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. Stephanie Estima is a doctor of chiropractic with a special interest in metabolism, body composition, functional neurology, and female physiology. She's also the author of the book, The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex, and she hosts the Better! podcast. Dr. Estima has also been featured on Thrive Global, she's had over 3.5 million article reads on Medium.com, and she's helped thousands of women regulate their hormones, lose weight, and get off medications.
In this episode, Dr. Estima chats with Chris Irvin about the different hormone changes that take place during a monthly cycle, how women should approach these changes, using keto throughout your cycle, why cravings are drastically different during your cycle, and more.
Dr. Estima also dives into how keto can affect your thyroid, why you may do well on keto for a certain time only to find yourself craving carbs soon after, and what you can do to improve your hormone health starting today.
Here's a breakdown of the episode with Dr. Estima:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Dr. Stephanie Estima
02:56 Dr. Estima's background, how she found herself in this space, and what she noticed in her practice and through her research
09:14 The difference in nutrition for men and women
16:42 Understanding progesterone and its effects on cravings
21:59 Changing your diet throughout your cycle
33:22 The connection between hormonal changes and mental health
42:01 What to do when estrogen is higher in your cycle
47:19 Optimizing keto for women
53:14 Why women shouldn't do keto forever and a better approach to take
59:29 Is keto bad for your thyroid?
01:05:09 The Estima Diet and Dr. Estima's training program
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Stephanie Estima's website
Dr. Estima's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel
Dr. Estima's book, The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex
Dr. Estima's certification program
Dr. Estima's podcast
Dr. Stephen Hussey MS, DC is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine practitioner who attained both his Doctorate of Chiropractic and Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. He's currently a practicing Chiropractor, health coach, speaker, and author of two books on health. He also guides clients back to health by using the latest research.
In this episode, Dr. Hussey and The Ketologist Chris Irvin dive into what Dr. Hussey's health journey as a type 1 diabetic has been like, how Dr. Hussey structures his meals for heart health, his journey with veganism and why he went back to eating meat, and why our nutritional guidelines for heart health need to change.
You'll also discover the truth about cholesterol, the myths surrounding it, how it's really connected to heart health, and so much more.
Here's a breakdown of what's in store:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Dr. Stephen Hussey, and his background
01:04 Dr. Hussey's health journey as a type 1 diabetic
02:40 How Dr. Hussey found himself studying the heart and heart disease
07:03 What Dr. Hussey's experience has been like managing his type 1 diabetes and what he does now
10:45 The breakdown in our healthcare system and the misinformation Dr. Hussey was told to manage his type 1 diabetes
18:15 How Dr. Hussey structures his low carb diet and meal schedule
21:41 How Dr. Hussey went from being vegan to eating low carb and meat
27:57 Why plant-based diets are so popular and why this is a huge problem
37:27 Why are our current nutritional recommendations the way they are if they cause detrimental health problems?
41:26 Should you avoid veggie oils?
46:16 The different types of veggie oils, why your olive oil may have canola oil in it, and how rats fed veggie oils fared with regards to their heart health
50:42 Cholesterol and heart disease
54:09 Why cholesterol isn't the problem, what is, and what you need to know to fix this
57:40 The blood markers to track to measure heart health
1:02:29 The autonomic nervous system and how it's connected to heart health
1:05:49 Other important factors that affect heart health that many people aren't paying enough attention to
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Stephen Hussey's website
Dr. Hussey's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel
Dr. Hussey's book, Understanding the Heart
Dr. Hussey's Heart Course
Sam Apple is a faculty member in the Science Writing and Writing programs at Johns Hopkins University and he's the author of the book, Ravenous: Otto Warburg, the Nazis, and the Search for the Cancer-Diet Connection.
He comes on the show to discuss cancer prevention strategies through dietary changes, Otto Warburg and what he got right, Otto's downfall and what he did wrong, keto for cancer prevention, if going low-carb is just as good as keto, whether meat is connected to cancer, and more.
Find a breakdown of this episode below:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Sam Apple
04:15 What got Sam into researching about metabolism, cancer, keto, and more
07:31 Why was Otto Warburg so passionate about using keto for cancer treatment?
