A Failing Healthcare System for Patients and Practitioners—And the Health That’s Still Yours (with w/ Dr. Tom Ingegno)

What does holistic health actually look like when you strip away the gadgets, protocols, and biohacking buzzwords?

In this episode of The Great Connect, Carrie sits down with Dr. Tom Ingegno—Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and East Asian medicine practitioner with more than 25 years of experience—to talk about what real, integrated health looks like in a system that’s failing both patients and practitioners.

Together, they explore why modern healthcare often burns out the very people trying to help, how convenience culture and engineered foods have shaped our health, and why so many of the most powerful health practices are still the simplest ones.

The truth? A lot of what actually supports our health isn’t complicated—but it does require intention.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What biohacking gets wrong about health—and what a 3,000-year-old medicine tradition gets right
• Why no retreat, supplement, or protocol works without doing the internal work
• How the healthcare system is burning out practitioners while failing patients
• Why many food cravings aren’t a willpower problem—they’re a food science problem
• The free, foundational health practices that still matter most (sunlight, breath, movement, community)
• Why joy and human connection are non-negotiable inputs for health, not soft extras
• How East Asian medicine concepts like the pericardium (emotional protection) translate into modern life
• Why “that’s just aging” is a myth worth questioning—and what healthy aging can actually look like

This conversation explores preventive health, personal responsibility, and how simple daily practices can support wellbeing—even in a healthcare system that often works against both patients and practitioners.

Who is Dr. Tom Ingegno? Dr. Tom Ingegno is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine who specializes in Japanese-style acupuncture and East Asian medicine. He runs Charm City Integrative in Baltimore, where he offers acupuncture alongside therapies like cold plunge, red light therapy, sauna, and salt therapy. He hosts the podcast Irreverent Health, recently screened the film Suck It Up, Buttercup on medical burnout and healthcare reform, and authored a cupping book designed to bring an affordable traditional home practice back to everyday families.

🔗 Charm City Integrative: https://www.charmcityintegrative.com/

🎙️ Irreverent Health Podcast: https://irreverenthealth.com/

📖 Tom's Cupping Book: https://www.thecuppingbook.com/

🎬 Suck It Up Buttercup Film: https://irreverenthealth.com/suck-it-up-buttercup/

EPISODE RESOURCES

Holistic Health Hub Directory: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/directory

Mead Hall Mondays: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/offer/acts-of-peace-in-times-of-war-beem

The Great Connect is part of The Human Array — real conversations about holistic health, no gurus required.