Podcast Summary: The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Episode: She GAVE UP Her Medical License After This...
Date: November 20, 2025
Guest: Dr. Jess Pietras

Episode Overview

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Dr. Josh Axe welcomes Dr. Jess Pietras—an MD who left conventional medicine and surrendered her California license following controversial state mandates. Together, they dive into the epidemic of mystery illnesses, root causes, and integrative strategies for healing. Dr. Jess shares her story of transformation, clinical wisdom on infections like Lyme and mold, the mind-body connection, and practical detox protocols. The conversation offers hope and actionable advice for those struggling with chronic, unexplained symptoms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Dr. Jess Left Conventional Medicine in California

• Mandates and Medical Freedom:
  • California passed laws (SB 277, SB 276) requiring all children to receive vaccinations to attend public school and allowed authorities to subpoena medical records without patient consent.
    • "They also made it legal to subpoena patients medical records without their permission and open them up under the Health and Human Services Department under the guise of safety..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 00:34)
  • Dr. Jess was investigated and penalized for writing medical exemptions, ultimately forced to choose between her license and her integrity.
    • "They wanted three years probation and about 60 hours of their RE education and a stipulated license with no exemptions. But the big underlying thing here was they wanted all the kids to have all their shots and you to force them to do it." (Dr. Josh Axe, 38:46)
  • She surrendered her medical license to protect her patients’ rights and now focuses on education and root-cause healing.
    • "I just thought, I'm gonna media blitz them. I'm gonna surrender this and I'm gonna media blitz them." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 39:55)

2. Transition from Conventional to Integrative and Root-Cause Medicine

• Disillusionment with Hospital Practices:
  • Discharging patients on dozens of medications without true healing prompted Dr. Jess to question the system.
    • "Are discharging people on 30 medications, is that really considered health?… how is this health?" (Dr. Jess Pietras, 03:00)
• Education Gaps:
  • Minimal nutrition training in med school highlighted system shortcomings; self-education and humility were crucial.
    • "I got four hours of nutrition in school... I had to give myself a new education." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 07:16)
• The Importance of Asking “Why”:
  • Both doctors stress the value of continual questioning to get to root causes—citing “five whys” methodology.
    • "One thing you said that really stood out to me...with the best doctors, they ask why and why and why..." (Dr. Josh Axe, 07:21)
• Empathy Over Judgment:
  • Integrative approaches demand listening to and believing patients, not dismissing their symptoms or blaming them.
    • "My medicine and how I help people and my success rate with people changed when I started believing the person in front of me..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 06:35)

3. Mystery Illnesses: Causes, Missed Diagnoses & Modern Epidemics

• Root Causes:
  • Stealth infections (Lyme, Epstein-Barr, mold, parasites, viral infections) underlie many unexplained symptoms.
    • "A lot of these microbes were sort of at the core of people who've had these ongoing...chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia..." (Dr. Josh Axe, 04:36)
  • Reactivation of latent viruses is common with long COVID and immune dysfunctions.
    • "74% of people with long Covid actually had Epstein Barr reactivated." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 05:18)
  • Case example: ALS misdiagnosis due to cyanobacteria exposure and subsequent integrative treatments.
    • "He had swam in the Red Tide...I was giving him a parasite cleanse and he was having a lot more movement in his limbs actually, and doing better." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 12:22–13:19)
• Integration of Mind-Body Factors:
  • Emotional trauma frequently precipitates or exacerbates physical illness—addressing mental-spiritual health is crucial.
    • "Right before diagnosis, he'd had some emotional trauma, which I find is always a component with the physical. It's like a perfect storm that breaks the body." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 11:59)

4. The “Kill, Bind, Sweat” Protocol & Beyond

• Concept Evolution:
  • Dr. Jess originally developed ‘Kill, Bind, Sweat’ for detoxification but learned to prioritize “tending the terrain”—regulating the nervous system, optimizing elimination, and fortifying the body before deep detox.
    • "When I get people's nervous systems regulated first...then I open their drainage, making sure they can have bowel movements. They can sweat..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 20:45)
• Protocol Steps:
  • Strengthen the Terrain: Minerals, nutrition, stress reduction, nervous system regulation
  • Kill: Broad-spectrum herbal antimicrobials (e.g., Biocidin, Para 1/3, Gut Hero)
  • Bind: Fulvic/humic acid binders, high-dose probiotics
  • Sweat: Infrared sauna, exercise, castor oil packs
    • "Sauna is probably my favorite...studies have shown you can sweat out heavy metals..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 25:16)
• Personalization:
  • Emphasize that every patient is unique; practitioner guidance is ideal for customizing herbs and binders.
    • "Everyone is a unique individual...Having a practitioner can kind of dial in what's going on..." (Dr. Josh Axe, 25:16)

