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

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.

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Dr. Casey Means

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

[kimjames]

Hands-down, one of the best podcasts you’ve done. This woman is brilliant! her ability articulate is mind blowing. On a dime.

[MoonDesignDev]

TLDR - Actionable Insights

1. Exercise:
--Type of Exercise: Mix endurance exercises (e.g., running, cycling), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and resistance training.
--Frequency and Duration: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.

2. Diet and Nutrition:
--Food Timing: Implement time-restricted eating within a 10-12 hour window daily.
--Food Quality: Focus on whole foods rich in micronutrients like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Include omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols in your diet. Examples: berries, turmeric, and green tea.

3. Micronutrients for Mitochondrial Health:
--Coenzyme Q10: Found in meat, fish, nuts, and some fruits/vegetables.
--Magnesium: Critical for ATP production, available in leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

4. Sleep:
--Consistency: Maintain the same bedtime and waking time daily.
--Environment: Keep the sleep environment cool, dark, and quiet.

5. Stress Management:
--Regular Breaks: Take short breaks throughout the day to reduce stress and prevent burnout.

6. Regular Health Checks:
--Blood Tests: Monitor blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels regularly.
--Professional Advice: Consult healthcare providers to interpret tests and adjust lifestyle choices.

7. Environmental Adjustments:
--Reduce Toxin Exposure: Limit exposure to synthetic chemicals in processed foods, personal care products, and cleaners.
--Increase Nature Exposure: Spend daily time outdoors to benefit from natural light and reduce stress.

[jjuniper]

After my last pregnancy, I was finding it hard to get a full hour or more workout with a young family and full-time job, so I busted it up into 10-minute bites throughout the day. 10 minutes, 5 times a day, and I ate sensibly.

I had a slow, gradual loss. I lost 60# in 18 months.

[cherryblossomings]

This might be my new favorite episode to date. Dr. Means’ perfect articulation of ‘going back to nature’ left my jaw on the ground! So incredibly inspiring and articulate.

[EvgeniiaDolinenko]

Dr Casey is a real doctor with real desire to help people. Not very common in our world.

[barrygamble]

If the world needs a wake up call on the state of the human race, this episode is the one that hits the mark. Thank you Casey and Andrew for your continued work.

[wellnesspsychotherapist]

The last 30 minutes is EVERYTHING! Hearing from a physician how childhood trauma, the importance of feeling safe, and the relationship between control, fear and perceived “threat” changes metabolic functioning… “trauma and fears of 8 billion people… our cells are responding to those threats” All related to our fear of death and our bodies, minds and spirits needing to adapt our resources to keep us “alive”. So amazing and her advice to be present in nature and outside is key. Thanks so much for interviewing her!

[dakinikiss]

Dr. Casey Means is not just a voice of reason and wisdom, she is a Conscious Spiritual Badass! Fantastic segment!

[hgm]

I was very moved by Dr. Means' final words: 2:44:05 She said beautiful and very important things! Spending more time outdoors as an antidote to existential fear and to regain awareness that we are one with the environment: "we're a process not an entity".

[alexekeli]

Got goosebumps during that last part.
Truly a woman of Knowledge on a mission to heal what is broken in this world.
Thank you!!

[sophie.v.]

Took me a few days to finish listening to the full episode. BUT this is absolutely golden! I hope this gets millions and millions of views!

[MsLeslieMV]

Awesome discussion. I wish the final 15min about fear, mortality, abundance, western vs. eastern, awe in nature and cycles, (and the impacts on personal metabolic health AND the American healthcare system) was another HOUR - this isn't discussed enough.

[tylerbeck]

If anyone lives in MI or OH and needs a physician to order these tests, I'm your guy! This work is literally the reason I get out of bed in the morning. Thank you both for the wonderful, life saving, information!

[Edvenchers]

That “back to nature” stuff at the end was pure gold.

[stephenwalters]

This was fantastic. Took me 3 days to finish it, but it was so rich with insight, and Dr. Casey is incredibly lucid and wholistic. This should be the first podcast everyone should pay attention to. Well done guys.

[eloiselovesdevi]

Dr H this has been hands-down one of your most interesting and important podcasts. Everything hangs on metabolism, all we do, all protocols are just there to optimize metabolism.

[Sniper]

Love listening to Dr. Casey Means. She’s so passionate about helping people make a positive change in their health.

[geddytwelve]

This conversation confirms an intuition I had while listening to Christopher Palmer's book.

As he was describing the bidirectional relationship between not just all mental health conditions, but also mental health conditions AND physical conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, it dawned on me that he was actually pitching a unifying theory of ALL chronic health conditions.

I am SO glad we're starting to figure this all out!

[johanneshi]

My favorite episode so far. Thank you, Dr. Huberman and Dr. Means.

[HeatherMacDonald-wmer]

This is so damn good!! As someone who has struggled with obesity all my adult life and is currently taking a GLP-1 medication, I am motivated to drop it and try the things mentioned here to increase GLP-1 naturally. Walking on the treadmill multiple times during the day is golden for me as some who works from home and struggles to get the one longer walk in, this is so much more manageable with my work schedule! THANK YOU both!! Book is on preorder!