Stay ConnectedThe Thinking Health Podcast interviews the top minds in health and wellness to provide you with education and actionable information you can use to improve your health.
The Thinking Health Podcast is hosted by Chris Irvin, a low-carb science writer and educator known as The Ketologist on social media.
Dr. Mike Mallin is a former ER doctor who has also taught tens of thousands of physicians and the co-creator of the Ultrasound Podcast, which is an ultrasound education tool for physicians, and the Ultrasound Leadership Academy, a non-profit education company that has taught all over the globe.
Dr. Mallin is also the co-founder of Wild Health, a company that uses advanced machine learning and combines it with DNA analysis, biometrics, microbiome testing, and phenotypic data to give you a personalized blueprint to optimize your health and lifespan. Dr. Mallin and his team are upending a broken medical system and they're creating an incredible, individualized, and better approach to healthcare.
In this episode, Dr. Mallin discusses the differences between genetics and epigenetics, how often DNA testing should be done, what precision medicine is and how it differs from standard medicine, the issues with relying on traditional blood work alone, and so much more.
Here is the episode breakdown:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Dale Bredesen earned his MD from Duke University Medical Center and served as Chief Resident in Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), before joining Nobel laureate Stanley Prusiner's laboratory at UCSF as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow. He held faculty positions at UCSF, UCLA, and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Bredesen also directed the Program on Aging at the Burnham Institute before joining the Buck Institute in 1998 as founding President and CEO.
He's also the author of three books, The End of Alzheimer's, The End of Alzheimer's Program, and The First Survivors of Alzheimer's, and his research explores previously uncharted territory in explaining the physical mechanism behind the erosion of memory seen in Alzheimer's disease, which has opened the door to new treatments.
In this episode, Dr. Bredesen discusses the latest updates in Alzheimer's research, how inflammation, your genes, and your lifestyle play a role in developing Alzheimer's, the importance of undergoing a cognoscopy, and more.
Dr. Bredesen also shares what to do if you test positive for Alzheimer's genes, how to prevent Alzheimer's, ketosis for Alzheimer's treatment and prevention, and other ways you can reduce your risks.
Here's a peek at what's in store in this episode:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Known as "Mr. Noots", Mark Effinger is a serial entrepreneur who has launched startups (he's up to 19 so far) in both the tech and health sciences fields. He's also a master nootropic formulator, a brain and hormone optimizer, and an incredible product developer, all of which you'll learn more about in this episode.
You'll also discover exactly what nootropics are, how Mark's Nootopia nootropics differ from most, why it took a few thousand prototypes to get right, and how to best use nootropics to improve your performance, mood, and more.
Mark also shares how he stacks his brain-boosting supplements, whether or not they're safe to use, and if these have any research in supporting Alzheimer's and Dementia symptoms.
Here's a quick breakdown of the episode:
Chris Irvin, The Ketologist and Head of Education at Perfect Keto, is an author and nutrition science researcher with a strong focus on the ketogenic diet. He holds a Master's degree in exercise and nutrition science and has spent his time in graduate school studying the ketogenic diet for performance and therapeutic applications.
In this episode, Chris answers commonly asked questions surrounding topics like: what do overnight blood sugar trends look like?, what happens when women lift weights on keto?, pregnancy and keto, reversing insulin resistance, and more.
Chris also dives into consuming a high protein intake, intermittent fasting for women, and how to bulk on keto.
Here's a peek at the order and overview of the topics Chris covers in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Brief overview of this episode's Q&A style
01:16 What should your blood sugar trend look like overnight when tracking with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)? Plus a discussion on the Somogyi and Dawn Effects
06:17 How can I incorporate keto with stage 3 kidney disease when I can't have a high protein intake?
07:49 Women lifting weights on keto -- do they mesh or am I chasing something impossible?
10:57 Pregnancy and keto
14:07 Must-have supplements on keto and is it advisable to consume essential amino acids during a fast?
17:55 Is it possible to eat more protein than your body is able to handle in one sitting? Is there an upper limit to protein intake per meal?
