Transform Your Health by Improving Metabolism, Hormone & Blood Sugar Regulation | Dr. Casey Means

Andrew Huberman

May 6, 2024

Episode description

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Casey Means, MD, a physician trained at Stanford University School of Medicine, an expert on metabolic health and the author of the book, "Good Energy." We discuss how to leverage nutrition, exercise and environmental factors to enhance your metabolic health by improving mitochondrial function, hormone and blood sugar regulation.

We also explore how fasting, deliberate cold exposure and spending time in nature can impact metabolic health, how to control food cravings and how to assess your metabolic health using blood testing, continuous glucose monitors and other tools.

Metabolic dysfunction is a leading cause of chronic disease, obesity and reduced lifespan around the world. Conversely, improving your mitochondrial and metabolic health can positively affect your health span and longevity.

Listeners of this episode will learn low- and zero-cost tools to improve their metabolic health, physical and mental well-being, body composition and target the root cause of various common diseases.

Read the full show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources: https://go.hubermanlab.com/nFNXu30

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*Dr. Casey Means*
Website: https://www.caseymeans.com
Good Energy (book): https://amzn.to/4b1RoRH
Newsletter: https://www.caseymeans.com/newsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen
X: https://twitter.com/CaseyMeansMD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaseyMeansMD
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caseymeansmd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CaseyMeansMD
Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-means-md

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Dr. Casey Means
00:02:18 Sponsors: Maui Nui, Eight Sleep & AeroPress
00:06:32 Metabolism, Metabolic Dysfunction, Medicinal Blindspot
00:14:17 Trifecta of Bad Energy
00:24:02 Western Living, United States, Specialization & Medicine
00:27:57 Insulin Resistance, Tool: Mitochondrial Capacity & Exercise
00:33:33 Sponsor: AG1
00:35:03 Tools: Walking & Glucose; Frequent Movement
00:44:25 Tools: Exercises to Improve Mitochondrial Capacity; Desk Treadmill
00:51:18 Soleus Push-Ups & Fidgeting, Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
00:57:14 Sponsor: InsideTracker
00:58:21 Tool: Blood Test Biomarkers, Vital Signs & Mitochondrial Function
01:11:16 Navigate Medical System & Blood Tests, Consumer Lab Testing
01:16:46 Tool: Environmental Factors; Food, Life as a Process
01:21:58 Tool: Ultra-Processed vs. Real Food, Obesity, Soil & Micronutrients
01:32:03 Ultra-Processed Foods: Brain & Cellular Confusion
01:39:10 Tools: Control Cravings, GLP-1 Production, Microbiome Support
01:51:42 Ozempic, GLP-1 Analogs; Root Cause & Medicine
02:00:54 Tool: Deliberate Cold & Heat Exposure, Brown Fat
02:07:27 Tool: Intermittent Fasting & Metabolic Flexibility; Insulin Sensitivity
02:17:03 Tool: Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) & Awareness, Glucose Spikes
02:24:34 Tool: CGMs, Glycemic Variability, Dawn Effect, Individuality
02:33:10 Sleep; Continuous Monitoring & Biomarkers
02:37:39 Mindset & Safety, Stress & Cell Danger Response
02:44:04 Tool: Being in Nature, Sunlight, Fear
02:54:44 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #Health #MetabolicHealth

Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Incorporate under-desk treadmill for fat loss and lean mass gain

A study showed that using an under-desk treadmill at a slow speed for 2.5 hours a day resulted in significant fat loss and lean mass gain in just two weeks.

#exercise

Address bad energy trifecta to combat chronic diseases

Most chronic diseases stem from a trifecta of mitochondrial dysfunction (rolling blackouts), chronic inflammation (biochemical fear), and oxidative stress (wildfires).

#mitochondria

#oxidative-stress

Address healthcare silos to improve health outcomes

The modern healthcare system's focus on specializing in downstream symptoms, rather than the root cause of metabolic dysfunction, is a fundamental reason why health outcomes are worsening.

#healthcare

#metabolism

Reconnect with nature to enhance metabolic health

The average American spends a staggering 93.7% of their time indoors, disconnecting us from natural signals like light and temperature that are crucial for metabolic health.

#environment

#metabolism

Incorporate spinach daily to enhance GLP-1 secretion

Research shows that eating about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of spinach daily can significantly increase the secretion of the satiety hormone GLP-1, due to its thylakoid content.

#GLP1

#spinach

Boost GLP-1 naturally with specific foods

You can naturally increase GLP-1, the hormone targeted by drugs like Ozempic, by eating specific foods like spinach (for thylakoids), fiber, and protein, and inhibiting its breakdown with foods like black beans and oregano.

#GLP1

#nutrition

Limit ultra-processed food to control overeating

An NIH study where people had unlimited food access found they automatically ate 500 more calories per day when the food was ultra-processed compared to when it was unprocessed.

#nutrition

#processed-food

Prioritize frequent movement over single intense workouts for better glucose control

Moving for just one to two minutes every 30 minutes is biochemically superior for all-day glucose control than doing a single, intense one-hour workout and sitting the rest of the day.