Podcast Notes Playlist: Fitness

• Safety remains the FDA’s number one priority, but stifling innovation for “absolute safety” (which can never be achieved) also costs lives 
• The American health establishment must respond with humility when presented with a question it doesn’t know; absolutism is the wrong response 
• The objective of the FDA should not be to fight misinformation –  it should be to deliver cures and meaningful treatments faster to the American public and healthier food for children 
• It’s time to stop drugging our nation’s kids at scale because they are antsy from us locking them in LED light boxes all day and shoving processed food in their faces 
• The first step in fixing the health of America’s youth is flipping the food pyramid upside down and focusing on protein
• Decades of medical dogma and corruption have put together food pyramids that make no sense; the food industry’s influence on academia caused the inaccurate food pyramids 
• A top goal of the FDA is to reduce drug prices and provide better access to drugs; this will be done by encouraging competition in the marketplace and making more drugs non-prescription 

(0:00) Friedberg intros FDA Commissioner Marty Makary

(3:21) Inside the 42 major FDA reforms in 10 months

(7:51) The China Race: Winning back biotech leadership

(13:14) Accelerating drug approvals safely, how to cut down on clinical trial timelines

(33:13) Reshaping the failed Food Pyramid

(41:29) GLP-1s and America's Obesity Epidemic

(49:54) Rethinking vaccines from first principles

(59:40) Lowering drug prices, the power of AI for healthcare

(1:18:57) What causes autism?

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• Fitness is an expression of capacity, not just effort 
  • True fitness reflects your ability to perform a specific task or output, not how hard you train
  • Consistently + a well-designed program beats intensity and novelty
  • Hire one good coach, adhere to the plan for at least 10 weeks, and measure progress before changing direction
• Clarity and intent derive adaptation: Always start with a needs analysis: define your goal, then identify “defenders” – the factors currently preventing you from achieving it
  • Training must have a clear intent, tracked progress, and intelligent variation
  • Random workouts will still burn calories but help reach a specific goal 
• Manage stress before chasing performance
  • All stress (training, life, sleep, work) fills one stress bucket — overflow leads to injury or burnout
  • Remove performance anchors (junk miles, poor sleep, emotional stress) before adding performance accelerators
• Overtraining and recovery require patience: Most people are under-recovered, not overtrained; true overtraining causes physiological damage that can take months to a year to reverse
  • Balance effort across zones: ~60% in work capacity, 10–20% skill/recovery, and only 5–10% in the “red zone”
  • Recovery is the foundation of long-term adaptability: prioritize sleep, nutrition, and stress management
• Nutrition, metabolic flexibility, and NEAT matter more than you think 
  • Nutrition has a far greater impact on body composition than exercise; calorie expenditure from workouts is often overstated
  • Activity outside of exercise can make up 5–20% of total energy output; the body will upregulate or downregulate NEAT based on exercise 

Andy Galpin is a PhD in exercise bioenergetics, professor at Parker University, and elite performance coach to professional and Olympic athletes.

This conversation explores his framework of nine fitness adaptations and why many people plateau in what could be called the "gray zone"—working hard enough to feel exhausted but not specifically enough to trigger adaptation. We discuss how movement quality often matters more than intensity, the difference between functional overreaching and overtraining, and what's actually limiting your progress.

Also, Andy coaches me through rebuilding movement patterns after spinal fusion surgery.

Andy translates complex exercise science into practical training wisdom. Enjoy!

Show notes + MORE

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• Protein RDA is survival-baseline, not optimal: The 0.8g/kg recommendation from mid-20th century potato studies prevents deficiency but doesn’t optimize health

• For thriving, aim for 1.6-2g/kg daily
• Benefits include appetite control, muscle maintenance, and a healthy weight with no evidence of harm at these levels 

• This creates heroes and villains instead of nuanced understanding, with “ultra-processed” becoming the latest catch-all villain, despite most foods being processed to some degree 

• What matters is molecular structure and overconsumption patterns, not food ancestry or the number of processing steps

Congratulations are not usually in order for someone who has been forced into hiding, someone whose children are scattered across continents for their safety, someone whose supporters are sitting in prison cells for the crime of believing in democracy. 

