break your day. My makeup break your day My makeup Break your day My makeup break your day. Let us start at the bottom with H2O. This is the funny name for water, in case you did not know. Drink it hot, drink it cold, drink it fruity, drink it fizzy drink cups or bottles to just get busy. Step up to your vegetables and many kinds of fruit. They are full of ample vitamins. Can I get it? Cauliflower, baby carrots, a juice. Strawberry, starfruit, a fuzzy peach and broccoli. Broccoli. I have FP Louie Ann here who said the food you eat can make or break your day. I'm gonna make or break your day. I'm gonna make or break your day. I'm gonna make or break. You did. And there's more, but so it's fun.
- [39:27]
A
It should be so fun.
- [39:29]
B
I think not my Instagram. We need to find rappers that actually do.
- [39:33]
A
We need to find the animator like to make these characters come to life because that would be so cute.
- [39:40]
B
So I mean all of them, you know, Dr. Rue, we've got, you know, Louis Llama and Terence Toad and they're over there is Kirby Koala. Kirby Koala is doctor's nurse. And Louis Lament is the postman. So he always brings the news of when there's a health crisis going on. And Terence Toad is the comic relief character who is like the assistant. But he's always messing up. He's always eating bad food and he learns and he tries. He's very cute. Amazing. It's very funny.
- [40:17]
A
Amazing.
- [40:18]
B
So these characters and you know, we also bring in other characters when they go to a place. And there's a lot of comedy in.
- [40:24]
A
This, but it's a fun way to educate adults and children is obviously you're an insanely talented writer and I think it's pretty obvious you love what you do, but it's not like you're just a doctor going to, you know, the office and charging patient and I'm coming home. You want to make a difference in the world. And to me, that's what I fell in love about you and your work. And it's obvious that what you're doing with Kalem is going to change the lives of millions of people. So if anybody out there listening, if you guys want to know more, the website is kalem diagnostics.
- [41:00]
B
So wwmds.com so DS like David Sam. It's a diagnostic solution.
- [41:07]
A
Calumds.com or they can reach out to you directly. Right. Your Instagram. Rachel. Well, I'm going to put the links by the way, for anybody that wants to know.
- [41:19]
B
This is www.dru.health and that connects to Amazon also.
- [41:26]
A
So these are the cutest, cutest books. Congratulations.
- [41:30]
B
I have I'll tell you by Illustrator. I can't take Credit for that. Her name is Irina Drengova.
- [41:36]
A
Yeah. She is from Ukraine. Right now.
- [41:38]
B
She literally drew these in the middle of the war. Wow. And she's told me that, you know, it got her through some really dark times to be able to write these fun, fantastic adventures. And I just, you know, I watched her just go crazy with the pan shoes.
- [41:54]
A
That makes it. That makes that. These books are insanely special for your work. The fact that Irina made this beautiful, beautiful drawings, like you said. Can we imagine? I cannot imagine living in a country.
- [42:06]
B
You know, of war. And she's amazing. Yeah. It's so funny.
- [42:10]
A
This.
- [42:10]
B
This one's called Dr. In the case of the Hacking Hippo, which, you know, so Hilda Hippo is the opera singer, and this one takes place in Australia. And, you know, I wrote this sort of a la Covid, and she develops a cough. And this is all about germs. So I told Irina, I want to see all these germs kind of coming in to attacking Hilda, getting into her mouth. I said, I want one germ to be a ballet dancer. I want one to be a rapper. I want one to be a breakdancer. I want, you know, so. And so she. She did that.
- [42:46]
A
Amazing.
- [42:46]
B
Like, she. She drew that. And, you know, then in the back, there's super soap, and super soap comes and cleans up all the.
- [42:57]
A
No, she's an incredibly talented.
- [42:58]
B
Exactly.
- [42:58]
A
What an illustrator. Yeah.
- [43:00]
B
She's really, really.
- [43:01]
A
She is fantastic. The books are adorable. Guys, go check it out on Amazon. Dr. Rachel Wellner. It's such an honor to be here. You have no idea. We finally did it. Congratulations.
- [43:16]
B
That's like. That's a bad hug. We're sitting down.
- [43:19]
A
Yeah, no, we were sitting down. But I know that we're gonna get 10 million questions after this episode, because the subject. Right. Cancer, biopsy, sunscreen. It's so, so rich. So I'm definitely gonna invite you to come back because I know I'm gonna get hundreds of questions for you. So hopefully next time you come into the studio, it's my honor. You're a phenomenal woman. Yes. You're incredible. Guys, be safe out there. Go wear your sunscreen, Right? Go get tested.
- [43:47]
B
Sunscreen. Wash your hands. Okay. I didn't give you a song from Hacking Hippo. Madonna. Don't get mad. Don't just stand there. Let's get to it. Wash your hands. There's nothing to it. Go. I love it.
- [44:02]
A
You are an artist. You're fantastic. Dr. Rachel Wellner. Guys, be safe out there, and I'll see you very soon. This was such fun. This was such an honor.
- [44:11]
B
Bye from me. Bye from Dr. Ruby, the whole crew.
- [44:17]
A
And Katie, big shout out to the Burrata House, one of my favorite casual dining places in the heart of West Hollywood. They make authentic, delicious, fresh Italian food, sandwiches, pasta, salads, with the delicious, delicious, fresh burrata on top. On 161 South Crescent Heights. So if you're looking for a place that you can have a quick bite for lunch, dinner, takeout for your family, this is it. And I love, of course, supporting local businesses. So if you guys are in the Los Angeles area, West Hollywood, go check out the Burata House. If you guys want to see pictures, buratahouse. Com on Instagram, Burata House. I love, love, love their food so much. Everything is really yummy.