Degrees of Health

What if we’ve been treating eating disorders the wrong way?In this deeply personal and provocative episode, registered dietitian Michelle Hurn shares her journey from severe anorexia and psychiatric medication to ultra-running and mental clarity through a radical change in nutrition.Ben and Michelle unpack the broken foundations of dietetics, why metabolic health is inseparable from mental health and how the standard of care may be making things worse.We cover:🥩 Why animal-based diets are helping eating disorder recovery🧠 The link between stable blood sugar and psychiatric health📉 The connection between calories, insulin and metabolic disorders🏃‍♀️ Running long distances with zero carb loading🧪 Exogenous ketones vs. yerba mate for ketone production🔥 GLP-1 drugs, health at every size and what we’re getting wrongFrom hospital feeding tubes to ketones and carnivore protocols, this is a raw, real and - we hope - hopeful conversation about what happens when you stop following the food pyramid and start listening to your body.Find Michelle:WebsiteInstagramX / TwitterMentioned in this episode:Book - The Dietitian’s Dilemma by Michelle Ann HurnThe Fox Family Food FightCase Study: Ketogenic Diets in AnorexiaPaper - Therapeutic Carbohydrate RestrictionExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Adrian Soto-Mota, MD, PhD is one of the clearest and most curious voices in metabolic research and he’s not afraid to say what doesn’t make sense anymore.Dr Adrian is an internal medicine physician and metabolic researcher based in Mexico City. In this conversation, we go deep on the limitations of RCTs, why calorie logic keeps breaking down, what lean mass hyper-responders teach us about lipids, and why sometimes the data works before we understand the mechanism.We also talk about the surprising impact of meat-heavy diets on IBD, why exogenous ketones matter more than people think and how metabolic dysfunction might be sitting at the core of psychiatric illness.This one is full of nuance and yet grounded in clinical reality.We cover:🧠 The metabolic demands of the human brain💊 Why calories don’t predict fat gain the way we think🧬 Lean mass hyper-responders and cholesterol interpretation📉 Why nutritional RCTs can’t answer what we want them to🧪 Hormones, definitions and broken language in medicine🧘‍♂️ Metabolic psychiatry & the case for new mental health modelsFind Adrian:X profileGoogle scholarMentioned in this episode:Modeling Life by Alan GarfinkelBernoulli’s Fallacy by Aubrey ClaytonRethinking Statistics by Richard McElreathHuman Metabolism by Keith Frayn & Rhys EvansJAMA Psychiatry paper on metabolic dysfunction & mental illnessExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

📲 Why do we keep chasing things that never quite satisfy?We’re joined by The Molecule of More co-author Michael E. Long to unpack dopamine and why our brains are wired to want more, not to enjoy what we already have.From doomscrolling to dating apps, productivity obsessions to endless self-improvement, we explore how dopamine fuels craving and not contentment, and what we can do to stop living in the next and start living in the now. Michael shares insights from his new book, Taming the Molecule of More, and explains how understanding this one molecule could help us reclaim joy, focus, relationships, and maybe even our sanity.We cover:❤️ Dopamine in dating, sex and long-term love📉 Why chasing ‘more’ always gives you less🛍️ Behavioral addiction and craving cycles📚 The difference between thinking about your life vs being in your life📈 Practical tools to tame the dopamine systemThis episode is for anyone interested in behavioural science, addiction, relationships or anyone who just wants to feel a little less hijacked by their phone.Find Michael:themoleculeofmore.comWebsiteBooks: The Molecule of MoreTaming the Molecule of MoreMentioned in this episode:A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand RussellThe World According to Garp by John IrvingThe Braverman TestExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some people find health through green smoothies. Others find it in 3 kilos of steak cooked in ghee.Dr. Anthony Chaffee is a neurosurgical registrar and ex-professional rugby player who’s been running on nothing but animal products for years. No salads. No supplements. No exceptions. In this conversation, we get into the weeds of his theory, that many modern illnesses (autoimmune conditions, metabolic disorders, mental health struggles) are not mysterious at all, they are the result of eating the wrong fuel.