The Dr. Gundry Podcast

Episode 373 (Oct 14, 2025)

Brooke Burke’s Wellness Revolution: Redefining Strength, Stress & Self-Care

Overview

This episode features award-winning TV host, entrepreneur, and wellness educator Brooke Burke, who joins Dr. Stephen Gundry for a deep-dive on women’s health, particularly the unique challenges faced by women, strategies for resilience, and practical self-care. The conversation ranges from autoimmune disease and gut health to the latest on supplementation, protein myths, exercise, and the importance of mindset and movement—offering a multifaceted toolkit for lasting energy, vitality, and self-confidence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Unique Health Paradox Women Face

• 80% of autoimmune cases affect women, who are also more likely to have thyroid problems and chronic fatigue—even when prioritizing healthy habits.
  (01:56) Dr. Gundry: “Women make up about 80% of all autoimmune disease cases… and yet, they’re the most committed to eating healthy, exercising and staying on top of their medical care. So why do women who are working so hard for their health still face bigger challenges?”

Causes Explored:

• The immune system’s unique adaptation to pregnancy cycles—pregnancy can trigger or quiet autoimmune diseases.
  (05:23) Dr. Gundry: “You’re designed to have a parasite in your body for nine months at a time. Your immune system has to dramatically shift gears during pregnancy…”

• Gut wall changes during labor and pregnancy: Postpartum is often when autoimmune issues emerge due to gut wall disruption and “foreign particles” entering the bloodstream.

• Modern increase linked to undermined gut microbiomes, broad-spectrum antibiotics, glyphosate, and NSAIDs.
  (10:18) Dr. Gundry: “That whole system has fallen apart, where we don’t have a gut microbiome to protect us…”

2. Building Resilience: Microbiome, Immune System, and Prevention

• The importance of the microbiome: A diverse gut supports immune education and resilience.

  • Lack of diversity leaves the immune system untrained, raising risk for misdirected attacks (autoimmunity).
  • Modern lifestyle has turned the “tropical rainforest” of gut flora into a “desert wasteland.”
    (08:48) Dr. Gundry: “…most of us have a desert wasteland instead of a tropical rainforest.”

• Preventive steps:

  • Avoid unnecessary antibiotics and NSAIDs.
  • Recognize environmental toxins (like glyphosate) in food supply.

3. Smart Supplementation—Not All Created Equal

• Not every supplement works or contains what it claims:

  • Third-party testing is essential (look for GMP and independent labs).
  • Many supplements bought online don’t contain active ingredients at proper doses. (19:37) Dr. Gundry: “85% of the products… bought on Amazon… either didn’t contain the ingredient or didn’t have near what they claimed.”

• Key nutrients after 40:

  • CoQ10: Statin users and older adults often need to supplement. (13:49) Dr. Gundry: “They don’t make expensive urine as I subsequently learned… Most adults after 50 pretty much don’t make CoQ10 anymore. So you have to supplement it.”

  • Methyl B12: Some need sublingual forms due to absorption issues. (18:22) Dr. Gundry: “If we put it under our tongue, it can go directly into our bloodstream.”

• Quality over quantity:

  • Know your source.
  • Quote (21:28) Brooke Burke: “Those are two great points for people to wrap their head around.”

4. Protein & Women: Busting the Myths

• Most people overconsume protein.

  • Actual needs are lower than commonly thought; stomach/gut wall health affects protein absorption.
  • RDA adjusted to cover 95% of population by doubling base needs; for most, half the RDA suffices. (22:57) Dr. Gundry: “…we are over-proteinized… The RDA for protein is such that 50% of people could meet their needs with about 40 grams per day.”
  • For older people, fixing gut health reduces protein needs.

• Brooke’s advice:

  • Listen to your body, become your own detective. (22:38) Brooke Burke: “…you’ve got to ask the questions, you’ve got to have great advisors. But you’ve also really got to listen to your body…”

5. Movement, Mindset, and Stress Regulation

• Strength redefined:

  • Physical muscle, but also boundaries, mindset, surrender (rest/recovery). (25:23) Brooke Burke: “It’s about regulating that nervous system… knowing when to slow down, how to listen to our body, the need for rest as well as the need to activate energy…”

• Movement as medicine:

  • Exercise “snacking” and small, frequent movement chunks endorsed by both. (31:14) Brooke Burke: “In the app, we call it bite-sized burns…”

• Lessons from Blue Zones:

  • Longevity linked more to everyday movement, mindset, community, and low stress than gyms or supplements.
    (27:11) Brooke Burke: “There wasn’t a gym to be found… it was all about movement, mindset and low stress…”

6. Collagen, Vitamin C, and Gut Health

• Collagen hype:
  • Consuming collagen isn’t magic; focus on building blocks and time-release vitamin C for synthesis. (33:51) Dr. Gundry: “You have to have time-release vitamin C… one of the real keys to putting collagen to use.”

