599: Metabolic Health Doctor Reveals the Root Cause of Chronic Disease & How to Fix It! | Dr. Casey Means
May 7, 2024
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Dr. Casey Means discusses the root causes of chronic disease, importance of metabolic health, impact of stress on magnesium levels, and benefits of limiting eating window. They explore dietary strategies, optimizing ketosis, and empowering change for better metabolic health through lifestyle interventions.
Metabolic health impacts overall well-being and is often overlooked in Western healthcare, leading to reactive treatments instead of addressing root causes.
Only 6.8% of Americans meet optimal criteria for metabolic health, signaling a significant need for proactive health monitoring and awareness.
The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction is escalating, with increasing rates of chronic health issues due to issues like insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Prioritizing metabolic health is crucial for disease prevention, emphasizing the importance of understanding and optimizing metabolic function.
Deep dives
The Importance of Metabolic Health in Overall Well-being
Metabolism and metabolic health are foundational for overall well-being, influencing core biological processes. Western healthcare often overlooks metabolic health, leading to a focus on reactive treatments rather than addressing root causes. Mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and high blood sugar levels are key steps in metabolic dysfunction that can lead to various health issues.
Assessing Metabolic Health with Biomarkers
Evaluating metabolic health can begin with biomarkers like fasting glucose, triglycerides, A1C levels, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference. These markers provide insights into where individuals stand on the metabolic spectrum. Only 6.8% of Americans meet optimal criteria for metabolic health, emphasizing a need for awareness and proactive health monitoring.
Rising Rates of Metabolic Dysfunction
Metabolic dysfunction rates are increasing annually, with about 30% of teens in the US now at risk of prediabetes. The prevalence and impact of metabolic problems, including insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction, are escalating, contributing to various chronic health issues. Efforts to address these root causes are crucial to combat the worsening trends.
The Link Between Metabolic Health and Chronic Disease
Metabolism and metabolic health play a crucial role in the development of chronic diseases, highlighting the significance of understanding and optimizing metabolic function. The medical system's focus on treating individual symptoms rather than addressing the underlying metabolic issues leads to reactive healthcare practices. Prioritizing metabolic health is essential for overall well-being and disease prevention.
Implementing Flexibility in Fasting Approaches
Flexibility in fasting approaches involves alternating between intermittent fasting, extended fasting, and utilizing ketone shots, while always avoiding refined grains and sugars to maintain ketogenesis. Incorporating longer fasts, like 36-hour periods, includes consuming water, supplements, and ketones to sustain energy levels and hunger suppression during the fasting period.
Monitoring Vitamin Intake During Fasting
During fasting periods, monitoring vitamin intake is crucial, avoiding multivitamins that cause stomach discomfort when not taken with food. Consuming supplements like fish oil, curcumin, magnesium, and zinc, along with ketones and electrolyte-enhanced water, helps support overall health during fasting. Vitamin intake is essential, but adjustments must be made based on individual reactions.
Effects of Prolonged Fasting and Exercise on Ketone Levels
Prolonged fasting for 36 hours alongside light activities like hiking helps elevate ketone levels, indicating successful ketosis maintenance. Combining fasting with low-intensity exercise, like walking, boosts ketone production, while avoiding weightlifting during fasts to prevent interfering with amino acids and carbohydrate depletion.
Impact of Eating Window Duration and Snacking Habits on Metabolic Health
Extended eating windows and constant snacking elevate blood sugar and insulin levels, promoting fat storage and systemic inflammation. Restricting eating windows to discrete periods, coupled with balanced meals and portions, positively impacts metabolic markers. Research highlights the influence of meal timing and window duration on glucose insulin responses, supporting the benefits of time-restricted eating.
Dr. Casey Means is a Stanford-trained physician and co-founder of Levels, a health technology company with the mission of reversing the world’s metabolic health crisis.
