Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Nutrition Prescription: Wellness vs Medications
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Titre
Date
Durée
197 Weight-Loss Habits
24 Aug 2026
00:29:32
Free Chapter from my book. Your Plate is Your Fate. Free Chapter
In this episode we fix your weight loss habits to stop the cycle of overeating. Learn why your daily routines matter more than the food on your plate. Many people focus entirely on food choices when trying to manage their weight, but this approach often misses the root cause.
This video breaks down how repetitive behaviors like rushed mornings or uncontrolled nights dictate your eating patterns. If you feel stuck, it is likely because your ingrained daily habits are overriding your dietary goals rather than a need for more medical advice. We examine how to identify specific trigger foods and environmental cues that lead to poor decisions.
By addressing these behavioral patterns, you can build a sustainable healthy eating routine that works for your lifestyle. Understanding these mechanisms is the key to achieving consistent weight loss success without relying on restrictive dieting. Subscribe for weekly habit-building breakdowns to improve your health, and comment below with which daily routine you find hardest to manage.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
196: Dr Robert Kiltz Talks Infertility and Weight Loss
In this episode, Dr. Steve and Theresa talk with Dr. Robert Kiltz, a reproductive endocrinologist, OB-GYN, and founder of CNY Fertility. Dr. Kiltz shares his personal health story, his work with people facing infertility, and why he believes food choices, stress, mindset, and faith all play a role in health.
Dr. Kiltz explains how his own struggles with migraines, digestive issues, arthritis, psoriasis, kidney stones, and depression led him to explore Paleo, keto, and eventually a mostly carnivore way of eating. He discusses his personal "BABE" approach: bacon, eggs, butter, beef, and salt, along with simple meals and periods of fasting.
The conversation explores infertility, the growing number of couples who struggle to conceive, and the importance of asking deeper questions about lifestyle and everyday health habits. Dr. Kiltz shares how he talks with patients about nutrition while also offering conventional fertility care, including testing, medication, surgery, IUI, IVF, and donor options when appropriate.
You will also hear a candid discussion about food freedom, cravings, eating for celebrations without making celebrations an everyday habit, and why lasting health changes require more than a short-term diet. Dr. Kiltz closes with a message to stay curious, ask questions, practice self-love, and approach others with kindness and grace.
Dr. Kiltz's own health journey moved from Paleo to keto to a mostly carnivore lifestyle, which he says helped him feel better and simplify his eating.
He encourages people dealing with infertility to look at the full picture: food, stress, sleep, medications, health history, and available medical fertility treatments.
The goal is not a quick weight-loss fix, but building a long-term way of eating that supports health and gives people more freedom around food.
He believes small exceptions for special celebrations can fit into life, but turning treats into an everyday habit can make it harder to reach health goals.
His final encouragement: be curious, ask better questions, look in the mirror and say "I love you," and treat yourself and others with kindness
Note: This episode includes personal opinions and clinical perspectives on nutrition and fertility. Listeners should speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making major changes to diet, fasting, or medications.
195: Can You Lose Weight Just by Quitting Sugar and Flour
In this episode, Dr. Steve Hulett explains why weight gain and metabolic dysfunction may be driven less by willpower and more by the daily intake of sugar, flour, and ultra-processed foods. He breaks down how glucose and fructose affect insulin, fat storage, triglycerides, inflammation, and blood sugar, and why removing these foods may help the body shift into fat burning.
He also explains how to read ingredient labels more effectively, why total carbohydrates matter more than "added sugar," and why fruit, grains, and starchy foods can still contribute to glucose overload. The episode closes with a practical invitation to clear out the pantry and make food changes that support better energy, clearer thinking, and healthier weight loss.
Flour and sugar may be the hidden drivers of fat storage, hunger, and metabolic dysfunction.
High insulin is presented as the key hormone that prevents fat burning and promotes fat storage.
Fructose is explained as a major contributor to triglycerides, inflammation, gout, and high blood pressure.
Total carbohydrates matter more than added sugar when evaluating packaged foods.
Eliminating ultra-processed foods, along with sugar and flour, is framed as a simple first step toward better health and weight loss.
194: Lifting Heavy Things and Weight Loss with Nick and Branda Thornhill
03 Aug 2026
00:40:46
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Conference where Steve will be speaking Secrets in Healthcare. Use CODE shughlett10 for a discount.
In this episode, Dr. Steve and Theresa sit down with strength coaches Nick and Branda Thornhill to explore why lifting heavy things is one of the most powerful levers for improving metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and long‑term resilience.
They discuss how to get started with resistance training at any age, how to progress safely if you are living with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, and why muscle is critical "health insurance" for the future.
You'll also hear practical tips on programming, recovery, and mindset so you can build strength without living in the gym. Why building and maintaining skeletal muscle is essential for metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and healthy aging, especially for people with or at risk for type 2 diabetes. How to approach "lifting heavy things" safely if you are deconditioned, over 40, or dealing with blood sugar dysregulation, including progression strategies and recovery priorities. Practical guidance on exercise selection, frequency, and intensity so you can get strong in 2–3 focused sessions per week without living in the gym. Common fears and myths about strength training (bulking up, joint damage, age limitations) and how Nick and Branda help clients overcome them. The mindset shift from exercising for calorie burning to training for strength, function, and metabolic flexibility—and how that supports sustainable lifestyle change.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
In this episode, the Dr Steve Hughlett explains that whether exercise helps you lose fat depends on your primary fuel source: glucose or fat. The core message is that high insulin from frequent carbohydrate intake keeps the body in storage mode, while keeping insulin low through low-carb or carnivore-style eating helps the body burn stored fat during exercise.
The episode walks through how the body uses glucose and fat for ATP, how glycogen storage is limited, and how fat stores provide far more available energy. It also argues that when insulin is elevated, the body stores more fat and cannot access its own fat easily; when insulin is low, fat can be released and used for energy more effectively.
A major theme is that exercise becomes a stronger fat-loss tool once the body is adapted to burning fat instead of glucose. The host also encourages lowering carbohydrate intake, using time-restricted eating, and removing ultra-processed foods from the pantry as practical first steps.
Your body can run on either glucose or fat, but the episode argues fat is the preferred long-term fuel source.
High insulin, usually triggered by eating carbohydrates, pushes the body toward fat storage instead of fat burning.
Glucose storage is limited, while body fat represents a much larger and more efficient energy reserve.
Exercise burns more body fat when insulin is low and the body is already adapted to using fat for fuel.
The episode recommends low-carb eating, time-restricted eating, and removing processed foods to support fat loss and better health.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
192: Weight Loss Interview with Courtney Luna
20 Jul 2026
00:46:10
Courtney Luna spent 25 years yo-yo dieting — Weight Watchers at 13, Paleo, seven years of on-and-off Keto, and a painful detour into "everything in moderation" — before finally landing on strict carnivore. In this episode, the former yacht chef, homeschooling mom, and author of Carnivore in the Kitchen shares how ditching carbs for good helped her lose 60 pounds, get off her anxiety and depression medications, clear decades of acne, and end a lifelong battle with disordered eating. She also explains why "just a little" carb reintroduction cost her 20 pounds and her peace of mind, how her family eats carnivore on the road while living in a van, and why she believes sugar deserves the same zero-tolerance approach as alcohol.
[00:00–01:14] Opening Segment — Meet Courtney Luna
•Courtney is a former yacht chef turned homeschooling mom and carnivore content creator.
•She lost 60 pounds, came off medication for anxiety and depression, cleared lifelong acne, and ended 25 years of disordered eating.
•Her family left their California home in January 2026, converted a van, and hit the road full-time.
•Her cookbook, Carnivore in the Kitchen, was published in 2024.
[01:15–07:33] From Weight Watchers at 13 to Strict Carnivore
•Courtney's dieting history: Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, cabbage soup, Special K, Paleo, and seven years of Keto — always chasing weight loss, not health.
•Anti-diet culture convinced her to try "everything in moderation" — a slippery slope that led to a 40-pound gain in four months.
•Her husband introduced her to Dr. Paul Saladino's content; after research, she tried animal-based eating for six weeks, then went strict carnivore.
•Results: lost nearly 60 pounds, came off anxiety and depression medication, cleared her skin — and has kept the weight off for four years.
