The Real Health Podcast

Carbs make you fat. Carbs are essential. Keto is the answer. No, plants are the answer. Dr. Barrett cuts through the noise and breaks down carbohydrates... the good (energy, gut health, brain function, micronutrients), the bad (modern processed carbs and insulin resistance), and a practical green/yellow/red-light hierarchy for choosing sources. He closes with specific carb targets based on activity level, from sedentary adults to competitive athletes, built around one simple rule: earn your carbs.
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Is caffeine good for you, bad for you, or somewhere in between? Dr. Barrett breaks down everything you need to know - starting with four common myths (that caffeine gives you energy, that coffee dehydrates you, that it's bad for your heart, and that you can drink it at night with no consequences). He covers ideal dosing, why timing matters more than amount, his personal hierarchy of caffeine sources, what the research says about coffee and tea's longevity benefits, whether caffeine is safe for kids, and five practical rules for using caffeine well.
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Why does your body start to feel different around 35? Dr. Barrett breaks it down for both men and women in under 15 minutes. For men: declining total and free testosterone, insulin resistance, and slower recovery capacity - plus what to fix before jumping to TRT. For women: functional iron deficiency (even with "normal" labs), muscle loss, and cardiovascular markers like ApoB and homocysteine that often get missed. Practical, no-fluff strategies throughout.
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Normal labs don't always mean nothing is changing. In this episode, Dr. Barrett walks through seven early signs that a woman's hormones are shifting - often years before a standard lab panel catches it. Geared toward women in their mid-30s to 50s, he covers changes in cycle length, sleep disruption, PMS symptoms, anxiety and stress tolerance, body composition, libido, and exercise recovery - plus practical, nutrition-first recommendations (protein, targeted supplements like maca root and DIM, and testing labs while you're still feeling your best) for each one.
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For decades, "high cholesterol" has been treated as a diagnosis in itself - but Dr. Barrett breaks down why that's outdated thinking. Using advanced lab markers now available through services like Function Health, he walks through five common cholesterol myths: that high cholesterol equals heart disease, that LDL-C tells the whole story, that high HDL is automatically protective, that diet alone drives your LDL levels, and that a normal total cholesterol means low risk. He explains where ApoB, LPA, and insulin resistance fit into a modern cardiovascular risk model - and the three tests he recommends everyone over 30 get checked.
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Forget the scale - it doesn't tell you what actually predicts longevity. In this episode, Dr. Barrett walks through a 5-part scorecard you can start tracking from home: waist-to-height ratio, grip strength, metabolic markers (glucose, insulin, A1C), VO2 max, and sleep quality. He breaks down the research behind each one and why these fundamentals matter more than any supplement stack, peptide, or hormone protocol - plus simple, practical ways to start improving your score today.
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It's not just about diet and exercise - your environment plays a massive role in your health. In this episode, Dr. Barrett breaks down the top five environmental factors quietly driving chronic illness: processed food, indoor air quality, plastics and endocrine disruptors, light exposure and circadian disruption, and noise/constant stimulation. Rather than overwhelming you with a total lifestyle overhaul, he gives one practical, doable action for each - so you can start lowering your toxic load this week.
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Stuck on the last 10 or 20 pounds? Dr. Barrett breaks down the real drivers of weight loss resistance and five metabolic levers to pull instead of just cutting calories: building muscle, fixing insulin resistance, prioritizing protein and food quality, supporting sleep and stress, and creating daily metabolic demand through movement. He also tackles a growing issue in the GLP-1 era: losing weight while losing muscle, and why that's a worse outcome than the scale suggests.
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With cold and flu season approaching, Dr. Barrett looks back on COVID-19 with a few years of hindsight, covering the shifting public health guidance, natural immunity, and how metabolic health shaped outcomes during the pandemic. He shares his perspective on vaccine risk conversations and informed consent, then pivots to practical, actionable steps for building a resilient immune system heading into this fall and winter: chiropractic care, vitamin D, sleep, whole foods, sunlight, and targeted supplementation.
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• (00:00) - Intro: Revisiting COVID-19

Not all "healthy" foods are what they claim to be. In this episode, Dr. Barrett breaks down the top five foods marketed as health-conscious choices that are quietly wrecking your metabolism and gut: protein bars and whey shakes, nut milks, juices, gluten-free products, and "healthy" sparkling sodas. He explains what's actually in them (sugar alcohols, glyphosate, oxalates, artificial sweeteners), why the labels are misleading, and what real alternatives to reach for instead.
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Watch the episode on YouTube here!

• (00:00) - Intro