The Trusted Pharmacist – Détails, épisodes et analyse

For many women, vaginal health is defined by recurring UTIs and endless cycles of antibiotics. Each treatment brings temporary relief, but the symptoms eventually return, often with no clear explanation and no lasting change. 

Over time, the pattern stops feeling like a series of separate infections and begins to resemble something the body continually recreates.

Dr. Sebastian Faro, a clinician who has spent decades treating persistent and recurrent vaginal and urinary conditions, knows this all too well. The truth most clinicians miss: what we call "BV" or a "UTI" is often the visible expression of something deeper, a vaginal ecosystem that's been disrupted over time.

What gets overlooked is that these recurrences aren't random. They're part of a larger biological pattern that doesn't show up on a quick test or in a routine visit. 

The vaginal environment is influenced by pH, lactobacillus levels, gut health, estrogen, and even the way the colon and bladder interact with the vagina. When that system is out of balance, antibiotics may quiet the symptoms, but the underlying conditions remain… and the cycle continues.

How can someone on the "right" medication still struggle to find permanent relief? What does it actually take to address vaginal dysfunction so it resolves rather than resets?

In this episode, we discuss why these problems persist despite the medication seeming effective, and what needs to change for the body to finally stabilize. 

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

The problem isn't the infection, it's the ecosystem Most women are given antibiotics without addressing the disrupted gut–vagina–bladder axis that keeps recreating symptoms. How do you rebuild the microbiome instead of attacking it? 

Why antibiotics can make the problem worse Repeated prescriptions kill good bacteria, select for resistant strains, and strengthen biofilms. How does treating BV or UTIs like a simple infection create long-term recurrence? 

The "vital sign" no one checks anymore A healthy vaginal pH protects against pathogens, but almost no clinicians measure it. What happens when you restore pH instead of chasing symptoms? 

The estrogen connection most clinicians overlook Estrogen determines glycogen production, which feeds lactobacillus, and without it, no probiotic can take hold. How does supporting estrogen change vaginal health in both pre- and post-menopausal women?

P.S. Are you looking for targeted support for recurring UTIs, BV, or vaginal microbiome imbalance? Explore Nature's Women's Restorative Probiotic and see how it can help you restore long-term balance:

https://magnoliapharmacy.com/products/natures-womens-restorative-probiotic

About the Guest

Dr. Sebastian Faro is one of the world's leading OB/GYNs who has practiced general obstetrics and gynecology for over 40 years. He is an expert in vaginal and urinary health with decades of clinical experience treating complex cases of BV, UTIs, and microbiome disruption. He's authored numerous scientific publications and helped develop Nature's Women's Restorative Probiotic to support optimal vaginal pH and microbiome balance. To learn more, visit https://luna-obgyn.com/ or call 713-465-1800.

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Podcast

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

Every year we tell ourselves the same lie: "I'll just eat a little differently during the holidays… it won't affect me that much." But the truth is, it's not the cookies, casseroles, or holiday punch that hit you the hardest; it's the silent blood-sugar roller coaster underneath it all. 

Most people have no idea how dramatically their energy, mood, sleep, and cravings shift simply because they ate the right foods in the wrong order… or they sat down instead of moving for 10 minutes after a meal… or they drank their carbs instead of chewing them.

What I've learned working with patients is this: you can eat the same foods, at the same time, with completely different outcomes, because what spikes one person's blood sugar barely moves another's. 

So what do you do when you want to enjoy the season and avoid feeling exhausted, puffy, stressed, and foggy for three straight weeks? 

In this episode, I unpack simple strategies that flatten glucose spikes, the food-order tricks that change your metabolic response instantly, and why artificial sweeteners may be doing more harm than sugar.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

The myth of "same meal, same impact"
Blood sugar responses vary dramatically from person to person based on gut bacteria, stress, sleep, and muscle mass. How do you figure out what your body is actually responding to?

Why eating order beats cutting carbs
The sequence of protein, fat, fiber, and carbs can flatten glucose spikes more effectively than strict restriction. How do you build meals in a way that supports stable energy without giving up the foods you enjoy?

Movement that outperforms medication
Short bursts of walking or resistance work after meals can lower glucose spikes by 20–30%, so how do you use small, doable movements to support better metabolic control?

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Podcast

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

For decades, cholesterol has been painted as the villain of heart disease. Doctors point to your LDL number, prescribe a statin, and send you home believing the problem is solved. It's a clean, simple story, LDL is bad, HDL is good, but it's also dangerously incomplete.

Because here's the reality: half of all fatal heart attacks happen in people with normal cholesterol levels. Which means the very test we've built our prevention strategy around is missing the mark. Lowering LDL might put out the smoke, but it doesn't stop the fire.

That's where Dr. Yousef Elyaman comes in. A physician with nearly two decades of experience in cardiometabolic health and functional medicine, he's seen firsthand how cholesterol misleads both patients and doctors.

So what's fueling the fire? Often it's not cholesterol itself, but the hidden drivers behind it: chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and even genetics that shape how particles behave in the blood. Cholesterol is just the alarm bell, a signal that something deeper is burning.

That's why we need to reframe how we see cholesterol. Not as the cause, but as a clue. 

In this episode, we unpack the overlooked markers that reveal the real risk, and when statins may help in some cases but completely miss the point in others.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-The hidden fires behind high cholesterol

Cholesterol isn't the cause; it's the smoke. How do inflammation, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress fuel the real fire of heart disease?

-The triglyceride trap

Most labs say 150 is "normal," but the true target is under 80. What does that number expose about your metabolic health and fatty liver risk?

-The panels that reveal the truth

Standard cholesterol tests miss the real danger. Which simple, affordable labs give you a clear picture of heart risk most doctors overlook?

-Statins: help or harm?

They lower cholesterol, but also deplete key nutrients, and don't work for everyone. When are statins lifesaving, and when are they just masking the real issue?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

Guest Bio

Dr. Yousef Elyaman is a highly accomplished and credentialed physician with an impressive academic background, including board certification in internal medicine and a cross-specialization in pediatrics. Additionally, he holds board certification in integrative medicine from the American Board of Physician Specialties. Moreover, Dr. Elyaman is one of the first graduates of The Institute for Functional Medicine, where he earned his certification in functional medicine. His expertise also extends to psychological trauma, and he holds certification from Spirit2Spirit Healing. As the founder and medical director of Absolute Health, located in Ocala, Florida, Dr. Elyaman has implemented a successful functional medicine approach to insurance-based primary care with a team that includes doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and lifestyle educators. He also serves as Integrative & Functional Medicine Director of The Guest House, an esteemed trauma and substance abuse center in Ocala, Florida. These accomplishments make Dr. Elyaman one of the most experienced voices in primary care functional and integrative medicine today; his knowledge is sought out for its ability to combine cutting-edge research with evidence-backed clinical applications that can be used effectively in real-world patient care scenarios. Follow @drelyaman and subscribe to his YouTube channel. 

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working closely with patients and their physicians to address medication issues and provide personalized solutions that lead to improved health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

When patients show up with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or long COVID, the heartbreaking truth is that many doctors don't want to deal with them.

These are the cases most physicians quietly dread, the ones that don't fit into a clean diagnosis or respond to a simple prescription. Too often, patients are told their labs are "normal," their symptoms are "just stress," or worse, that it's all in their head.

But the reality is very different. These are not vague or imaginary conditions. They're the result of the body being assaulted on multiple fronts: hidden infections, mold exposure, gut breakdown, mitochondrial dysfunction, hormone disruption, chronic inflammation, and relentless stress.

When the system is overwhelmed from many angles, no single pill or protocol will ever be enough. Healing requires a multi-layered approach, one that methodically unravels each insult, quiets the chaos, and restores balance across every system.

What are the key differences between chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia? How do you finally start feeling better?

In this episode of The Trusted Pharmacist, I lay out exactly why these conditions confound the traditional medical model and what science now reveals about their true root causes. I also share how patients can take practical steps to begin healing, often with tools their doctors have never even considered.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-Why single-diagnosis medicine fails

Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and long COVID are layered conditions, not one-off problems. What happens when we stop chasing a single cause and start treating the whole picture?

-The hidden drivers of fatigue and pain

Infections, mold, gut imbalances, hormone disruption, and toxins quietly fuel these syndromes. Could the key to recovery be uncovering what mainstream medicine ignores?

-Lifestyle levers that matter more than you think

Restorative sleep, pacing movement, trauma healing, and toxin testing all influence recovery. Why do these "non-medical" choices often make or break progress?

-Emerging interventions on the frontier of care

From methylene blue to therapeutic plasma exchange, new tools are reshaping outcomes. Could these cutting-edge options offer relief where everything else has failed?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

When women struggle with hormone problems, PMS, irregular cycles, weight gain, insomnia, mood swings, or menopause symptoms, the blame almost always falls on estrogen. But here's the surprising truth: it's usually not estrogen at all. It's progesterone.

For decades, progesterone has been treated as little more than a "pregnancy hormone." But in reality, it's one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated hormones in the body. Beyond fertility, progesterone calms the brain, balances mood, protects bones, supports gut and bladder health, and even helps reduce breast cancer risk.

The problem is that most doctors misdiagnose estrogen "dominance" when the real issue is low progesterone.

And even worse, the number-one thing that wrecks progesterone isn't aging, it's stress. Chronic cortisol production steals away its building blocks and shuts down its receptors, making your body resistant to the very hormone it needs most.

In this episode of The Trusted Pharmacist, I break down why progesterone, not estrogen, is the missing piece in so many women's health struggles, how stress quietly sabotages your hormone balance, and why replacing progesterone properly is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools in restoring health.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-Progesterone: the bigger story
Progesterone isn't just about reproduction; it's neuroactive, bone-protective, mood-balancing, and even cancer-protective. Why has medicine overlooked its full impact for so long?

-Estrogen myths, progesterone truths
What's often labeled as "estrogen dominance" is usually a progesterone deficiency in disguise. How does reframing the problem change the way we fix hormone imbalances?

-Stress vs. aging: the real progesterone killer
Yes, progesterone naturally declines with age, but high cortisol depletes it faster and blocks it from working. Could stress be more damaging to your hormones than menopause itself?

-Smart replacement, not guesswork
From capsules to creams to compounded options, how you dose and deliver progesterone changes everything. What's the safest and most effective way to restore balance without overdosing?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

In short bursts, stress is protective. But what happens when your body's "temporary survival mode" becomes your default state?

That's where so many of us live today, locked in fight-or-flight 24/7. Our hearts race, our sleep suffers, our moods swing, and we can't seem to calm down even when nothing's wrong. What once gave us an edge now keeps us wired and depleted.

And when stress stops being occasional and becomes constant, it stops protecting you and starts dismantling your health. 

Chronic stress reshapes your cortisol curve, depletes essential nutrients, wrecks your thyroid, gut, and hormones, and sets the stage for premature aging and disease. It doesn't just make you "stressed out", it rewires every system in your body to run on empty.

How does stress wreck every aspect of your health? How do we get our cortisol back under control?

In this episode, I unpack why our modern stress load is unlike anything our ancestors faced, and how it's hurting us. 

You'll learn how to spot the warning signs, where stress is silently sabotaging your health, and how to build back your resilience.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-Stress, the nutrient vampire

Cortisol doesn't just rev you up; it drains your reserves. Which vitamins and minerals disappear first under pressure, and why does that accelerate aging and inflammation?

-How stress hijacks hormones & immunity
Long-term cortisol dominance steals building blocks from sex hormones, shuts down thyroid function, and even drives infertility and autoimmune disease. Why does your body do this on purpose, and how can you reverse it?

-A framework to heal your adrenals
What's the realistic timeline to rebuild healthy adrenals, and which steps matter most when you're already burned out?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

What if your rash, redness, wrinkles, and breakouts have nothing to do with your skin?

Eczema, acne, psoriasis, and rosacea are common skin conditions that are treated topically with creams, steroids, and antibiotics. 

And yes, they often clear up… but only for a while. If your skin issues keep coming back, the real trigger is deeper.

Your skin isn't just a surface; it's a mirror of what's happening inside your body. 

Inflammation, nutrient depletion, hormone imbalances, and leaky gut. These are some of the invisible forces that often erupt on your skin before they show up anywhere else.

How do things like stress cause breakouts and skin irritation? How can you use your diet to clear up your skin? 

In this episode, I share the truth about why "band-aid" steroid creams and antibiotics miss the mark, and how to take a root cause approach to getting clear skin.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-Why rashes aren't skin-deep
Why do steroids clear eczema temporarily but guarantee flare-ups later? How is your skin actually signaling a deeper internal imbalance?

-The gut–skin connection most dermatologists ignore
What role do antibiotics play in clearing acne, and why can they sometimes make things worse by disrupting the microbiome?

-Nutrients, hormones, and toxins
Which overlooked vitamins, minerals, and supplements directly restore skin integrity? How do hormone imbalances or toxin overloads masquerade as stubborn skin conditions?

-A step-by-step healing framework
What does a pharmacist's action plan look like for repairing your gut, balancing hormones, detoxing safely, and rehydrating skin without relying on lifelong prescriptions?

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

When people come into the pharmacy with mood issues like anxiety and depression, they are surprised to hear that there might be a physiological root cause.

Traditional medicine doesn't bother to dig into that. Most people are prescribed SSRIs and told they have drug-resistant depression when they don't work.

But what if those symptoms are actually signals from the rest of your body begging you to look deeper?

That's where functional psychiatry comes in.

Board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and certified functional medicine provider, Everest Goldstein has built a career doing exactly that.

When it comes to mental health, Everest doesn't see depression or anxiety as fixed "diagnoses" to medicate indefinitely; she sees them as symptoms pointing to deeper imbalances.

In this episode, Everest shares the unfiltered truth about why conventional psychiatry misses the mark and the lab tests and functional tools that actually uncover what's wrong. She also shares the under-the-radar compounds and supplements that can completely change the trajectory of your mental health.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-Beyond the chemical imbalance myth
"Low serotonin" isn't the full story. How does conventional psychiatry's diagnostic playbook miss the root causes of depression and anxiety?

-Menopause, mood, and misdiagnosis
How do hormonal shifts in perimenopause and menopause trigger anxiety, insomnia, and irritability? Do antidepressants often make things worse?

-Psychobiotics and the gut-brain axis
The gut and brain might be far away from each other, but they are very connected. What probiotic strains directly influence mood, anxiety, and cognition? 

-Functional compounds you've never heard of
From methylene blue to low-dose naltrexone to lithium orotate, how do these overlooked tools reduce brain inflammation and help patients finally respond to treatment?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

Guest Bio

Everest Goldstein is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who is also certified in functional medicine. She is the founder of Everest Functional Psychiatry and Wellness, and she works to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and expand access to care through advocacy and education. Everest takes a holistic approach to healing and believes in the connection between the body and mind. Integrating lifestyle, diet, medicine, and other innovative technologies, she views each patient individually to help them take control of their health and improve their quality of life and wellbeing.

To learn more, visit https://everestpsychandwellness.com/ and follow @wellnesswitheverest on Instagram. 

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 700,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

Prescription drug prices in the U.S. haven't just crept up, they've spiraled into a full-blown crisis. The reason isn't just Big Pharma or bloated insurance plans. 

The real culprits are PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers), corporate middlemen so deeply embedded in the system that they now control which drugs are covered, how much patients pay, and whether your local pharmacy can even stay in business.

Doug Hoey, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association, has spent years fighting these opaque and unregulated players. Doug has seen firsthand how PBMs operate. Quietly extract billions from the system, manipulating formularies, steering patients into mail-order services they own, and using aggressive tactics like clawbacks to recoup payments months after a prescription is filled.

PBMs claim to reduce costs, but the opposite is happening. Patients are paying more, pharmacists are being pushed out of business, and entire communities are being left without access to care. 

What are some of the sneaky tactics PBMs use? How can we fix the healthcare system so local pharmacies don't go out of business and patients can access the care they need? 

In this episode, Doug breaks down how PBMs became some of the most powerful and least accountable entities in healthcare, how their influence distorts medical decision-making, and what real reform could look like.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-The Real Reason Drug Prices Feel So Broken
70% of your prescription cost isn't for the drug itself. How are PBMs driving up the cost of medication? 

-How PBMs Hijack Decisions From Your Doctor
What happens when a corporation's rebate deal with a drug company matters more than your diagnosis?

-The Hidden Agenda Behind Mail-Order Prescriptions
Why are PBMs pushing you out of your local pharmacy and into their own delivery networks?

-The Pharmacy-Killing Practice No One Warned You About
What does it mean when PBMs "claw back" money months after a prescription was filled, and how does that put small-town pharmacies out of business?

-The Consumer Power That PBMs Don't Want You to Use
What simple questions can you ask your HR department or local lawmaker that could help overhaul the entire system?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

Guest Bio

Douglas Hoey is the CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association. The National Community Pharmacists Association represents the owners of nearly 19,400 small pharmacy businesses. These pharmacies are important to local economies, providing jobs for 215,000 people in their communities, and consumers consistently rank them as the top-rated pharmacies in the country. Hoey is a licensed pharmacist in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas, and practiced in a variety of community pharmacy settings, including his own family's pharmacy before coming to NCPA. Hoey was NCPA's first chief operating officer and in 2011 was named CEO. He is widely quoted by media as an industry expert on community pharmacy practice issues including drug supply and prescription drug pricing. Hoey also developed and taught pharmacology courses at George Washington University and Marymount University. He is president of the World Pharmacy Council, co-chairman of the Surescripts Board of Directors, chairman of the NCPA Innovation Center, and vice-chair for the CPESN® USA Board of Managers. Hoey served on the Pharmacy Quality Alliance board for six years and was chairman of the Mirixa board for eight years. His pharmacy degree is from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, and his MBA is from the Oklahoma City University Graduate School of Business. Visit https://ncpa.org/ to learn more. 

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!

You've probably heard the hype around GLP-1s, Ozempic, Wegovy, and semaglutide. They're the "miracle drugs" that promise appetite control, blood sugar balance, and effortless weight loss. But what if the real problem isn't a lack of synthetic GLP-1s… but a lack of your own?

According to clinical dietitian Christina O'Connor, the problem might not be a lack of medication—it could be a lack of Akkermansia muciniphila, a little-known but powerful gut microbe that helps your body in so many ways.

Here's what most people don't realize: GLP-1 is a hormone your gut is supposed to produce naturally. And it turns out your ability to make it depends heavily on Akkermansia.

But for many people, Akkermansia is missing, wiped out by antibiotics, ultra-processed foods, stress, or simply never passed down at birth. And when this keystone microbe disappears, it's not just your digestion that suffers.

Your gut lining weakens, inflammation ramps up, and your body's ability to regulate blood sugar and appetite, via GLP-1, goes offline.

In this episode, Christina O'Connor shares the real reason people may feel like their metabolism is broken. Christina explains how Akkermansia helps regulate GLP-1, strengthen the gut lining, and lower inflammation, plus why it often goes missing and how to bring it back.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

-GLP-1 deficient or microbiome deficient?
Could low GLP-1 levels be a symptom of a missing gut microbe, not a need for medication?

-Can a microbe really compete with Ozempic?
How can Akkermansia and other strains help you reduce post-meal glucose spikes and enhance satiety naturally?

-Wake up your gut's natural GLP-1 production
What foods, fibers, and polyphenols help Akkermansia thrive and support hormone balance from the inside out?

-Why most probiotics fail
What's the difference between live and pasteurized Akkermansia?

PS. If you enjoy the show, remember to leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Reviews help the podcast reach a wider audience and help more people.

Guest Bio

Christina O'Connor is a Clinical Dietitian and the Senior Healthcare Account Manager at Pendulum Therapeutics, where she works at the intersection of microbiome science, nutrition, and metabolic health. Her journey into gut health began in the NICU, where she saw firsthand how foundational the microbiome is from the very beginning of life. Today, she helps healthcare providers and patients understand the powerful role that keystone strains—like Akkermansia muciniphila—play in improving gut barrier integrity, supporting GLP-1 hormone production, and optimizing blood sugar control. Christina is also a mom of two budding athletes and brings a passion for translating cutting-edge science into practical strategies for lifelong health. To learn more, visit https://pendulumlife.com/. 

About Your Host

Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today, Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.

Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone's life!