Americans spend an estimated $2.5 billion a year in emergency rooms on dental problems that an ER isn’t equipped to fix. Dr. Vilas Sastri set out to change that. In this episode, he shares how tele-dentistry is keeping patients out of the ER, how uninsured families can finally afford care, and why your mouth may be one of the best windows into your long-term health.

In this episode:

Tele-dentistry and emergency care. Dr. Sastri founded TeleDentistry.com in 2017 to give patients an alternative to the ER during nights and weekends. Patients connect virtually with a licensed dentist, can receive prescriptions for immediate relief, and get referred to a local in-network dentist from a network of 117,000 providers. The service is accepted by 109 insurance carriers, covering roughly 150 million Americans.

The Smarty Plan for the uninsured. An estimated 72 to 75 million Americans have no dental insurance. Dr. Sastri created the Smarty Plan, a national discount membership covering dental, vision, and hearing. Members get reduced-cost in-person treatment through the Cigna network plus virtual telehealth access.

Preventive, biological, and longevity dentistry. Dentistry is shifting from reactive emergency care toward prevention and longevity, with the goal of keeping your original teeth for life. Dr. Sastri explains how saliva testing measures biomarkers, pH, and bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans (a primary cause of tooth decay) to assess risk for decay and periodontal disease. He also discusses the strong link between oral health and systemic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and endocarditis.

Care that comes to you. For patients in rural areas, TeleDentistry.com offers home impression kits that use 3D printing and CAD/CAM technology to create temporary tooth appliances. Prescription-strength home care products, such as specific fluoride or vitamin treatments, can be shipped directly to patients.

Dr. Sastri’s top 3 recommendations:

1. Get regular check-ups on a schedule tailored to your needs, not just what your insurance covers.
2. Try vitamin E oil on your gums to help reduce inflammation and support tissue recovery.
3. Master the basics: brush and floss consistently, every day.

Resources:

No dental insurance? Learn more about the Smarty Plan: https://smartyplan.com/?utm_source=referral&utm_content=UESY6S56

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dental or medical advice.

Some links in these notes are affiliate links, which means The Wellness Index Report may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Recorded live at the Translational Longevity Summit, hosted by Boston BioLife and the Healthspan Action Coalition at Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Boston.

Join Lindsay O’Neill-O’Keefe for a very special conversation with keynote speaker Dr. David Barzilai, Medical Editor of Pathways to Longevity, Harvard Medical School’s first Special Health Report dedicated to the field of longevity.

Dr. David Barzilai, MD, PhD, MBA, MS, DipABLM, is a longevity medicine physician, Harvard Medical School Lecturer, and internationally recognized speaker. His work focuses on advancing healthy longevity through evidence-based and precision medicine.

As founder and CEO of Barzilai Longevity Consulting, he partners with clinicians, health systems, organizations, and select private clients to turn the fast-moving science of longevity into practical strategies that extend healthspan, enhance performance, and improve long-term outcomes.

Dr. Barzilai holds a PhD in Health Services Research and is an inaugural faculty member and Trustee of the Geneva College of Longevity Science. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and co-editor of the Springer Nature anthology Frontiers of Longevity Science. He is known for making complex scientific advances accessible and actionable for clinicians, healthcare leaders, and the public.

Connect with Dr. Barzilai:

X: https://x.com/agingdoc1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agingdoc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agingdoc1/

Website: https://www.barzilaiconsulting.com

What happens when a former SpaceX engineer turns his attention to the most complex system of all: the human body?

Lindsay “LOO” O’Neill-O’Keefe sits down with John Whitman, Co-Founder of Nexus Health, to talk about reconfiguring precision medicine through AI-augmented clinical intelligence.

John spent more than a decade designing and scaling enterprise-grade cloud ecosystems, from pharma-grade data centers to federal compliance environments running 1,500+ hypervisors and 25,000+ servers. As Principal Systems Engineer at SpaceX, he designed a greenfield data center supporting Starbase, the Starlink network, and launch systems, and built a disaster recovery solution for mission-critical systems across eight data centers. He is VCDX #226, a multi-year VMworld speaker, and a specialist in NSX, SRM, and multi-tenancy orchestration.

Now he’s applying that engineering mindset to human data. At Nexus Health, John leads the buildout of an AI biogenetic intelligence stack that combines advanced analytics, privacy-first design, and machine learning to deliver personalized clinical insight. His standard: healthcare should be as precise, secure, and reliable as the systems that put rockets in orbit.

