Ep. 361 Metabolic Health: Addressing Mitochondria, Medicine and Advocacy with Casey Means, M.D.

I am delighted to reconnect with Dr. Casey Means today.

Dr. Means is the Co-founder of Levels, a health technology company dedicated to reversing the global metabolic health crisis. She is also the co-author of the book Good Energy, along with her brother Callie Means. 

In our discussion today, we dive into mitochondria and metabolism, looking at the impact of cognitive dissonance and the reductionistic philosophies of medical specialization. We explore the effects of siloing, the challenges posed by our broken medical system, the Flexner Report, the role of RVUs, the effects of insulin resistance on metabolic health and mitochondrial dysfunction, and the symptoms commonly seen in women. Dr. Means also offers her insights on advocacy, continuous glucose monitors, and the labs she finds impactful, and she shares the incredible story of her mother's health journey. 

Good Energy is an outstanding book that will benefit every listener and clinician, and I will often recommend it.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• How energy gets created in the body
• The link between insulin resistance and acne
• How insulin resistance impacts fertility
• How underpowered parts of the brain and neurological system can show up as depression or anxiety, potentially leading to dementia
• The problem of our siloed, reactive, and specialist-obsessed culture
• The importance of getting your biomarkers tested and learning simple strategies to improve your metabolism, based on the results 
• What are the conditions encompassed by the metabolic spectrum disease? 
• The labs that Dr. Means finds most impactful
• Dr. Means shares her thoughts on continuous glucose monitors.
• The benefits of looking at your basic eating patterns in a non-judgmental and curious way before implementing any changes
• Dr. Means shares the powerful story of her mother’s health journey.

Bio: Dr. Casey Means

Casey Means, MD, 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. Her book on metabolic health, Good Energy, comes out in May 2024 with Penguin Random House. She received her BA with honors and MD from Stanford, was President of her Stanford class, and has served on Stanford faculty. She trained in Head & Neck Surgery before leaving traditional medicine to devote her life to tackling the root cause of why Americans are sick. She has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Women’s Health, and more. 

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Connect with Casey Means

• On her website
• Good Energy 
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• On Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn

Good Energy, by Casey and Calley Means, is available from Amazon and most anyplace good books are sold.