Out of Pocket

Protein is suddenly everywhere, protein cereal, protein coffee, protein chips, and yes, even a protein espresso martini at Buffalo Wild Wings. So this week Andrew and Kat are asking the obvious question: do we actually need all this protein, or did a macronutrient just become a personality?

They start with the health headline of the week, a study showing a lot of "avocado oil" snacks are actually cut with cheaper oils, and honestly it's the same story as protein, marketing gets ahead of what's actually in the package. Then Kat gets into what protein is really doing for your body, why the RDA is basically the bare minimum and not a real goal (her retirement account comparison is a good one), and the number that actually matters: you need roughly 25 to 30 grams per meal to trigger muscle protein synthesis, not just a big number crammed in at the end of the day.

They also get into whether more protein actually helps with weight loss (yes, mostly because it keeps you full), and why protein Doritos and protein cookies aren't doing what you think they're doing, ten grams of protein next to five hundred calories of junk isn't really a win. If you've been chasing a protein number without thinking about where it's actually coming from, this one's for you.

04:20 — Turns out a lot of "avocado oil" snacks aren't really avocado oil
10:49 — What protein is actually doing for your body, and why the RDA is just the bare minimum
17:26 — Does more protein actually help you lose weight?
23:25 — The problem with protein Doritos, protein cookies, and protein everything

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

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(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

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Do you ever wonder if there's just too much medication floating around right now? Statins, painkillers, allergy pills, whatever's sitting next to the protein bars at Walgreens, and nobody ever stops to ask if it's actually necessary. Andrew and Kat get into it this week, and it gets personal fast. Andrew tells the story of getting handed a Parkinson's drug for restless leg (side effects: addictive gambling and shopping, not kidding) and just throwing it straight in the trash.

They go through the stats, almost half of US adults are on at least one prescription and it climbs fast from there, and why almost nobody's ever asked if they can come off what they're already taking. Turns out a lot of this is a cascade: one medication causes a side effect, that side effect gets treated as a brand new problem, and now you're stacking a second or third prescription without anyone connecting the dots. They also get into the over the counter world (antacids, ibuprofen, Tylenol, allergy meds, sleep aids) and how supplements and functional medicine fall into the exact same trap, just with a fancier bottle.

So basically, the question this whole episode circles back to is why is this happening, not what should I take.

12:49 — Are we over-medicalizing life in 2026?
19:11 — The question nobody asks: who's actually deprescribing you?
21:35 — How one medication's side effect turns into your next three prescriptions
31:07 — Why "why is this happening" beats "what should I take"

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

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Have you ever gotten your blood work back, heard "everything looks totally normal," and thought... then why do I feel like garbage? Andrew and Kat are getting into exactly that this week — what your standard labs are actually checking for, what they're not even looking at, and why "normal" doesn't mean you're fine.

Kat walks through what she's actually looking at when someone comes to her exhausted, bloated, and stuck even though their doctor gave them a clean bill of health — energy, sleep, digestion, workouts that aren't paying off, and yes, ferritin that won't budge no matter how much iron you eat. They also get into why reference ranges are so much wider than they should be (someone barely inside the "normal" line and someone thriving get treated the same), and why your doctor probably never looked at your diet even once.

And a lot of this really does come down to time and money — doctors get basically zero nutrition training in med school, insurance is paying to keep you alive, not to make you feel good, and functional testing costs a lot less than most people think. So if you've been told your labs are fine and you still feel off, this one's for you.

13:18 — Trivia: doctors get zero hours of nutrition training (and other wild healthcare stats)
20:20 — What Kat actually looks for when someone feels awful but tests "fine"
29:45 — The reference range problem: why "normal" is such a low bar
38:47 — The tests your doctor never orders, and how to actually ask for them

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

We've been promised the "this changes everything" weight loss fix for 50 years straight — Fen-Phen, Hydroxycut, Atkins, Paleo, Keto, cleanses, apple cider vinegar, and now Ozempic and Zepbound. So Andrew and Kat dig into the question everyone's actually wondering: are GLP-1s different, or just the next name on that list?

