LEVELS – A Whole New Level
By Levels
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LEVELS – A Whole New LevelJan 26, 2022
#252 - Why nutrition matters for brain health and how to modify your diet | Dr. Georgia Ede & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino - (Replay)
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that has proven benefits for brain health. Research shows that the keto diet helps ease symptoms of some mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder. But no diet, even keto, is one-size-fits all. Dr. Georgia Ede and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss how diet and brain health are connected, how diet and gut health affect brain health, and how a ketogenic or other low-carbohydrate diets can be tailored to people’s specific needs.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Georgia Ede, MD & Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(06:51) — Dr. Georgia Ede describes her interest in nutritional science for mental health
(16:45) — Metabolic health is tied to brain health
(23:16) — A ketogenic diet vs medications for mental health
(27:19) — A ketogenic diet can be tailored to prevent side effects
(32:51) — Gut health and mental health are connected
(39:00) — Diet is highly individual
(42:02) —CGM can teach people how foods and diet strategies affect their health
(44:57) — Following a low-carbohydrate diet will generally reduce insulin levels and triglycerides
(47:40) — Some psychiatric symptoms have links to higher C-reactive protein levels
(48:42) — Dr. D’Agostino summarizes one of Dr. Ede’s studies on the ketogenic diet and mental health
(56:59) — A ketogenic diet may also help ease some menopause symptoms
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/kBjBEjV0vqU
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#251 - How to track your macros for fat loss and muscle gain | Josh Clemente & Dominic D'Agostino
Not all calories are equal. Tracking your macronutrient intake, using AI capabilities, can help you improve your body composition, facilitate weight loss, and boost exercise performance. The three macronutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates, with fiber a subset of carbs. Josh Clemente & Dr. Dominic D'Agostino discuss the new macros-tracking feature in the Levels app, the purpose and importance of each macronutrient, how to use macros-tracking in conjunction with biomarker data to improve health and fitness, and how easy the app’s AI functionality is to use.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Josh Clemente & Dominic D'Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(09:03) — The importance of prioritizing protein intake
(17:03) — Why is tracking macros beneficial?
(21:11) — Each macronutrient has a different role in the body
(39:36) — The different functions of macros
(48:32) — Is excess protein a concern?
(54:55) — The problem with excess carbohydrates
(1:00:37) — Tracking macros can help you improve metabolic flexibility
(1:02:41) — The issue with overconsumption of carbohydrates
(1:17:18) — Is fiber a macronutrient?
(1:46:21) — Macros tracking in the Levels app
(1:49:50) — Tracking macros can help improve body composition and performance
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/wg76Q25Ngd4
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#250 - Is fructose a driver of Alzheimer’s disease? | Dr. Richard Johnson & Dr. Rob Lustig - (Replay)
Fructose and its byproduct uric acid may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, thanks to an evolutionary adaptation hijacked by the modern diet. Fructose can be directly consumed, or the body can convert high-glycemic carbohydrates and other foods to fructose. Fructose suppresses some cognitive functions. Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss a new study, of which Johnson was an author, on how fructose may be a potential driver in Alzheimer’s, and they hypothesize about fructose’s potential connection to the development of other conditions.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Richard Johnson, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss:
(09:50) — Fructose is the driver of some diseases that are on the rise in kids
(11:53) — Fructose is a driver of obesity and metabolic syndrome
(15:36) — Pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease aren’t as effective as researchers had hoped
(17:32)— The research focus of Alzheimer’s is slowly shifting to understanding insulin resistance in the brain
(20:41) — Is fructose a root cause of Alzheimer’s?
(26:26) — New research suggests fructose induces a foraging response
(28:20) — Fructose inhibits areas of the brain to encourage successful foraging
(46:48) — We need more research on fructose
(1:03:10) —Is fructose a factor in violence?
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life.
🔗 LINKS:
Could Alzheimer’s disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523000047?dgcid=author
Subscribe here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#249 - The links between gastrointestinal health, metabolic health, and fertility | Dr. Robin Rose & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
Gastrointestinal health, metabolic health, and fertility are all linked. The gut microbiome impacts other microbiomes in the body, which can then impact the ability to conceive. Our gut microbiomes are becoming less diverse through modern farming practices and the consumption of processed foods. Dr. Robin Rose and Ben Grynol discuss how gut microbiome testing can determine underlying factors of gastrointestinal distress and the lifestyle changes that can help address symptoms and even aid fertility.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Robin Rose, MD, & Ben Grynol discuss:
(08:05) — Gastrointestinal issues are associated with metabolic health issues
(08:56) — Many people lack gut microbiome diversity
(15:24) — Infertility in some people has links to the gut microbiome
(30:56) — PCOS and gut dysbiosis share a connection that’s still being researched
(32:26) — Restoring gut and metabolic health may help alleviate PCOS symptoms
(34:44) — Metagenomic testing assesses gut health
(39:47) — Gut health often requires balanced macronutrient intake
(49:14) — Regenerative farming practices could help us get more quality nutrients
(54:57) — Eliminating dairy and gluten may ease gastrointestinal symptoms
(56:29) — Sleep quality and quantity also inform gut health
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/SpW9znY3fkI
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#248 - A low-carb diet may boost exercise performance and health | Professor Tim Noakes & Josh Clemente - (Replay)
High-carbohydrate diets and carbohydrate loading have been long-standing tenets of athletic training and competition, but newer research indicates a low-carbohydrate diet may be more beneficial for performance and overall health. Professor Tim Noakes and Josh Clemente discuss how a fat-adapted body can rely on fat as a fuel source at all exercise intensity levels, rather than burning mostly carbohydrates, and how such adaptation and dietary focus may reduce one’s risk of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Tim Noakes, MD, PhD, & Josh Clemente discuss:
(04:28) — Dr. Tim Noakes explains his career trajectory
(19:04) — An adapted body can rely on fat for all exercise intensities
(22:30) — The body will never get to a state of no glucose circulation
(23:28) — A delicate balance of macronutrients is likely necessary
(29:11) — Before the high-carbohydrate craze, elite athletes were fat adapted
(33:46) — Fat oxidation in muscle may have a protective effect against Type 2 diabetes
(36:39) — Exercise does not cancel out the risk for metabolic disease if diet isn’t accounted for
(47:25) — The body can cope with fasting
(54:32) — The high-carb training trend has been perpetuated by the carbohydrate industry
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#247 - Why sleep is one of the key aspects of your metabolic health | Mike Haney & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
Your sleep routine is one of the most important aspects of your metabolic health. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Ben Grynol and Mike Haney discuss:
(02:36) - A study about sleep and metabolic health
(03:26) - The benefits of sleep for metabolic health
(05:24) - Sleeping at home
(05:24) - Standardized meals
(07:20) - How glucose levels affect sleep quality and duration
(12:50) - What you eat matters
(14:37) - Sleep quality and glucose
(18:06) - Sleep is the most important thing you control
(18:55) - Don’t sacrifice sleep
(20:08) - The importance of consistency
(25:29) - Compounding effects work both ways
🔗 Helpful links:
How does sleep affect blood sugar?: https://levelshealth.com/blog/how-sleep-impacts-metabolic-health-glucose-levels-cgm
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#246 - How to keep your blood sugar more stable and why it matters for weight loss and overall health – Tips from Glucose Goddess | Jessie Inchauspé & Dr. Casey Means
Stable glucose levels are a foundation of feeling and looking your best at any age. When glucose levels are more erratic—with spikes and crashes—cravings, weight gain, low energy, health issues, and more can ensue. Jessie Inchauspé and Dr. Casey Means, thought leaders on the topic of blood sugar, discuss simple hacks for keeping glucose levels more stable without resorting to restrictive diets, and they share why stable levels inform health.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Jessie Inchauspé & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(12:59) — Are type 2 diabetes and obesity genetic, dictated by lifestyle factors, or both?
