88% suffer from metabolic syndrome

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🩺 Ask Doctor Hansen:
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Hippocrates was a Greek physician and philosopher from 400 BC, widely regarded as the father of medicine and for the physician’s mantra of “First do no harm," as well as“ The greatest medicine of all is teaching people not to need it.”

More and more studies are confirming this to be accurate and underscoring the importance of nutrition and exercise and their role in preventing diseases and optimizing physical and mental health. So that might not exactly be news to you. But the studies are also honing in on the EXACT foods we should be eating and WHY we should be eating them.

With that said, there are a ton of misconceptions and misinformation that persists in this field, particularly about what constitutes a healthy diet. When there is so much deception out there, so much information that contradicts itself, fats are bad, fats are good, carbs are bad, carbs are good, and so on….what ends up happening is many people have unhealthy eating habits, even when they’re TRYING to eat healthily, or THINK they’re eating healthy. Also, the nutrient content of the food is not on most people’s minds. Neither is what’s been DONE to the food.

Many critical factors go into your decision-making process when deciding on what you put in your stomach. How accessible or convenient is it? What does it cost? Is it acceptable to the society you live in? Is it familiar to you? Do you know how to cook it? Does it taste good?
And last but not least, how much time does it take? Ultimately, unhealthy eating habits lead to chronic inflammation and chronic disease, and people simply do not feel their best. In the short term, unhealthy food makes you feel lethargic. It leads to things like metabolic syndrome, which goes hand-in-hand with diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, obesity, HEART disease, even dementia, and some types of cancer!

It’s estimated that 88% of the US adult population is metabolically ill! The VAST majority of adults are metabolically sick. And maybe someone who is not overweight thinks to themselves, “well, that doesn’t apply to me because I’m not overweight.” But that’s not necessarily the case because there is something called thin on the outside, fat on the inside, and they are, in fact, metabolically ill. Why are so many people sick metabolically? Metabolic syndrome develops as insulin resistance increases, which happens when we eat unhealthy food. Yes, exercise plays a role, but not to the extent of nutrition. Unhealthy eating leads to fat being deposited in places that don’t belong, like the liver, and inside muscles.

But what are healthy and unhealthy eating? And how do we know if it’s truly healthy or not? To answer that, we have to one, define what nutrition is, two, understand how nutrition studies are conducted, and three, how to interpret a study. That’s how we get to the truth.

Nutrition is a term that refers to the nutrients and foods they occur in, how the food is ingested, absorbed, and used in the body, and its effects on the body. Nutrients are categorized as macronutrients, micronutrients, fiber, and water. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which provide energy to the body, and are required in RELATIVELY large amounts. Their intake and expenditure are measured in terms of calories, which are units of energy. In comparison, micronutrients are needed in much SMALLER amounts. We’re talking about vitamins and minerals required by the body. They don’t provide power but are usually necessary for metabolic processes related to the body’s use of macronutrients. They also serve many other roles that are essential for normal body function.

Fiber is not absorbed, so fiber is technically not classified as a nutrient, but it’s SUPER important for gut health and overall health. Both soluble and insoluble fiber. Macronutrients are typically highly bioavailable, meaning a large proportion of the nutrient is absorbed during digestion. On the other hand, micronutrients have much more variable bioavailability that depends on many factors.

Doctor Mike Hansen, MD
Internal Medicine | Pulmonary Disease | Critical Care Medicine

[DoctorMikeHansen]

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[piecesofwoodpieceofrope]

Yes! We need more doctors discussing health and nutrition. Too much emphasis on drugs and surgery. Keep it coming.

[michaelmerenda]

You are saving lives Dr. Hansen thank you for bringing a certain standard of education to the public. We aren't getting it in our schools.

[richardmonson]

I’ve been on Keto for over 4 years. I lost 45 pounds and have kept it off and no longer take blood pressure medicine. But the most favorable thing about keto is that my joint no longer ache due to inflation. I just feel better day in and day out and. Metabolic panel is much improved.

[fabienneroure]

Thank you Dr Mike for this great video! I eat a Mediterranean diet, my father is from Provence and my mother from Greece, therefore we cook a lot from scratch! I do eat " junk food " once in awhile.I exercice in moderation and don't look almost 60 years old (next month)! Take care and best wishes!😘❤

[Stephanie-bhwq]

Dr. Hansen, as a nursing student going into healthcare I must say that this video is very informative yet digestible. Great content! Subscribed!

[patriciap.]

My husband recently went to an old Polish bakery for some Ryebread. There had to be about eight people in the bakery and they all had huge boxes of donuts and no one had bought bread. By the way, they were all overweight. I have been cooking from scratch since 14 years old when my parents taught me how to put out old-fashioned meals that were full of vegetables and not just meat. I’m still cooking that way, and I’m in my 70s. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, are my go to foods before anything else. Thanks for listening.

[DannerPlace]

You have a real gift for over-complicating things.

[soulie]

I grew up in a region where everybody seems to have a small vegetable garden and/ or fruit orchard. Mediterranean Diet, eating seasonal natural food, sugar only on special occasion, taking time for and planing your meals /not eating „on the go“ is my mantra. My doctor is always pleasantly surprised with my blood work ! Thank you for the video!

[SusanChinnery]

I have exercised all my life. Started putting on weight post menopause (I am 62) High familial cholesterol since I was 32. Switched to low carb, around 50g a day, intermittent fasting 16/8 and two meals a day. I have lost 10kg, am the lowest weight I have been since my 30's and my cholesterol is the lowest its been in years.

[murphydtx]

Dr. Mike
Glad that you are pivoting to this area of health

[danpictish]

Good on you Dr. Mike. Good news and greetings from Scotland!

[MsBerries]

You are the only person who explained macro and micronutrients in a way I understood immediately. Thank you Doc 🙏🏾

[skinnydee]

Dr. Mike Hansen,
Thank you so much for taking the time off your busy schedule to make this wonderful video; very knowledgeable and well explained! These are the kind of things that should be taught at Grade/Elementary schools; this subject should be compulsory!
Thanks again and God bless🙏🌹

[lotuspocus]

I found you for a reason.
I feel like many suffer indeed from this. And food is the key indeed.
Thank you. 🎀

[RandomJane]

Knock the keto "fad" if you want but it's helped me kick the processed foods and sugar and has been sustainable for 4 years.

People call it unhealthy but I've kept off 20+ pounds for all of that time and my blood work and blood pressure are all good now and I feel better. No diet ever worked for me. All whole foods in moderation doesn't work for everyone. Some of us do need to avoid regularly eating fruits, grains, and starchy vegetables/beans.

[jjwebster]

I read somewhere, years ago, that you should always read the list of ingredients on the packet. If there's any word that you can't pronounce or don't know what it is, then don't buy it because it means it's been processed and got non food chemicals in it.

I've followed that advice over the years and ended up with a very similar diet to the one he describes. 😊

[vivianrios]

We missed you and Dr. Mike, and your health news. 😃☺️🙏🏼

[truvelocity]

I eat plant based. I eat an increase in protein based plant foods and supplement. The same rules apply as with meat, in that, you have to know “what” to eat. Many overweight vegans exist, because they too, fall into eating processed foods and they think they’re eating healthy.

[robinlynn]

Doc Mike. You look good and healthy. Going to follow your recommendations. It’s been a long two years and just wanted to thank you for getting us through a very difficult time. Hugs!!