20:02 Best foods for bulking on keto plus general tips
22:52 What are the best ways to reverse insulin resistance?
28:28 Is intermittent fasting okay for women? Plus important tips to keep in mind
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Chris Irvin's website
Chris Irvin's Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
S2E2: Dr. Stephanie Estima - Optimizing Your Diet and More Around Your Monthly Cycle
S1E17: Dr. Carrie Jones - Balancing Hormones for Better Health
S1E9: Lily Nichols - Updating Pregnancy Nutrition Advice for Better Blood Sugar Management
S1E3: Dr. Benjamin Bikman - How Insulin Resistance Wreaks Havoc on Health & What to Do to Fix This
Temple Stewart, also known as The Ketogenic Nutritionist on Instagram and TikTok, is a Registered Dietician, certified personal trainer and health behavior change specialist who also played D1 soccer at the University of Tennessee Martin, where she received her degree in Dietetics.
Temple comes on the show to discuss keto for women, using keto to treat PCOS and infertility, keto and thyroid health, and using keto throughout pregnancy.
Temple also shares her thoughts as a Registered Dietician on the health at every size and food freedom movements as well as some tips to help improve behavior change.
Here's a peek at what's in store in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Temple Stewart
02:20 Temple's sports background and what it taught her
04:50 Temple's professional background and her personal health journey
08:01 Was the goal to get Veterans off of their medication at the hospital where the Virta Health study took place?
11:22 What role does behavior change play? And how Temple uses this in her practice
13:59 What you can focus on to encourage behavior change
16:55 Why some people aren't successful at reaching their health goals and what they can do to change this
21:10 How Temple found herself in the keto space as a Registered Dietician
24:00 Getting pregnant on keto and following the diet throughout pregnancy
32:36 What Temple focuses on throughout pregnancy
34:05 Keto diet and thyroid health: does keto wreck your thyroid?
39:37 Outside of overexercising and not eating enough calories, what's another reason why someone would see a decrease in their thyroid hormones?
44:28 What Temple thinks of the "healthy at every size movement"
51:26 How Temple views the approach of Food Freedom
59:50 Health coaching and what that entails
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Temple Stewart's website
Dr. Latt Mansor holds a PhD in Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics from the University of Oxford, where his research focused on the metabolism of the type 2 diabetic heart in hypoxia.
He also holds a Master's from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nottingham in Biotechnology. Dr. Mansor is also a world expert in physiology and metabolism and he consults with elite sport and military personnel as well as clinical and research organizations.
In this episode, Dr. Mansor and Chris Irvin discuss exogenous ketones in military applications, how ketones affect cognitive performance, whether or not they help sports performance, and more.
Dr. Mansor also shares the athletes that may benefit from using exogenous ketones, whether or not you need to be on a keto diet to use them, if they work for high-intensity exercises, and how they affect lactate clearance.
Here's a breakdown of the episode so you can see what's in store:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:30 Introduction to this episode's guest, Dr. Latt Mansor
02:57 The exogenous ketone dose Dr. Manso and Chris take and when they use it
03:34 Dr. Mansor's background and how he found himself studying exogenous ketones
14:52 Using exogenous ketones for military personnel in hypoxic environments (low oxygen)
18:28 The improvements that can happen when exogenous ketones are used in military applications
20:01 Should these soldiers go on a keto diet in addition to using exogenous ketones?
22:59 Glucose for anaerobic exercise explained
24:52 The importance of knowing what works for your body type
30:04 Do these positive results translate the same for endurance athletes and other athletes looking to improve performance?
36:56 Is there a muscle building component to exogenous ketones?
38:10 Ketones and inflammation
40:00 Are exogenous ketones safe to use when you eat carbs? What about for athletes?
42:40 Are exogenous ketones effective if you eat carbs with them?
45:26 Do exogenous ketones help with lactate clearance?
48:23 What do you see from a practical standpoint? Are athletes using exogenous ketones?