His core belief? AI won’t replace doctors. Doctors who use AI will replace the doctors who don’t.

Learn more at nexushealth.me

Dr. Steve Garan has spent his career studying the neuroendocrine roots of aging. In this conversation, he makes the case that the same part of the brain that guides us through adolescence and growth also sets the pace for how we age.

In this episode:

• The hypothalamus as the conductor. Steve explains how this small region of the brain orchestrates hormone production and drives life’s major milestones, from adolescence to the end of growth to menopause (what he calls “the dirty M word”).
• Hormones like Russian dolls. Complex hormonal patterns, including estrogen, are nested inside one another and are built to shift over time. Those shifts are what move us from one life stage to the next.
• Menopause as an accelerator. Steve shares why aging speeds up significantly during menopause, and what that tells us about where to intervene.
• No pill, no cream. Steve’s bold position: aging will never be solved with a supplement or topical. The answer, he believes, is a device that can mimic and maintain youthful hormone profiles.
• Healthspan for all. The mission behind the research is to prevent age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cancer by keeping the body in a youthful state.
• The tech behind it. How his team is using artificial intelligence and pea-sized, increasingly miniaturized chips to build the device, and why he estimates it is 10 to 15 years away.

About Dr. Steve Garan

Steven A. Garan, PhD, is Director of Bioinformatics at the Center for Research & Education on Aging (CREA) at UC Berkeley and a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His work focuses on neuroendocrine aging and systems biology, including years of research on how caloric restriction affects the hypothalamus. He played a lead role in developing the Automated Imaging Microscope System (AIMS) and is credited with coining the term “phenomics.”

About The Wellness Index Report Podcast

Hosted by Lindsay O’Neill-O’Keefe, The Wellness Index Report Podcast amplifies the voices of the practitioners, scientists, and innovators shaping the future of wellness and longevity. First we verify, then we amplify.

Practitioners: nominate and rate the solutions you trust at wellnessindexreport.com.

Rhode Island is facing what gubernatorial candidate Aaron Guckian calls a “healthcare hurricane,” and in this episode he shares how transparency, data, and unlikely partnerships could help fix it. Host Lindsay “LOO” O’Neill-O’Keefe sits down with Guckian, the former executive director of the Rhode Island Dental Association, to dig into the state’s healthcare challenges and what a practical, non-political path forward could look like.

In this episode:

• Rhode Island Works Smarter: Guckian’s fiscal platform brings frontline and union workers into the search for savings, with a revenue share for the efficiencies they uncover. A 24/7/365 anonymous idea portal lets employees submit cost-saving suggestions, and the savings are reinvested into priorities like healthcare.
• A healthcare system under strain: Low reimbursement rates and shortages of doctors and dentists are straining care across the state. Guckian walks through what he accomplished in oral health, including a high school career pathway, an expanded surgery center serving more patients, and grant funding for children’s emergency dental care.
• Why data transparency matters: Guckian explains his push for a dental loss ratio bill, which would require insurers to disclose reimbursement data. He argues that transparency is the one solution that applies across nearly every healthcare problem.
• Solving the “retirement cliff”: To keep new doctors in Rhode Island as older physicians retire, Guckian proposes a loan repayment program for medical graduates, with a clawback if they leave the state.
• Leadership through collaboration: Guckian makes the case for bringing together people who rarely work side by side, and for choosing practical solutions over politics. He also opens up about ten years of sobriety and why reaching out for help and breaking through isolation can make even the hardest challenges surmountable.

Who should listen: Anyone interested in healthcare policy, state government innovation, oral health access, or leadership grounded in transparency and collaboration.

For more than 30 years, Carolyn Johnson has worked in women’s health, from the NICU and labor and delivery to psychiatry and beyond. Over and over, she watched women struggle with symptoms that were brushed aside. That experience led her to create SerenityNP, a practice built on the belief that every woman deserves a provider who listens, digs deep, and sees her as a whole person.

Carolyn runs SerenityNP out of a historic building in Crystal Lake, Illinois, a space she dreamed of working in her whole life. Today, clients fly in from around the world to work with her. Most are women in midlife looking for real answers, and Carolyn’s focus is healthspan, not just lifespan. In her words, it’s all about the quality of the days.

