Meta Health: Mindfulness Meets Metabolism

Latest Episodes:

S1E38: Dr.Peter Attia and I Discuss Insulin Resistance Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Peter was kind enough to allow me to re-release our interview from 2019 from his podcast, The Drive, Episode #69. Many people have found me through Peter and told me this was one of their favorite episodes. Aside from insulin resistance and metabolism, we end the discussion with a topic that really resonated with Peter, which is the impact of generational stress, social media, and devices on youth and how I've navigated this in my own personal life.

This is longer than my usual episodes since we cover a ton of important topics, so I included detailed timestamps below. I hope you enjoy this important conversation.

Peter's overview and perspective on our discussion (0:58)
Surprise moment for Peter from our discussion (2:30)
How a tough case of insulin resistance led Peter to my work (5:08)
Metabolic disease in South Asian and East Asian patients (5:54)
Triglyceride paradox in African Americans (10:38)
Visceral vs subcutaneous fat and shortcomings of BMI (11:30)
Cortisol and glucose variability (25:00)
Mechanistic discussion of insulin resistance (27:20)
Origins and evolutionary theories on insulin resistance (37:00)
Brown adipose tissue and impact of climate patterns on insulin resistance (46:43)
Vitamin D and hyperinsulinemia (50:38)
Uric acid, high blood pressure, and fructose metabolism(54:05)
VO2 max and Zone 2, including ethnic diferences (56:23)
Zone 2 fitness testing to evaluate mitochondrial performance (1:01:15)
Exercise for long-term functional health (1:01:00)
Lifestyle changes to improve insulin resistance and other metabolic phenotypes (1:02:55)
Aging and leg strength (1:09:59)
Ron's approach to exercise and stress management for those with little time (1:10:00)
Ron and Peter discuss stress management (1:13:00)
Ron discusses his 5S approach to fatigue and stress management (1:16:00)
The impact of family dynamics on health risk (1:17:00)
PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and its link to insulin resistance (1:18:34)
Stress, adiposity, and weight loss resistance in females(1:20:00)
Sleep apnea and insulin resistance (1:29:00)
How a culture of achievement and expectations can lead to undue stress, unhappiness, and health problems in our children (a Silicon Valley case study) (1:30:10)
The negative impact of devices and social media on children and Ron's approach to managing this (1:40:00)

S1E37: Alcohol's Real Impact on Body Fat and Glucose Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

Is alcohol really a low carb, keto friendly substance like many ads and influencers claim, or is there more to it? Even if the glucose on your CGM (continuous glucose monitor) doesn't budge after a drink, there are real metabolic effects on glucose and body fat you should be aware of. Non-drinkers will benefit from this episode too since we cover some key metabolic principles, along with the following:

Quick overview of the metabolic merry-go-round and liver metabolism
Why your CGM glucose results may be normal or even low after drinking alcohol
Pathways by which alcohol affects glucose and body fat
The surprising impact of alcohol on muscle
How alcohol is disguised and advertised to be "metabolically neutral"
My personal approach to alcohol consumption

S1E36: Is Skipping Breakfast Unhealthy? Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

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

S1E35: Your Body Is A Problem Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

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

S1E34: Are We Taking Higher Protein Diets Too Far? Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

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

S1E33: The Split Is Why You Struggle May 21, 2024

Show notes

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

S1E32: New Directions Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

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.

S1E31: 3 Fundamental Root Causes of Insulin Resistance Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

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

S1E30: Protein, Fasting, Ketosis, and Insulin Resistance Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

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

S1E29: Acetyl CoA, Citrate, and the Metabolic Merry-Go-Round Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

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"

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