The Deep Six

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz sits down with his wife and Longevity Health Institute health coach Victoria Robinson-Lewerenz for a candid conversation about something affecting nearly every woman they see: bone loss, muscle loss, and the habits that either protect you or cost you everything later. Victoria breaks down why women do too much cardio and not enough strength training, how to add without taking anything away, and why training your legs two to three times a week is the single biggest lever most women are not pulling. They also get into the GLP-1 problem, what happens when powerful weight loss peptides are used without guidance or in the wrong patient, and why the combination of resistance training, adequate protein, and hormone replacement is backed by some of the most compelling data in women's health right now. Practical, personal, and long overdue. Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Deep Six Model04:31 GLP-1s & Bone Loss in Women11:33 Importance of Strength Training18:04 Hormones, Strength, and Confidence25:57 Diet and GLP-1 Misuse Risks34:21 Actionable Steps for Bone Health38:05 Hormonal Decline and Bone Health41:06 The Power of an Active Lifestyle45:04 Never Too Late for Change49:30 Risks, Nutrition, and Thyroid Health
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz sits down with Longevity Health Institute physician Dr. Ryan Abboud for a wide-ranging conversation covering three things most doctors never have enough time to talk about. They break down the CIMT test, a simple in-office ultrasound that can detect soft plaque in your arteries years before a calcium score or standard Doppler ever would, and why that window is exactly when you want to intervene. They dig into the sleep crisis, with Dr. Abboud making the case that most poor sleep comes down to modern life pulling people out of sync with nature, and walk through what actually works to fix it. They close with a candid conversation about hormone replacement therapy for women, including why the estrogen patch shortage is actually good news and why taking someone off hormones at a certain age makes no clinical sense. Consider this your cheat sheet for three things most physicians never get around to explaining. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Deep Six Model04:30 Concierge and Functional Medicine09:20 The Impact of Technology on Medicine12:25 Understanding CIMT and Plaque Burden19:19 CIMT vs. Traditional Cardiac Screenings25:28 The Limitations of Stress Tests34:50 The Sleep Epidemic: Out of Touch with Nature41:29 Sleep Solutions and Disorders46:39 Hormone Replacement and Sleep
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz welcomes one of his closest mentors, Pastor Dominic Russo of Oakland Church in Rochester, Michigan, for a conversation about faith, community, and spiritual connection. Harvard research links regular church attendance to a 30% reduction in mortality, a 30% drop in depression rates, and a fivefold decreased likelihood of suicide. The NIH has compared the health impact of faith community participation to eating fruits and vegetables. Pastor Russo shares stories of addiction recovery, cancer survival, and lives transformed by faith, while Dr. Lewerenz opens up about how his own spiritual foundation changed the trajectory of his medical career. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction03:11 Pastor Russo’s Journey and Calling06:47 Faith, Happiness, and Adversity11:39 Impact of Faith on Life Trajectory16:06 Finding Balance and Divine Guidance19:42 Pastor Russo’s Love Story27:01 Overcoming Parental Opposition and Studies on Faith31:00 The Power of Community and Faith36:10 Connecting Men and Healing Through Faith41:12 Faith and Healing45:51 Health Issues and Early Detection49:56 Diet, Kidney Stones, and Internal Health53:45 Community, Spirituality, and Health
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. James Lewerenz sits down with Dr. Monica Buchanan, Field Medical Director for the Galleri test by GRAIL, to explore one of the most powerful shifts happening in modern medicine: multi cancer early detection. Dr. Lewerenz opens with a sobering reality: cancer is on the rise in younger populations  and may soon surpass cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death. But this episode is not about fear.  It's about being proactive. Together, they break down how the Galleri test works to detect cancers as early as Stage I, as well as its important limitations. Galleri uses a simple blood draw to analyze circulating cell-free DNA and AI-driven methylation pattern recognition to screen for over 50 cancer types, including pancreatic, ovarian, head and neck, and esophageal cancers that currently have no standard screening options. They dive into the landmark Pathfinder 2 study, covering results from the first 25,000 participants, impressive predictive values, what a positive result actually means for next steps in care, and what a negative result means. Dr. Lewerenz also shares why he personally takes the test every year and  how early detection changes not just survival odds, but the entire treatment experience. The message is clear: don't live in fear of cancer; find it earlier. (Rx only. Not FDA Approved. See Important Safety Information: galleri.com/patient) Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Early Cancer Detection02:20 Introducing Galleri Test & Origin05:08 Galleri: Early Detection & Survival09:05 How Galleri Works13:42 Addressing Unscreened Cancers19:53 High Sensitivity & Next Steps24:55 Pathfinder 2 Study: Safety & Value33:48 Future of Galleri & AI in Medicine
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz sits down with Matt VanSumeren, PhD candidate and owner of Xceleration Fitness in Auburn Hills, to dig into something most people avoid: actually measuring how fit they are. Matt breaks down what a DEXA scan reveals beyond just body fat, why lower body muscle mass and power are the most overlooked deficiencies he sees, and how visceral fat shows up in unexpected ways. They also get into VO2 max testing, hydration gaps that show up in bloodwork, and why the biggest win for patients comes when personalized medicine and quality fitness coaching are actually working together. Know your numbers, build a plan, and stop starting over. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Deep Six Podcast03:45 The Importance of Fitness Assessments11:36 Matt’s Journey and DEXA Scan Explained19:26 Common DEXA Findings and Hormonal Influence26:06 The Power of Lower Body Strength and Power30:09 Hydration and Electrolyte Balance38:43 Understanding VO2 Max43:03 VO2 Max Testing & Wearables46:12 The Healthcare Gap in Exercise51:04 Personalized vs. Traditional Medicine57:12 Conclusion and Call to Action
Guest LinksWebsite: https://www.xcelerationfit.com/
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz sits down with Neil King, founder of Neil King Physical Therapy, a Metro Detroit institution with 10 locations and over 65,000 patients served across 30 years. Neil came to physical therapy through an unlikely path in competitive cycling, and that background shapes everything about how he treats patients today. Together, they dig into the real cause of most lower back pain, why shoulder impingement gets mistaken for rotator cuff tears, and why balance and posture matter more than almost anything else as you age. Neil also shares his personal benchmark of riding his age in miles every birthday. At nearly 81, he is still doing it!
Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Deep Six Podcast03:44 Neil King’s Journey and Rolfing09:00 Addressing Chronic Back Pain18:48 Common Shoulder Impingement23:01 Aging, Balance, and Longevity27:12 Biking Milestones and Cramp Solutions34:33 Testosterone and Optimal Aging
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

