Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician and co-founder of Levels, dives into the pressing issue of metabolic health and its implications on society. She discusses how current healthcare systems profit from illness while advocating a transformative approach to health, emphasizing root causes over symptom treatment. Casey highlights five key biomarkers of metabolic syndrome and the importance of nutrition for energy and well-being. She also critiques the food industry's influence on public health and encourages individuals to take charge of their health through informed choices.
Metabolic health reflects societal challenges; Use Functional Medicine to ask 'why?'
Financial incentives drive sickness in healthcare & food industries
Self-monitoring tools empower individuals for personalized health strategies
Consider alternative interventions beyond traditional evidence hierarchy for optimal health
Deep dives
Understanding Mitochondrial Health and Energy Production
Proper energy production at the cellular level is crucial for overall health. Mitochondria play a key role in converting food energy into cellular energy. When cells do not get their basic needs met or are burdened with harmful substances, it can lead to various symptoms and diseases. By focusing on factors like nutrition, stress management, sleep, movement, toxin exposure, light exposure, and temperature regulation, individuals can support their mitochondria and enhance their cellular energy production. These lifestyle factors directly impact the body's ability to function optimally and maintain good health.
The Influence of Industrial Forces in Healthcare
The healthcare system is influenced by pharmaceutical and food industries, creating perverse financial incentives. This system thrives when individuals are sick, leading to overutilization of healthcare services and treatments. The ultra-processed food industry benefits from addiction to unhealthy products, while the healthcare system profit off treating the consequences. This financial interdependence drives a cycle of sickness rather than focusing on true health promotion and disease prevention.
Empowerment Through Self-Trust and Personal Monitoring
In today's healthcare landscape, there is a lack of trust in traditional sources of information like doctors and research due to potential biases and conflicts of interest. The key to true health empowerment lies in trusting oneself and utilizing personal monitoring tools. Continuous glucose monitors, biomarker assessments, and self-awareness can provide valuable insights into individual health status and the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions. By taking control of their own health data, individuals can make informed decisions and tailor health strategies to their unique needs.
Discrediting Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions and Rethinking Evidence Hierarchy
The emphasis on randomized controlled trials as the gold standard of evidence in healthcare research often overlooks alternative interventions like dietary changes, exercise, and environmental detoxification protocols. The current evidence hierarchy favors pharmaceutical interventions, leading to a limited exploration of non-drug treatments. End-of-one studies, focusing on personal experiences and interventions, offer valuable insights that may not fit the traditional evidence framework but can provide meaningful outcomes for individual health optimization.
Understanding Good Energy Biomarkers
Identifying good energy biomarkers is essential for assessing metabolic health. Key biomarkers, including fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference, provide insights into one's metabolic status. By analyzing these biomarkers, individuals can gauge whether they fall within the category of metabolically healthy adults.
Impact of Mitochondrial Function on Health
The podcast delves into how mitochondrial function plays a crucial role in overall health. When mitochondrial function is impaired due to factors like poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and toxins, the body may develop insulin resistance as a protective mechanism. This can lead to imbalances in blood glucose levels and triglycerides, highlighting the importance of prioritizing mitochondrial health for optimal well-being.
Redefining the Connection Between Food and Health
Food quality and its impact on health are extensively discussed in the episode. Emphasizing the need for nutrient-dense, unprocessed whole foods, the podcast underscores the critical role diet plays in shaping cellular structure and function. By viewing food as molecular information that influences gene expression and cellular health, individuals are encouraged to choose real, unprocessed foods to support optimal well-being.
Policy Recommendations for Improved Public Health
Several policy recommendations are proposed to enhance public health outcomes. These include reducing pharmaceutical industry influence in media, altering farm bills to prioritize nutrient-dense food production, removing added sugar from school lunch programs, and eliminating conflicts of interest in federally funded organizations. By advocating for these changes and promoting evidence-based nutrition policies, a shift towards improved population health can be realized.
One of the many reasons I was drawn to Functional Medicine is that it’s the medicine of asking “why?” and looking beyond the status quo to reimagine health. When we use this practice to assess the metabolic diseases we see today, we can see we’re in an energy crisis. We’re wrapped up in a web of physiologic root causes, but also a web of policies, industries, and economic incentives impacting our health from the ground up. I loved discussing all this and more on this episode of the podcast with Dr. Casey Means.
We take a deep dive into:
Why we need to reimagine the healthcare system and how to use Functional Medicine as a framework for asking “why?”
Using metabolic health as a barometer for our challenges as a society
A stark reality: Every institution related to our health makes money off of sickness
Combining advanced technology with our own awareness to take back control of our health
Five affordable biomarkers of metabolic syndrome to start with
And so much more!
I hope you’ll tune in to learn how to dramatically improve your metabolic health and support foundational societal shifts, all at once.
This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, ARMRA Colostrum, Pendulum, Live Momentous, and House of Macadamias.
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