But our guest today, María Corina Machado, just won the Nobel Peace Prize—joining the ranks of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Dalai Lama, to name a few. 

On Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded their 2025 Peace Price to the Venezuelan opposition leader for her tireless work “promoting democratic rights,” describing her as “a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.” She is Venezuela’s first-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. 

Machado’s story, as Jonathan Jakubowicz wrote in The Free Press, “is a political thriller come to life. A 58-year old industrial engineer and former member of parliament, she spent two decades as the most relentless opponent of Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro.” That thriller came to a head on July 28, 2024, when Edmundo González, Machado’s stand-in candidate, swept Venezuela’s elections with over 90 percent of the vote. But Maduro, Venezuela’s longtime dictator, claimed victory anyway and seized power. Since then, Machado has been living in hiding, her location undisclosed even to most of her allies, as the regime has arrested hundreds of political prisoners and issued a warrant for her arrest. 

Machado has been nicknamed Venezuela’s “Iron Lady,” the same moniker given to Margaret Thatcher, who happens to be her personal hero. She represents what may be the most significant challenge to authoritarian socialism in Latin America, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her here today.

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• Conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may be driven in part by metabolic dysfunction in the brain
  • Neuroinflammation is real, but fasting and a ketogenic diet can help 
• The benefits of supplementing exogenous ketones:
  • (1) Quick energy – they give your body a fast fuel source, especially for the brain and muscles
  • (2)  Support ketosis – they can help raise blood ketone levels even if you’re not fully on a strict keto diet
• Benefits of fasting: helps to augment the control of the immune system, relaxes the gut and enables the body’s repair processes to occur, reduces the body’s general state of inflammation 
• There is a ketone-synergistic effect when delivering caffeine with MCT; it stimulates lipolysis and also fat oxidation in the liver 
• The short-list of essential supplements:CoQ10, creatine, ketones, vitamin D, and melatonin
• The benefits of metformin and GLP-1 drugs may arise from their influence on metabolic function
• A low-carb Mediterranean-style diet is conducive to upgrading your metabolic machinery while keeping biomarkers in check
  • Diet: No sugar, no starch, fibrous vegetables, aim for 25% of carbohydrates consumed should be from fiber, high-protein + low glycemic breakfast and lunch, then a pound of protein for dinner with some fibrous vegetables 
• The protocol and surprising benefits of ‘Sardine Fasting’: 
  • Eat 1-2 cans of sardines per day for one week; can be repeated monthly or as needed. May need to supplement with vitamin C and magnesium  
  • Why it helps: Provides essential nutrients and omega-3s while keeping calories/protein low enough to activate autophagy, support immunity, fight brain fog, and promote overall metabolic health 
• Movement is critical for optimal metabolic health; get outside and walk first thing in the morning, and try to move after dinner for the sake of glucose metabolism 

MIT physicist Max Tegmark argues that artificial intelligence belongs inside physics and that consciousness will be the next frontier. He distinguishes intelligence from subjective experience, outlines falsifiable experiments with brain‑reading technology, and shows how concepts like Hopfield energy landscapes and mechanistic interpretability connect mind, math, and machines.- 00:00 - Why AI is the New Frontier of Physics- 09:38 - Is Consciousness Just a Byproduct of Intelligence?- 16:43 - A Falsifiable Theory of Consciousness? (The MEG Helmet Experiment)- 27:34 - Beyond Neural Correlates: A New Paradigm for Scientific Inquiry- 38:40 - Humanity: The Masters of Underestimation (Fermi's AI Analogy)- 51:27 - What Are an AI's True Goals? (The Serial Killer Problem)- 1:03:42 - Fermat's Principle, Entropy, and the Physics of Goals- 1:15:52 - Eureka Moment: When an AI Discovered Geometry on Its Own- 1:30:01 - Refuting the "AI Doomers": We Have More Agency Than We ThinkSPONSORS:- The Economist: https://www.economist.com/toeRESOURCES:- Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e- Max's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eBXEZxgAAAAJ&hl=en- Language Models Use Trigonometry to Do Addition [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00873- Generalization from Starvation [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.08255- Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE- Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s- Iceberg of Consciousness [TOE]: https://youtu.be/65yjqIDghEk- Improved Measures of Integrated Information [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/abs/1601.02626- David Kaiser [TOE]: https://youtu.be/_yebLXsIdwo- Iain McGilchrist [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Q9sBKCd2HD0- Elan Barenholtz & William Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/A36OumnSrWY- Daniel Schmachtenberger [TOE]: https://youtu.be/g7WtcTATa2U- Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8- The "All Possible Paths" Myth [TOE]: https://youtu.be/XcY3ZtgYis0