This week on The Deep Six, Dr. Lewerenz trades listener questions for medical journals, pulling from recent issues of the New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of the American Medical Association to share what's actually being studied and why it matters to you. He covers the surprising cognitive benefits of coffee and tea, the overlooked link between autoimmune disease and cancer risk, new evidence that gut health directly impacts depression and antidepressant effectiveness, and a silent cardiovascular threat hiding in most standard lab panels. This is what staying ahead of your health actually looks like!
Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Future Self Letter03:26 Caffeine and Cognitive Function06:49 Autoimmune Disease and Cancer Link10:24 Probiotics, Antidepressants, and Mood15:16 Uric Acid and Cardiovascular Health
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/

Mike Sullivan is back. The CEO of the Loomis Agency and longtime friend of Dr. Lewerenz returns for a conversation that gets real fast. Between motocross memories and Supercross weekend in Detroit, the two open up about near-death experiences, second chances, and what it actually takes to stay alive long enough to appreciate life. Dr. Lewerenz also breaks down a genetic cholesterol marker most doctors never test for, why carotid screening could be the most important thing you do this year, and why sometimes the best medical decision is getting a second opinion. Don't wait for a near-miss to start paying attention to your health!
Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Introducing Mike Sullivan03:03 Motocross: Unappreciated Physical Rigor07:01 Mike’s Near-Death Experience13:37 Anaphylactic Shock & Life Perspective19:08 Mike’s Carotid Artery Blockage27:01 Importance of Early Screening & Blood Pressure43:49 Lessons Learned & Second Opinions50:27 Next Chapters & Gratitude
About:Dr. James Lewerenz takes a multifaceted approach to impact the lives of his patients. Using functional medicine, he looks at every patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, asks lots of questions, and works diligently to find the root cause of the individual's chronic pain or illness. Dr. Lewerenz is passionate and dedicated to bringing his personal experience, knowledge, and training to enhance one’s quality of life, at any age. Be well!
Longevity Health Institute633 E South Blvd. Ste 2200Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 289-6643https://www.longevityhealthinstituteinc.com/