08:48 What led to Otto Warburg's downfall?
12:48 Did Warburg realize that nutrition was the outlet for solving cancer?
14:36 What really matters when it comes to cancer treatment and prevention
17:60 What Sam saw in the research that had him convinced that elevated glucose and insulin are causative of cancer
23:36 What makes the keto diet superior to a low carb one? Can you still get the health benefits just by being low carb?
30:23 Do you recommend people to go full keto or use a low carb approach for preventing cancer?
34:29 The most fascinating thing Sam has seen in his research
39:10 Retrospective diet studies that blame meat for causing cancer
41:24 Should people test their glucose every day?
Resources from this episode:
Same Apple's website
Sam Apple's Twitter and Instagram
Sam Apple's latest book, Ravenous: Otto Warburg, the Nazis, and the Search for the Cancer-Diet Connection
Danielle Hamilton is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner & Restorative Wellness Practitioner specializing in blood sugar regulation and digestion. She uses a holistic approach to help reverse insulin resistance in her patients. Danielle also hosts the popular podcast, Unlock the Sugar Shackles, and she created her signature course, Blood Sugar Mastery.
Danielle comes on the show to share her experience with blood sugar imbalances (which she didn't know she had) and PCOS, why she became so interested in blood sugar, early signs of blood sugar issues that most people miss, reactive hypoglycemia, and more.
Danielle also dives into the importance of your gut health, what a healthy gut looks like, what happens when things go wrong, and what you can do to improve your gut health today.
Here's a peek at what Danielle and Chris Irvin chat about in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest, Danielle Hamilton
01:43 Why Dani is great to follow on social media
04:43 Dani's backstory, why she's so interested in blood sugar, her experience with PCOS, and trying a Paleo diet
19:43 Early signs of blood sugar issues
25:02 The blood sugar dysregulation spectrum
30:33 Reactive hypoglycemia
38:06 Why you should also focus on your gut health and proper digestion (and what that looks like)
45:25 What can go wrong with your digestion
52:41 Are there common triggers that we can avoid to prevent blood sugar dysregulation and poor gut health?
58:54 How to clean up your digestion and support better movement along the entire system
1:08:04 Dani's courses and what she's currently working on
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Danielle Hamilton's website
Dr. Carrie Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who is board-certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology with a Master's in Public Health. She has over 15 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine and has taught courses in Gynecology and Advanced Endocrinology. She's also the Medical Director for two large integrative clinics in Portland, Oregon as well as the Medical Director for Precision Analytical Inc, which are the creators behind the DUTCH Test, a comprehensive and cutting edge hormone test.
Dr. Jones comes on the podcast to share her wealth of knowledge on the topic of hormone health. So you'll hear about how to properly test your hormones even if your doctor says your labs are normal, how hormone levels change, and how to pinpoint the cause of fatigue. Dr. Jones also chats about the hormones connected to anxiety and depression, the stress hormone cortisol, PMS, PCOS, and so much more.
Here's a look at the topics Dr. Jones dives into in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
00:29 Introduction on Dr. Carrie Jones and her professional background
02:33 How Dr. Jones gravitated towards hormones and the problems connected with them
04:04 Dr. Jones' role at Precision Analytical and the DUTCH Test, including what that is
06:03 The interesting thing that the creators of the Oura ring discovered and how your body temperature changes leading up to ovulation
09:28 How many hormones does the DUTCH Test measure?
12:03 Dr. Jones' approach
14:04 Understanding how hormone levels change
18:06 Is there an ideal time to take the DUTCH Test?
20:44 What people get wrong about the stress hormone cortisol and what you should know about it
25:25 Do hormone receptors become non-responsive if we're chronically stressed and have high cortisol levels?
27:48 Why feeling fatigued all the time may not be connected to cortisol and what it could be instead
31:12 What happens when your hormone levels come back normal but you still don't feel well?
35:05 Is there a specific hormone that's off for depression and anxiety?
36:05 What can you do if your hormones are out-of-whack?
