Ep. 169 – Why Should You Care About Your Metabolic Health? Empowering a Deep Understanding of Our Bodies with Dr. Casey Means

Dr. Casey Means on Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow

I am delighted today to be interviewing Dr. Casey Means! She is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of the metabolic health company Levels, an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, and a Lecturer at Stanford University. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tools that can help facilitate a deep understanding of our bodies and inform personalized and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Dr. Means was recently featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more.

Dr. Means has an interesting story to tell. She trained as a surgeon and an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Her interest in the impact of diet, lifestyle, and nutrition on people’s foundational health started at a relatively young age. She began focusing on nutrigenomics when she was still an undergraduate student at Stanford. It was an exciting time at Stanford because the human genome project was happening, and 23andMe was going online. She enjoyed learning about the correlation between nutritional compounds and gene expression and finding out that our genes are a blueprint and not our destiny.

Dr. Means is joining me today to talk about metabolic dysfunction and using continuous glucose monitors for facilitating your personalized diet. Stay tuned to find out more!

Ep. 168 – What To Do About Insulin Resistance Disorders (and the Role that Digestion Plays) with Dr. Benjamin Bikman

I am delighted to have Dr. Benjamin Bikman back on the podcast today! He was with us once before in Episode 114, where he spoke about the role of insulin resistance, metabolic health, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ben is the author of a book I frequently recommend, called Why We Get Sick.

It can be quite challenging for many women to maintain a healthy weight and good metabolic health after about forty years of age. Just about all of our fat cells are made during childhood and puberty, and when we reach our sixties or seventies, the number of our fat cells starts to decline. Insulin plays a vital role in how fat cells can change and respond to sex hormones. In this episode, Dr. Ben talks about insulin, fat cells, and sex hormones in women. Stay tuned for more!

Benjamin Bikman earned his Ph.D. in Bioenergetics and was a postdoctoral fellow with the Duke-National University of Singapore in metabolic disorders. Currently, his professional focus as a scientist and associate professor (Brigham Young University) is to better understand the role of elevated insulin in regulating obesity and diabetes, including the relevance of ketones in mitochondrial function.

Ep. 167 – Let’s Talk About Human Optimization: It Starts with Improving Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Jaime Seeman

Dr. Jaime Seeman on Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow

I am excited to have the total badass, Dr. Jaime Seeman, joining me as my guest for today’s show! In addition to being an integrative medicine OB-GYN, a wife, and a mom, Dr. Seeman is on the Titan Games and was crowned Mrs. Nebraska in 2020!

Dr. Seeman was infatuated with the human body while growing up, so her mom, who was her role model, encouraged her to become a doctor. After getting a degree in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Dr. Seeman went on to graduate medical school, where she completed her OB-GYN residency.

Dr. Seeman is challenging some of the more common notions about women’s health issues. In this episode, she talks about PCOS, overcoming insulin resistance, improving your metabolic health, hormone replacement therapy, postmenopausal bone health, and gaining control of your life with good nutrition. Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 166 – How to Maintain a Healthier Thyroid: Interesting Thyroid Physiology Health & Preventative Care with Dr. Eric Balcavage

I am delighted to have Dr. Eric Balcavage back on the show with us today! He appeared on the podcast once before, in Episode 105, where he spoke about thyroid physiology and chronic illness. Due to the enormous demand, we invited him to join us on the podcast once again to talk about thyroid function.

Dr. Eric is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He is also the co-host of Thyroid Answers Podcast, where he focuses on answering the pressing questions of those suffering from chronic hypothyroidism symptoms. He recently co-authored a book called Thyroid Debacle.

In this episode, Dr. Eric and I take a deeper dive into thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, and chronic illnesses. We talk about the signs and symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism, fat malabsorption, and the use of synthetic versus non-synthetic thyroid medications. We also discuss why people can have lab values suggestive of them being persistently hypothyroid despite their use of escalating doses of medications. Stay tuned today to learn what stops the thyroid from functioning optimally and find out what you can do to maintain a healthier thyroid.

Ep. 165 – A Fresh Perspective On Menopause & Fitness: The Importance of Listening to Your Body with Debra Atkinson

I am thrilled to have the Menopause Fitness Expert, Debra Atkinson, joining me today! Debra is the bestselling author of You Still Got It, Girl and Hot, Not Bothered. She is also the host of the Flipping 50 podcast with over 1 million downloads and the TEDx talk Everything Women in Menopause Learned About Exercise May Be a Lie. Debra is a 37-year fitness expert, prior Senior Lecturer in Kinesiology, and founder of Flipping 50, the first and only online fitness membership dedicated exclusively to women in menopause.

