
The Energy Balance Podcast
Discover how you can live without constant hunger and fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, and other low-energy symptoms. The Energy Balance Podcast will teach you how to maximize your cellular energy so you can take back your health and finally experience clear-headed focus, restful sleep, and all-day energy you didn’t think was possible.
Latest episodes

Aug 20, 2021 • 1h 7min
EB. 68: Oxidative Stress, Choline Deficiency, and Exporting Liver Fat (NAFLD Part 6)
In this episode we discuss:
How excess oxidative stress causes fat to accumulate in the liver
How a choline or methionine deficiency can contribute to fatty liver
Another mechanism by which PUFA cause fatty liver disease
How folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies can contribute to fatty liver
How PUFA decrease LDL and why this is NOT beneficial for general metabolic health or liver health
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-68-oxidative-stress-choline-deficiency-and-exporting-liver-fat-nafld-part-6/
Timestamps:
3:48 – how fat gets exported from our livers and why it matters in NAFLD
8:40 – how a choline, methionine, folate, or B12 deficiency can inhibit the liver’s ability to export fat
19:05 – how oxidative stress caused by PUFA and other factors inhibits the liver’s ability to export fat
27:50 – research showing that PUFA causes oxidative stress that inhibits the liver’s ability to export fat
42:11 – why lowering LDL by eating PUFA is NOT beneficial, both for general metabolic health and liver health
59:57 – other factors that drive oxidative stress and inhibit the liver’s ability to export fat

Aug 9, 2021 • 1h 48min
EB. 67: Endotoxin and PUFA As Primary Causes of Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD Part 5)
In this episode we discuss:
How endotoxin drives inflammation and stress while downregulating our metabolism
Why alcoholic fatty liver disease isn’t all that different from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
The protective effects of saturated fats in NAFLD
How endotoxin and polyunsaturated fats can cause NAFLD
Nutrient deficiencies that contribute to energy failure and NAFLD
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-67-endotoxin-and-pufa-as-primary-causes-of-fatty-liver-disease-nafld-part-5/
Timestamps:
3:57 – the role of endotoxin in NAFLD
23:43 – how endotoxin drives inflammation and stress while downregulating our metabolism
30:35 – research looking at endotoxin as the cause of NAFLD
38:30 – how endotoxin mediates alcoholic liver disease and the protective effects of saturated fats
44:56 – endotoxin and other damaging factors in the larger context of NAFLD
52:52 – the role of PUFA in NAFLD
1:12:05 – the contrasting effects of saturated fats and PUFA in alcohol-induced liver damage
1:24:22 – how nutrient deficiencies can cause energy failure and drive NAFLD
1:34:57 – how alcohol causes fatty liver and why alcoholic liver disease doesn’t vary considerably from NAFLD
1:38:49 – other factors that contribute to energy failure and drive NAFLD, including psychological stress, fasting, low-carb diets, low-calorie diets, excessive exercise protective effects of saturated fats

Jul 26, 2021 • 49min
EB. 66: The Role of Cortisol and The Harmful Effects of Fasting in Fatty Liver (NAFLD Part 4)
In this episode we discuss:
Where the liver fat comes from in NAFLD (it’s probably not what you expect)
How stress hormones drive NAFLD
How fasting can contribute to NAFLD
How fatty liver is a logical, adaptive response to stress
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-66-the-role-of-cortisol-and-the-harmful-effects-of-fasting-in-fatty-liver-nafld-part-4/
Timestamps:
4:07 – the role of elevated stress hormones in NAFLD and other metabolic issues
9:50 – where liver fat comes from in NAFLD
15:47 – how fasting increases stress hormones and contributes to NAFLD
25:50 – the role of elevated stress hormones in NAFLD and other metabolic issues (cont.)