🥩 Why plants aren’t as innocent as they look 🧬 Autoimmunity, inflammation & symptom reversals 🍳 What a carnivore diet looks like day-to-day 📉 Why most nutrition advice is upside down 📚 The history of meat-based medicine (it’s older than you think) 🧠 What brain fog, bloating, and back pain have in commonTake a listen as he lays out the logic, science and experience behind a radical return to meat and see if it changes your perspective.Find Dr Anthony:WebsiteYouTubeMentioned in this episode:The Relation of Alimentation and Disease by Dr James SalisburyStrong Medicine by Dr Blake DonaldsonNutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr Weston PriceBruce Ames research on naturally occurring plant carcinogensJAMA (2016) Sugar industry’s influence on dietary fat recommendationsDr. Paul SaladinoDr. Shawn BakerThomas Seyfried (cancer metabolism)Dr. Dominic D’Agostino (ketosis & therapeutic diets)Exploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'High-protein diets hurt your kidneys!'. 'Once kidney disease starts, it only gets worse'. Heard something similar? It's just not the whole picture and also showing to be quite far from the truth.Dr Thomas Weimbs, PhD is a Professor of Bioengineering at UCSB where his lab has spent over 20 years studying chronic kidney disease. What they found, mostly by accident like all great science, changed the course of their research entirely. From mouse models to human trials, they discovered that a state of nutritional ketosis could not only slow but potentially reverse the progression of kidney disease and all without drugs.We cover:🧠 Why the real cause of most kidney disease is metabolic🥩 High-protein diets, carbs and the Barry Brenner myth🧪 The surprising effects of ketosis on kidney function🧂 Uric acid crystals and pH - the overlooked trigger🔬 BHB (ketones) as hormones - and what they actually do⚡ Why no one makes money from metabolic health (and why that matters)This episode is about kidneys, their function and dysfunction. But it's also about what happens when we follow the science, even when it contradicts the textbooks.Mentioned in this episode:-Barry Brenner's 1982 paper-Effects of a continuous remote care intervention including nutritional ketosis on kidney function and inflammation in adults with type 2 diabetes- “Weimbs Lab” on Facebook - patient-led communityFind Thomas Weimbs:ResearchSanta Barbara Nutrients - KetoCitraWeimbs Lab - UCSCExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cancer treatment isn’t one disease = one drug. It’s thousands of different stories playing out at a molecular level and yet when it comes to care, we’re still treating most of them the same way.Padman Vamadevan and Ben Whately, co-founders of Astron Health, are rethinking oncology from the ground up. Here we explore why recurrence is such an under-addressed problem, how AI can help oncologists cut through a tidal wave of research and what it looks like to track cancer like a chronic disease instead of a binary cure-or-palliative model.We cover:🧬 Why two 'identical' cancers can be worlds apart biologically🤖 How AI condenses 170,000+ research papers into actionable options🩺 The blank space after an 'all clear' and how to fill it📊 Longitudinal data: tracking disease drivers over time🛠️ Safe iteration with proven drugs, supplements & lifestyle changesFind Astron Health:Astron Health WebsiteMentioned in this episode:Book - Tripping Over the Truth by Travis ChristoffersonExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this linkWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if everything we learned about water was missing its most important piece?In this episode, we speak with Professor Gerald Pollack - biomedical scientist, professor, and author of The Fourth Phase of Water - whose research reveals a side of water that’s been hiding in plain sight. From how cells create energy to what actually drives chronic disease, this conversation turns biology inside out - but stays rooted in how this changes our view of the practical day to day.Pollack’s ideas challenge convention. But they also unlock new ways to understand hydration, mitochondria, cancer, grounding, and even the link between consciousness and health.💧 Why 'hydration' is so much more than drinking water⚡ EZ (Exclusion Zone) water - the battery inside your cells🔬 Mitochondria, light, energy and the missing link in cellular health🎯 Cancer, chronic disease & the role of intracellular dehydration🧠 How grounding + infrared work - electrically🧪 Rejected science and the cost of going against the grain📚 Transmutation: can living beings create elements?This episode is big. And yes, we go there. Let us know your thoughts - we love hearing from you!Find Gerald:WebsiteBookExploring the benefits of red and infra light therapy? Our community receive 10% off via this link: ⬇️ https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/DyJ3mnWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us were never taught what hormones actually do. We just noticed things getting weird - heavier periods, brain fog, random mood swings that made us question our entire personality.And when we asked for help, we got vague answers. A prescription. Maybe a “come back in 6 months.”That’s why we sat down with Pauline Cox, a functional nutritionist who’s actually good at explaining this stuff. She's worked with hundreds of women dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, low thyroid, fatigue, and all the “you’re fine” symptoms that so many of us learn to live with.This episode is about finally understanding what’s going on and how much control we do actually have here. Through food, light, movement, supplements… but also, through knowing what to look for, and what to question.🧠 The gut-hormone connection (it’s not all in your head)🥗 Food choices that support your cycle🩸 Endometriosis and why it’s often misunderstood💡 Oestrogen, thyroid, and the subtle signs we miss📉 What chronic inflammation does to your mood⚠️ When tracking your health makes you feel worse🧪 The supplements Pauline comes back to again and againThis is one for every woman - and for anyone who loves one.Let us know what hits home. We’re always listening!Find Pauline:InstagramSow and Arrow - Health Store and Education PlatformMentioned in this episode:Books - Hungry Woman: Eating for good health, happiness and hormones + Primal Living in a Modern WorldWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all age. But what if we could slow it down, reshape it, or even pause it altogether?After connecting over one of our most viewed episodes with Dr. Glen Jefferys, we got to hear from scientist and relentlessly curious longevity researcher Dr. Michael Lustgarten. He’s been tracking over 50 biomarkers for nearly a decade and has reduced his biological age by more than 20 years.In this episode, we explore what that process looks like for Michael with data. Lots of data.We cover:🧪 How to interpret and act on blood markers🔁 Supplement cycles, blood work feedback & knowing when to stop🧬 Hormones, hypothyroidism, and adjusting thyroid meds over time🧠 SHBG, testosterone & why 'high' isn’t always better☀️ The underestimated power of light, sleep, and rhythm🧊 Would he freeze himself? Yes - and here’s why🔮 What consciousness might teach us about agingThis episode is a goldmine for listeners who are already tracking labs, looking for more advanced interpretation strategies, trying to refine their own protocols and avoid over-supplementation or 'stack overload'.Find Michael:YouTubeWebsiteBookAcademic PublicationsMentioned in this episode:The 120-Year Diet by Dr Roy WalfordThe Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoDr. Morgan Levine’s PhenoAge Biological Age TestKurt JaiMungal’s Theories of EverythingWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PART 2! If you missed it, we highly recommend checking out Part 1 before listening to this episode. We all age. But what if we could slow it down, reshape it, or even pause it altogether?After connecting over one of our most viewed episodes with Dr. Glen Jefferys, we got to hear from scientist and relentlessly curious longevity researcher Dr. Michael Lustgarten. He’s been tracking over 50 biomarkers for nearly a decade and has reduced his biological age by more than 20 years.In this episode, we explore what that process looks like for Michael with data. Lots of data.We cover:🧪 How to interpret and act on blood markers🔁 Supplement cycles, blood work feedback & knowing when to stop🧬 Hormones, hypothyroidism, and adjusting thyroid meds over time🧠 SHBG, testosterone & why 'high' isn’t always better☀️ The underestimated power of light, sleep, and rhythm🧊 Would he freeze himself? Yes - and here’s why🔮 What consciousness might teach us about agingThis episode is a goldmine for listeners who are already tracking labs, looking for more advanced interpretation strategies, trying to refine their own protocols and avoid over-supplementation or 'stack overload'.Find Michael:YouTubeWebsiteBookAcademic PublicationsMentioned in this episode:The 120-Year Diet by Dr Roy WalfordThe Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoDr. Morgan Levine’s PhenoAge Biological Age TestKurt JaiMungal’s Theories of EverythingWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.