Lindsay first met Carolyn in Mexico, and in this conversation they talk about:

• Why so many women in midlife feel dismissed by traditional care, and what a different approach looks like
• How Carolyn combines bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), functional medicine, and nutrition coaching
• Why healthspan, or adding life to your years, matters more than lifespan alone
• What it means to be treated as a whole person instead of a list of symptoms
• Building a dream practice in a historic Crystal Lake building that now draws clients from around the world

If you’ve ever left an appointment feeling unheard, this episode is for you.

About Carolyn Johnson, NP

Carolyn Johnson is a nurse practitioner and the founder of SerenityNP in Crystal Lake, Illinois. She holds advanced certifications in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, functional medicine, and nutrition coaching, and brings both clinical expertise and real compassion to every consultation.

Connect with Carolyn: SerenityNP.com

About the show

The Wellness Index Report Podcast, hosted by Lindsay O’Neill-O’Keefe, amplifies the voices of the best wellness providers, experts, and innovators. First we verify, then we amplify. Learn more at wellnessindexreport.com.

The new season of The Wellness Index Report Podcast opens with Dr. Yasmine Saad, a TEDx speaker with over 1M views, founder of two-time Inc. 500 practice Madison Park Psychology, and one of New York City's top three psychologists. She shares practical tips for making sense of what you're feeling, fast.

Then host Lindsay "LOO" O'Neill-O'Keefe puts those tips to the test on herself, uncovering an emotional pattern that so many women in perimenopause quietly live with. Curious what it is? Tune in to this hard-hitting 30-minute episode now.

The Optimize W(e) Podcast is back with a new name and a sharper mission. Relaunched in 2026 as The Wellness Index Report Podcast, this is peer-to-peer insight for providers: what's working, what isn't, which wellness solutions actually move the needle on patient outcomes, and which ones are sitting in the corner collecting dust.

Each week, Lindsay "LOO" O'Neill-O'Keefe sits down with experts across health and wellness to pair cutting-edge science and technology with decades of research and real in-clinic practice.

New episodes weekly, 15 to 20 minutes. If you're a provider who wants to save time, energy, and headaches, tune in.

Victoria Kar, a spiritual DNA activator and quantum healer, discusses how to transcend trauma and achieve divine activation and holistic thrivability. Kar defines her work as helping individuals understand their human and divine identities, emphasizing that spiritual DNA is the "wisdom of the soul" from past experiences, distinct from physical DNA.

The ultimate goal, or "Earth School," is the "reclamation of our sovereignty of creation," viewing traumas as spiritual initiations. She highlights Western society's overreliance on "thinking over knowing" (intuition), which limits our multi-dimensional experience.

Kar's work focuses on "Claiming Your Queendom" by integrating masculine and feminine energies. The "Mother Wound" is presented as a foundational entry point, not about separating from one's mother, but about breaking karmic patterns. She emphasizes that "Trauma is not our fault, but it is our responsibility," particularly for Western women.

The "Three Magdalene Wounds" to be reclaimed are the Sacred Bitch (rage), Sacred Witch (intuition), and Sacred Whore (pleasure). Victoria Kar's work is described as fast, intense, and courageous, often starting with rectifying the Mother Wound within four sessions.

Dr. Mamta Bhatt, a scientist and holistic wellness expert, shares her profound journey from corporate overachiever to enlightened scientist, emphasizing transformation, joy, and self-love. Her path began with intense pressure and a multi-system illness that Western and alternative medicine couldn't diagnose. This led her to a monastery for two decades, where she shifted from a left-brained focus to an activated right-brain through silence, prayer, and service.

Dr. Bhatt then applied her scientific training to practical wellness. She advocates for mindset first, with joy as a central factor, and emphasizes consistent implementation over excessive knowledge. Breathwork is highlighted as the "best biohack" for connecting to intuition and dissolving self-judgment. She stresses listening to one's body regarding diet, noting that after changing her own based on blood tests, chronic issues like a 30-year sinus problem and allergies cleared up within weeks. She also warns against inflammatory oils found in many processed foods.

Her daughter's story further illustrates the power of this philosophy. Despite no exposure to computers at the monastery's boarding school, she excelled in college, earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard, and now works as an investment banker funding biotech companies.

Dr. Bhatt's overlying message is to "carry the monastery inside you" by pausing, resting, and dedicating time to self-love. Her mission is to help the 60% of the world's sick population heal by empowering them to be the CEOs of their own health. More information can be found at drmamtabhatt.com and @TheJoyfulScientist on Instagram.