There is a common misconception that everyone should exercise in the same way. People tend to believe that because many authorities in the fitness industry are still operating on guidelines and position statements that view men and women of all ages as a collective. In reality, no one fits the norm. Women in menopause might not even be in the same place right now as they were six months ago, or where they will be, three to six months from now. Stay tuned today to get Debra’s insightful recommendations for navigating where you are and selecting a diet and exercise strategy to suit you as an individual.

Ep. 164 – Digest Some Of The Scientific Findings Between Nutrient Deficiency And Mental Health: It’s Time to Upgrade Your Diet with Junaid Kalmadi

Junaid Ka on the Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlowlmadi

Today, I am excited to welcome Junaid Kalmadi as my guest! Junaid is the founder & CEO of Farmers Juice, which delivers organic cold-pressed juices and wellness shots, including keto-friendly options, at nearly half the cost of a juice shop. The juice stays fresh for thirty days, using an innovative technology called HPP.

Farmers Juice has developed the world’s first keto-friendly and functional green juice line that includes adaptogens, antioxidants, and mushrooms to boost focus, calm, and athletic performance. Their mission is to make the highest quality cold-pressed juicing affordable, support the human rights of 2.4 million farmers in the US, and champion the next generation of farming with regenerative agriculture. Stay tuned today to hear about Junaid’s journey, and learn how to upgrade your diet by incorporating cold-pressed juices into your lifestyle.

Ep. 163 – Meet the Internationally-Recognized, Anti-Aging Researcher with a Passion for Detecting and Preventing Age-Related Conditions with Dr. Gil Blander

Dr. il Blander on Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow

I am delighted to have Dr. Gil Blander, an internationally recognized anti-aging researcher, joining me on the show today! Gil has a background in the basic biology of aging and translating his discoveries into new ways of detecting and preventing age-related conditions. He received a Ph.D. in biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. He has been featured In CNN Money, The New York Times, Forbes, The Financial Times, and The Boston Globe.

There are many connections between Gil’s childhood in Israel and his quest for longevity. One of his relatives passed away when he was twelve years old. When that happened, Gil realized that he would not live forever. It worried him, and that concern stimulated his interest in longevity and aging and prompted him to study biology, do a Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science, spend five years at MIT in the best lab to study aging, and found InsideTracker. Listen in today to find out all you need to know about the lifestyle choices that will promote anti-aging and longevity.

Ep. 162 – Learn More About Blood Sugar And Intermittent Fasting: A Look at the Science of Dieting With Melanie Avalon

Melanie Avalon on The Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow

Today, the amazing, smart, and talented Melanie Avalon joins me once again! Melanie is a SAG-AFTRA actress, author of What When Wine: Lose Weight and Feel Great with Paleo-Style Meals, Intermittent Fasting, and Wine, host of the top iTunes podcasts The Melanie Avalon Biohacking Podcast, and The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Gin Stephens, and she has appeared on this podcast twice before. Melanie is certified as a wine specialist by the WSET and as a holistic nutritionist by the AFPA. She is also a member of MENSA. Melanie developed the top iTunes app, “Food Sense Guide”, to help those with food sensitivities, and she currently runs three rapidly growing Facebook groups.

A few months ago, Melanie and I had a long conversation and decided to do two episodes at the same time. The first was Episode 143, which aired in April. In that episode, we focused on biohacking, for which Melanie is well-known. For today’s episode, we pivot and focus on blood sugar dysregulation. Melanie and I will bring you up to speed with everything you need to know about managing your blood sugar, tapping into the intrinsic hormonal regulation in your body, and ensuring that your blood sugar is well supported. Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 161 – The Nutritional Battlefield & Debunking Chronic Diseases: How Most Food Has Become Poison with Dr. Robert Lustig

Dr. Robert Lustig on the Everyday Wellness Podcast with Cynthia Thurlow

I am happy to have Dr. Robert Lustig joining me today! He is an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry. Dr. Lustig graduated from MIT in 1976 and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980. He also received his Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) degree at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2013. He is the author of the popular books Fat Chance (2012), The Hacking of the American Mind (2017), and the recently-released book Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine.

Ep. 160 – The Power Of Behavior-Centric Health & Wellness: Trade-Offs for a Long and Happy Life with Jon Levy

The pandemic has changed so much for so many of us. Our children are growing up facing unforeseen challenges, and many of us feel uncertain and fearful about what lies ahead. Human beings were never meant to be alone. Yet today, people are suffering from social isolation, a lack of contact, and not touching or connecting physically with anyone.

I am happy to have Jon Levy joining me as my guest for today! Jon is a behavioral scientist best known for his work in influencing, human connection, and decision making. More than a decade ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives, to artists, musicians, and even the occasional princess. With thousands of members, Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide.