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Julie Foucher MD, MS is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician. Her passion lies in bridging the gap between fitness and medicine to empower individuals to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Every third Tuesday, she shares insightful content from a diverse lineup of guests, including medical experts and elite athletes.
Episodes

Monday Jun 22, 2020
The Science of Spontaneous Healing with Dr. Jeffrey Rediger PH149
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
“I think spontaneous healing is a lot more common than we realize. I’ve asked a room of doctors before, 'How many of you have seen a case of unexplained recovery that you didn’t think was possible and it happened?' Well, lots of doctors raise their hands. And I asked how many had reported it. No one had reported it. And I was loathe to report things myself, because, first of all, how are you going to get it published if you do all that work, and if you do get it published how are your colleagues going to view it?” - Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv
Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv, has spent over 15 years studying spontaneous healing and pioneering the use of scientific tools to investigate recoveries from incurable illnesses.
He is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, is the Medical Director of McLean SE Adult Psychiatry and Community Affairs at McLean Hospital, and is the Chief of Behavioral Medicine at Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Rediger is a a licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist, and he also holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Dr. Rediger’s research has taken him from America’s top hospitals to healing centers around the world―and along the way he’s uncovered insights into why some people beat the odds.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Rediger, and I was excited to learn more about how he became involved in studying a somewhat controversial field. We talked how he objectively collects data, the factors the play into spontaneous healing, and the lessons he's learned from his patients that have impacted his own life.
*Dr. Rediger's bio adapted from his website.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Dr. Rediger became interested in studying spontaneous healing
- The three criteria he uses to objectively collect data
- The factors that play into spontaneous healing and help to build a strong immune system
- Themes Dr. Rediger has identified in nutrition as it relates to spontaneous healing
- The importance of building the parasympathetic response and stimulating the vagus nerve
- How our identity contributes to healing
- Dr. Rediger’s childhood and how his time in seminary shaped his path in medicine
- The implications of quantum physics on our mind, body, and medicine
- What Dr. Rediger has learned from his patients that has impacted his own life
- Why stories of healing can inspire others in their own healing
- The Four Pillars of Healing
- Three things Dr. Rediger does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health
- One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health
- What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Rediger
You can follow Dr. Rediger on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Links:
- Cured: The Life-changing Science of Spontaneous Healing
- Spontaneous Healing: Your Body's Power to Heal From Within
- Blue Zones
- Immunity over inability: The spontaneous regression of cancer
- Hyperthermia: How can it be used?
- How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone
- Is This Man a Faith Healer? Dr. Issam Nemeh on Dr. Oz
- Healing with the Heart
Related episodes:
Ep 97 - Challenging Conventional Cancer Care with Dr. Thomas Seyfried
Ep 116 - How Healing Works with Dr. Wayne Jonas
Ep 135 - Immune System Strength with Dr. Leonard Calabrese
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.
This post was originally published on June 2, 2020.
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