• Optimal exercise balance: Excessive exercise, especially beyond 150 minutes of moderate or 70 minutes of high-intensity activity per week, may increase inflammation and risk
  • Moderate daily movement (like walking) combined with super-slow resistance training is ideal for health 
• Diet trends and protein: Extreme dieting, such as excessive intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, or fear of carbohydrates, is often unnecessary
  • A balanced combination of low-carb days with higher evening carbohydrate intake promotes glycemic stability
  • Prioritize clean, high-quality protein at about 1g per pound of bodyweight, favoring animal sources (with nose-to-tail consumption and collagen), and be cautious with plant proteins due to digestibility concerns
• Anti-aging and recovery approaches: Techniques such as micro-needling, red light therapy, peptide serums, and even salmon DNA serum are highlighted for youthful skin
  • Cost-free hacks like barefoot walking outdoors in sunlight and breathwork can deliver impressive benefits for inflammation and sleep
• The power of community & spiritual health: Social connection is described as the most powerful “biohack” for longevity and well-being, rivaling the impact of major risk factors like smoking
  • Meaningful relationships and a sense of spiritual or higher purpose are crucial for emotional and biological health
• The 5 Core Principles for Longevity: Ben Greenfield’s main advice centers on balanced movement, clean eating, exposure to hot and cold, taking care of one’s personal environment (air, water, light, electricity), and prioritizing community and spiritual life as the foundation for lasting health and happiness

It’s been five years since Ben Greenfield joined me on The Dr. Hyman Show, and a lot has changed. Ben isn’t doing many of the things he once swore by. In fact, he’s discovered that some of the most powerful practices for health and longevity are simpler and more sustainable than the extreme routines he became known for. 

In this episode, we talk about the biohacks he’s left behind, the innovations he still uses, and the deeper priorities that now guide his life. Join us on YouTube for the full talk or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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We discuss:

• How much exercise is truly healthy, and when it starts working against you

• Simple training shifts that build strength and stamina while protecting long-term health

• What recovery tools can actually speed healing and reduce inflammation

• Can light and oxygen really reset your body’s rhythms and improve sleep?

• Why community, family, and spiritual health may be the most overlooked keys to longevity

True longevity isn’t found in extremes—it’s built through balance, connection, and simple daily practices that stand the test of time.

