Team Never Quit Calley Means: Exposing How Profits Drive Chronic Disease - NYT #1 Bestseller & White House Adviser on MAHA
Sep 17, 2025
01:07:13
Exposing Big Food, Big Pharma, and the Path to True Health
In this week’s episode, Marcus, Melanie meet with Calley Means — entrepreneur, healthcare reform advocate, and co-founder of TrueMed. Calley has been making waves in the national conversation about health, nutrition, and the systems driving chronic disease.
As a former consultant to some of the largest food and pharmaceutical companies in the world, Calley offers a rare insider’s perspective on how financial incentives can prioritize profits over people. Now, through TrueMed, he’s working to flip the script — helping Americans use tax-free health savings accounts to pay for food, exercise, wellness coaching, and other preventative health measures.
Calley is also the co-author (with his sister) of the bestselling book Good Energy, which explores the connection between metabolism and health, and he’s an investor in companies tackling metabolic health, mental health, and longevity. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, Calley also co-founded Anomalie, a custom bridal brand later acquired by David’s Bridal.
In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Calley shares:
•How his insider view of Big Food and Big Pharma shaped his mission to reform healthcare
•The shocking incentives that drive the chronic disease crisis in America
•How TrueMed empowers people to use HSAs and FSAs for healthy living
•The link between metabolism, mental health, and performance — and why it matters for every American
•Why systemic change requires both personal responsibility and policy reform
Whether you’re a health professional, a parent trying to improve your family’s nutrition, or simply curious about the future of healthcare, this episode will challenge assumptions and offer practical solutions.
Don’t miss this episode with Calley Means — a candid, informed, and inspiring discussion on how we can take back control of our health.
In this episode you will hear:
• [Marcus] We turned a vegan into a meat-eater. A vegetarian was working at our house and smelled [Mama Holly’s Prime Rib] and said “What is that?” And I said that’s prime rib and said “I’m a vegetarian.” I said “I don’t know man. I think you might give this one a whirl.” (3:20)
• Pharmaceutical is about 50% of TV advertising. (5:50)
• The 2 ways you get researchers money is just research grants (that’s their life blood) and direct bribes. (7:10)
• Anxiety was created as a sub-category of medicine in the 1970s, explicitly by pharmaceutical companies who had Valium to sell. (8:21)
• If you can make obesity a national standard and tell people it’s not you fault and jab them for a lifetime – that’s a profitable patient. (18:33)
• 25% of women are on some kind of psychiatric drugs, That produces reoccurring appointments and prescriptions. (20:01)
• A doctor is a medical drug doctor. They’re a drug prescriber. Who made that rule? That’s not how it is in other countries. (22:51)
• [Marcus] If you tell yourself your body is a racecar, or a fighter jet, or a monster truck, what kind of fuel are you putting in that sucker? (36:40)
• If you can get seed oils, processed sugar and processed grains out of you house, that gets you about 80% there [the single most important thing a household could do.]
• I think people should be more scared. I think we should have apps and blood tests and doctors telling people “You’re not gonna make it through your life to meet your grandkids.” (41:57)
• [Farmers] have low prices, high input costs, more weather challenges, trade issues that aren’t their fault. They’re taking it from all fronts. (59:05)
• The system is built for drugs, not medicine right now. Drugs are profitable, healing is not profitable. Thriving is not profitable. (65:56)
Support Calley:
Book --> https://a.co/d/8T7DaqJ
Support TNQ
- IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
- https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit
Sponsors:
- Navyfederal.org
- meetfabiric.com/TNQ
- masterclass.com/TNQ
- Prizepicks (TNQ)
- Dripdrop.com/TNQ
- cargurus.com/TNQ
- armslist.com/TNQ
- PXGapparel.com/TNQ
- bruntworkwear.com/TNQ
- Selectquote.com/TNQ
- Groundnews.com/TNQ
- shipsticks.com/TNQ
- strawberry.me/TNQ
- stopboxusa.com {TNQ}
- ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]
- kalshi.com/TNQ
- joinbilt.com/TNQ
- Tonal.com [TNQ]
- greenlight.com/TNQ
- PDSDebt.com/TNQ
- drinkAG1.com/TNQ
- Shadyrays.com [TNQ]
- qualialife.com/TNQ [TNQ]
- Hims.com/TNQ
- Shopify.com/TNQ
- Aura.com/TNQ
- TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]
- usejoymode.com [TNQ]
In this week’s episode, Marcus, Melanie meet with Calley Means — entrepreneur, healthcare reform advocate, and co-founder of TrueMed. Calley has been making waves in the national conversation about health, nutrition, and the systems driving chronic disease.