5. Healing Beyond the Physical: Addressing Stress & Trauma

• Chronic Stress and Disease:
  • Emotional and spiritual stress are seen as half of the cause of chronic illnesses.
    • "Almost half of it is due to chronic stress, emotional childhood trauma, spiritual like, lack of identity and purpose." (Dr. Josh Axe, 30:33)
• Barriers to Healing:
  • Many patients resist working on the nervous system or emotional healing due to discomfort or lack of awareness.
    • "No one wants to do that. No one. It's really hard to see yourself in flight or fight..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 31:08)
• Practical Advice:
  • Dr. Josh encourages spiritual practices, solitude, saying no, and gratitude to support healing
    • "Spend some time in spiritual practices, reading your Bible, gratitude, journaling, you know, a prayer, being prayed for for healing..." (Dr. Josh Axe, 36:21)
• Productivity Addiction:
  • Overworking, especially among women and “high-performers,” is a cultural epidemic harming health and self-worth.
    • "Their cortisol's off the charts...it's really hard to convince somebody to not be as productive as they think they are..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 32:55)

6. Testing, Diagnosis & Functional Approaches

• Types of Testing:
  • Comprehensive blood panels, functional tests for toxins (vibrant wellness Total Tox), gut health, hormones, and more.
    • "There are functional tests that are amazing out there. I like vibrant wellness. I run a lot of their labs in my clinic." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 52:38)
• Personalization and Reference Ranges:
  • Lab values should be interpreted from a functional (not just conventional) perspective for optimal health.
    • "The blood work that you and I run is so different than the conventional blood work. And even how we read it..." (Dr. Josh Axe, 53:31)
• Key Symptoms:
  • Red flags for mold: feeling better when away from home, symptoms worse in rain, static shocks, increased asthma/kid bedwetting, and more.
    • "If you leave your house and you feel better when you go on vacation or...it's worse when it rains out...these are all signs of water damage in the house." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 51:44)

7. Notable Therapies & Adjuncts

• Detox Aids: Castor oil packs (Queen of the Thrones), high dose minerals, bee venom for autoimmune issues, PEMF mats, hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, lymphatic therapies
  • "I love castor oil packs. Shout out to Marison, Queen of the Thrones." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 43:51)
• Natural Movement:
  • Walking outside, sun exposure, and hot yoga for detox and nervous system resetting
    • "Go outside people. We do nothing but sit indoors 80% of the time..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 45:45)
• Yoga and Spirituality:
  • Both speakers agree yoga’s benefits depend on one’s intention and faith; it can be practiced “unto God” if desired.
    • "If I'm aware and I'm mindful and I'm thinking about what I believe, then you can honor that religion, honor that perspective, Jesus..." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 47:10)
    • "There are numerous studies on the health benefits of yoga and Pilates in these sort of exercises for longevity and for helping the overall health." (Dr. Josh Axe, 48:40)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Modern Medicine:
  • "We are subtly taught in school to distrust the patient, not the system." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 09:06)
• On Chronic Illness:
  • "Some of the best experiences I've had with growing myself and learning myself are when I fell on my face." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 10:21)
• On Emotional Healing:
  • "If you keep yourself busy or you're always helping other people, which is the healer's plight. You don't have to work on yourself." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 34:40)
• On Public Health Policy:
  • "When they came for me, you know, they wanted three years probation and about 60 hours of their RE education and a stipulated license with no exemptions." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 38:34)
  • "Covid was a blessing...look what it did for healthcare." (Dr. Jess Pietras, 41:54)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:28] Dr. Jess's story: license loss and California law
• [03:00] Transition to questioning conventional medicine
• [09:06] Medical culture: taught to distrust patients
• [11:41] Patient case studies: misdiagnosis, ALS, and MS
• [17:22] Viruses like Epstein-Barr and stealth infections
• [20:45] The “Kill, Bind, Sweat” protocol—foundations and applications
• [30:33] Emotional and spiritual roots of illness
• [36:19] Recommendation: spiritual practices, saying no, self-care
• [37:00] Detailed account of California medical board investigation
• [43:51] Favorite detox tools: sauna, castor oil packs, hyperbaric oxygen
• [46:10] Yoga and faith: nuanced views and movement benefits
• [51:44] Testing for root causes: mold, Lyme, toxins, and functional labs
• [54:21] Where to find Dr. Jess and resources

Final Takeaways

• Dr. Jess’s journey exemplifies courage in the face of a broken medical system—prioritizing patients’ health and autonomy.
• Chronic and mystery illnesses require a deep root-cause approach that is both individualized and integrative.
• Healing is multi-layered: addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is essential for true recovery.
• Key tools include renewed nutrition, targeted detox (Kill, Bind, Sweat), functional testing, movement, and emotional healing practices.
• Self-education, patient advocacy, and spiritual grounding are vital in today’s health landscape.

Connect with Dr. Jess Pietras

• Instagram: @dr.jess.md
• YouTube: Dr. Jessica Pietras
• Membership learning platform: WellnessPlus.com
• One-on-one work: drjesshealth.com

This episode stands as an inspiring, honest resource for anyone seeking deeper answers to persistent health struggles and a more holistic, empowered path to healing.