(15:53) — Hacks for keeping blood sugar more stable
(24:22) — People want to be healthy, but the food industry complicates matters
(28:29) — Nutritional choices can impact mental health
(35:56) — The premise behind Inchauspé’s ‘Glucose Goddess Method’
(39:59) — Tracking biomarkers provides insight to your metabolic health
(42:08) — A siloed approach to healthcare misses the big picture
(45:06) — Can supplements really help with metabolic health?
(57:37) — We need systemic change in the food industry
(1:05:52) — The science behind food cravings
Transcripts & Show notes
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Jessie Inchauspé on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/
Jessie Inchauspé: https://www.antispike.com
Casey Means, MD: https://www.caseymeans.com/goodenergy
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health: https://www.caseymeans.com/goodenergy
#245 - Autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, holistic protocols, & metabolic health | Dr. Terry Wahls & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Can a holistic protocol address the root cause of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS)? We explore how metabolic health is tightly linked to autoimmune diseases and how understanding blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity is key. Dr. Terry Wahls developed The Wahls Protocol, which helped Dr. Wahls reverse her disease process and helped her get back on her feet. The Wahls Protocol is one of the most influential lifestyle programs that helps people address their autoimmune diseases. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Terry Wahls and Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(03:46) - A new framework for thinking about autoimmune disease
(06:52) - A supplement cocktail
(13:27) - The creation of health
(15:56) - Humans are metabolically complex
(17:50) What is mitochondrial dysfunction?
(28:46) - The connection between type-1 diabetes and mitochondrial dysfunction
(37:30) - Addressing the root cause of autoimmune issues
(43:35) - How to support mitochondrial health
(45:01) - Improving metabolic health can improve autoimmune disease
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#243 - Why sugary drinks can cause weight gain and low energy | Dr. Richard Johnson & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino
Traditional soft drinks, juice boxes, and energy and sports drinks are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient also found in many processed foods. The body processes fructose differently than other sugars, and fructose can lead to weight gain by encouraging the body to store energy. Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the issues with fructose, sucralose (found in PRIME energy drinks), and other artificial sweeteners. They explore how fructose can drive food cravings and overeating, its potential role as an Alzheimer’s contributor, and the benefits of a different sugar that might promote the release of GLP-1, the hormone that Ozempic and Wegovy help increase.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Richard Johnson, MD, & Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(1:59) — Richard Johnson, MD, is a prolific researcher regarding sugar’s effects
(6:38) — Soft drinks are a major source of added sugar, which has negative effects on metabolic health
(8:31) — Fructose lowers energy in the body, driving hunger
(14:16) — Fructose can drive insulin resistance and increase fat
(21:44) — A small amount of fructose can be beneficial to the body
(29:11) — Fructose consumption may be a culprit of Alzheimer’s disease
(48:21) — Low-calorie sugars can still make you crave more sugar
(53:59) — A low-calorie sugar called allulose has potential health benefits
(55:59) — Allulose may stimulate GLP-1
(59:39) — A low-carb diet helps reduce sugar cravings
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/AMgBxyJvtx0
#244 - Where metabolic health and culture converge | Dhru Purohit & Austin McGuffie - (Replay)
What are the unique metabolic health experiences of South Asian and Black communities? In this candid conversation between serial entrepreneur and health and wellness investor Dhru Purohit and content creator and metabolism mentor Austin McGuffie, they discuss how metabolic health affects their respective communities.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dhru Purohit & Austin McGuffie discuss:
(18:51) – Live by example
(23:21) – Focus on education first
(24:53) – The benefits of targeted fasting
(26:08) – Dying from excess
(30:03) – It all comes back to lifestyle
(34:42) – Talk to people who are on the fence
(35:57) – The societal split
(36:52) – Why we need targeted solutions
(38:45) – The add-in method
(52:09) – Health happens in community
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#242 - Healthy eating for kids | Austin McGuffie & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
Highly processed food is hard to avoid. It’s especially harder when you’re a parent. For Austin McGuffie and Ben Grynol, they both have 4 kids, and they talk about the challenges of parenting, feeding kids nutritious food, and educating them along the way.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Austin McGuffie & Ben Grynol discuss:
(02:11) - Help kids make better food choices and lead by example
(07:43) - Know when to give in to a kid’s wants and when to firmly say no
(13:51) - Allow your kids to experience the consequences of their food choices
(20:43) - Make exercise enjoyable by leaning into your kid’s interests
(27:15) - Understand that your kid is an individual with their own tastes and preferences
(28:57) - Strike a balance between a nutritious diet and a healthy relationship with food
(32:01) - Encourage kids to take ownership of their food
(37:38) - Make food taste palatable and enjoyable
(41:14) - Keep trying every day
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/Ukk07x2oVDQ?si=MUheltnf451VjP47
#241 - How environmental chemicals are making us sick and fat | Dr. Rob Lustig & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Landmark new research published by Dr. Rob Lustig and dozens of other scientists shows us for the first time the intricate mechanisms of how environmental chemicals directly cause obesity, uncovering the latest research on this class of chemicals called obesogens. In this conversation between Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Casey Means, they discuss what products and environmental toxins we need to be aware of, how they are impacting our cells and causing metabolic dysfunction, and what we can do to protect ourselves. Dr. Lustig speaks to how these environmental toxins affect our sex cells (sperm and eggs) and can impact our offspring and many generations to come. He also discusses how 15% of obesity may be directly caused by these chemicals.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health
🎙 What Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Robert Lustig discuss:
(07:58) - It’s not just correlative, it’s causative
(10:51) - Obesogens bind to our cell proteins
(11:27) - Everyday products contain obesogens
(14:37) - Babies and children are the most vulnerable
(24:34) - Obesogens stick around even after being banned
(32:19) - Food is more than calories
(43:05) - Obesogens are unregulated
(51:05) - Cell alterations last for generations
(01:54:00) - We need to get the EPA on board
(01:02:15) - Buy organic
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Watch the Video – https://youtu.be/GQrnEx8MNKk
#240 - Follow three diet rules to improve health, lose weight, and prevent diseases | Dr. Swaranjit Bhasin & Dr. Casey Means
What diet should you follow? Metabolic health experts say it doesn’t matter whether you’re keto, vegan, or otherwise if you focus on three simple principles, which will help reduce your risk for cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Swaranjit Bhasin and Dr. Casey Means discuss the biomarkers to ask your doctor about, why they matter, how to improve those biomarkers with accessible tips, and why liver health is a big key to overall health.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Swaranjit Bhasin, MD, & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(2:45) — A radiologist raises a red flag about increased diagnoses in younger patients
(8:47) — Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a silent but serious problem
(12:59) — The importance of the liver
(16:59) — What are your most important biomarkers?
(31:50) — Casey Means, MD, summarizes Dr. Bhasin’s three rules for diet
(33:48) — Processed vegetable and seed oils are toxic to the body
(41:21) — Insulin resistance can drive cancer
(51:56) — The importance of autophagy in helping to prevent cancer
(54:40) — Who should not engage in intermittent fasting?
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/1pkhDOPsXb4
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#239 – Big Ag feeds into Big Pharma: Metabolic health benefits from regenerative farming | Dr. Robert Lustig & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
Since metabolic health is downstream of food production, we need regenerative farming, balanced ecosystems, and to lift the veil of Big Food’s marketing schemes in order to optimize the entire system. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Levels’ Advisor Dr. Rob Lustig and Head of Growth Ben Grynol discuss:
(06:08) - The growers and the helpers
(07:05) - How DDT changed America
(12:19) - The next big thing
(16:04) - Soil vs. dirt
(28:29) - Farming in the 1960s
(30:17) - Turning America’s Heartland into big ag
(34:06) - Agriculture and healthcare are inseparable
(38:16) - An immoral hazard
(43:13) - The consumer is in the dark
(50:32) - Shop around the edge of the supermarket
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/HiBOobZ_8ss
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#238 - How regenerative farming boosts soil health and the nutrient content of the plants and animals we eat | Will Harris & Dr. Casey Means
Regenerative farming replenishes soil nutrients, which in turn, boosts the nutrient content of produce and animal products. It also focuses on animal and land stewardship. However, most farming today employs industrialized practices that deplete the soil, discount animal welfare, and harm humans. Will Harris and Dr. Casey Means discuss regenerative farming practices, the symbiotic relationships in the farming ecosystem, and the need for change at the consumer level.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Will Harris & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(1:21) — Soil depletion in the United States affects overall health
(15:27) — The birth of industrialized farming
(30:04) — Regenerative farming can raise quality of life for communities
(33:23) —Modern farming practices and antibiotic resistance
(35:11) — Change must come at the consumer level
(40:38) — The consequences of modern farming practices were not immediate
(50:10) — Organic farming is not the same thing as regenerative farming
(53:29) — The importance of animals being allowed to express instinctive behavior
(56:14) — Regenerative practices in your backyard
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/pkwZ3_MPxO4
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#237 - Erectile dysfunction may mean chronic disease & early death | Dr. Merrill Matschke & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Erectile dysfunction can be an early indicator of future cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, and early death. Learn more in this conversation between urologist and male reproductive specialist and surgeon Dr. Merrill Matschke and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Merrill Matschke & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(13:47) – The connection between metabolic dysfunction and erectile dysfunction
(22:08) – How ED develops
(34:11) – Let’s talk about oxidative stress
(40:06) – The importance of testosterone levels in insulin sensitivity
(46:50) – The importance of diet, exercise, and sleep
(48:45) – Why is testosterone dropping?
(59:59) – Our healthcare system needs to do better
(01:07:44) – Don’t put treatment off
(01:14:02) – Sleep is crucial
(01:19:41) – Nobody’s perfect
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/mum4AfB0K_Y
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#236 - How keto improves brain health and weight loss and combats chronic disease and disorders such as ADHD | Dr. Annette Bosworth & Dr. Casey Means
The ketogenic diet fuels the brain and makes the body more metabolically flexible. The keto diet drives ketone production, which serves as fuel for energy as well as an antioxidant to combat oxidative stress. Switching from burning glucose to burning ketones has numerous benefits, including for cognitive decline and ADHD. Dr. Annette Bosworth and Dr. Casey Means discuss the intricacies of the keto diet, why it boosts brain health, how to make behavioral changes, and how to encourage kids to eat keto for improved health and well-being.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Annette Bosworth, MD, & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(14:31) — What we put into our body matters
(16:37) — The value of ketones as fuel
(28:32) — Dr. Annette Bosworth explains her ‘Dr. Boz’ ratio
(34:47) — Your body will adapt to ketosis
(44:49) — Dr. Bosworth shares info from a study on cognitive impairment
(50:41) — Dr. Bosworth shares her experience with getting patients on a ketogenic diet
(53:07) — Dr. Bosworth shares her wisdom about behavior change
(1:13:31) — Dr. Casey Means describes her experience with metabolic dysfunction
(1:18:05) — Dr. Bosworth shares her techniques for getting her kids to eat healthfully
(1:21:00) — In general, the food industry’s aim is for profit
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/sY1ZeCDp-xw?si=rD4ZyBF2GsK--xlW
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#235 – Understanding predictive markers of metabolic dysfunction | Dr. Sara Gottfried & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Dr. Sara Gottfried – a pioneer in health, research, and education – has seen more than 25,000 patients over the past two decades. She's a physician scientist, who graduated from Harvard Medical School and MIT, and completed her Residency at the University of California, San Francisco.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Dr. Gottfried is the Director of Precision Medicine at The Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, at Thomas Jefferson University, where she specializes in identifying the underlying causes of her patient's conditions to achieve lasting health transformation, not just symptom management.
Dr. Gottfried has published five books, including multiple New York Times bestsellers, such as The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, and Younger. Her latest book has just been published, Women Food and Hormones.
In this episode, Dr. Casey Means, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Levels, and Dr. Gottfried covered a number of topics from her new book.
LINKS
- New insights from continuous glucose monitoring into the route to diabetes
- Proposed guidelines to evaluate scientific validity and evidence for genotype-based dietary advice
- Michael Snyder
- Marcus Institute of Integrative Health
- Sara Gottfried
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Sara Gottfried & Casey Means discuss:
(04:11) - The vital role of metabolism
(08:15) - Metabolic data should be democratized
(11:12) - Women and the keto diet
(12:50) - Women are considered "too complicated"
(18:38) - Every person needs a unique diet
(22:40) - Diet shouldn't be like politics
(26:53) - The ideal fasting length
(33:22) - The role of testosterone
(40:02) - Physicians should not be gatekeepers to health
(01:02:40) - The relationship between genes and our environment
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QZUpJCNOpfY
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#234 - Why your workout isn’t working for you and what to do instead for improved metabolic health and body composition | Dr. Gabrielle Lyon & Dr. Casey Means
Diet and exercise culture tends to prioritize calorie restriction and calorie burning via cardio workouts. While fat loss is beneficial, building and maintaining healthy muscle mass is also crucial for metabolic health and longevity. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Dr. Casey Means discuss Lyon’s book “Forever Strong,” why strength-training should be a priority for workout routines, how muscle is the body’s metabolic currency, and why boosting protein intake aids in adding and preserving muscle mass.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Gabrielle Lyon, DO, & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(03:43) — Dr. Casey Means shares her enthusiasm for Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s book
(09:03) — Muscle is our metabolic currency
(19:38) — According to Dr. Lyon, gaining muscle is more important than losing fat
(23:56) — Muscle mass is protective against sarcopenia
(31:08) — Dr. Means raises the question about menopause
(31:59) — The benefits of focusing on metabolic health in the menopause transition
(36:39) — Dr. Lyon encourages people to reevaluate the type of exercise they are doing
(39:14) — Dr. Lyon discusses the importance of getting enough protein
(43:15) — Dr. Lyon discusses the timing of protein intake
(51:13) — Dr. Lyon discusses supplementation with creatine
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LAF2o2zv7Q4?si=vXoV1hxQVCpfYOpQ
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#233 - Big Food, Big Sugar & how they affect our metabolic health today | Dr. Robert Lustig & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
The history of the Big Food and Big Sugar industries still affect our metabolic health today. Learn more in this conversation between Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Robert Lustig & Ben Grynol discuss:
(09:24) - Create the consensus
(17:17) - Exonerate sugar as the cause of heart disease
(22:31) - Use shoddy science
(23:35) - Buy off scientists and critics
(24:50) - Weakening government oversight
(26:53) - Fight back against regulated advertising
(35:20) - Go all in on corn
(40:40) - Sugar should be a condiment
(43:04) - Increase food industry profits
(48:27) - The public needs to demand better
🔗 LINKS:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/2-qq2Tzl5nM?si=MXk0xX-70n4d_OJ7
📲 CONNECT:
Subscribe here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#232 - How do you afford nutritious food when you live in a food desert and why investing in nutrition is an investment in yourself | Shawn Stevenson & Dr. Casey Means
Our environment and culture directly affect the food choices we make. Ultra-processed foods are convenient and cheap, and they’re the main source of foods in food deserts, typically located in underserved communities. Yet ultra-processed foods lead to worsening metabolic health. How do you afford and access nutritious food? Shawn Stevenson and Dr. Casey means discuss how Stevenson, author of “Eat Smarter Family Cookbook” grew up without easy access to whole foods, how he transformed how he eats despite his environment, and how those changes led to a reversal of poor health and chronic pain to an improved quality of life and even earning potential.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Shawn Stevenson & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(10:00) — Ultra-processed foods are convenient and cheap
(20:03) — Stevenson describes the moment when he changed his mindset
(27:20) — The foods we put into our bodies affect us at the cellular level
(32:17) — Focus on controlling the “controllables.”
(35:30) — The family that eats together boosts their health together
(41:23) — Schedule social meals
(44:19) — The most common factor across Blue Zones is strong social bonds
(49:19) — Cooking is an essential skill for health
(1:03:16) — Investing in better health generates improved energy capacity
(1:08:58) — Stevenson shares his tips for affording nutritious foods
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rKptwQrvzuk?si=P9gfeK952dWjMrYA
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#231 – Adaptation and why it’s important to our metabolic health, stress, and trauma | Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Molly Maloof - (Replay)
Obesity and chronic disease are fallouts from the lack of real human connection. Underneath biomarkers like glucose and physical aspects like mitochondrial dysfunctions are the root causes of disease: hijacked reward pathways, chronic stress due to constant threat mode, and the global human disconnect.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
In this discussion between Levels’ advisor Dr. Molly Maloof and our co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Casey Means, they talk about:
- The most important measurable biomarker
- How we’re designed to live in groups
- The cycle of constant stress through threat signaling vs. high-reward pathways
- The big problem of global human disconnection
- How love and oxytocin helps to make us stronger, share resources, and create bonds
- Addiction and the power of the pause
- How to increase physical and emotional adaptation
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Levels’ advisor Dr. Molly Maloof and our co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means, discuss:
(12:13) - Adapting and self-managing in the face of adversity
(16:03) - The most important biomarker
(23:05) - Moving your body to create energy
(24:18) - Adapting beyond genetics
(26:29) - Hijacking reward pathways
(36:40) - Getting off the grid
(43:22) - Take care of your mitochondria
(45:57) - The holy grail of chronic disease
(51:35) - Felt connection
(59:11) - How deprivation is a pathway to happiness
(1:06:03) - The power of the pause
(1:23:11) - Letting go of control
(01:41:37) - Cooking your skin
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=XVSYGx9Fkns
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#230 - How the ketogenic diet may work as a medical therapy for various conditions such as migraine, epilepsy, mental health issues, and more | Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino
The ketogenic diet is often used as a tool for weight loss and to improve metabolic health. However, it is increasingly being considered, studied, and used as a medical therapy for chronic physical and mental health conditions, and it can be tailored to patients’ specific needs. Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter, and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the benefits of the ketogenic diet, how they customize keto for patients with dietary preferences like veganism, how to ease into the change with a pre-keto diet, and how the keto diet may be able to help people reduce or eliminate medications under the supervision of medical professionals.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Beth Zupec-Kania, RDN, CD; Denise Potter, RDN, CDCES; and Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(14:50) — Using the ketogenic diet as therapy for various conditions
(27:49) — Eating a ketogenic diet often helps people improve their nutrient intake
(29:39) — The ketogenic diet can be customized to fit a person’s needs
(33:42) — Medium-chain triglycerides can help increase fat intake
(35:32) — Gluten is inflammatory
(38:18) — Beth encourages patients to do a pre-keto program
(46:12) — Looking at macros on keto
(48:24) — A ketogenic diet can drive metabolic health changes
(57:49) — The benefits of the ketogenic diet that go beyond weight loss
(1:22:00) — Can keto help people reduce their medications?
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#229 - Nature Wants Us to Be Fat | Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Richard Johnson - (Replay)
Dr. Casey Means, Chief Medical Officer of Levels speaks with Dr. Richard Johnson about his book, "Nature Wants Us to Be Fat," as well as his insights on the "survival switch" that drives our body to store fat in response to certain conditions like high fructose, dehydration, umami flavors, and more, and how this all relates to our current metabolic disease epidemic.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Richard Johnson discuss:
(04:25) - The fat switch
(11:39) - Metabolic syndrome is linked to survival
(13:36) - The switch is good for short term survival, bad for long term
(17:40) - Sugar triggers the switch
(19:39) - Sugar leads to metabolic syndrome, not extra calories
(23:40) - Fructose depletes energy
(31:28) - Vitamin C is protective against obesity
(35:12) - High glycemic foods help our bodies make fructose
(44:29) - Whole fruit is healthy because of the fiber
(53:48) - Salt can trigger fructose production
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#228 - Why nutrition matters for brain health and how to modify your diet | Dr. Georgia Ede & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that has proven benefits for brain health. Research shows that the keto diet helps ease symptoms of some mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder. But no diet, even keto, is one-size-fits all. Dr. Georgia Ede and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss how diet and brain health are connected, how diet and gut health affect brain health, and how a ketogenic or other low-carbohydrate diets can be tailored to people’s specific needs.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Georgia Ede, MD & Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(06:51) — Dr. Georgia Ede describes her interest in nutritional science for mental health
(16:45) — Metabolic health is tied to brain health
(23:16) — A ketogenic diet vs medications for mental health
(27:19) — A ketogenic diet can be tailored to prevent side effects
(32:51) — Gut health and mental health are connected
(39:00) — Diet is highly individual
(42:02) —CGM can teach people how foods and diet strategies affect their health
(44:57) — Following a low-carbohydrate diet will generally reduce insulin levels and triglycerides
(47:40) — Some psychiatric symptoms have links to higher C-reactive protein levels
(48:42) — Dr. D’Agostino summarizes one of Dr. Ede’s studies on the ketogenic diet and mental health
(56:59) — A ketogenic diet may also help ease some menopause symptoms
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/kBjBEjV0vqU
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#227 – How 3 chronic conditions are connected to high blood sugar and what you can do | Dr. Ben Bikman & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
From gallbladder issues to tinnitus to fatty liver disease and more, many chronic conditions have links to high blood sugar and insulin resistance. Dr. Ben Bikman and Dr. Casey Means discuss the connections between insulin resistance and ear-nose-and-throat conditions, how insulin resistance increases the risk for gallbladder stones, what non-alcoholic fatty liver disease does to the body, and how you can mitigate these chronic health conditions for improved quality of life.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Ben Bikman & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(08:49) - Declining health is not inevitable
(10:15) - The link between insulin resistance and tinnitus
(13:39) - We look at health through the lens of disease
(22:53) - Insulin resistance and the gallbladder
(28:32) - The appearance of fatty liver disease
(31:34) - Ways to clear the liver of fat
(35:00) - How fat tissue develops
(36:51) - How fat cells become insulin resistant
(46:21) - The power of a CGM
(48:36) - What is a healthy glucose level?
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/szGl8F1zl6I
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
How hearing loss relates to metabolic health | Blog post: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/how-hearing-loss-relates-to-metabolic-health
Why too many focus on glucose, but not insulin | Blog post: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/why-too-many-focus-on-glucose-but-not-insulin
#226 - How do weight-loss medications affect metabolic health? And will Ozempic and other GLP-1s actually solve the obesity crisis? | Dr. Rob Lustig & Dr. Casey Means
Medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and more, have become increasingly popular for weight loss. These drugs are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and they mimic a hormone that, among other things, tells the brain a person is full so they eat less. But are they safe, and do they help improve metabolic health? Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Casey Means discuss these weight-loss drugs and their effects on the body, and why such medications likely won’t solve the obesity crisis, for which the food industry is culpable.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Rob Lustig, MD, & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(06:10) — The mechanisms of action for weight-loss medications
(09:01) — Dr. Casey Means shares her perception of the popularity of GLP-1 medications
(13:12) — GLP-1 RAs lead to fat loss but also muscle loss
(18:05) — Do GLP-1 RAs improve metabolic health?