As a former consultant to some of the largest food and pharmaceutical companies in the world, Calley offers a rare insider’s perspective on how financial incentives can prioritize profits over people. Now, through TrueMed, he’s working to flip the script — helping Americans use tax-free health savings accounts to pay for food, exercise, wellness coaching, and other preventative health measures.
Calley is also the co-author (with his sister) of the bestselling book Good Energy, which explores the connection between metabolism and health, and he’s an investor in companies tackling metabolic health, mental health, and longevity. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, Calley also co-founded Anomalie, a custom bridal brand later acquired by David’s Bridal.
In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Calley shares:
•How his insider view of Big Food and Big Pharma shaped his mission to reform healthcare
•The shocking incentives that drive the chronic disease crisis in America
•How TrueMed empowers people to use HSAs and FSAs for healthy living
•The link between metabolism, mental health, and performance — and why it matters for every American
•Why systemic change requires both personal responsibility and policy reform
Whether you’re a health professional, a parent trying to improve your family’s nutrition, or simply curious about the future of healthcare, this episode will challenge assumptions and offer practical solutions.
Don’t miss this episode with Calley Means — a candid, informed, and inspiring discussion on how we can take back control of our health.
In this episode you will hear:
• [Marcus] We turned a vegan into a meat-eater. A vegetarian was working at our house and smelled [Mama Holly’s Prime Rib] and said “What is that?” And I said that’s prime rib and said “I’m a vegetarian.” I said “I don’t know man. I think you might give this one a whirl.” (3:20)
• Pharmaceutical is about 50% of TV advertising. (5:50)
• The 2 ways you get researchers money is just research grants (that’s their life blood) and direct bribes. (7:10)
• Anxiety was created as a sub-category of medicine in the 1970s, explicitly by pharmaceutical companies who had Valium to sell. (8:21)
• If you can make obesity a national standard and tell people it’s not you fault and jab them for a lifetime – that’s a profitable patient. (18:33)
• 25% of women are on some kind of psychiatric drugs, That produces reoccurring appointments and prescriptions. (20:01)
• A doctor is a medical drug doctor. They’re a drug prescriber. Who made that rule? That’s not how it is in other countries. (22:51)
• [Marcus] If you tell yourself your body is a racecar, or a fighter jet, or a monster truck, what kind of fuel are you putting in that sucker? (36:40)
• If you can get seed oils, processed sugar and processed grains out of you house, that gets you about 80% there [the single most important thing a household could do.]
• I think people should be more scared. I think we should have apps and blood tests and doctors telling people “You’re not gonna make it through your life to meet your grandkids.” (41:57)
• [Farmers] have low prices, high input costs, more weather challenges, trade issues that aren’t their fault. They’re taking it from all fronts. (59:05)
• The system is built for drugs, not medicine right now. Drugs are profitable, healing is not profitable. Thriving is not profitable. (65:56)
Support Calley:
Book --> https://a.co/d/8T7DaqJ
Support TNQ
- IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
- https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit
Sponsors:
- Navyfederal.org
- meetfabiric.com/TNQ
- masterclass.com/TNQ
- Prizepicks (TNQ)
- Dripdrop.com/TNQ
- cargurus.com/TNQ
- armslist.com/TNQ
- PXGapparel.com/TNQ
- bruntworkwear.com/TNQ
- Selectquote.com/TNQ
- Groundnews.com/TNQ
- shipsticks.com/TNQ
- strawberry.me/TNQ
- stopboxusa.com {TNQ}
- ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]
- kalshi.com/TNQ
- joinbilt.com/TNQ
- Tonal.com [TNQ]
- greenlight.com/TNQ
- PDSDebt.com/TNQ
- drinkAG1.com/TNQ
- Shadyrays.com [TNQ]
- qualialife.com/TNQ [TNQ]
- Hims.com/TNQ
- Shopify.com/TNQ
- Aura.com/TNQ
- TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]
- usejoymode.com [TNQ]