Healing Steps to Wellness

With Dr. J and Mei

Your Trusted Guides to Whole-Person Health—One Step and One Bite at a Time. Explore inspiring conversations, expert insights, and practical lifestyle strategies to help you feel better, heal better, and live better.

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About the Show

One Step & One Bite at a Time

Rooted in lifestyle medicine and enhanced by functional medicine, regenerative medicine, and biomechanics, each episode explores how nutrition, movement, sleep, stress resilience, social connection, and purpose work together to restore balance and promote long-term wellness.

Listeners gain actionable “steps”, from plant-forward cooking and mindful movement to optimizing foot and ankle mechanics, improving mobility, and supporting tissue repair and recovery.

Tune in, stay curious, and take your next step toward lifelong vitality.

Episodes

Podcast Episodes with Dr. J and Mei

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46 episodes

August 21, 2026

Stop Feeling Stuck: Simple Changes for a Healthier Life

Learn practical healing steps to wellness with actionable strategies from the experts at Rochester Clinic. This presentation offers a clear guide to improving your overall health through structured wellness tips. Mei Liu and Dr. Jengyu Lai break down essential concepts to help you navigate your path to better health, focusing on sustainable habits rather than quick fixes. Whether you are beginning your health journey or looking to refine your current routine, these insights provide a solid foundation for your daily life. By following these evidence-based healing steps, you will gain a better understanding of how the professionals at Rochester Clinic approach patient care and long-term wellness. The discussion emphasizes consistency and simple, effective methods that anyone can incorporate into their schedule. Applying these wellness tips can help you create a more balanced and manageable approach to your personal health goals.

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August 14, 2026

More Than Medicine: Movement, Connection & Healthy Aging

What does it really mean to age well? It's about more than treating illness. It's about creating a life that keeps us moving, connected, engaged, and supported. In this episode of Healing Steps to Wellness, Dr. Jengyu Lai and Mei Liu welcome Sylwia Bujak Oliver, Executive Director of 125 LIVE, for a lively conversation about healthy aging and the powerful role community can play in our overall well-being. Sylwia shares how 125 LIVE has grown into much more than a fitness center, bringing people together through exercise, learning, social activities, volunteering, friendship, and fun. The conversation explores why staying socially connected can be just as important as staying physically active, particularly as we age.

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July 24, 2026

What a Brain Tumor Taught the AMA President About Health

In this episode, the AMA President opens up about how a brain tumor changed the way he thinks about health, medicine, and what it really means to care for people. Rather than focusing only on treatment after illness begins, he makes a strong case for prevention, lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and the community factors that shape long-term well-being. The conversation explores why so many health problems are connected to what happens outside the exam room, from access to healthy food and safe neighborhoods to education and everyday habits. It also touches on the challenges doctors face inside the healthcare system, including burnout, reimbursement pressures, and the limits of a model that often rewards procedures more than prevention. This is a thoughtful, practical conversation for anyone interested in healthy aging, whole-person care, and the future of healthcare. It offers a clear reminder that better health is not just about treating disease , it is about building the conditions that help people stay well in the first place.

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July 17, 2026

Blue Zones, Longevity, and Whole-Person Health with Dr. Wayne Dysinger

In this episode of Healing Steps to Wellness, Dr. Jengyu Lai and Mei Liu welcome Dr. Wayne Dysinger for a deep conversation on Blue Zones, longevity, and whole-person health. They explore how lifestyle medicine is reshaping the future of care through nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and social connection. Dr. Dysinger shares how the Blue Zones approach helps communities live longer, healthier lives by focusing on practical habits that support vitality and reduce chronic disease risk. The discussion also covers how lifestyle medicine is growing as a true medical specialty, why culture matters in healing, and how patients and providers can work together for lasting change. If you're interested in longevity, preventive care, healthy aging, and the power of daily habits, this conversation offers a thoughtful and practical look at what real wellness can look like.

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July 9, 2026

The Hidden Hormone Shifts Behind Anxiety, Brain Fog and Fatigue

In this episode of Healing Steps to Wellness, Mei Liu and Dr. Jengyu Lai sit down with guest Denise Stegall to explore the hidden hormone shifts that can contribute to anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, sleep changes, mood swings, inflammation, and midlife weight gain. Denise shares how hormone changes can begin earlier than many people realize, why nutrition matters more during midlife, and how stress, sleep, and blood sugar all connect to hormone health. Together, they discuss how perimenopause, menopause, and lifestyle factors can affect women's daily lives, family relationships, work performance, and long-term wellness. This conversation also highlights the importance of real food, understanding hormone changes, and recognizing symptoms early so women can make informed choices about their health. Topic highlights:

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July 4, 2026

Morning Movement, Sunlight, and Brain Health Habits That Work

In this episode of Healing Steps to Wellness, Dr. J and Mei explore the powerful connection between heart health, brain health, plantar fasciitis, insulin resistance, and inflammation. They discuss how muscle health affects glucose use, why walking after meals can help reduce blood sugar spikes, and how daily movement supports whole-body wellness. The conversation also includes practical lifestyle tips, healing strategies, and delicious food as medicine ideas featuring beets, kale, and other anti-inflammatory foods. Whether you're dealing with foot pain, looking to improve your energy, or interested in preventing chronic disease, this episode offers simple and actionable insights you can use right away. From morning sunlight and qigong to better sleep and better food choices, this discussion shows how small habits can create lasting health benefits. Topics include:

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June 26, 2026

What Young Adults Really Think About Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Medicine

In this episode of Healing Steps to Wellness with Mei & Dr. Jengyu Lai, the family sits down for a real and practical conversation about how healthy habits develop across life stages. Mei and Dr. Jengyu Lai are joined by their children, Elden and Hannah, to talk about transitioning from a standard American diet to a whole food plant-based lifestyle, learning to cook, staying active, and making better food choices in college and beyond. They also share useful tips on meal prep, fiber, budget-friendly foods, the value of vegetables and fruits, and how movement can become a natural part of daily life. This episode is full of honest stories, practical advice, and encouraging ideas for families, students, and anyone working toward a healthier lifestyle.

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June 19, 2026

Healing the Body: Regenerative Medicine and Root-Cause Care

In this episode, Mei Liu interviews Dr. Jengyu Lai about one of the biggest health topics right now: chronic inflammation and how it may be affecting your energy, weight, brain fog, pain, and overall wellness. They explore how inflammation is connected to gut health, insulin resistance, sleep, stress, movement, and the foods we eat , all themes that continue to resonate strongly with health-conscious YouTube audiences. Dr. Lai explains why many people feel “off” even when their lab results look normal, and why symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, skin issues, and poor recovery can be early warning signs that something deeper is going on. The conversation also covers the growing interest in lifestyle medicine, root-cause healing, and regenerative approaches that support long-term health, performance, and aging well. If you're interested in metabolic health, biohacking-style wellness, longevity, or understanding what your body is trying to tell you, this episode offers a clear and practical discussion with real-world insight.

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June 12, 2026

Chronic Pain Won't Go Away? The Regenerative Medicine Approach that Actually Works

Most people are told their labs are "normal" , but normal isn't the same as optimal. In this episode, Dr. Jengyu Lai (board-certified podiatrist and lifestyle medicine physician) reveals why chronic, low-grade inflammation is silently driving fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and some of today's most serious diseases , and why your doctor may not be catching it. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The difference between acute inflammation (your body healing itself) and chronic inflammation (the silent destroyer)

Episode Details

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Stop Feeling Stuck: Simple Changes for a Healthier Life