7. Intermittent Fasting & Cellular Health

• Intermittent fasting (IF):

  • Not a fad—promotes repair, rest, stem cell activation, and gut health. (36:17) Dr. Gundry: “I was the first person to write about time restricted eating…”

  • Americans now eat across a 16-hour window, far higher than our evolutionary norm. (38:36) Dr. Gundry: “The average American now is eating 16 hours a day.”

  • Brooke’s Experience:

    • Fasting is about cellular repair and self-care more than just skipping meals.

8. Strength Training, Insulin Resistance, and Yoga

• Strength training:

  • Critical for insulin sensitivity; reduces risk of chronic disease. (41:21) Dr. Gundry: “Then we put them on a strength-training program and all of a sudden their insulin resistance drops…”

• Home-based fitness:

  • Apps and online resources make starting small easy. (43:03) Brooke Burke: “That’s why I created my app…”

• Balance with yoga/meditation:

  • Surrender, rest, and “inner housekeeping” just as vital. (43:42) Brooke Burke: “Yoga, for me, it’s not even a workout, it’s medicine… my time to rest and reset…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (04:12) Brooke Burke: “I am actually one of those 80%… I've had thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s, IBD, Vitiligo, Meniere’s. My list is long and yet I work so hard to take great care of myself.”
• (08:48) Dr. Gundry: “Most of us have a desert wasteland instead of a tropical rainforest.”
• (13:49) Dr. Gundry: “They don’t make expensive urine as I subsequently learned.”
• (22:57) Dr. Gundry: “There’s probably three of us in the medical community that are the anti-protein guys…we are over-proteinized in this country.”
• (26:31) Dr. Gundry: “The best lessons from the blue zones is you really ought to be a goat and sheep herder…”
• (31:14) Brooke Burke: “…doing something is better than doing nothing. If you have 10 minutes today…it’s better than just losing your sense of self and not being able to find your way back.”
• (33:51) Dr. Gundry: “You have to have time-release vitamin C…one of the real keys to putting collagen to use.”
• (36:17) Dr. Gundry: “I was the first person to write about time restricted eating back in the early 2000s.”
• (41:21) Dr. Gundry: “If I want to show patients a crystal ball of what bad things are going to happen to them… insulin resistance and elevated insulin is the two perfect predictors.”
• (43:42) Brooke Burke: “Yoga… it’s medicine. It’s my therapy. It’s where I get all my inner housekeeping done.”
• (34:38) Dr. Gundry: “You don’t want to manage these things. You want to get rid of these things… 94% of people who arrive with autoimmune disease by blood markers—they’re in remission within nine months to a year on no medications. So…I firmly believe this is not something you manage. This is something you get rid of.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|-----------| | Episode Theme & Why Focus on Women | 01:56 | | Why Women Are Uniquely Affected | 04:12 | | Gut Microbiome and Autoimmunity | 08:45 | | Three Health Disruptors: Antibiotics, etc.| 10:35 | | Supplementation—Quality and Pitfalls | 13:38 | | Protein Needs: Myths vs. Science | 22:57 | | Movement, Blue Zones & Mindset | 25:23 | | Collagen, Vitamin C, and Skin Health | 32:02 | | Being a Great Patient & Lab Monitoring | 34:08 | | Intermittent Fasting Benefits | 36:17 | | Role of Strength Training & Insulin | 41:21 | | Yoga & Inner Rest | 43:03 |

Recap & Takeaways

• Women need tailored care: Biological, hormonal, and environmental factors require a unique, multifaceted approach.
• Gut health is foundational: Nurture your microbiome, avoid disruptors, and personalize nutrition.
• Supplements help—but only if quality-controlled and personally informed.
• Protein overconsumption is common, especially if gut health is neglected.
• Exercise is about movement and mindset, not perfection—even small steps make a difference.
• True wellness includes stress management, rest, self-listening, and community.
• Intermittent fasting and strength training are scientifically-backed levers for longevity and vitality—if tailored to the individual.

By blending personal narrative, patient experience, and evidence-based strategies, Dr. Gundry and Brooke Burke arm listeners (especially women 40+) with hope and practical steps to redefine strength and self-care for lasting energy and vibrant health.