(20:43) — Dr. Lustig discusses the high cost of GLP-1 RAs
(27:47) — Dr. Lustig makes the case for fixing the food problem
(35:46) — How can patients use GLP-1 RAs as a jumpstart?
(44:20) — Dr. Lustig shares his concerns about the use of GLP-1 RAs in children
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/AKNnxKAaONc
📲 Connect:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#225 - How sugar harms kids’ bodies and brains and what parents can do to foster healthier eating habits | Austin McGuffie & Dr. Robert Lustig (Replay)
We know sugar is bad for kids, so why do parents continue giving it to them? Sugar damage kids’ health and drives behavioral issues. Infants get introduced to sugar early through commercial baby food, and the problem continues with school and birthday treats, soda, and the ultra-processed foods that have taken over the family pantry. Austin McGuffie & Dr. Robert Lustig discuss the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children, sugar addiction in kids, the problems with the food industry, and what parents can do to revamp their kids’ diets and promote a lifelong healthy relationship with nutritious food.
Sign Up to Get Your Ultimate Guide to Glucose – https://levels.link/wnl
(08:21) - Sugar is damaging kids’ mitochondria
(17:16) - The more dangerous fat
(22:03) - Kids need better nutrition education
(25:27) - Infants get introduced to sugar early
(27:27) - Fat was removed, but sugar was added
(32:06) - Sugar causes behavioral issues
(35:17) - Kids can have sugar addiction
(37:33) - Diet soda is bad too
(43:20) - Educate the child and the parents
(46:46) - Get rid of sugary drinks
Watch the Video – https://youtu.be/I3d7zCHFW2c
#224 - How the keto diet may ease depression in bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions | Iain Campbell, Bret Scher & Dominic D’Agostino
The ketogenic diet may help reduce depression and other symptoms in bipolar disorder. The ketogenic diet also helps metabolic health and reduces the risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The risk for cardiometabolic diseases is elevated in people with bipolar disorder when compared to the general population. Dr. Iain Campbell, Dr. Bret Scher, and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss how the state of ketosis has beneficial effects on brain neurotransmitters and how those benefits have been life-changing physically and mentally for Dr. Campbell, who has bipolar disorder.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Iain Campbell, MD, PhD, Bret Scher, MD & Dominic D’Agostino, PhD discuss:
(05:40) — Dr. Iain Campbell explains how a ketogenic diet improved his mental health
(09:02) — Dr. Campbell explains his pilot trial on the ketogenic diet and bipolar disorder
(16:20) — The ketogenic diet is often misunderstood
(18:10) — Elevated lactate is a biomarker in bipolar disorder
(24: 37) — Circadian rhythm disruption affects bipolar disorder
(30:33) — Morning exercise can help blunt the dawn glucose rise
(38:48) — The ketogenic diet has effects on brain neurotransmitters
(43:34) — Dr. Campbell explains ketosis helps him combat depression
(46:42) — Dr. Campbell describes why he went on the ketogenic diet
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life.
🔗 LINKS:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/SAI6qeBMJFo
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Iain Campbell, MD, PhD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IainCampbellPhD
Connect with Bret Scher, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bschermd/
Connect with Bret Scher, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbretscher/
Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicDAgosti2
Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/
#223 - The truth about why keto works & why you may be doing it wrong | Dr. Steven Gundry & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
What you think you know about keto and ketones might be wrong. Keto can be great for weight loss, but there’s a better way to do it by focusing on more diverse plant food, protecting your mitochondria through mitochondrial uncoupling, and focusing on fiber.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Dr. Steven Gundry, author of Unlocking The Keto Code, and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(07:55) - A career change
(11:57) - Keto Code
(15:25) - Efficient fat burner
(17:05) - The connection of seizure to the fall of ketogenic diet
(21:11) - The beauty of mitochondria
(23:38) - The benefits of Ketones
(25:49) - Uncoupling mitochondria
(30:13) - Instead of keto diet go for mitochondrial uncoupling diet
(30:58) - What are other ways to stimulate mitochondrial uncoupling
(42:03) - MCT oil
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/rRSHO2j3e0Q
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Read about the Levels diet philosophy: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/the-levels-dietary-philosophyRead Unlocking the Keto Code: https://amazon.com/Unlocking-Keto-Code-Revolutionary-Deprivation-ebook/dp/B092DKKXS3
📲 Connect:
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drcaseyskitchen
Connect with Casey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen
Connect with Steven on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drgundry
Connect with Steven on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drstevengundry
#222 - Sugar, Soda, and Society: Insider Insights into Coca-Cola, the Metabolic Health Crisis, and Systemic Missteps | Calley Means & Dr. Casey Means
The United States government subsidizes ultra-processed foods and sugar, and the healthcare system focuses on treating diseases rather than preventing them. These issues are harming kids’ health and leading to crisis-level rates of prediabetes and diabetes in both adults and children. Siblings Calley Means and Casey Means discuss problems with the food industry, government funding, and healthcare, and they propose possible solutions, while also offering suggestions for parents wanting to set their kids up for better metabolic health right now.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Calley Means & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(4:01) — Kids are developing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes at alarming rates
(5:33) — The government subsidizes ultra-processed foods
(13:05) — Ultra-processed food companies incentivize trusted institutions
(21:48) — We only get one life to live
(25:42) — The metabolic health crisis is problematic for the economy
(27:09) — Giving kids ultra-processed foods sets them up for metabolic health issues
(36:48) — Three ingredients make up the problematic foundation of ultra-processed foods
(42:49) — Parents have a lot of control over what their kids eat—especially when they’re young
(46:49) —You can’t control other adults in your family
(1:02:59) — The healthcare industry isn’t incentivized in the correct ways
(1:07:54) — Calley Means describes, TruMed, his tech startup
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/pIUwZb2jfco
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Calley Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/calleymeans
Connect with Calley Means on Twitter: https://twitter.com/calleymeans
Connect with Calley Means on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calley-means-a29b5512/
#221 - Brain Energy: Does food affect mental health? | Dr. Chris Palmer & Ben Grynol - (Replay)
How might a keto diet transform not only your metabolic health but may also manage symptoms of mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and more? Dr. Chris Palmer outlines the principles from his book “Brain Energy” with Ben Grynol in this episode and discusses his journey toward the revolutionary idea that might change how we view mental health care moving forward.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Dr. Chris Palmer & Ben Grynol discuss:
(01:53) — How Chris Palmer started his research for Brain Energy
(11:16) — Painting a picture of the mental health crisis through numbers
(18:20) — Discussing the biopsychosocial model and existing research on the roots of mental disorders
(29:23) — The bidirectional relationship between metabolic and mental health
(34:34) — The real power of the mitochondria and the role it plays in fostering mental and metabolic health
(44:00) — Medication for mental disorders and their long-term effect on patients’ metabolic health
(55:14) — Insulin resistance and its impact on mental disorders
(1:11:10) — Food addiction, stress-eating, and why Chris doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of the ketogenic diet
(1:29:05) — It’s not too late to start taking charge of your metabolic health now
(1:34:11) — Chris touches on the factors that hinder better mental healthcare today and what we can do to advocate for the mentally ill
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Order Brain Energy: https://amazon.com/Brain-Energy-Revolutionary-Understanding-Health/dp/1637741588/
📲 Connect:
Connect with Chris on Instagram: https://instagram.com/chrispalmermd
Connect with Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisPalmerMD
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/christopher-palmer-01713032
#220 - Astronaut Scott Kelly on CGMs, the NASA Twins Study & the Impact on Metabolic Health in Earth & Space | Josh Clemente & Scott Kelly
Continuous glucose monitoring can be a powerful tool for gaining real-time insights into how diet, lifestyle habits, and the many decisions we make daily affect our health. Retired astronaut Scott Kelly tried a CGM for a month and shares his personal insights. Scott Kelly and Josh Clemente discuss how CGM can be used to effect habit change, what Kelly’s participation in the unique NASA Twins study was like and what was learned, and insights Kelly gleaned about society and the environment while viewing Earth from space.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Scott Kelly & Josh Clemente discuss:
(03:55) — CGM provides insight into eating and lifestyle habits
(06:06) — Our hundreds of daily actions have an impact on our health
(13:28) — The “normal” range for various biomarkers isn’t necessarily the optimal range
(17:07) — How CGM can help change eating habits
(18:12) — Menu items labeled “healthy” aren’t always healthy
(23:56) — The epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and obesity
(30:49) — NASA’s Twins Study
(34:30) — Being in space can lead to muscle and bone atrophy
(40:17) — Gravity plays a role in our physiology
(48:20) — Looking at Earth from space can provide an interesting perspective
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/5i2T-s61yLw
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Scott Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stationcdrkelly/
Connect with Scott Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly
#219 - What half of women will die of, and how to fix it | Dr. Sara Gottfried & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Why do women have a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease than men, and how do women move forward as empowered patients with their clinicians? Listen to this episode between Levels Advisor, physician, and author 4 New York Times bestsellers Dr. Sara Gottfried and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Dr. Sara Gottfried & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(04:00) - Why women should care about metabolic health?