Kat's been coaching people on GLP-1s for years now, and she's seen both sides up close - clients who finally build the habits they'd been avoiding for years, and clients eating 500-800 calories a day with wrecked relationships with food. They get into what the research actually says (not just what social media says): real cardiovascular and diabetes benefits, but also gut issues in over 80% of users, muscle and bone loss, hair shedding, and the fact that most people regain two-thirds of the weight within a year of stopping.

They also cover the FDA news that just dropped on compounded peptides, play a GLP-1 trivia round (do you know what percentage of Americans have actually tried one?), and land on the real question: is taking a GLP-1 "cheating," or is that even the right way to think about it.

04:15 — The FDA just voted to let pharmacies compound six new peptides
16:12 — What Kat sees every day coaching people who are on GLP-1s
24:19 — The real research: the benefits, the gut issues, and the muscle and bone loss nobody mentions
40:03 — Is a GLP-1 "cheating"? Kat's honest take

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

Andrew and Kat get into why autoimmune disease feels like it's everywhere lately, and whether that's actually true or just feels that way because more people are talking about it now. They go through the real numbers on how many women vs. men actually get diagnosed, and honestly it's kind of wild how long it takes people to get an answer, we're talking years and a handful of different doctors.

Then they get into the gut side of things, and turns out a leaky gut might show up before autoimmune disease even develops, not after, like most people assume. Kat runs through all the everyday stuff that adds up over the years, antibiotics, birth control, NSAIDs, alcohol, years of dieting, none of it feels like a big deal in the moment, but it adds up.

Also in this one: P&G buying Thorne for $3.8 billion and what that actually means for supplements, a real take on colostrum, and one easy thing you can start doing this week for a healthier gut.

 03:44 — P&G buys Thorne for $3.8 billion, and what that means for supplements
 09:33 — Trivia: the real numbers on autoimmune disease in women vs. men, and how long it takes to get diagnosed
 17:48 — Turns out leaky gut might come before autoimmune disease, not after
 23:34 — The everyday stuff, antibiotics, NSAIDs, alcohol, birth control, that adds up over the years and messes with your gut

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

What if the answer isn't to try harder, but to help your cells work better? Andrew and Kat get into cellular health and oxidative stress this week, and why piling on more workouts, more supplements, or more discipline can actually slow your progress instead of speeding it up.

Kat breaks down what's really happening when your body is under too much stress for too long: your cells stop getting clean instructions, free radicals start damaging your DNA, and everything from fat loss to energy to recovery gets less efficient. She walks through the real warning signs (stalled fat loss, brain fog, workouts that never seem to pay off, feeling puffy or inflamed), the 8-OHdG test that can actually measure it, and the simple, unglamorous stuff that fixes it, starting with food.

06:14 — Apple's new perimenopause tracking feature, and the good news/bad news behind it 
12:20 — What's actually happening at the cellular level when your body can't keep up 
17:21 — The real signs your cells are struggling: stalled fat loss, brain fog, and workouts that don't pay off 
20:04 — The 8-OHdG test: the one marker that finally gave Kat a clear answer

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

We've all done it. Had a great week of eating clean and blown it all on a Friday night. Bought the program, watched every video, and never actually done the thing. Andrew and Kat get into why we keep doing this to ourselves, and it has way less to do with discipline than you'd think.

Kat breaks down the three patterns hiding behind almost every self-sabotage moment: perfectionism (if it can't be perfect, why even try), upper limiting (getting scared of your own success and quietly dragging yourself back down), and resistance (staying "busy" so you never have to face the thing that actually matters). She also gets real about torching an actual modeling contract years ago because she couldn't handle the fear that came with it.

This one's not about calling yourself lazy. It's about finally naming the fear that's been running the show.