In this episode of the Optimize We Podcast, Brian Vaszily, founder of The Art of Anti-Aging, discusses his journey into the longevity and anti-aging space. He shares his personal story of overcoming trauma and health issues, emphasizing the importance of emotional work and physical changes.

The interview delves into foundational health and longevity, highlighting the critical role of gut health, the benefits of a diverse diet rich in plant foods, herbs, and spices, and the significance of lifestyle modalities like sunlight and red light therapy.

Brian also introduces his next focus: addressing decision fatigue and impulse control to help people maintain healthy habits in a constantly stimulating world.

Lindsay O' Neill-O' Keefe welcomes Pamela Gold, the founder of PRTL, who delves into her journey from a diverse professional background to becoming a pioneer in holistic optimization and biohacking. Gold, a Yale graduate, transitioned from the restaurant and fashion industries to personal training, eventually establishing New York City's first biohacking gym in 2018. Her approach, driven by the need for "minimum effective dose" modalities after becoming a mother, focuses on highly efficient workouts and recovery techniques.

The discussion highlights the physical stack of biohacking modalities, including ARX for strength, CAROL Bike for cardio, and various recovery tools like Nano V, Pulse PEMF, and Ballancer Pro, all quantified by Fit 3D Scans. The interview then explores Prtl's evolution into an online coaching program during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing an integrated fitness model built on five pillars: Physical, Mental, Sleep, Nutrition, and Communal.

Gold's core philosophy centers on an "optimization matrix" for constant life course corrections, promoting expansion, intentionality, and resilience. Key tools and concepts include the "LAVA Skill" for managing discomfort, the importance of grace and faith for self-forgiveness and mitigating fear, and the belief that love is our greatest superpower. 

Lindsay O' Neill-O' Keefe welcomes Dr. Trevor Colm, CEO and Founder of CNS Technologies, to discuss his journey and the development of Cortex Brain, a revolutionary EEG device.

Dr. Colm, a chiropractor, was inspired to create Cortex Brain after a severe concussion and his subsequent recovery through chiropractic care. He recognized the need for a tool to scientifically validate the efficacy of chiropractic and other alternative treatments, which are often perceived as "pseudoscience."

Cortex Brain addresses the limitations of traditional EEG machines by offering a robotic headset with a three-second setup time and advanced AI algorithms to filter out noise. It processes data instantaneously, creating a "digital twin of the brain" in real-time, with future plans for AI-driven predictive care plans.

The technology aims to validate biohacking, assess the impact of environmental factors on human physiology, and prioritize data security through anonymization and shared ownership.

Lindsay O'Neill-O'Keefe dives into the inspiring journey of Dr. Annabelle Morgan, as she shares her personal and professional quest. Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan is a Filipino-Canadian scientist, educator, author, and speaker with a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Vanderbilt University.

Her third child, Macario (which means "blessing" in Tagalog), suffered up to 200 seizures per day from birth and underwent surgery to remove 38% of his brain at 28 days old. Feeling helpless with traditional medicine, she used her scientific background to develop a pure and potent proprietary cannabidiol (CBD) formula for her son.

From her groundbreaking work in cardio oncology and her son's miraculous recovery using a self-created cannabinoid formula, to her advocacy for integrated science and her acumen for fast-tracked research, she highlights her unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern science. 

Discover her insights on collaboration, cellular uniqueness, and the importance of scientific justification, all while balancing a demanding career with a large family, including her son BJ's "38 Foundation."

She balances her career and travel with being a mother of five and a wife to Roy “Gramps” Morgan, a Grammy award-winning reggae artist. She prioritizes being present when she is home.

Lindsay O'Neill-O'Keefe welcomes Rob Besner, PSc.D, the Chief Science Officer, device developer and co-founder of Therasage, who shares his personal and professional journey into biohacking. 

Driven by his daughter's chronic Lyme disease diagnosis, Besner developed a health philosophy focused on addressing root causes like toxicity and inflammation, rather than just symptoms. He emphasizes supporting cell health through primal elements such as light, sound, water, air, and food. 

Rob details the evolution of Thera360 technology, which began with full-spectrum infrared light therapy and has expanded to include ozone therapy, essential oils, reflexology, singlet oxygen energy, and vibrational/frequency medicine through hologram patches. 