(10:47) - Metabolism
(11:46) - A holistic take on metabolism
(22:21) - Blood pressure control
(25:54) - Effects of trauma
(36:20) - Becoming more metabolically unhealthy
(45:17) - Seven clinical imbalances
(52:49) - What you measure improves
(01:02:06) - Dealing with trauma
(01:11:21) - Food until the end
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/MhqWvvFO1q8
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Dr. Sara Gottfried on Instagram: https://instagram.com/SaraGottfriedMD
Connect with Sara on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrGottfried
#218 - Fixing the problems with ultra-processed foods | Dr. Tim Harlan & Dr. Rob Lustig
Ultra-processed foods harm people’s health and have ramifications for the overall health of the planet. While some food processing is necessary for recipes and feeding the globe, the food industry needs to make changes to ensure that processing doesn’t turn foods into harmful substances. Dr. Tim Harlan and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss the harmful ingredients in ultra-processed foods and how they impact metabolic health—as well as why the food industry has a moral obligation to make drastic changes.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Tim Harlan, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss:
(06:17) — Nutrition science over the last decade has made strides, but the food industry lags behind
(08:57) — Food can be medicine, but it can also be poison
(14:03) — The NOVA system classifies foods by their level of processing
(23:16) — DATEM is an example of processing
(24:03) — Emulsifiers potentially harm the gastrointestinal tract
(28:17) — Sugar harms the liver, which can lead to metabolic disease
(37:01) — In the United States, people tend to consume too much omega-6 fatty acids
(43:48) — The food industry can find ways to make ultra-processed foods safer
(46:26) — Supply-chain changes are another piece of the equation
(47:43) — Multinational companies have a moral obligation
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/I259F6VsHqU
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/
Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD
#217 - Why food cravings are killing us, and how to stop them | Mark Schatzker & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
Why are we craving food more than ever, and how do we overcome it? Mark Schatzker, journalist and author of The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well, chats with Dr. Casey Means about the dangers of food cravings. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Mark Schatzker & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(04:08) - How our brain defines cravings
(08:55) - Our brain controls our body weight
(20:28) - How evolution taught us to respond to uncertainty
(27:11) - An experiment with gerbils
(36:11) - The difference between American and Italian diet
(56:35) - Eat food that tastes what it really is
(57:03) - The hedonic therapy
(1:14:33) - Cooking is an essential skill
(1:15:00) - Get vitamins from food
(1:20:11) - Fixing a relationship with sweet food
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/tJGFYL289q0
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drcaseyskitchen
Connect with Mark Schatzker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkSchatzker
#216 - The value of biosensing for preventive medicine | Michael Dubrovsky & Josh Clemente
Biosensing offers people real-time insight into their health status. Regular insight, rather than one-time results at an annual checkup, helps people assess how lifestyle factors are impacting their health, whether they need to make adjustments, and which adjustments might have the most impact. Michael Dubrovsky and Josh Clemente discuss the value of biosensing and how it has the potential to disrupt the healthcare industry, shifting from a diagnose-and-treat approach to a preventive and actionable approach.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Michael Dubrovsky & Josh Clemente discuss:
(5:27) — Why biosensing is important
(9:03) — Biosensing is beneficial for turning info into action
(14:39) — Annual blood tests are levels from one snapshot in time
(24:05) — Measuring a few biomarkers can provide a high amount of data
(38:40)— Focusing on prevention is helping to disrupt the US healthcare industry
(41:47) — Biosensing can empower people to take control of their health
(43:03) — Successfully addressing a health issue involves more than the annual blood draw
(46:00) — Biosensing can help elucidate valuable associations
(49:58) — Why the future of medicine will focus on the individual
(52:14) — Biosensing data from individuals may lead to better solutions for the public
(1:07:06) — Biosensing can increase the value of healthcare
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/zTbxXGisj9M
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Michael Dubrovsky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeDubrovsky
#215 - How diet affects joint health, arthritis, & longevity | Dr. Howard Luks & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
We often think that arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, and degenerative joint issues are an inevitable result of aging—but this is far from the truth. Good metabolic health can have significant positive effects on bones, muscles, and joints, and can improve longevity. Conversely, poor metabolic health accelerates the degeneration of joints and tissues for many reasons, like the impact of high uric acid levels, lipid or cholesterol deposits, chronic inflammation, and poor blood flow to tissues. Surgeon Dr. Howard Luks and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means discuss musculoskeletal health, how it is related to longevity, how it’s linked to metabolic health, and how to decrease your risks for musculoskeletal pain, degenerative joint issues, and surgery.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Howard Luks & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(05:14) - Dr. Casey Means’ personal experience with an orthopedic injury
(12:09) - The link between joint and metabolic health
(18:19) - Maintaining activity may help improve musculoskeletal health despite osteoarthritic pain
(27:53) - Cartilage cells, tendinopathy, and how metabolic health is linked to our tendon health, like with tennis elbow or shoulder pain
(37:04) - The importance of blood flow and cellular repair
(46:58) - The importance of being your best medical advocate in modern medicine
(50:09) - How Dr. Luks started learning about metabolic health and wrote his book, Longevity Simplified
(1:02:49) - The simple pillars of longevity
(1:24:56) - Why you don't need to be concerned about osteoarthritis
(1:32:00) - Trust your body by boosting its regenerative capabilities
🔗 Helpful links:
Order "Longevity…Simplified" by Dr. Howard Luks: https://www.howardluksmd.com/book/
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/XbjORE6D8UA
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 CONNECT:
Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on Instagram: https://instagram.com/hjluks1
Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hjluks
Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/howardluksmd
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/casey-means-md
#214 - Is fructose a driver of Alzheimer’s disease? | Dr. Richard Johnson & Dr. Rob Lustig
Fructose and its byproduct uric acid may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, thanks to an evolutionary adaptation hijacked by the modern diet. Fructose can be directly consumed, or the body can convert high-glycemic carbohydrates and other foods to fructose. Fructose suppresses some cognitive functions. Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss a new study, of which Johnson was an author, on how fructose may be a potential driver in Alzheimer’s, and they hypothesize about fructose’s potential connection to the development of other conditions.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Richard Johnson, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss:
(09:50) — Fructose is the driver of some diseases that are on the rise in kids
(11:53) — Fructose is a driver of obesity and metabolic syndrome
(15:36) — Pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease aren’t as effective as researchers had hoped
(17:32)— The research focus of Alzheimer’s is slowly shifting to understanding insulin resistance in the brain
(20:41) — Is fructose a root cause of Alzheimer’s?
