In this insightful episode of Take Charge of Your Health, hosts Corinne Furnari and Carol Petersen, welcome Dr. Sande Bargeron certified anesthesiologist assistant and PhD in natural medicine, for a groundbreaking discussion on the hidden impacts of anesthesia and surgery on brain function, recovery, and long-term wellness.

Drawing from her dual background in conventional medicine and holistic health, Dr. Bargeron introduces the HARP framework — Holistic Anesthesia Recovery and Preparation — a comprehensive approach designed to help patients prepare for and recover from anesthesia more safely and effectively. The framework emphasizes nutrition, lifestyle optimization, and targeted supplementation as key strategies to protect the brain and body from anesthesia-related neurotoxicity and oxidative stress.

The conversation underscores how individual vulnerability plays a crucial role in surgical outcomes. Populations such as the elderly and those with neurodevelopmental conditions are particularly susceptible to the lingering cognitive and metabolic effects of anesthesia. Dr. Bargeron highlights the value of proactive preparation, including nutrient repletion, stress reduction, and maintaining metabolic and hormonal balance before undergoing any medical procedure.

The hosts and guest also discuss specific interventions—such as the use of magnesium to stabilize nerve and muscle function—and raise awareness about the potential risks associated with fluoride-containing anesthetic agents. Beyond these specifics, the episode broadens into a deeper exploration of how environmental toxins, hormonal dysregulation, and nutritional deficiencies can compromise recovery and overall resilience after surgery.

Ultimately, the discussion presents a transformative view of surgical care—one that merges science with holistic wisdom. Rather than seeing anesthesia and surgery as isolated medical events, the HARP framework positions them within a continuum of wellness, where preparation, detoxification, and mindful recovery are integral to protecting both the body and the brain.

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In this episode of Take Charge of Your Health, hosts Corinne Furnari and Carol Petersen, explore the essential yet often overlooked world of neurosteroids, focusing on pregnenolone and DHEA as critical hormones for maintaining vitality, cognitive function, and overall well-being. The discussion reframes these compounds not simply as secondary hormones but as foundational building blocks for the body’s entire endocrine network.

Furnari and Petersen emphasize that true hormonal balance requires attention to the precursor hormones from which others—such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—are derived. Central to this conversation is cholesterol, which the hosts describe as the indispensable raw material for hormone synthesis. They challenge the widespread medical trend of aggressively lowering cholesterol, warning that doing so can inadvertently disrupt neurosteroid production and impair healing, energy, and brain performance.

The conversation also touches on real-world health concerns raised by listeners. Questions about low cholesterol levels in vegan diets, the neurological aftermath of stroke, and even the potential cognitive benefits of nicotine—particularly in addressing COVID-related brain fog—are used to illustrate how intricately connected neurosteroids are to brain and metabolic health.

Throughout the discussion, the hosts advocate for a holistic, systems-based view of hormone regulation, one that integrates nutrition, lifestyle, and biochemical individuality. By restoring balance to pregnenolone and DHEA, they argue, individuals can support not only hormonal harmony but also sharper cognition, emotional stability, and long-term vitality.

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In this episode of Take Charge of Your Health, hosts Corinne Furnari and Carol Petersen, explore the often-overlooked role of progesterone in men. Traditionally labeled as a “female hormone,” progesterone is reframed here as a vital neurosteroid essential for both sexes, influencing far more than reproductive health.

The discussion traces progesterone’s crucial functions, beginning in fetal development and extending throughout life in areas such as brain function, mood regulation, and stress management. The hosts argue that maintaining adequate progesterone levels is vital for men’s hormonal balance, particularly in countering age-related issues like prostate enlargement and mitigating side effects from medications such as finasteride.

They further emphasize progesterone’s biochemical importance as a precursor to other key hormones, including testosterone and cortisol, situating it as a cornerstone of the endocrine system. The program also addresses practical considerations—how to use and source progesterone safely, optimal dosage strategies, and common misconceptions about its effects.

Listener questions extend the conversation into related health concerns, including high cholesterol, statin use, and how these factors intersect with hormone balance. Throughout the episode, Furnari and Petersen highlight a central theme: progesterone is not merely a sex hormone but a systemic regulator critical to men’s overall health, cognitive vitality, and hormonal harmony.

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