Besner highlights Thera360's commitment to affordability, accessibility, and comprehensive post-sale support, aiming to empower individuals in their healing journeys.

In this episode of Optimize W(e) Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Chrishawn Finister—founder of Your Joy Psychological Assessments and the nonprofit Texas Psychological Hive—to explore the critical role of evaluations in mental health and neurodiversity.

Dr. Finister shares why access to proper diagnostic assessments for conditions like autism, ADHD, anxiety, and learning disabilities can be life-changing—and how her nonprofit is removing barriers for underserved communities.

Through her work, Dr. Finister encourages us all to find support, empowerment, and joy—even when navigating life’s toughest challenges.

What if your sauna wasn’t just a sauna—but an energy frequency chamber designed to help your body heal from the inside out? In this episode of Optimize W(e), host Lindsay O’Neill sits down with Phil Wilson, to uncover the technology, science, and surprising benefits behind this innovative wellness tool.

Phil explains how the Relax Saunas uses 100% far infrared ray (FIR) to penetrate deep into the body, vibrating water molecules at the same frequency as human energy. The result? Enhanced detoxification, improved circulation, reduced pain and stress, glowing skin, and even mental health benefits—all in as little as 5–7 minutes.

Beyond the health perks, the Relax Saunas is portable, affordable, and practical, heating up in just 5 minutes and packing into a travel bag. At age 77, Phil calls it the “pinnacle” of all the wellness products he’s promoted since the 1970s—and Lindsay shares her own experience using it to relieve rheumatoid arthritis and lupus symptoms.

From detox and beauty to grounding and relaxation, this conversation reveals why thousands of people swear by the Relax Saunas as a daily health tool.

Can breathing oxygen under pressure really transform health? In this episode, we sit down with Shah Haq and Michael Carroll, co-founders of Oxygen Health Systems, to explore how hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is changing the way people heal.

Michael, a cancer survivor, discovered the power of HBOT through his doctor—an experience that inspired him and Shah to leave their careers at Bell Labs and build a company focused on safety, innovation, and accessibility. Together, they’ve developed more than 40 hyperbaric chamber models, from compact home units to multi-person systems, all designed with cutting-edge features like starlight headliners to reduce anxiety, multiple reinforced windows, integrated air conditioning, and industry-leading safety valves.

They also discuss HBOT’s wide-ranging applications, from FDA-approved uses to emerging therapies for athletes and brain health. And beyond the tech, Shah and Michael share how their customer-first philosophy, financing options, and upgrade programs make this advanced therapy more accessible to families, patients, and practitioners around the world.

Whether you’re curious about HBOT, exploring alternative healing methods, or just love stories of innovation with heart, this episode will expand your understanding of how oxygen can be medicine.

In this eye-opening episode of Optimize W(e), host Lindsay O’Neill welcomes two thought-provoking guests—Jessa Frances, a trauma-informed yoga teacher and alcohol-free advocate, and Philip Gladman, fellow biohacker and wellness explorer. What starts as a conversation about personal choice quickly becomes a deep dive into the evolving relationship we have with alcohol, and how it intersects with wellness, identity, and human connection. 

Meanwhile, Philip brings insight from the biohacking world, where alcohol remains a controversial topic: a social lubricant for some, a health liability for others. From navigating trauma to building a more conscious relationship with what’s in our glass, this conversation is honest, nuanced, and refreshingly human.

What if the secret to healing isn’t in another prescription—but in rebuilding the “base” of your health? In this inspiring episode, Dr. Marina Yuabova, DNP, APRN, holistic specialist and founder of the National Wellness Group, shares her journey from conventional medicine to a whole-person approach that restores the body’s innate ability to heal.

After years in surgery prep at North Shore Hospital, Dr. Marina saw rising cancer rates in young patients and faced her own mysterious health struggles despite “perfect” labs. That turning point led her to functional medicine, regenerative therapies, and even quantum energy healing. She now empowers patients to focus on the fundamentals: restful sleep, nutrient-rich food, detoxification, and self-love.

Dr. Marina also sheds light on fertility—challenging the notion that it’s solely a “woman’s issue”—and explains why whole-body health is essential before expecting the body to create life. She dives into genetic mutations like MTHFR that can block nutrient absorption, and the powerful role belief plays in healing.

Whether you’re navigating fertility challenges, chronic illness, or simply looking to optimize your wellness, Dr. Marina offers a roadmap to restoring balance, hope, and resilience.