Jul 17, 2021 • 1h 7min
EB. 65: How Fat-Burning And Low-Carb Diets Contribute to Fatty Liver (NAFLD Part 3)
In this episode we discuss:
Why low-carb diets are NOT a good solution for fatty liver
How fat-burning and lipolysis actually contribute to fatty liver
Why ketone production is a sign of stress and inhibited mitochondrial respiration
The role of uncoupling in NAFLD and why aiming to increase uncoupling is misguided
Why low-fat diets don’t directly address the root cause of NAFLD
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-65-how-fat-burning-and-low-carb-diets-contribute-to-fatty-liver-nafld-part-3/
Timestamps:
3:56 – how fat-burning and lipolysis contribute to NAFLD
16:59 – the role of uncoupling in NAFLD
26:56 – how an energy failure and oxidative stress drive stress-processes in NAFLD
34:53 – the role of increases in stress hormones and fat-burning/lipolysis in NAFLD
37:54 – why low-carb diets drive stress and aren’t a good solution for fatty liver or insulin resistance
52:37 – the role of increases in stress hormones and fat-burning/lipolysis in NAFLD (cont.)

Jul 7, 2021 • 1h 1min
EB. 64: The True Cause of Fatty Liver (NAFLD Part 2)
In this episode we discuss:
Why fructose doesn’t cause leptin resistance
How our livers produce fat from fructose or dietary fat
How a failure of energy production (mitochondrial respiration) causes NAFLD
Why increases in uncoupling, autophagy, mitophagy, and other stress pathways is often a sign of dysfunction and stress
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-64-the-true-cause-of-fatty-liver-nafld-part-2/
Timestamps:
4:54 – why fructose doesn’t cause leptin resistance
11:56 – the physiology of triglyceride (fat) synthesis in the liver
28:03 – the role of inhibited, inefficient mitochondrial respiration in triglyceride synthesis in the liver
46:06 – the role of inhibited, inefficient mitochondrial respiration and stress pathways in NAFLD

Jun 28, 2021 • 1h 15min
EB. 63: Why Fructose Does NOT Cause Fatty Liver (NAFLD Part 1)
In this episode we discuss:
Why fructose does not cause fatty liver
The 3 major problems with the research suggesting that fructose causes fatty liver
How fat production in the liver can be protective
The role of PUFA and endotoxin in de novo lipogenesis and inflammation
Why overeating is not the cause fatty liver
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-63-why-fructose-does-not-cause-fatty-liver-nafld-part-1/
Timestamps:
3:54 – an introduction to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
15:34 – the basics of fat production in the liver
17:24 – what happens to carbohydrates when they reach the liver
20:16 – the basics of why fructose doesn’t cause fatty liver
26:24 – the details of why fructose doesn’t cause fatty liver
47:11 – what actually happens when humans consume fructose, even in large amounts
55:15 – whether low-calorie diets or avoiding fructose and saturated fats are practical dietary strategies
1:09:52 – what actually happens when humans consume fructose, even in large amounts (cont.)

Jun 17, 2021 • 1h 32min
EB. 62: Diving in to the Bioenergetic View and Our Mistakes Along the Way (Our Health Journeys Part 2)
In this episode we discuss:
The many mistakes we made after finding Ray Peat and the bioenergetic view
Our re-feeding periods that involved eating over 5,000 calories and 700g of carbs per day
Our experimentation with various supplements (thyroid, B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, pro-metabolic hormones, antibiotics, methylene blue, inosine) and what we learned along the way
How long it took for us to see major improvements and stability in our health (it’s probably longer than you think)
Why nutrition alone is not enough for optimal health (and what other factors we should consider)
Our experiences in authoritarian environments (especially within the education system) and working to shed dogmatism
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-62-diving-in-to-the-bioenergetic-view-and-our-mistakes-along-the-way-our-health-journeys-part-2/
Timestamps:
4:11 – going all-in on a bioenergetic, Ray Peat inspired diet and experimenting with milk and low-fat diets
17:28 – Mike’s journey with milk, a carnivore diet, and refining his bioenergetic diet
26:40 – Jay’s lingering issues and experiments that helped resolve them
33:53 – Mike’s continued experimentation and the factors outside of nutrition that had major impacts on his health
46:49 – Jay’s continued experimentation and how stress and a lack of sleep affected his health
53:03 – creating an optimal environment is always a work in progress
59:19 – Mike’s depressive period following college and Jay’s experience with depression
1:06:06 – our experiences in authoritarian environments (especially within the education system) and working to shed dogmatism
1:20:51 – the value of intuition and listening to how you feel as well as working to understand the physiology