(26:26) — New research suggests fructose induces a foraging response
(28:20) — Fructose inhibits areas of the brain to encourage successful foraging
(46:48) — We need more research on fructose
(1:03:10) —Is fructose a factor in violence?
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
👋 WHO WE ARE:
Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life.
🔗 LINKS:
Could Alzheimer’s disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523000047?dgcid=author
Subscribe here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 CONNECT:
Connect with Richard Johnson, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrichardjjohnson/
Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/
#213 - Uric acid is a key cause of weight gain & fat production | Dr. David Perlmutter & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
The elevation of uric acid in the body is a causative mechanism in the development of metabolic diseases and contributes to weight gain and fat production. Uric acid is one of the key links between obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic diseases like dementia, ADHD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Dr. David Perlmutter talks with Dr. Casey Means about why we have excess uric acid, what foods cause uric acid production, and what simple steps we can take to lower our uric acid levels to be optimal. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
They also cover:
- How uric acid causes cellular dysfunction and insulin resistance, including oxidative stress, and inflammation, and even prevents insulin from getting out of the bloodstream effectively.
- Why uric acid would have benefitted us evolutionarily in terms of low access to food and water by letting us more easily pack on weight and raise blood pressure—but how that fights against us today because we now live in an evolutionary-environmental mismatch where this survival mechanism hurts us in the face of caloric abundance.
- The different dietary and environmental factors that generate uric acid, including fructose, purine-rich foods and umami foods, dehydration, alcohol, and more.
- How uric acid impairs our hunger signals, drives us to eat, and even promotes risk-taking behavior.
- How to reverse high uric acid levels as a way to unlock optimal health.
🎙 What Dr. David Perlmutter & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(04:23) - More than just gout
(06:17) - A causative role
(08:54) - The number one cause of death
(16:35) - Evolutionary environmental mismatch
(18:08) - High fructose corn syrup
(23:39) - The dangers of uric acid
(24:49) - Uric acid and dementia
(31:44) - Too much fructose
(42:43) - Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk
(01:04:29) - No need to eat sugar
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6jPCcFNa8
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with David Perlmutter, MD on Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidperlmutter
Connect with David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidPerlmutter
Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-perlmutter-md-6a38b930
#212 - Managing Type 1 diabetes and thriving with it | Jesse Lavine & Ben Grynol
Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic condition, such as Type 1 diabetes, can be life-changing. A diagnosis is helpful for understanding the cause of symptoms and how to treat, but managing a chronic condition can take a toll on mental health. Tools like a continuous glucose monitor can help empower people and ease the burden of constant care. Jesse Lavine and Ben Grynol discuss the challenges of managing Type 1 diabetes, how Lavine’s diagnosis with Type 1 impacted him, how CGM helped Lavine not only manage the condition but also thrive with it, and how the medical system needs to change to help patients dial in optimal instead of just adequate health.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Jesse Lavine & Ben Grynol discuss:
(03:39) — A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes
(06:28) — Getting diagnosed with a chronic condition can life-changing
(14:18) — Wearing a CGM helped Lavine reduce his insulin intake
(26:04) — Having real-time insight into how foods affect your condition and your body
(29:47) — Type 1 diabetes does not have to hold you back
(35:18) — The current medical system isn’t necessarily set up to empower patients
(37:08) — A CGM offers constant feedback that can be used to manage Type 1 diabetes
(38:13) — The benefits of having stable blood sugar
(41:25)— Managing a chronic condition can lead to medical system burnout
(44:59) — Considering the mental health aspects of managing a condition
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#211 - Understanding your cholesterol panel & metabolic health blood tests | Dr. Robert Lustig & Dr. Casey Means - (Replay)
A metabolic blood test and cholesterol panel can be confusing, so in this ultimate guide, our Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Casey Means talks with Levels advisor and author of Metabolical to give you advice on how to interpret your panels to better understand the status of your metabolic health. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
This episode does not constitute medical advice.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Dr. Rob Lustig and Levels’ Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(03:18) - Understanding cholesterol
(03:38) - The correlation between LDL and heart disease
(05:59) - The connection between LDL and triglycerides
(07:51) - Good cholesterol
(16:39) - Measuring LDL
(28:50) - Portal systems in the body
(42:00) - The importance of liver function tests
(50:27) - How to reduce liver fat
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/C3rsNCFNAw8
The ultimate guide to understanding your cholesterol panel and metabolic blood tests: https://levelshealth.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-your-cholesterol-panel-and-metabolic-blood-tests
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Casey on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen
Connect with Rob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD
Connect with Rob on Instagram: https://instagram.com/robertlustigmd
#210 - Pregnancy & metabolic health: Hormone changes & gestational diabetes | Dr. Azure Grant & Ben Grynol
How does pregnancy affect your metabolic health at each trimester, from conception to postpartum lactation? Levels Research Design Lead Dr. Azure Grant talks with Ben Grynol about the different phases of pregnancy and how it affects hormones and things you can do to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Azure Grant, PhD, & Ben Grynol discuss:
(04:46) — Worsening or poor metabolic health can impact fertility
(06:15) — Age increases one’s risk of pregnancy complications, including those related to metabolic health
(13:53) — Every system in the body must adapt in response to pregnancy
(18:12) — Insulin resistance naturally occurs during pregnancy
(23:53) — The trajectory of glucose levels during pregnancy follows a U-shape
(28:33) — Can focusing on metabolic health during pregnancy reduce fatigue?
(39:44) — Gestational diabetes can lead to complications for both the birthing parent and their child
(41:31) — The importance of monitoring for and treating gestational diabetes
(43:56) — Parental health is paramount to child health
(51:28) — Continuous glucose monitoring during pregnancy could be helpful
(57:03) — Metabolic health is an important factor in family planning and beyond
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#209 - What is insulin resistance and why does it matter? | Dr. Rob Lustig & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino
Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin’s signal to uptake glucose. It’s a hallmark of prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic dysfunction, and it manifests as several chronic disease, ranging from Alzheimer’s to polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the importance of monitoring insulin levels, why a high or increasing insulin level is a problem, and how insulin resistance hinders weight management.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Rob Lustig, MD, & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:
(03:57) — What is insulin?
(06:55) — What is insulin resistance?
(18:00) — There are three types of insulin resistance
(38:00) — Weight management is not about calories in and calories out
(45:53) — Adding more insulin to the equation of Type 2 diabetes isn’t necessarily the answer
(51:20) — Insulin is a crucial biomarker to measure for metabolic health
(53:58) — Insulin resistance is a hinderance to weight management
(57:07) — The intake of too much leucine can lead to insulin resistance
(1:02:04) — Fiber feeds the gut microbiome and is crucial for metabolic health
(1:13:11) — Is intermittent fasting necessary?