39:47 Dr. Jones' take on birth control
46:25 What causes PMS?
50:07 Eating carbs during this specific time in your monthly cycle
53:25 PCOS, what is it and is it reversible?
58:30 Are hormone issues genetic?
1:06:15 The role gut health plays in keeping your hormones balanced
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Dr. Carrie Jones' website (The DUTCH Test and educational resources can be found here)
Tara Garrison is the founder of a luxury health coaching experience for high performers, called Higher, she's the creator of the Keto In and Out program, she's the host of the Inside Out health podcast and co-host of The Kickass Life podcast, and she's in the process of launching her book, Short-Term Keto. She's also an avid weightlifter, mom of four, Boston marathoner, and nature lover who teaches people how to do keto, but not forever.
Tara comes on the show to discuss who a keto diet is right for, how to know if it's time to transition out of keto, how to do that, when to introduce more carbs back in, and how your mindset affects your health outcomes and what you can do about it.
Here's a peek at what Tara and Chris chat about in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:29 Introduction to this episode's guest Tara Garrison
01:50 How Chris and Tara crossed paths
03:04 Tara's keto journey and how long you should do keto for
10:10 How Tara helps clients who need to lose 50 pounds or more
17:40 How can you tell if it's time to bring more carbs back in?
20:25 The carb sources Tara recommends to her clients
28:12 What the transition from keto to including more carbs back in looks like
36:26 How to adjust carbs to reach the perfect upper limit for your body
39:08 How to psychologically adjust to adding more carbs back into your diet
52:39 The importance of celebrating your hard work and wins of all sizes
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Tara Garrison's website
Tara Garrison's Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel
Tara's book, Short-Term Keto
The Biology of Belief, by Bruce Lipton
Self-Compassion, by Dr. Kristin Neff
Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg
L.J. Amaral is a clinical research dietitian in Oncology specializing in ketogenic diets for cancer, a registered dietician who is board certified in oncology nutrition, and she currently works in the outpatient cancer center at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, CA as a clinical research dietician.
She comes on the show to discuss the role that nutrition plays in cancer treatment, how keto is being used in cancer treatment, what her research has shown so far, if it's possible to prevent cancer, how sugar and carbs affect cancer growth, and so much more.
Here's a look at what's in store in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:29 L.J. Amaral introduction
04:00 The clinical trial L.J.'s been working on since 2016
07:38 Is L.J. actively using a keto diet with her patients?
11:08 Is it common for doctors to prescribe keto for cancer patients?
12:10 Is cancer a genetic disease, luck of the draw, or something else?
14:25 Are there currently nutritional recommendations or guidelines for cancer patients?
16:26 Are the governing bodies missing anything or is there anything you disagree with in the current recommendations?
19:17 Does sugar cause cancer?
24:42 Do we all have cancer cells in our bodies already?
26:34 What's the story with keto and cancer treatment?
29:26 Do the potential cancer benefits from keto come from lowering carbs and sugar or the state of ketosis?
32:08 What role does nutrition play here? Are there nutrients you can consume to avoid cancer?
34:56 What you should cut out of your diet if you have cancer
36:06 Does keto work better on certain cancers over others?
44:10 The microbiome and cancer
48:05 What's the justification behind using a 3:1 approach
53:08 Trying a holistic approach to beating cancer
55:54 Is fasting a good complement to traditional cancer therapies?
01:03:55 Are statins a potential therapy for treating cancer?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
L.J. Amaral's website
Chef Michael Silverstein, author of two delicious keto cookbooks with a third one on the way, is passionate about making food taste good. He also keeps his recipes easy enough that anyone can follow them and he uses simple ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store. This creates recipes that anyone can eat and enjoy whether they're following a keto diet or not.
On top of sharing more about his latest cookbook, Chef Michael comes on the show to discuss why education is so crucial when it comes to eating healthier, seasoning your food properly, keeping keto recipes simple, what he personally does as a chef at home, and so much more. You'll also hear about Michael's go-to's when it comes to gadgets, spices, flours, and sweeteners.
Here's a breakdown of the episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:28 Introduction to this episode's guest, Michael Silverstein
02:43 How Michael likes living in Austin, TX
03:37 Where Michael goes to shop and eat in Austin
10:39 Why education is so crucial when it comes to eating better for health purposes
15:25 Why how you eat and your relationship with food are just as important
22:35 How Michael approaches recipe creation and making dishes keto-friendly
32:58 Michael's go-to flours and sweeteners and why he prefers using these
38:01 Staples to keep on hand if you think keto or eating healthy is boring
42:16 What Michael does as a chef to keep things simple in his own meal planning for the week
49:55 Michael's go-to seasonings to make food taste incredible
01:03:01 The gadgets and tools Michael uses in his kitchen and why
Resources for this episode:
Michael Silverstein's website
Michael's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel
Michael's latest cookbook, plus his first two
Cookbook author, keto enthusiast, and social media influencer known as Keto Snackz, iRick Wiggins, lost 80 pounds following a keto diet and he's kept up with it for a few years now. iRick's approach is simple and fun and makes transitioning to a keto diet easier so that you can stick with it long-term.
And he comes on the show to share exactly that. So you'll hear about his journey with keto, how he lost weight, why he still follows keto, his favorite recipes, how his philosophy has changed over time, tips for getting started with keto, and so much more.
Here's a look at what you'll find in this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:30 Introduction for this episode's guest, iRick Wiggins
01:23 How Chris and iRick found each other
02:41 What iRick's experience has been like since moving from Ohio to Austin, Texas
06:03 iRick's favorite restaurant in Austin
08:13 iRick's journey using keto to lose 80 pounds
15:59 Is keto easier now than in the beginning? Is it more sustainable?
20:02 What iRick recommends starting out with when switching to a keto diet
26:38 How keto has changed for iRick and what it looked like early on compared to now
34:22 Why iRick decided to also cut out vegetable oils
42:35 Was iRick always into cooking and making recipes?
45:55 iRick's favorite foods to make
48:11 The difference between iRick's first and second books
Resources mentioned in this episode:
iRick Wiggin's website
iRick Wiggin's Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channel
iRick's first book, Breaking Up With Carbs
Robert Sikes created the Keto Brick and Keto Savage, an education platform for bodybuilders and people looking to improve their body composition on a keto diet.
He comes on the show to discuss what it really looks like to use a keto diet in bodybuilding and the benefits that come with doing so. Robert also chats about protein needs for bodybuilding and to lose fat, optimizing recovery, reverse dieting, body fat percentages, the adjustments women should make for their cycles and hormones, and so much more.
Here's what's in store with this episode:
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:27 Introduction to Robert Sikes' and the overview of what this episode is about
2:55 What's a Keto Brick? Plus, why Robert created it
6:54 When it makes sense to use the Keto Brick
11:10 What to do if you've been in a constant low-calorie state and you're looking to make a change
14:24 What does a reverse dieting approach look like?
17:09 How often do you see people losing weight while increasing their calories?
18:03 How long should someone use a reverse dieting approach?
18:48 Is your reverse dieting approach the same for leaner individuals or the general public?
21:00 Do you count macros?
25:24 Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time?
30:10 What does the transition from cutting to bulking look like?
31:77 Do you decrease protein in a cutting phase?
36:50 Protein recommendations and what this looks like in each phase
40:08 Can you build muscle on keto?
46:05 What are some other things you can do to gain muscle?
48:53 Where does cardio fit in with bodybuilding? How does that look if you're bulking up versus cutting?
50:39 How has your recovery changed since you switched to a keto diet?
52:07 Why do you think you recover better when you're on a keto diet?
59:55 How does your advice and approach change for women?
1:03:07 What changes do you make for women around their cycle? Do you increase carbs?
1:05:05 Can you get too low with your body fat percentage? Is there a threshold you should aim to stay above?
1:06:56 Body fat percentage in women
1:08:05 When is Robert's next competition?
1:08:55 What's up ahead for Robert
1:11:27 Problems with bodybuilding and how to overcome them
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Robert Sike's website
Robert Sike's Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channel, Twitter
Robert's Keto Brick
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