Ultra-processed foods harm people’s health and have ramifications for the overall health of the planet. While some food processing is necessary for recipes and feeding the globe, the food industry needs to make changes to ensure that processing doesn’t turn foods into harmful substances. Dr. Tim Harlan and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss the harmful ingredients in ultra-processed foods and how they impact metabolic health—as well as why the food industry has a moral obligation to make drastic changes. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl 🎙 What Tim Harlan, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss: (06:17) — Nutrition science over the last decade has made strides, but the food industry lags behind (08:57) — Food can be medicine, but it can also be poison (14:03) — The NOVA system classifies foods by their level of processing (23:16) — DATEM is an example of processing (24:03) — Emulsifiers potentially harm the gastrointestinal tract (28:17) — Sugar harms the liver, which can lead to metabolic disease (37:01) — In the United States, people tend to consume too much omega-6 fatty acids (43:48) — The food industry can find ways to make ultra-processed foods safer (46:26) — Supply-chain changes are another piece of the equation (47:43) — Multinational companies have a moral obligation Transcripts & Show notes 👋 WHO WE ARE: Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/I259F6VsHqU Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/ Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD

Why are we craving food more than ever, and how do we overcome it? Mark Schatzker, journalist and author of The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well, chats with Dr. Casey Means about the dangers of food cravings. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl 🎙 What Mark Schatzker & Dr. Casey Means discuss: (04:08) - How our brain defines cravings (08:55) - Our brain controls our body weight (20:28) - How evolution taught us to respond to uncertainty (27:11) - An experiment with gerbils (36:11) - The difference between American and Italian diet (56:35) - Eat food that tastes what it really is (57:03) - The hedonic therapy (1:14:33) - Cooking is an essential skill (1:15:00) - Get vitamins from food (1:20:11) - Fixing a relationship with sweet food Transcript & Show notes 👋 WHO WE ARE: Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life. 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/tJGFYL289q0 Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drcaseyskitchen Connect with Mark Schatzker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkSchatzker

Biosensing offers people real-time insight into their health status. Regular insight, rather than one-time results at an annual checkup, helps people assess how lifestyle factors are impacting their health, whether they need to make adjustments, and which adjustments might have the most impact. Michael Dubrovsky and Josh Clemente discuss the value of biosensing and how it has the potential to disrupt the healthcare industry, shifting from a diagnose-and-treat approach to a preventive and actionable approach. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl 🎙 What Michael Dubrovsky & Josh Clemente discuss: (5:27) — Why biosensing is important (9:03) — Biosensing is beneficial for turning info into action (14:39) — Annual blood tests are levels from one snapshot in time (24:05) — Measuring a few biomarkers can provide a high amount of data (38:40)— Focusing on prevention is helping to disrupt the US healthcare industry (41:47) — Biosensing can empower people to take control of their health (43:03) — Successfully addressing a health issue involves more than the annual blood draw (46:00) — Biosensing can help elucidate valuable associations (49:58) — Why the future of medicine will focus on the individual (52:14) — Biosensing data from individuals may lead to better solutions for the public (1:07:06) — Biosensing can increase the value of healthcare Transcripts & Show notes Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/zTbxXGisj9M Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Michael Dubrovsky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeDubrovsky

We often think that arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, and degenerative joint issues are an inevitable result of aging—but this is far from the truth. Good metabolic health can have significant positive effects on bones, muscles, and joints, and can improve longevity. Conversely, poor metabolic health accelerates the degeneration of joints and tissues for many reasons, like the impact of high uric acid levels, lipid or cholesterol deposits, chronic inflammation, and poor blood flow to tissues. Surgeon Dr. Howard Luks and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means discuss musculoskeletal health, how it is related to longevity, how it’s linked to metabolic health, and how to decrease your risks for musculoskeletal pain, degenerative joint issues, and surgery. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Dr. Howard Luks & Dr. Casey Means discuss:  (05:14) - Dr. Casey Means’ personal experience with an orthopedic injury (12:09) - The link between joint and metabolic health (18:19) - Maintaining activity may help improve musculoskeletal health despite osteoarthritic pain (27:53) - Cartilage cells, tendinopathy, and how metabolic health is linked to our tendon health, like with tennis elbow or shoulder pain (37:04) - The importance of blood flow and cellular repair (46:58) - The importance of being your best medical advocate in modern medicine (50:09) - How Dr. Luks started learning about metabolic health and wrote his book, Longevity Simplified (1:02:49) - The simple pillars of longevity (1:24:56) - Why you don't need to be concerned about osteoarthritis (1:32:00) - Trust your body by boosting its regenerative capabilities ⁠Transcripts & Show notes⁠ 🔗 Helpful links: Order "Longevity…Simplified" by Dr. Howard Luks: ⁠https://www.howardluksmd.com/book/ Watch the conversation: ⁠https://youtu.be/XbjORE6D8UA⁠ Find us on YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 CONNECT: Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/hjluks1⁠  Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/hjluks⁠  Connect with Dr. Howard Luks on LinkedIn: ⁠https://linkedin.com/in/howardluksmd⁠  Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen⁠  Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchen⁠  Connect with Dr. Casey Means on LinkedIn: ⁠https://linkedin.com/in/casey-means-md⁠

Fructose and its byproduct uric acid may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, thanks to an evolutionary adaptation hijacked by the modern diet. Fructose can be directly consumed, or the body can convert high-glycemic carbohydrates and other foods to fructose. Fructose suppresses some cognitive functions. Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss a new study, of which Johnson was an author, on how fructose may be a potential driver in Alzheimer’s, and they hypothesize about fructose’s potential connection to the development of other conditions. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl 🎙 What Richard Johnson, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss: (09:50) — Fructose is the driver of some diseases that are on the rise in kids (11:53) — Fructose is a driver of obesity and metabolic syndrome (15:36) — Pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease aren’t as effective as researchers had hoped (17:32)— The research focus of Alzheimer’s is slowly shifting to understanding insulin resistance in the brain (20:41) — Is fructose a root cause of Alzheimer’s? (26:26) — New research suggests fructose induces a foraging response (28:20) — Fructose inhibits areas of the brain to encourage successful foraging (46:48) — We need more research on fructose (1:03:10) —Is fructose a factor in violence? Transcripts & Show notes Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 👋 WHO WE ARE: Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life. 🔗 LINKS: Could Alzheimer’s disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523000047?dgcid=author Subscribe here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 CONNECT: Connect with Richard Johnson, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrichardjjohnson/ Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/

The elevation of uric acid in the body is a causative mechanism in the development of metabolic diseases and contributes to weight gain and fat production. Uric acid is one of the key links between obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic diseases like dementia, ADHD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Dr. David Perlmutter talks with Dr. Casey Means about why we have excess uric acid, what foods cause uric acid production, and what simple steps we can take to lower our uric acid levels to be optimal. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠ They also cover: How uric acid causes cellular dysfunction and insulin resistance, including oxidative stress, and inflammation, and even prevents insulin from getting out of the bloodstream effectively. Why uric acid would have benefitted us evolutionarily in terms of low access to food and water by letting us more easily pack on weight and raise blood pressure—but how that fights against us today because we now live in an evolutionary-environmental mismatch where this survival mechanism hurts us in the face of caloric abundance. The different dietary and environmental factors that generate uric acid, including fructose, purine-rich foods and umami foods, dehydration, alcohol, and more. How uric acid impairs our hunger signals, drives us to eat, and even promotes risk-taking behavior. How to reverse high uric acid levels as a way to unlock optimal health. 🎙 What Dr. David Perlmutter & Dr. Casey Means discuss: (04:23) - More than just gout (06:17) - A causative role (08:54) - The number one cause of death (16:35) - Evolutionary environmental mismatch (18:08) - High fructose corn syrup (23:39) - The dangers of uric acid (24:49) - Uric acid and dementia (31:44) - Too much fructose (42:43) - Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk (01:04:29) - No need to eat sugar Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6jPCcFNa8 Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen Connect with David Perlmutter, MD on Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidperlmutter Connect with David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidPerlmutter Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-perlmutter-md-6a38b930

Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic condition, such as Type 1 diabetes, can be life-changing. A diagnosis is helpful for understanding the cause of symptoms and how to treat, but managing a chronic condition can take a toll on mental health. Tools like a continuous glucose monitor can help empower people and ease the burden of constant care. Jesse Lavine and Ben Grynol discuss the challenges of managing Type 1 diabetes, how Lavine’s diagnosis with Type 1 impacted him, how CGM helped Lavine not only manage the condition but also thrive with it, and how the medical system needs to change to help patients dial in optimal instead of just adequate health. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl ⁠ Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Jesse Lavine & Ben Grynol discuss: (03:39) — A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes (06:28) — Getting diagnosed with a chronic condition can life-changing (14:18) — Wearing a CGM helped Lavine reduce his insulin intake (26:04) — Having real-time insight into how foods affect your condition and your body (29:47) — Type 1 diabetes does not have to hold you back (35:18) — The current medical system isn’t necessarily set up to empower patients (37:08) — A CGM offers constant feedback that can be used to manage Type 1 diabetes (38:13) — The benefits of having stable blood sugar (41:25)— Managing a chronic condition can lead to medical system burnout (44:59) — Considering the mental health aspects of managing a condition Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

A metabolic blood test and cholesterol panel can be confusing, so in this ultimate guide, our Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Casey Means talks with Levels advisor and author of Metabolical to give you advice on how to interpret your panels to better understand the status of your metabolic health. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnl This episode does not constitute medical advice. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Dr. Rob Lustig and Levels’ Dr. Casey Means discuss: (03:18) - Understanding cholesterol (03:38) - The correlation between LDL and heart disease (05:59) - The connection between LDL and triglycerides (07:51) - Good cholesterol (16:39) - Measuring LDL (28:50) - Portal systems in the body (42:00) - The importance of liver function tests (50:27) - How to reduce liver fat Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/C3rsNCFNAw8 The ultimate guide to understanding your cholesterol panel and metabolic blood tests: https://levelshealth.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-your-cholesterol-panel-and-metabolic-blood-tests Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchen Connect with Casey on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen Connect with Rob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD Connect with Rob on Instagram: https://instagram.com/robertlustigmd

How does pregnancy affect your metabolic health at each trimester, from conception to postpartum lactation? Levels Research Design Lead Dr. Azure Grant talks with Ben Grynol about the different phases of pregnancy and how it affects hormones and things you can do to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Azure Grant, PhD, & Ben Grynol discuss: (04:46) — Worsening or poor metabolic health can impact fertility (06:15) — Age increases one’s risk of pregnancy complications, including those related to metabolic health (13:53) — Every system in the body must adapt in response to pregnancy (18:12) — Insulin resistance naturally occurs during pregnancy (23:53) — The trajectory of glucose levels during pregnancy follows a U-shape (28:33) — Can focusing on metabolic health during pregnancy reduce fatigue? (39:44) — Gestational diabetes can lead to complications for both the birthing parent and their child (41:31) — The importance of monitoring for and treating gestational diabetes (43:56) — Parental health is paramount to child health (51:28) — Continuous glucose monitoring during pregnancy could be helpful (57:03) — Metabolic health is an important factor in family planning and beyond Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin’s signal to uptake glucose. It’s a hallmark of prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic dysfunction, and it manifests as several chronic disease, ranging from Alzheimer’s to polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the importance of monitoring insulin levels, why a high or increasing insulin level is a problem, and how insulin resistance hinders weight management. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Rob Lustig, MD, & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss: (03:57) — What is insulin? (06:55) — What is insulin resistance? (18:00) — There are three types of insulin resistance (38:00) — Weight management is not about calories in and calories out (45:53) — Adding more insulin to the equation of Type 2 diabetes isn’t necessarily the answer (51:20) — Insulin is a crucial biomarker to measure for metabolic health (53:58) — Insulin resistance is a hinderance to weight management (57:07) — The intake of too much leucine can lead to insulin resistance (1:02:04) — Fiber feeds the gut microbiome and is crucial for metabolic health (1:13:11) — Is intermittent fasting necessary? Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/dFOaBrujDHo Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/ Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/ Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicDAgosti2