Meta Health: Mindfulness Meets Metabolism

What if the constant stream of health advice, influencer content, and AI-generated authority is actually disconnecting you from your own body, intuition, and inner wisdom? In this provocative episode, I explore why blindly following experts (including myself) may be increasing stress, confusion, and having a negative impact on health and wellbeing for many. Why "doing everything right" still leads many people to burnout, chronic stress, heart disease, and metabolic dysfunction How influencer culture and AI-driven authority can fuel anxiety, dependency, and nervous system overload The hidden physiological cost of constant health optimization and information consumption Why algorithms reward fear, confidence, and certainty over humility and nuance How social media, podcasts, and endless protocols may drown out your body's own signals My own blind spots and what I've learned from participating in influencer culture A practical 7-day experiment to help you reconnect with your own intuition, energy, and internal compass

Is alcohol really a low carb, keto friendly substance like many ads and influencers claim, or is there more to it? Even if the glucose on your CGM (continuous glucose monitor) doesn't budge after a drink, there are real metabolic effects on glucose and body fat you should be aware of. Non-drinkers will benefit from this episode too since we cover some key metabolic principles, along with the following: Quick overview of the metabolic merry-go-round and liver metabolism Why your CGM glucose results may be normal or even low after drinking alcohol Pathways by which alcohol affects glucose and body fat The surprising impact of alcohol on muscle How alcohol is disguised and advertised to be "metabolically neutral" My personal approach to alcohol consumption

Much of our emotional unrest results from the act of splitting our identity into multiple roles and different personas. In this episode I explore: What's the split? Why we split? Using imagery to visualize the split? My personal practices to quiet the mind Shifting towards unification

This episode takes a fresh look at the 3 fundamental molecular root causes of insulin resistance using some familiar storylines from prior episodes combined with some new story hooks to help you understand the science of insulin resistance. We cover the following: Quick review of insulin mechanism of action Summarizing the 3 root causes or what I call "-emias" of insulin resistance The inflammation-insulin resistance link explained using a busy ER analogy Using lifestyle changes to manage the 3 root causes

I've selected 2 key metabolic ingredients, Acetyl CoA and Citrate, to explain nutrition metabolism in further detail. I've also selected a different storyline, the mitochondrial amusement park and the Kreb's merry-go-round, to help you visualize some of the most fundamental steps of metabolism. In this episode we cover: Acetyl CoA's role as a key metabolic conductor The metabolic merry-go-round used to explain Kreb's cycle The importance of the Citrate sensor in switching between anabolism and catabolism How these concepts are tied to the root cause for weight gain and insulin resistance A critique of B-vitamin supplements as "energy producers"

I see lots of patients in my clinic who aim to lose body fat and have become well versed in the different types of body fat, specifically subcutaneous adipose tissue (aka SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (aka VAT). Although VAT and SAT are both fat, they represent different health risks and there are some differences in terms of which strategies are more effective for VAT vs SAT loss. This episode is a good follow-up to Episode 16 (Getting Your Body to Burn Fat), which provides the scientific foundation for fat loss (aka lipolysis) along with providing practical suggestions as well. In this episode, we cover: Overview of SAT (subcutaneous fat) vs VAT (visceral fat) How to measure SAT vs VAT Dietary approaches to tackle SAT vs VAT Deep dive on which exercises and routines address SAT vs VAT Other lifestyle factors that address SAT and VAT

The pentose phosphate pathway, which I refer to as P3, is one of my favorite metabolic pathways and one that gets far less attention than glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and Krebs, yet plays such a key role in our body. In this episode we go over the following: Brief refresher on glycolysis and coenzymes using James Bond storytelling Deeper dive into oxidation, reduction, and free radicals (aka reactive oxygen species or ROS) Understanding and remembering the key functions of P3 How P3 is tied to obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, and cancer How erythritol is tied to P3 and the fallacy of a study linking it to heart disease

Call it holistic, functional, metabolic, integrative, longevity, or whatever, but this episode expresses some of my concerns about the direction of what I refer to as the rising "alt health" movement. Interestingly, I'm part of both alt health and mainstream medicine, so I'll share my take from both sides. I'll discuss: The story of "Dr.Bob," a fictional alt health practitioner whose practice is rife with hypocrisy and questionable practices The story of "Diane," a fictional patient anecdote based on patient and audience feedback, who is going bankrupt purchasing alt health services. How the supplement industry is morphing into its own version of "Big Pharma" Defending mainstream doctors, an unfortunate target of the alt health movement Blindspots and potential harms of alt health messaging Some thoughts on how alt health and mainstream medicine can collaborate better