The Complexities of Cooking Methods and Nutrition

This chapter explores the health implications of cooking methods like char grilling and deep frying, highlighting their potential risks while also discussing healthier alternatives. It emphasizes the nutritional benefits of certain foods like meat, dark chocolate, and fish, despite potential contaminants and cooking byproducts. The conversation further dives into the nuances of individual dietary sensitivities, particularly regarding lectins in nightshade vegetables, and the importance of herbs and spices in enhancing both flavor and nutritional value.

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What if the foods you think are healthy are actually disrupting your biology? From sugar marketed as a performance tool to “whole grains” that drive cravings, this episode uncovers how hidden traps in modern nutrition can hijack your brain, wreck your metabolism, and accelerate aging. You’ll learn how to rethink daily eating so it fuels energy, resilience, and long-term health instead of quietly sabotaging it.

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Max Lugavere, health journalist, filmmaker, and bestselling author of Genius Foodsand The Genius Kitchen. Max is one of the most trusted voices in nutrition and functional medicine, translating complex science into practical tools you can use right now. His work has been featured on The Today Show, PBS, and across global media for helping people reclaim health through smarter food and lifestyle choices.

In this re-run, Dave and Max break down the real impact of sugar, salt, and food processing on your brain and body. They explore how cooking methods change health outcomes, when fasting and ketosis become powerful tools, and why supplements, nootropics, and trace minerals fill gaps in the modern diet. They also tackle controversial topics like carnivore diets, cold therapy, and whether “healthy” plant-based foods are truly supporting resilience—or quietly eroding it.

You’ll Learn:

• The biggest nutrition myths that silently damage health and performance

• How sugar can act as both poison and fuel depending on context

• Why cooking methods make the difference between nourishment and toxicity

• The overlooked role of minerals, supplements, and culinary literacy

• How nootropics, cold therapy, and sleep optimization reset your brain

• Why some “health foods” accelerate aging instead of protecting you

• The truth about carnivore diets, industrial farming, and sustainability

• When fasting, ketosis, and carb cycling create optimal results

This episode gives you a science-backed blueprint to hack your nutrition, sharpen your brain, and extend your longevity with foods that truly support your biology.

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.

Episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (audio-only) where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.

Keywords: uric acid longevity, uric acid metabolism, fructose uric acid pathway, xanthine oxidase inhibition, quercetin uric acid, luteolin supplements, AMP kinase uric acid, AMP deaminase metabolism, uric acid and mitochondria, uric acid and neuroplasticity, uric acid Alzheimer’s risk, uric acid dementia prevention, uric acid and nitric oxide, fructose metabolism hibernation biology, evolutionary mismatch uricase mutation, fructokinase inhibition, uric acid and insulin resistance, gout biohacking, uric acid and obesity, uric acid functional medicine

Resources:

• Max’s Website: https://www.maxlugavere.com/

• Screenfit | Get your at-home eye training program for 40% off using code DAVE https://www.screenfit.com/dave

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/DAVE15

• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com

• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated

• Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com

• 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com

Timestamps:

0:00 — Trailer

0:30 — Introduction