Jun 11, 2021 • 1h 35min
EB. 61: Undereating, Fad Diets, and Discovering the Bioenergetic View (Our Health Journeys Part 1)
In this episode we discuss:
Mike’s severe gut issues that led to dangerous weight loss and eventually surgery
Jay’s experience with undereating/anorexia and how this shaped his health journey
How doing everything we were “supposed to do” led to us feeling our worst
Our experiences following various diets (vegetarian, paleo, keto, intermittent fasting, low-fat, bodybuilding) and how we navigated through them
Our experiences with symptoms like cold hands and feet, insomnia, low energy, low libido, anxiety, depression, hair loss, joint pain, bloating, weight gain, allergies, histamine intolerance, psoriasis, and viral and fungal issues
What led us to Ray Peat and the bioenergetic view
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-61-undereating-fad-diets-and-discovering-the-bioenergetic-view-our-health-journeys-part-1/
Timestamps:
3:40 – why we decided to share our stories
6:54 – the beginning of Mike’s health journey and his experience with severe gut issues, the conventional medical system, and surgery
41:24 – the earlier parts of Jay’s health journey and his experience with severe undereating, binging, and conventional nutrition information
1:06:23 – when we began to question mainstream ideas and low-carb
1:22:05 – our introduction to Ray Peat and the bioenergetic view through Danny Roddy
1:25:26 – our initial pro-metabolic/paleo combo diet

May 31, 2021 • 55min
EB. 60: Carbon Dioxide And Our Environment: Climate-Destroying Or Life-Supporting?
In this episode we discuss:
Whether human-produced carbon dioxide is a major contributor to climate change
Whether carbon-offsetting programs and initiatives are effective
Industry tactics used to shift blame to the people and avoid taking responsibility for their actions
Whether we should be blaming each other for the destruction of our environment
Tactics used by the media to prevent open discussion on controversial topics
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-60-carbon-dioxide-and-our-environment-climate-destroying-or-life-supporting/
Timestamps:
3:30 – keeping an open mind when it comes to discussing the environment and climate change
6:54 – carbon dioxide as an environmental and climatological scapegoat
10:25 – tactics used to prevent open, scientific discussion on topics, such as shifting the narrative, creating unfalsifiable arguments, creating false dichotomies, and citing consensus
30:06 – some reasons why carbon dioxide may not be the culprit causing climate change
36:47 – other factors to consider when evaluating humanity’s impact on the environment
39:05 – the overpopulation myth, shifting blame to the people, and creating profitable solutions to manufactured problems

May 26, 2021 • 49min
EB. 59: How to Increase Carbon Dioxide and Minimize Lactate (Oxygenation, Swelling, and pH Balance Part 4)
In this episode we discuss:
The major problem with Wim Hoff breathing and an alternative that supports carbon dioxide production
Why using thyroid, caffeine, and other metabolic stimulants can increase or decrease carbon dioxide production depending on the context
Why burning carbs leads to more than a 50% increase in carbon dioxide production relative to fat-burning
How PUFA consumption decreases carbon dioxide production
The best carbohydrate sources to oppose stress and support carbon dioxide production
Sign up for the Free Energy Balance Mini-Course here: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy
Click here to check out the show notes: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-59-how-to-increase-carbon-dioxide-and-minimize-lactate-oxygenation-swelling-and-ph-balance-part-4/
Timestamps:
4:20 – energy and the structuring of water as the drivers of health and life and opposition of aging
19:05 – the role of excess lactate and a lack of CO2 in neuropathy and nerve damage in diabetes, glaucoma, and epilepsy
20:18 – how increasing mitochondrial respiration increases carbon dioxide and the importance of using carbohydrates as a fuel instead of fat when it comes to carbon dioxide production
23:16 – how PUFA consumption decreases carbon dioxide production
27:43 – how thyroid, caffeine, and B vitamins can increase carbon dioxide production
29:56 – the problem with Wim Hoff breathing and alternatives that increase carbon dioxide production, including bag breathing and Buteyko breathing
39:57 – carbohydrate sources to oppose stress and support carbon dioxide production
43:48 – other considerations regarding Buteyko, other breathing techniques, and the double-edged sword of prometabolic supplements