This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Gary Kaplan who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). Dr. Kaplan is dual trained in osteopathic and allopathic medicine, as well as acupuncture. In this episode, Dr. Kaplan talks about inflammation from the standpoint of the cause of pain and depression and how the immune system can drive the inflammatory responses. Dr. Kaplan is the author of Why You Are Still Sick: How Infections Can Break Your Immune System and How You Can Recover. KEY TAKEAWAYS:Causes of pain and depressionInnate immune system - body's first line of defense against germs & foreign substancesMicroglia - the resident immune cell of the brainWhat products can you use for pain, depression, & sleep?What are strategies for down-regulating microglial activation?Unhealthy gut equals unhealthy brainWhat is long COVID?Surprising facts of social isolationWhy it's important to look at adverse events during childhoodABOUT GUEST: Gary Kaplan, DO a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Why You Are Still Sick: How Infections Can Break Your Immune System and How You Can Recover. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is one of only 19 physicians in the country to be board-certified in both Family Medicine and Pain Medicine. In November, Dr Kaplan will co-chair an international conference on New Developments in Understanding Chronic Illness: The Role of the Immune Dysfunction and Infections. WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://kaplanclinic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaplan_clinic/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaplanCenterforIntegrativeMedicineYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjBaguhq1VYTBHMYlvKCMIwWHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links