51:30 The type of athletes the could benefit from using exogenous ketones
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Latt Mansor's Instagram and Twitter
Heart Health & Diabetes: How Diet & Hypoxia Affects Metabolic Flexibility ft. Dr. Latt Mansor
Dr. James DiNicolantonio, known as Dr. James DiNic for short, is a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. He's also the author of best-selling books, The Salt Fix and Superfuel and he's contributed extensively to health policy and has even testified in front of the Canadian Senate regarding the harms of added sugars.
Dr. DiNicolantonio also serves as the Associate Editor of Nutrition and British Medical Journal's (BMJ) Open Heart, a journal published in partnership with the British Cardiovascular Society, and he's authored or coauthored roughly 200 publications in the medical literature. He is also on the editorial advisory boards of several medical journals and he's shared his expertise on The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, and international news media outlets.
Dr. James DiNic comes on the show to discuss whether a low-salt diet really improves blood pressure, what else you can do to combat or prevent high blood pressure, what happens when you switch to a low-salt diet, and more.
Dr. James DiNicolantonio also shares his journey and his aha moment, how to supplement with electrolytes, who they're right for, and whether or not commercial sports drinks are really helping replenish electrolytes.
Here's a peek at the topics Dr. DiNic and Chris Irvin, The Ketologist, get into:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Dr. James DiNicolantonio
01:27 A brief overview of the topics discussed in this episode
02:26 Dr. DiNicolantonio's story and how he found himself in this space
03:24 Where Dr. DiNicolantonio's aha moment came from
05:02 What made leading experts think salt was the problem?
07:01 What happens when you switch to a low salt diet to improve your blood pressure?
11:15 Does a lack of key minerals drive insulin resistance? And, if so, what can be done about it?
13:50 What you can do to get your blood pressure down
18:48 If you're taking blood pressure meds, how can you safely switch to a higher salt intake?
22:07 Important heart health markers to look at
25:35 How sodium affects other blood markers
29:35 What's the best way to track sodium levels?
31:35 What's the best way to replenish your sodium levels?
33:42 How to time your salt intake around exercise
40:43 Are mainstream sports drinks a good way to rehydrate and add in electrolytes?
43:00 Using glycine instead of glucose for rehydration
45:18 What is the best type of sodium to use? Should you avoid table salt?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. James DiNicolantonio's website
Dr. DiNicolantonio's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel
Dr. DiNicolantonio's books, The Salt Fix, The Immunity Fix, Superfuel, and The Longevity Solution
Vivoo at-home urine test strips
Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist, a two-time New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, and he's helped transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world through his Healthy Rebellion community, his podcast, books, and seminars.
Robb has also been a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism and a consultant for the Naval Special Warfare Resiliency program. He also serves on the board of Directors/Advisors for Specialty Health Inc., The Chickasaw Nation's "Unconquered Life" initiative, and a number of innovative startups with a focus on health and sustainability.
In this episode, Robb unpacks our food system and looks at it from an ethical, health, and environmental perspective to see if raising animals or growing plants for consumption is better for our health and our future.
Robb also shares the shocking food that's really depleting our water supply, how we can't raise humans without meat, how we're destroying our top soil and what needs to be done about it, his experience going on Joe Rogan's podcast, and so much more.
Here's a peek at some of the topics Robb and Chris Irvin, The Ketologist, cover:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest Robb Wolf
04:37 Robb's health journey and how he went from being a research biochemist to studying animal agriculture
18:39 How the documentary Social Dilemma opened up Robb's eyes even more to the problems social media creates and what he does about it
29:42 What are the real environmental issues that make people say meat is bad and we shouldn't eat it?
33:25 How animal husbandry doesn't deplete our water supply and what's doing so at alarming rates
35:34 What about the methane emissions that come from animal husbandry? Isn't that bad for our environment?
39:43 What our current agricultural approach gets wrong, how it impacts our environment, and what can be done about it
40:38 How we're destroying our top soil at a remarkable rate, why this is a huge problem, and how we can fix it
46:19 What about the ethics side of the equation? How can you justify killing animals for food?