View Show Notes From This Episode

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• To some degree, insulin resistance is a common root cause for most chronic diseases 
• A low-carb diet may offer a metabolic advantage by reducing insulin levels, which enhances metabolic flexibility and improves energy regulation
  • Fat tissue has a much higher metabolic rate when insulin levels are low
  • Since there is much more metabolic uncoupling, the body’s engine revs up to burn energy just to create heat   
• How to reverse a diabetes diagnosis in 90 days 
  • Control carbs – focus on whole fruits and vegetables, limiting sugary or starchy choices like bananas, pineapples, and mangoes 
  • Prioritize protein and do not fear fat – eat protein-rich foods regularly, and do not worry too much about naturally occurring fats 
  • Time meals and exercise – Eat more calories earlier in the day, avoid late-night eating, and take short walks after your biggest meals to reduce blood sugar spikes
• Eating an evening snack spikes your blood sugar and ramps up the sympathetic nervous system, thus increasing body temperature and increasing the likelihood of insomnia and poor sleep; so do not eat within the 3-4 hours before bed 
• Muscle is a great glucose consumer: The more muscle you have, the more metabolic wiggle room you have because muscle serves as a glucose sink 
• Blood-sugar-lowering supplements that work:magnesium,alpha lipoic acid (ALA),berberine, andapple cider vinegar 
• Eating too much linoleic acid (from seed oils) can lead to the production of a toxic substance (4H&E) that prevents your body from creating new small fat cells, and instead forces existing fat cells to just swell up
• Concerning GLP-1 dosing, caution is warranted; it is probably better to microdose these powerful drugs and think of them as short-term behavioral modification tools instead of lifelong prescriptions  
• The top biomarkers to measure to determine metabolic health and aging:(1) fasting insulin; want below 6 µIU/mL), (2) Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio; want ratio under 1.5, and (3) Uric acid; want lower levels generally
• Lower your insulin by starting with tomorrow’s breakfast: 
  • Either fast through breakfast and drink coffee, tea, or yerba mate
  • Or if you do want to eat, then choose low-glycemic-load vegetables and berries, and consume more protein and fat  
• Do whatever you can to keep your insulin in check for as long as possible throughout the day; the longer the insulin is low, the more you will improve your insulin sensitivity 

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Insulin resistance silently shapes the trajectory of nearly every major chronic disease, yet it's often overlooked until blood sugar abnormalities become obvious. In this episode, Dr. Ben Bikman exposes the dietary culprits that drive metabolic dysfunction and highlights actionable, evidence-based tactics for improving metabolic health. Ben also addresses pressing questions about popular weight loss medications like Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists: Are they groundbreaking solutions, or shortcuts with hidden metabolic consequences?

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Introduction
• (4:51) Can you be insulin resistant with normal glucose levels?
• (8:30) Can glucose monitors detect hidden insulin resistance?
• (10:01) What your skin reveals about insulin resistance
• (11:25) Why is insulin resistance behind so many chronic diseases?
• (15:46) Does obesity cause insulin resistance—or vice versa?
• (22:38) Insulin's surprising roles beyond blood sugar control
• (23:36) What's driving weight gain—insulin or calories?
• (30:30) Do saturated fats cause insulin resistance?
• (37:02) Why refined carbs amplify risks from saturated fat
• (40:04) Fructose vs. refined sugar—which spikes insulin more?
• (41:01) High-carb vs. keto—which diet controls hunger better?
• (45:27) Why low-carb diets might provide a metabolic advantage
• (47:36) Does exercise give you metabolic 'wiggle room'?
• (52:00) Why strength training beats cardio for insulin sensitivity
• (54:03) Should you lower insulin before cutting calories?
• (57:12) Does meal frequency drive insulin resistance?
• (1:00:32) Is nighttime snacking giving you insomnia?
• (1:02:24) Can a sugary breakfast lead to overeating later?
• (1:07:19) Does late-night eating disrupt sleep more than blue light?
• (1:08:59) Can one bad night's sleep trigger insulin resistance?
• (1:12:23) Can air pollution cause weight gain?
• (1:16:15) Vaping vs. smoking—which is worse for metabolic health?
• (1:17:40) Can statins and antidepressants trigger weight gain?
• (1:20:22) How to reverse insulin resistance in 90 days
• (1:26:59) Does apple cider vinegar really lower blood sugar?
• (1:30:54) Ketone supplements—are the metabolic benefits real?
• (1:36:34) Why some ethnicities get diabetes without obesity
• (1:44:28) How oversized fat cells trigger metabolic chaos
• (1:49:28) Do seed oils silently promote insulin resistance?
• (1:52:44) Seed oils—always harmful or only when heated?
• (1:58:35) Fat, muscle, or liver—where does insulin resistance start?
• (2:04:21) Do fat cells shrink or disappear with weight loss?
• (2:07:05) Are shrunken fat cells still insulin resistant?
• (2:08:15) Can exercise and cold therapy specifically shrink visceral fat?
• (2:09:40) Injecting insulin for muscle—are the risks worth it?
• (2:12:45) Are drugs like Ozempic a shortcut or solution for obesity?
• (2:19:12) Are current GLP-1 agonist doses too high?
• (2:20:02) Microdosing GLP-1 drugs—a solution for carb cravings?
• (2:26:01) Do these medications cause muscle loss—or is it poor nutrition?
• (2:28:30) Do GLP-1 agonist benefits extend beyond weight loss?
• (2:30:41) Could these treatments actually promote longevity?
• (2:36:12) The dark side of GLP-1 drugs—can they trigger depression?
• (2:39:31) Insulin vs. glucose—what really drives accelerated aging?
• (2:44:34) How high glucose levels damage cells—from glycolysis to sorbitol
• (2:46:40) How insulin shuts down your body's stress defenses
• (2:51:15) Which biomarkers best predict biological aging?
• (2:55:05) One simple breakfast change to lower insulin
• (2:57:19) Does eating dinner early improve insulin sensitivity?

