How can functional medicine improve the health, resilience, and performance of military personnel?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Bryan Stepanenko and former Green Beret Geoff Dardia to discuss how functional medicine is transforming healthcare for warfighters and veterans.
They explain the unique physical and psychological demands of military service, including blast exposure, traumatic brain injuries, chronic sleep deprivation, toxin exposure, and repetitive physical stress. Rather than simply treating symptoms, they demonstrate how functional medicine identifies and addresses the root causes of dysfunction to improve recovery, optimize performance, and extend long-term health.
The conversation explores innovative concepts such as Personal Protective Nutrition (PPN) and Personal Protective Lifestyle (PPL), as well as the growing role of wearable technology, shared medical appointments, and performance biomarkers in motivating military personnel to take ownership of their health.
Dr. Stepanenko and Jeff also introduce the Institute for Military Functional Medicine, an initiative dedicated to training healthcare providers and establishing standardized care pathways for military populations. They also discuss Allo Performance, a virtual practice focused on comprehensive assessments, accelerated recovery, and personalized functional medicine care.
Whether you're a clinician, first responder, athlete, veteran, or simply interested in improving your health, this episode offers valuable insights into how performance-focused, root-cause medicine can benefit everyone.
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About the Guest:
Dr. Bryan Stepanenko is a leader in military functional medicine and has spent years educating military healthcare providers on applying functional medicine principles to improve the health, resilience, and performance of active-duty service members and veterans. His work focuses on understanding how military operational environments affect physiology and developing practical, evidence-informed strategies that optimize readiness and long-term health.
Geoff Dardia is a former Green Beret and educator who transformed his own health journey through functional medicine after experiencing the cumulative effects of military service. He now works to educate military communities and healthcare professionals on performance optimization, resilience, and root-cause healthcare, helping service members better understand and improve their health through practical, actionable strategies.
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