The Meta Health Podcast

In this episode I answer a question from a listener who is confused regarding whether breakfast is optimal or not optimal for health. Although intermittent fasting made breakfast skipping a common practice, there is nuance to this question. We cover some of the following:

• Benefits of breakfast skipping and why it's so common
• Downsides of breakfast skipping and how it can backfire
• Why I personally have added breakfast back in on most days
• Balancing breakfast needs with physical and cognitive demands
• Optimal breakfast composition
• Approach to intermittent breakfast skipping 

Our body has become an obsession that many of us are consumed by day and night. Hollywood and the fashion industry started the movement of creating unrealistic body standards, but now the growing number of celebrity and health influencers have taken this movement and put it on steroids. In this episode I discuss the following:

• Reframing the human body so we don't take it so seriously
• Unrealistic body standards perpetuated by health influencers
• My own personal challenges with overcoming a Type A approach to health and fitness
• Putting an end to familial and cultural patterns of body shaming
• The disturbing impact of social media and AI filters
• Why body composition scans can be a problem
• Strategies for detaching from body/fitness/health/longevity obsession, including a visualization exercise

Eating more protein is currently the mantra being shared by many health leaders and big food has caught on. Are we missing any potential risks in the midst of the high protein movement? This episode covers some of the following topics:

• Lessons learned from the low fat, low carb, and fasting movements
• How higher protein diets are being misused by many
• Understanding the important mismatch between protein intake and energy expenditure
• What happens to excess protein in the body?
• Finding the goldilocks zone for mTOR activation
• Protein intake recommendations for different groups

Much of our emotional unrest results from the act of splitting our identity into multiple roles and different personas. In this episode I explore:

• What's the split?
• Why we split?
• Using imagery to visualize the split?
• My personal practices to quiet the mind
• Shifting towards unification

I'm feeling an urge to shift my content in a new direction. I'm not giving up on discussing metabolism since that's a topic that is still very close to my heart, but at the age of 52 and after digging deep into insulin resistance for well over a decade, I'm sensing a different pull. 

In this episode I discuss my internal transformation and how you too might have a different voice inside that is longing for a new direction. 

This episode takes a fresh look at the 3 fundamental molecular root causes of insulin resistance using some familiar storylines from prior episodes combined with some new story hooks to help you understand the science of insulin resistance. We cover the following:

• Quick review of insulin mechanism of action
• Summarizing the 3 root causes or what I call "-emias" of insulin resistance
• The inflammation-insulin resistance link explained using a busy ER analogy
• Using lifestyle changes to manage the 3 root causes

This episode digs deep into protein and more specifically amino acids (protein building blocks) and their role in metabolism, weight control, insulin resistance, and overall health. We cover some of the following:

• Quick overview of mitochondrial metabolism
• Introducing protein and amino acids
• The role of amino acids in energy production
• Fasting and ketosis
• Can excess protein intake lead to fat/weight gain?
• The link between amino acids and insulin resistance

I've selected 2 key metabolic ingredients, Acetyl CoA and Citrate, to explain nutrition metabolism in further detail. I've also selected a different storyline, the mitochondrial amusement park and the Kreb's merry-go-round, to help you visualize some of the most fundamental steps of metabolism. In this episode we cover:

• Acetyl CoA's role as a key metabolic conductor
• The metabolic merry-go-round used to explain Kreb's cycle
• The importance of the Citrate sensor in switching between anabolism and catabolism
• How these concepts are tied to the root cause for weight gain and insulin resistance
• A critique of B-vitamin supplements as "energy producers"

The mental and metabolic impact of human beings predominantly or exclusively working from home has been profound. I've noticed significant increases in insulin resistant conditions including premature heart disease and a deterioration in mental health. All of these risks existed pre-pandemic, reflecting our modern digital lifestyles, but post-pandemic these risks have intensified to an even worse public health crisis. In this episode I cover some of the following:

• Overall impact of WFH (work from home) on metabolic and emotional health
• Evidence-based guidelines for MED (minimum effective dose) of daily walking steps and strength training minutes per week
• MED for minutes of aerobic training with tips on improving adherence
• Digging into the science of ZEF (Zoom Exhaustion Fatigue) based on Stanford University research
• Impact of WFH on stress and sleep

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

• Overview of SAT (subcutaneous fat) vs VAT (visceral fat)
• How to measure SAT vs VAT
• Dietary approaches to tackle SAT vs VAT
• Deep dive on which exercises and routines address SAT vs VAT
• Other lifestyle factors that address SAT and VAT