Show notes, transcript, and summary are available by clicking here

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• Histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) can be the hidden drivers behind a wide range of chronic conditions, such as fatigue, brain fog, food sensitivities, and skin issues – yet, histamine intolerance is often overlooked by conventional medicine
  • MCAS is a condition where certain immune cells – called mast cells – release too many chemicals (like histamine) at the wrong times
• Using diet as a short-term therapeutic tool: A low-histamine diet or Low-FODMAP Dietis not a lifelong diet because tons of healthy foods have histamine in them

• Consume the freshest foods possible and avoid leftovers, as histamine levels in food rise over time after preparation

• Even though they are generally healthy, consuming them is like throwing gas on your histamine fire 

• Foods to avoid: Garlic, onions, wheat, legumes, milk, soft cheeses, apples, honey, sorbitol, xylitol, stone fruits, artificial sweeteners
• Foods to consume: Carrots, spinach, bananas, chicken, rice, cheddar cheese, eggs

Many people struggle with mysterious symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, food sensitivities, and skin issues—only to be misdiagnosed or dismissed altogether. This conversation highlights how histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome can be the hidden drivers behind a wide range of chronic conditions, and why they're often overlooked in conventional medicine. From the role of gut health, food triggers, and environmental toxins to deeper root causes like Lyme disease or mold exposure, it’s clear that personalized, Functional Medicine is key to uncovering real answers. Understanding the immune system’s role in histamine reactions—and how even “healthy” foods can be inflammatory for some—is a critical step toward healing.

Dr. Todd LePine graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, specializing in Integrative Functional Medicine. He is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center, he worked as a physician at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, for 10 years. Dr. LePine’s focus at The UltraWellness Center is to help his patients achieve optimal health and vitality by restoring the natural balance to both the mind and the body. His areas of interest include optimal aging, bio-detoxification, functional gastrointestinal health, systemic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and the neurobiology of mood and cognitive disorders. Dr. LePine enjoys skiing, kayaking, hiking, camping, and golfing in the beautiful Berkshires, and is a fitness enthusiast.

Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and the Medical Director of The UltraWellness Center. Dr. Boham lectures on a variety of topics, including Women’s Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She is on the faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Mark Pimentel is a Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology through the Geffen School of Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Pimentel is also the Executive Director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at Cedars-Sinai, an enterprise of physicians and researchers dedicated to the study of the gut microbiome in order to develop effective diagnostic tools and therapies to improve patient care. 

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• For every new time zone that you cross, it takes approximately one day for your body to acclimate 
• The difference between circadian rhythm and chronotype: Circadian rhythm is your body’s internal 24-hour clock that regulates biological processes, while chronotype is your natural preference for when you feel most alert or sleepy within that rhythm
• Top sleep tips from the episode:
  • Maintain the same sleep schedule on weekdays and weekends
  • Go to bed and wake up at the same time, or at least within a 30-minute window
  • Reduce the effects of jet lag by taking pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight measures
  • Know your chronotype so you can performance-peak at desired times 
• Over 40 NFL seasons from 1970-2011, during night match-ups, the West Coast team was two-fold more likely to beat the East Coast team 
  • This is due to the West Coast team’s circadian advantage over the East Coast team
• Leverage “Sleep Loading”: Before going into a high-stress period or an acute period in which you will be sleeping less, increase your sleep duration in the several days leading up the period of anticipated sleep-loss or higher stress 
• While it is difficult to “pay back” sleep debt after the fact, it appears that you can build up “sleep credit” by front-loading sleep ahead of anticipated periods of high stress and sleep loss
• Taking a hot shower or bath 90 minutes before bed can dramatically improve your sleep quality 
• A study conducted using the NBA schedule was able to predict game outcomes with 76-86% accuracy based on travel-induced fatigue criteria, completely independent of the strength of team 
• Use the nappuccino to boost alertness and performance: Consume your favorite caffeinated beverage, immediately take a 20-30 minute power nap, then wake up when your alarm goes off, and you will be in a heightened state of alertness 

Dr. Cheri Mah returns to the podcast today to explore a few different topics including how circadian rhythms shape athletic performance. She notes that these 24-hour cycles regulate sleep, hormones, and core temperature, with peak physical capacity often occurring between 4-8 pm—when many world records are set. 

Dr. Mah also discusses chronotypes, showing how tailoring training to one’s natural rhythm can enhance results. She reveals research on circadian disruption in sports, notably how West Coast NFL teams outperform East Coast teams in night games due to a three-hour body clock advantage. The episode also covers jet lag strategies, sleep loading, and managing fatigue, making it a must-listen not just for athletes and high performers, but truly for us all. 

Please note that Matt is not a medical doctor, and none of the content in this podcast should be considered medical advice in any way, shape, or form, nor prescriptive in any way.

Matt is only too happy to share the fact that launching his sleep-related merchandise sales was incredibly smooth, thanks to show sponsor Shopify and their integrated sales and inventory system. And now, just for you,  Shopify is generously offering an exclusive trial at shopify.com/mattwalker. Whether it's online or in-person sales, Shopify simplifies it all. So, be sure to stop in at shopify.com/mattwalker to start your exclusive journey now! 

One of our sponsors this week is the biochemical electrolyte drink company LMNT, and they are very kindly offering eight free sample packs when you purchase any one of their orders at drinklmnt.com/mattwalker. LMNT is an electrolyte sports drink that I can get behind - it's created from the basis of science, and it has no sugar, no coloring, and no artificial ingredients – all qualities that are so important to maintaining your blood biochemical balance. If you want to give LMNT a try, just head on over to drinklmnt.com/mattwalker and get your eight free samples with your first purchase. 

Another great sponsor of the show is AG1, a comprehensive nutritional drink trusted by thousands worldwide, including Matt! For nearly four years and counting, he has relied on AG1 to fuel his post-workout routine with its powerhouse blend of over 75 essential minerals, vitamins, probiotics, and prebiotics, meticulously crafted to support your daily nutritional needs. AG1 is registered and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, boasting GMP badges for quality assurance. As a special offer for our listeners, when you try AG1, you'll receive a complimentary one-year supply of both Vitamin D and K2, and with your first subscription, you'll also receive five free AG1 travel packs! Visit AG1 to explore AG1's range of offerings and claim your exclusive offer.

Matt: Instagram @drmattwalker or on X @sleepdiplomat

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@sleepdiplomatmattwalker9299

Connect with Dr. Mah: https://www.drcherimah.com/ or https://linktr.ee/drcherimah

Caffeine Nap Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/58-caffeine-nap/id1578319619?i=1000630666364

Chronotype Assessment: AutoMEQ: Automated Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (AutoMEQ)

• The insurance companies and big pharma complex monetize chronic disease
  • They benefit if more Americans are chronically ill because it means more prescriptions and therefore more kickbacks and rebates 
  • Approximately 30% of the revenue generated from opioid abuse in America went to the big five insurance companies 
• The insurance companies are incentivized to put you on drugs!
  • About 60% of United Healthcare’s annual revenue – $361 billion in 2024 – comes from prescription drugs via an entity called a pharmacy benefit manager 
  • The average American is on 4+ prescription drugs 
• SSRIs are one of the most worrisome drugs of the day: A metaanalysis of over 75 studies revealed that 85% of the efficacy of an SSRI was related to placebo

• On a 52-point depression scale, SSRIs differentiate from placebo by 1-2 points 

Brigham Buhler is a healthcare entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Ways2Well, and co-founder of ReviveRx Pharmacy.

American healthcare stands apart from any other system in the world. While some argue it has the potential to be the best, for many, it feels like the worst. Sky-high costs, an overreliance on prescriptions, and systemic inefficiencies suggest something is deeply broken. Why is this the case, and what can be done to fix it?

Expect to learn what the number one reason for bankruptcy in America is, what the average state of health is for the average American and how it compares to the rest of the world, why so many American’s are on Pharmaceutical drugs, what drugs Americans are taking that are causing the most damage, what is happening with the Food industry’s corporate capture of food, how much of an impact RFK can really have on changing the pharmaceutical and food system, the simple changes that can improve American healthcare and much more…

Sponsors:

• We are the only species that have forgotten what we are biologically-programmed to eat 
• Metabolic dysfunction, which exists on a continuum, underlies 90% of chronic illness; becoming metabolically healthy through diet and lifestyle change can cure most chronic illnesses 
• Every year, the government sends out $112 billion in food stamps, which serves an average of 42 million people monthly – about 12% of the U.S. population
  • About 70% of this budget is spent on junk food, and about 10% of it – $12 billion – is spent on soda 
• Additives in ultra-processed foods impair our ability to make energy from them; they are poisonous to our metabolism and to the very things that give us life as humans! 
• There is more to the story than calories: The ingredients in these processed foods are poisonous to humans; the quality of the “calories in” impacts the body’s ability to do “calories out” 
• Consuming monogastric animals such as pork and chicken is problematic for humans because these animals accumulate polyunsaturated fats, which are harmful to humans; ruminants are better for human consumption 
• In the 1900s, rates of chronic illness were a fraction of what they are today; during this time, about 99% of fat that humans ate were beef tallow, ghee, butter, and lard – there were no seed oils in the human diet! 
• Saturated fats are evolutionary consistent and cardioprotective; consuming excess polyunsaturated fats, like linoleic acid in seed oils, is the true culprit of chronic disease due to their oxidative potential  
• “If you are insulin sensitive and metabolically healthy, LDL is good for you. It ‘s an immune particle; it’s valuable. It’s when you become insulin resistant that it becomes a liability because it is part of the causal cascade.”  – Paul Saladino 
• Sugar in fruit is different than processed forms of sugar: There are naturally occurring chemicals in fruit and in honey that mitigate the adverse effects of sugar in the body 
• The solution is simple: We do not need medical breakthroughs to fix our health and cure chronic disease; we just need to return to eating the foods that humans have always eaten 

Paul Saladino, MD, is a double board-certified physician and a prominent advocate for an animal-based diet, known for his controversial views on nutrition and health. He graduated from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Washington. Saladino is the author of *The Carnivore Code* and *The Carnivore Code Cookbook*, where he argues that many chronic illnesses are linked to poor dietary choices and can be prevented or reversed through proper nutrition. His professional philosophy emphasizes questioning mainstream medical narratives, focusing instead on optimal health through dietary changes.

In addition to his writing, Saladino hosts the *Fundamental Health* podcast, where he engages with various experts to discuss health optimization. He co-founded Lineage Provisions, which produces high-quality air-dried meat snacks, and Heart & Soil, offering desiccated organ supplements aimed at enhancing nutrient intake. Recently, he has been involved in projects like a collaboration with Raw Farm USA to create a raw kefir smoothie at Erewhon Market, further promoting his vision of ancestral nutrition and wellness through innovative products.

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