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/dFOaBrujDHo
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/
Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD
Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/
Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicDAgosti2
#208 - A low-carb diet may boost exercise performance and health | Professor Tim Noakes & Josh Clemente
High-carbohydrate diets and carbohydrate loading have been long-standing tenets of athletic training and competition, but newer research indicates a low-carbohydrate diet may be more beneficial for performance and overall health. Professor Tim Noakes and Josh Clemente discuss how a fat-adapted body can rely on fat as a fuel source at all exercise intensity levels, rather than burning mostly carbohydrates, and how such adaptation and dietary focus may reduce one’s risk of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Tim Noakes, MD, PhD, & Josh Clemente discuss:
(04:28) — Dr. Tim Noakes explains his career trajectory
(19:04) — An adapted body can rely on fat for all exercise intensities
(22:30) — The body will never get to a state of no glucose circulation
(23:28) — A delicate balance of macronutrients is likely necessary
(29:11) — Before the high-carbohydrate craze, elite athletes were fat adapted
(33:46) — Fat oxidation in muscle may have a protective effect against Type 2 diabetes
(36:39) — Exercise does not cancel out the risk for metabolic disease if diet isn’t accounted for
(47:25) — The body can cope with fasting
(54:32) — The high-carb training trend has been perpetuated by the carbohydrate industry
🔗 Helpful links:
Learn about metabolic health: https://levelshealth.com/blog
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Dr. Tim Noakes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/proftimnoakes
#207 - The importance of flow states and how to reclaim focus | Johann Hari & Ben Grynol
Society champions multitasking, but we can’t truly multitask. Multitasking in fact impedes our focus and productivity. And 12 main factors tend to steal our attention. Johann Hari and Ben Grynol discuss why flow states are important for goal achievement, the things that distract us, and how we can reclaim our focus.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🎙 What Ben Grynol & Johann Hari discuss:
(04:18) — Twelve factors can steal our focus
(06:02) — Multitasking is a myth
(10:49) —We need to be able to focus to achieve our goals
(14:07) — Prioritizing deep focus is both a personal and social responsibility
(16:50) — Interruptions steal your time and impede focus
(27:21) — Three factors help you get into a flow state
(30:12) — Mind wandering ultimately benefits your focus
(37:00) — The four-day workweek is linked to better productivity
(40:08) — Free play is crucial for kids’ brains
(43:43) —Childhood looks different now
Transcript & show notes 🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/4CD3lmg0XmA
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Johann Hari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johannhari101
Connect with Johann Hari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johann.hari/
#206 - Regenerative farming benefits the planet and our bodies | Molly Chester & Dr. Casey Means
Regenerative farming harnesses a farm’s entire ecosystem to grow and raise food via natural processes. In turn, foods raised on regenerative farms benefit our bodies more so than those raised conventionally. Molly Chester of Apricot Lane Farms and Dr. Casey Means discuss the philosophies of regenerative farming, how the practice has parallels with functional medicine, and how regenerative farming is a merging of the tried-and-true methods of our ancestors with scientific knowledge.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Molly Chester & Casey Means, MD, discuss:
(05:28) — Polycystic ovarian syndrome has links to metabolic health
(06:58) — Diet impacts inflammatory pathways that can drive symptoms
(10:27) – Farming practices exist on a spectrum
(18:24) — Regenerative farming merges historical ways with progress
(26:05) — What we do to the land affects our health
(28:12) — Regenerative farming takes the cosmos into consideration
(34:17) — A healthy ecosystem has limits on what it can produce, but that can be beneficial
(37:44) — Cover crops are crucial for maintaining a healthy farming ecosystem
(42:37) — A return to farming has become a trend
(53:45) — A regenerative farm can be educational for children
(56:38) — Regenerative farming can foster a fresh perspective
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/jd4D7Qvt5BM
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#205 - The links between gastrointestinal health, metabolic health, and fertility | Dr. Robin Rose & Ben Grynol
Gastrointestinal health, metabolic health, and fertility are all linked. The gut microbiome impacts other microbiomes in the body, which can then impact the ability to conceive. Our gut microbiomes are becoming less diverse through modern farming practices and the consumption of processed foods. Dr. Robin Rose and Ben Grynol discuss how gut microbiome testing can determine underlying factors of gastrointestinal distress and the lifestyle changes that can help address symptoms and even aid fertility.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Robin Rose, MD, & Ben Grynol discuss:
(08:05) — Gastrointestinal issues are associated with metabolic health issues
(08:56) — Many people lack gut microbiome diversity
(15:24) — Infertility in some people has links to the gut microbiome
(30:56) — PCOS and gut dysbiosis share a connection that’s still being researched
(32:26) — Restoring gut and metabolic health may help alleviate PCOS symptoms
(34:44) — Metagenomic testing assesses gut health
(39:47) — Gut health often requires balanced macronutrient intake
(49:14) — Regenerative farming practices could help us get more quality nutrients
(54:57) — Eliminating dairy and gluten may ease gastrointestinal symptoms
(56:29) — Sleep quality and quantity also inform gut health
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/SpW9znY3fkI
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Connect with us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@levelshealth
#204 - Concierge medicine takes a personalized, preventive approach | Chloe Harrouche & Mike Haney
Concierge medicine can help personalize healthcare and disrupt the traditional primary care model. Traditional primary care isn’t positioned to handle the frequent check ins and actionable steps that empower patients to optimize their health and wellness. Chloe Harrouche and Mike Haney discuss The Lanby, which Harrouche co-founded. The Lanby’s primary care membership provides patients with a three-person, non-siloed care team and weekly touchpoints regarding wellness, so patients can track their progress and make necessary tweaks.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Chloe Harrouche & Mike Haney discuss:
(02:03) – Concierge medicine can ease the patient burden of healthcare
(03:52) — The traditional primary care model doesn’t help patients optimize their health
(13:28) — Self-care and wellness approaches to health empower patients
(14:42) — The siloed model of healthcare isn’t working
(15:47) — Seeing a primary care physician annually isn’t enough
(19:07) — Traditional primary care approaches often operate like a revolving door
(22:16) — To optimize their health, patients need more frequent check-ins
(32:07) — The traditional healthcare model works in reverse
(36:38) — Technology aids the ongoing monitoring of biomarkers and other health metrics
(42:49) — Wellness approaches don’t have to be all or nothing
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for multiple new shows per week on Levels - Inside the Company, where we have in-depth conversations about how the Levels startup team builds a movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
🔗 Helpful links:
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
#203 - Metabolic health strategies for women | Dr. Stephanie Estima & Dr. Lauren Kelley-Chew
The ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, and other nutritional strategies for metabolic health are unique when it comes to the female body. Hormonal changes over the menstrual cycle trajectory matter. Dr. Stephanie Estima and Dr. Lauren Kelley-Chew discuss women’s metabolic health, how to time nutritional strategies with the menstrual cycle, and why strength training is key.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
🎙 What Dr. Stephanie Estima & Lauren Kelley-Chew, MD, discuss:
(01:32) — A pitfall of the New Year’s resolution is the all-or-nothing goal
(06:21) — Setting smaller goals generates momentum
(21:37) — A ketogenic diet shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all, especially for women
(24:38) — Women can be more sensitive to caloric restriction
(33:14) — Nutrient timing can help mitigate a glucose spike from carbohydrates
(46:29) — The menstrual cycle may matter when it comes to intermittent fasting
(48:23) —A caloric liquid fast is an alternative to intermittent fasting
(54:45) — Strength training is crucial, even more so as we age
(56: 45) — Resistance training can also have cardiovascular benefits
(59:01) — The benefits of strength training can go beyond the physical
Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.
Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/75x8AyDOYF0
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
Connect with us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@levelshealth