06:06 — The calcium supplement headline everyone's talking about (and why it's not the whole story) 
16:16 — What self-sabotage actually is and why your brain is doing it on purpose 22:57 — The three patterns: perfectionism, fear of success, and staying "busy" to avoid what matters 
37:52 — The 60-second fix: how naming your fear kills its power 
46:00 — Habit draft picks: the tools that actually break the cycle

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

Let's be honest, most of us were handed birth control with very little explanation of what it's actually doing inside the body. Kat and Andrew dig into the real conversation that rarely happens at the doctor's office: what the pill does to your hormones, your gut, your nutrients, and your mood over time.

Kat breaks down how the pill works (hint: it's not just "preventing pregnancy" — it's shutting down your whole cycle and replacing it with synthetic hormones), why low energy, bloating, mood swings, and low libido years into being on it are not a coincidence, and what you can actually do about it whether you're staying on it, coming off, or just trying to understand your body better.

This one's not about telling you what to do. It's about finally having the information you deserved from day one.

07:00 — How the pill shuts down your natural cycle and what that means long-term
10:30 — The nutrient depletion nobody warns you about: B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and more
17:00 — Your gut on the pill: the estrobolome, Crohn's risk, and why the bloating isn't random
22:30 — Coming off the pill: what to expect, how long it really takes, and how to support yourself
32:00 — Did the pill kill your sex drive? (Yes, and here's exactly why)

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

In this episode, Andrew and Kat break down three ways your gut is quietly controlling your weight in ways that have nothing to do with how much you're eating. They cover how your gut bacteria produce their own version of GLP-1, why estrogen keeps recirculating when your gut is off, and a wild twin study that showed the same food can result in completely different amounts of fat gained, all based on gut bacteria alone.

This isn't about throwing out everything you know about nutrition. It's about understanding why eating less has felt so hard, why the weight keeps coming back, and why two people can eat the exact same thing and get completely different results. The answer is almost always in the gut.

If you've ever felt like you were doing everything right and still not getting anywhere, this one is going to make a lot of things click.

06:45 - Why GLP-1 isn't just a shot. Your gut bacteria make it too
10:30 - The study where one supplement cut weight regain in half during maintenance
14:55 - The estrobolome: how your gut decides how much estrogen stays in your body
18:00 - The twin study that proved obesity can be transmitted through gut bacteria
22:10 - Why your calorie tracker has no idea what's actually going on inside you

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/

In this episode, Andrew and Kat break down one of the most overlooked reasons people can't shake belly fat, even when they're eating well and working out. Kat walks through what LPS (lipopolysaccharide) actually is, why it ends up in your bloodstream, and how it quietly drives the kind of chronic inflammation that makes fat around your midsection almost impossible to lose.

She explains why this isn't just theory. There's real research showing that diet alone can spike LPS levels by 71% in four weeks, and that even a tiny dose of LPS dropped insulin sensitivity by 21% within hours. She also shares her own experience running a GI map on herself, finding three overgrown gram-negative bacteria, and what she did to clear them.

If you've been doing everything "right" and still feel stuck, this one's for you. The problem might not be your effort. It might be a loop your body is stuck in that behavior alone can't break.

00:00 - Hot tubs, bacteria, and why you should probably skip the Airbnb hot tub
05:10 - What LPS is, where it comes from, and why it's normally not a problem
07:30 - The 2012 study that showed diet alone moved LPS levels 71% in four weeks
10:45 - How LPS drives insulin resistance and turns into stubborn belly fat
13:50 - Kat's own GI map results and the protocol that cleared three gram-negative bacteria
17:45 - The one thing to add to every meal this week

Ready to make sense of your symptoms and hit your goals for life? Get more info on our Alta360 program here - https://altaforlife.com/alta360application

Order a comprehensive functional lab here - https://app.altaforlife.com/labsoverview

(after checkout, you'll get a confirmation email and text. Mention this podcast in your reply and you'll get a free interpretation call with Kat)

Get your free Gut Health Assessment - https://atosolutions.typeform.com/to/VhvLsjG2

to get a step by step plan to feel less stuck

Follow Andrew https://www.instagram.com/andrewhayeslife/

Follow Kat https://www.instagram.com/katbestwellness/