50:45 What a fascinating study in Sweden showed us about vegan diets
1:01:39 Robb's experience on Joe Rogan's podcast
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Robb Wolf's website
Robb Wolf's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel
Robb's Substack
Robb's book, Sacred Cow
Robb's documentary, Sacred Cow
Robb's other books, Wired to Eat, The Paleo Solution, and more
Robb's podcast The Healthy Rebellion Radio
Robb's electrolyte company LMNT
Robb's episode on The Joe Rogan Experience
The Ketologist and Head of Education at Perfect Keto, Chris Irvin, is a nutrition science researcher and writer with a strong focus on the ketogenic diet. He holds a Master's degree in exercise and nutrition science and has spent his time in graduate school studying the ketogenic diet for performance and therapeutic applications.
Chris sits down for a Q&A session where he answers questions on the following topics: how fast someone can see results in the gym on a keto or carnivore diet, what's the maximum carb threshold that's still considered low-carb, OMAD versus IF for weight loss, and more.
Chris also shares a resource for people experiencing reactive hypoglycemia, how someone can become metabolically inflexible, and his thoughts on Kratom and Kava. You'll also learn more about what those are in this episode.
Here's a breakdown of the topics that Chris discusses:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:30 Introduction to this episode's Q&A theme
02:18 How long does it take to see results in the gym after switching to a keto or carnivore diet?
06:23 What's the amount of carbs you can consume and still be considered low-carb? Is it under 100g?
09:41 OMAD versus IF and tips for weight loss
14:40 What to do if you have reactive hypoglycemia
17:03 How does someone become metabolically inflexible?
23:27 What are your thoughts on Kratom? Does it work?
26:01 Why Kratom used to be illegal in most of the US and how that's changed
27:24 Why would someone turn to Kratom
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Chris Irvin's website
Chris Irvin's Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Danielle Hamilton's work on reactive hypoglycemia
Hamilton Morris' Kratom documentary, Hamilton's Pharmacopeia
Grassroots Kava House in St. Petersburg, Florida
Judy Cho is a board-certified Holistic Nutritionist and certified Nutritional Therapist who uses a carnivore diet to help people uncover the root cause of their health problems so that they can achieve optimal health.
Judy holds a psychology and communications degree from the University of California, Berkeley and she's the author of the best-selling book, The Carnivore Cure.
Judy comes on the show to discuss how going on the carnivore diet transformed her health, her parents' health, and the health of her patients, why that is, what makes carnivore so effective, and who it might be right for.
Judy and Chris Irvin, The Ketologist, also dive into the real problem with statins and what can be done about it, how almond milk production is terrible for the environment, why governing bodies can't be trusted when it comes to their nutrition advice, and so much more.
Here's a peek at the topics Chris and Judy get into:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Judy Cho
01:53 Judy shares about her recent Meat-Up event and how it went
05:20 Judy's background and how she went from being plant-based for years to switching to a carnivore diet
07:00 How Judy's parents ended up switching to a carnivore diet too and what their results were after doing so
10:25 How long it took Judy's dad to get off statins after switching to carnivore and what that looked like
16:00 How her mother's diabetes changed since she switched to a carnivore diet
18:29 How continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are a powerful health tool that can be really empowering for people
22:25 Why Judy turned to carnivore after being plant-based for so long
28:33 What Judy noticed after making the switch
39:01 Opening up the conversation about trusting governing bodies with nutrition advice and pharmaceutical recommendations
44:29 What is it about the carnivore diet that makes it work so well?
45:17 Why gluten is a problem for everyone, not just those diagnosed with Celiac
47:48 Why removing plants may be necessary for some people to heal
51:28 How long does it take to see results on the carnivore diet?
55:45 Why are people adding fruit to their carnivore diets? Is this a good idea?
01:06:00 Doesn't a carnivore diet destroy your thyroid?
01:09:02 How almond milk production is more harmful to our environment than meat production
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Judy Cho's website
Judy Cho's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel
Judy's book, The Carnivore Cure
Judy's podcast, Nutrition With Judy
Judy's other podcast, Cutting Against the Grain
Judy's one-on-one coaching program
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