[07:33–12:14] The Relapse: Why "Just a Little" Carbs Backfired
•Reintroducing "healthy" carbs like rice, avocado, and fruit led to a 20-pound regain and a return of intrusive, OCD-like thoughts.
•Being five years sober from alcohol, Courtney compares carb/sugar addiction directly to alcohol addiction: moderation doesn't work for people wired as "abstainers."
•Her advice: figure out whether you're an abstainer or a moderator, and identify your specific trigger foods (for her, it's fruit).
•Modern fruit is bred sweeter and larger than it used to be — she calls dried mango "a glorified candy."
[12:14–13:20] Lessons From Life as a Yacht Chef
•Cooking for wealthy clients on vacation showed Courtney just how sugar-addicted most people are.
•Almost every boat she worked on wanted carb-heavy comfort food and desserts — the opposite of what she'd recommend today.
[13:20–16:56] Writing Carnivore in the Kitchen
•The idea for a cookbook took shape about a year into her carnivore journey; she researched publishers used by Dr. Ken Berry and Maria Emmerich and landed a deal with Victory Belt.
•The book took about six months to write and develop recipes, then another six months for editing and photography.
•Goal of the book: prove carnivore doesn't have to mean plain steak and eggs — it can be creative, sustainable, and family-friendly.
[16:56–18:52] Staples, Recipes, and Meal Prep Tips
•Her go-to "gateway" recipe for skeptics: bacon cheeseburger soup.
•Keep staples on hand: cooked bacon, salami, hard-boiled eggs, dairy (if tolerated), and pre-cooked proteins like a crockpot roast or a container of cooked chicken.
•Batch-cook fun recipes (like carnivore lasagna) to stretch into two or more meals and reduce daily cooking time.
[18:52–22:44] No Excuses: Carnivore While Traveling or on a Budget
•Courtney's family has eaten carnivore for five months while living in a converted van and staying in Airbnbs — with zero issues finding food.
•Fast food burger patties, hard-boiled eggs, and pre-cooked bacon or salami make it possible anywhere.
•On cost: people who say carnivore is "too expensive" are often spending more on coffee, energy drinks, and snacks throughout the day — because processed food never truly satisfies. Shop sales and prioritize your budget instead of using cost as an excuse.
[22:44–26:11] Feeding Carnivore Kids Without the Power Struggle
•Her kids (ages 6 and 8) eat mostly meat and dairy, with some allowed fruit — a choice she still feels slightly conflicted about.
•Treats are allowed but kept outside the house (birthday parties, etc.), which she uses as teaching moments about how sugar makes them feel.
•She avoids being overly restrictive at home so kids don't "binge" the moment they're at a friend's house — and trusts that a strong nutritional foundation will bring them back to it later in life.
[26:11–28:32] Entertaining, Favorite Foods, and Deviled Eggs
•For potlucks or guests, Courtney keeps it simple: steaks, a charcuterie platter, and deviled eggs — her go-to dish and personal weakness.
•Her daughter loves steak and strawberries; her adventurous son enjoys sushi and hot pot.
[28:32–32:43] Conferences, Public Speaking, and the Cookbook's Purpose
•Courtney will speak at Hack Your Health and, for the first time, the intentionally small (about 300-person) Keto Palooza conference in Louisville.
•Despite calling public speaking terrifying, she keeps saying yes because she feels called to share a message that changes lives.
•Her hope for cookbook readers: that it makes feeding a family — including picky kids and dinner guests — creative and sustainable, not just another "steak and eggs" routine.
[32:43–39:06] Diet, Depression, and "Type 3 Diabetes"
•More people are reporting relief from depression and anxiety medication after switching to carnivore — a topic Courtney says is gaining traction alongside voices like Dr. Chris Palmer and Michaela Peterson on SSRI-related damage.
•Because some researchers call Alzheimer's "type 3 diabetes," Courtney draws a direct line between high-carb eating, inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, and brain health.
•She discusses the cognitive dissonance and anger some people feel toward carnivore advocates — often because admitting a lifetime of dietary advice was wrong feels threatening.
•On a hopeful note: growing public awareness, RFK Jr.'s advocacy, and support for local farmers are shifting the conversation toward real food.
[39:06–40:36] Eating Out the Carnivore Way
•Even at a Mexican restaurant celebrating an anniversary, Courtney orders fajitas with no shells or sides — proof that eating out doesn't derail the lifestyle.
•Her tip: bring your own pork rinds to dip in queso instead of chips.
[40:36–43:32] Advice for Anyone on the Fence
•Courtney's approach: "rip the band-aid off." Commit to 30 days, but really aim for 90 — she says something "magical" happens around the three-month mark.
•Many people don't realize how bad they felt until symptoms — like morning joint pain or after-meal stomach pain from gallbladder issues — disappear.
•She questions why the default medical answer to gallbladder problems is removal, rather than addressing the root cause through diet.
[43:32–44:25] A Word on Skeptics
•Courtney references a well-known dietician (Abby's Kitchen) who publicly refuses to try carnivore despite ongoing health issues — a case study in cognitive dissonance and ego getting in the way of healing.
[44:25–45:55] Where to Find Courtney + Closing
•Find her everywhere as "Courtney Luna" — YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Pinterest.
•Pick up her cookbook, Carnivore in the Kitchen, for recipes the whole family can enjoy.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. If you would like even more information on this topic, look up our book, or check us out on YouTube.
If you would like to enroll in our new online Thrive Natural Transformation course to help you reverse type 2 diabetes, feel great, and get off medications, we are here to help. Visit drstevehughlett.com and click "Work With Us" at the top of the page.
Tweetable Quotes
"Eat meat and question everything."
— Courtney Luna
"It's not just a weight loss diet — it can be so beneficial in other ways."
— Courtney Luna
"You can always go back to eating your Oreos and your donuts. But I think once you give it some time, you will realize how good you feel."
— Courtney Luna
Guest: Courtney Luna — author of Carnivore in the Kitchen (Victory Belt, 2024). Find her on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Pinterest as "Courtney Luna."
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
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191: From Hopeless to Hopeful at Metabolic Health Conferences
13 Jul 2026
00:24:11
f you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve and Teresa explore how metabolic health conferences are transforming the way chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and rheumatoid arthritis are treated. They share their own journey from believing these diagnoses were "chronic, progressive, and irreversible" to witnessing thousands of real‑world reversals driven primarily by nutrition, not medications. You'll hear about key events such as Hack Your Health, Low Carb USA, Metabolic Health Summit, Weston A. Price, and Meatstock, and why these gatherings give patients something the traditional system rarely offers: genuine hope, practical education, and a like‑minded community that believes food can be used as medicine.
Why the standard "manage it with medication" model leaves millions newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every year—and feeling hopeless
How thousands of people are reversing type 2 diabetes, heart failure, AFib, and autoimmune conditions through nutrition‑based metabolic care.
Inside look at major metabolic health conferences (Hack Your Health, Low Carb USA, Metabolic Health Summit, Weston A. Price, Meatstock).
The power of community: meeting doctors, health coaches, and patients who openly share their reversal stories and stay to answer questions.
Why Dr. Steve left a 35‑year hospital pharmacy career to focus on teaching people how real food—not drugs—can restore their health.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
190: Light as Medicine for Metabolic Health and Weight Loss with DreamWalkerz
06 Jul 2026
01:15:18
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve sits down with circadian health experts Thaddeus Owen and Heidi Sime, co‑founders of DreamWalkers, to explore how "light as medicine" impacts sleep, hormones, mood, weight, and long‑term metabolic health. They unpack why our modern indoor, screen‑dominated lifestyle creates a constant circadian mismatch—and how simple changes in morning sunlight, indoor lighting, blue light exposure, and EMFs can radically improve energy, cravings, and resilience without adding another medication.1
You'll hear real‑world stories of resolving crippling insomnia and anxiety by changing light exposure, practical guidance on blue‑blocking glasses and healthier bulbs, and surprising insights into how night‑time light and phone use affect babies, breastfeeding, and kids' sleep. The conversation closes with actionable strategies you can start today to build a more "circadian‑friendly" home that supports better metabolic and mental health for the whole family.
Why chronic indoor living, LED lighting, and screen time at night disrupt melatonin, drive carb cravings, and increase risk for obesity, diabetes, and mood disorders.
How 10–20 minutes of outdoor morning light "sets" your circadian clock, optimizes key hormones, and lays the foundation for better sleep and metabolism.1
The real differences between clear, yellow, orange, and red blue‑blocking lenses—and how to use each to protect your eyes and hormones without feeling crazy or deprived.
How nighttime light and phone exposure change the melatonin content of breast milk, impact infant sleep, and why true darkness (with smart night‑lights) matters for kids and adults.
Simple, practical home fixes—warmer bulbs, Wi‑Fi hygiene, grounding, and "light curfews"—that make your environment more healing and help your body do what it's designed to do.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
189: Weight Loss and Respecting the Body God Gave You
29 Jun 2026
00:19:15
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
188: Dr Anthony Chaffee, How a Carnivore Diet Impacts Weight Loss and Health
22 Jun 2026
01:13:06
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Dr. Anthony Chaffee and Dr. Steve Hughlett discuss key health topics in this recorded medical interview. Gain insights from professional perspectives.
This session features a direct conversation between Dr. Steve Hughlett and Dr. Anthony Chaffee, focusing on specific health discussions relevant to their respective fields. The two professionals utilize this platform to share their expertise, providing viewers with a clearer understanding of the subject matter being addressed.
Whether you are a student of medicine or simply interested in expert medical opinions, this dialogue offers a direct look at how these practitioners analyze current health trends. Dr. Anthony Chaffee and Dr. Steve Hughlett break down complex concepts, making this medical interview a valuable resource for anyone seeking clarity on these topics
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
187: Weight Loss and Simple Meal Prep Ideas
15 Jun 2026
00:30:39
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Are you constantly "caught hungry" at 5:30 pm and end up in a drive‑thru because nothing healthy is ready at home?
Do you feel stuck in a cycle of ultra‑processed convenience foods, blood sugar swings, and weight gain—even though you know better?
Does planning, shopping, and cooking feel so overwhelming that you default to carbs and fast food, even while trying to reverse diabetes or lose weight?
In this short episode, Teresa and I show you how 30 focused minutes once a week can turn meal prep into a powerful "medical intervention" that keeps you out of drive‑thrus, off meds, and out of the doctor's office.
You'll hear exactly how we stock our kitchen (from a side of beef to eggs, Greek yogurt, and "egg‑life" wraps) so there is always a fast, low‑carb, high‑protein meal ready—even on the craziest days.
We walk you through a simple way to pick one stressful meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), strip out the glucose‑spiking carbs, and still enjoy favorites like lasagna, Mexican bowls, and even "pasta" without falling off your health plan.
1. Why "Getting Caught Hungry" Derails Your Health
When you're tired, stressed, and hungry with nothing ready, your brain will default to the easiest option—usually fast food, vending machines, or drive‑thrus.
Ultra‑processed convenience foods are engineered with sugar, seed oils, and additives to keep you over‑eating, inflamed, and metabolically sick.
These choices are directly linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome, and they keep you stuck in the medication–doctor–hospital loop.
2. Meal Prep as a Medical Intervention
Planning and prepping real food in advance functions like a powerful medical intervention: it removes the crisis moments where you "have no choice" but junk.
Cooking and eating at home dramatically improves food quality, supports weight loss, and can help prevent—or even reverse—type 2 diabetes when done correctly.
A consistent weekly routine (same day, same time) for planning and prep reduces decision fatigue and makes healthy choices automatic instead of heroic.
3. Simple, Sustainable Meal Prep Strategies
Choose one prep window each week (for example, Sunday morning) to plan your meals, shop once, and get key foods cooked, portioned, and stored.
Batch‑cook versatile proteins (ground beef, hamburger patties, meatballs, roasts, grilled meats, eggs) and store them in easy‑grab containers or freezer portions.
Focus on "always‑on‑hand" staples—meat, eggs, Greek yogurt, cheese, avocados, quality protein powder, low‑carb wraps, soups and stews—so there is always a fast meal at home.
You can keep almost all your favorite dishes (lasagna, Mexican bowls, casseroles, burgers) by simply removing the starch (noodles, rice, tortillas, bread) and going heavier on protein and healthy fats.
By keeping glucose‑spiking carbohydrates out of your mouth, you train your body to burn fat for fuel, reduce hunger, and naturally move toward eating just one or two satisfying meals per day.
Start with the one meal that stresses you out the most (rushed breakfast, chaotic lunch, or late‑night dinner) and redesign it in a low‑carb, prepped‑in‑advance way; once that's easy, expand to the others.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
186: Weight Loss and Healing Humanity with Kerry Mann
08 Jun 2026
00:57:42
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve and guest Kerry Mann unpack how a "proper human diet" can reverse what most people are told are lifelong conditions. You'll hear how Kerry went from debilitating depression, IBS, surgeries, CPAP dependence, and even congestive heart failure to vibrant health by changing his food instead of adding more medications. They also share powerful real‑life stories, including a 700‑pound Alaskan who reclaimed his life, and discuss why our pill‑first medical model keeps so many people sick. If you've ever wondered whether food can truly act as medicine for type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and mental health, this conversation will challenge everything you've been taught.
How years of IBS, reflux, joint pain, depression, weight gain, and a TIA led to a diagnosis of congestive heart failure in Kerry's 30s.
Why multiple medications (for depression, anxiety, sleep, blood pressure, reflux, and cholesterol) never fixed the root cause—and often made things worse.
The turning point: discovering keto, then a strict carnivore‑style "proper human diet," and the rapid changes in snoring, sleep, pain, mood, and energy.
Real‑world reversals, including a 700‑pound man losing 260 pounds in a year and escaping years of bed‑bound depression through diet alone.
A frank discussion of carb addiction, why community matters, and how focusing on real, unprocessed foods can normalize labs, reduce meds, and restore hope.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
185: Change Your Diet Lose Diabetes Meds and Weight Loss
01 Jun 2026
00:19:06
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Do you feel like every year you're on more medications and getting less healthy? In this episode, Dr. Steve Hughlett shares how changing what's on your plate can reverse type 2 diabetes, help you come off multiple medications, and reclaim your energy—often in as little as 30 days under your physician's guidance.
Drawing on 35 years as a Doctor of Pharmacy and his own transformation, Dr. Steve explains why most of our chronic diseases are driven by high insulin, chronic inflammation, and high blood sugar—and why nutrition is the most powerful lever you can pull to fix them. He also walks through the simple, sustainable programs he and his wife Theresa have created to help you move away from ultra-processed foods toward real, whole, mostly low-carb and animal-based nutrition.
You'll hear why he left the hospital after nearly three decades, what he discovered about the true risks of long-term medications, and how clients are getting off drugs for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, pain, and more by changing their diet. Dr. Steve also shares the resources they've built—his book "Your Plate Is Your Fate," the Nutrition Prescription: Wellness vs Medications podcast, their weekly newsletter, digital courses, live Thrive Tribe community, and one-on-one support—to meet you wherever you are on your health journey.
If you've been told you'll be on diabetes meds for life, or you feel stuck in the medical system, this conversation will show you a different path: fix your food, and your health can change far faster than you've been led to believe.
Why your health is always moving toward either more medications or more wellness—and how to know which path you're on by looking at the last 5 years.
How changing your nutrition can reverse type 2 diabetes and, with your doctor's help, get you off diabetic medications within about 30 days.
The "three pillars of disease" (high insulin, inflammation, high blood sugar) and how real, whole, mostly low-carb, animal-based foods correct them.
Why Dr. Steve left hospital pharmacy after 29 years once he realized the system focuses on treating symptoms instead of fixing root causes with nutrition.
Overview of their support options: book, podcast, free weekly newsletter, self-study courses, elite coaching with Voxer access, Thrive Tribe community, and one-on-one calls.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
184: Weight Loss and the Book Complete Carnivore with Jenny Mitich
25 May 2026
00:54:05
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, we sit down with author and carnivore educator Jenny Mitich, who used a carnivore diet to lose over 50 pounds, reverse severe anxiety and depression, and rebuild her metabolic health. She shares how her husband first lost 130 pounds with keto and water fasting, how pregnancy weight gain and "doing it the traditional way" left her stuck, and what finally convinced her to try carnivore for "just one month."
Jenny explains the powerful changes she saw in her continuous glucose monitor when she switched from a "healthy" high-carb diet to a meat-based way of eating, dropping her average glucose from the low 100s to the low 80s in only a month. She also opens up about anxiety disappearing, better sleep, less inflammation, and why she believes the real goal isn't being "perfectly carnivore," but being healthy, energized, and metabolically sound.
We dig into her new book Complete Carnivore, which she calls an "encyclopedia" for the carnivore diet—part in‑depth guide, part 80‑recipe cookbook designed to bridge the gap between the standard American diet and a meat-based lifestyle. Jenny walks us through troubleshooting common carnivore problems, how to track progress with labs, Dexa scans, and CGMs, and why everyone should "know their numbers" like fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL, and A1C instead of just chasing weight loss.
You'll also hear practical tips on:
Using water fasting and sardine fasting safely for major weight loss and loose skin concerns.
Making carnivore recipes the whole family will eat, like chicken‑based "mac and cheese," chicken crust pizza, and even fully carnivore ice cream sandwiches.
Raising animal‑based kids without being extreme—using meat, fruit, full-fat dairy, and a few gluten‑free treats while keeping processed foods low.
If you're an overwhelmed man or woman who's tired of low-energy, high-carb living and confusing diet advice, this conversation gives you a clear, low‑carb, whole‑food path forward without hours in the gym or restrictive rules you can't keep.
Jenny used a carnivore diet to lose over 50 pounds, improve her blood sugar (average glucose dropping from the low 100s to the low 80s), and completely resolve long‑standing anxiety and depression after years of struggle.
Her husband lost about 130 pounds using keto and extended water fasts, and then combined carnivore and fasting to continue improving body composition and even reduce loose skin through autophagy.
Jenny's book, Complete Carnivore, is designed as both an in‑depth "how‑to" guide and an 80‑recipe cookbook, with big focus on troubleshooting problems and tracking real data like fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL, A1C, and visceral fat.
She teaches that healthy eating lives on a spectrum—from full carnivore to low‑carb and ketovore—and that the real target is whole, real foods and metabolic health, not perfection or dogma.
Practical tools like sardine fasting, high‑protein carnivore recipes that mimic comfort foods, and family‑friendly animal‑based meals help people transition from the standard American diet without feeling deprived or separate from their families.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
183: Get off All Type 2 Diabetic Medications in 30 Days
18 May 2026
00:28:22
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve Hughlett, a Doctor of Pharmacy with over 35 years of experience, explains how many people with type 2 diabetes can safely get off all their diabetic medications in less than 30 days using nutrition alone—no special foods, no supplements, and no exercise programs required. He breaks down the three "pillars of disease" driving type 2 diabetes—high blood glucose, high insulin, and chronic inflammation—and shows how these same factors damage every organ in the body, leading to fatty liver, heart, kidney problems, and even dementia.
He shares why the traditional medical model focuses only on lowering blood sugar with more drugs and injections instead of preventing blood sugar from spiking in the first place, and how this approach has failed millions of patients. He describes how years of constantly stuffing our fat cells leads to insulin resistance and full‑blown diabetes, and why lowering glucose intake and focusing on whole, low‑carb foods allows the body to finally burn stored fat for fuel.
You'll hear real‑world results from clients who have gotten off diabetic, blood pressure, pain, antidepressant, and heart medications, while gaining more energy, mental clarity, and weight loss as a powerful side effect—not the main goal. Dr. Hulett also explains a simple waist‑to‑height measurement you can use at home to see if you're likely pre‑diabetic, and why reducing sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods is the key to changing your health path. If you're ready for help to get off medications and reverse type 2 diabetes naturally, click the link in the show notes to schedule a free 30‑minute one‑on‑one conversation with Dr. Hughlett or visit drstevehughlett.com and click the "Work With Us" tab.
Type 2 diabetes is driven by three main pillars—high blood glucose, high insulin, and inflammation—which together damage every organ in the body over time.
By keeping blood glucose from spiking in the first place (instead of just forcing it down with drugs), many people can get off all type 2 diabetic medications in under 30 days.
Long‑term overfilling of fat cells with sugar‑turned‑fat leads to insulin resistance; lowering carb intake allows the body to burn stored fat and begin reversing this process.
When patients correct the root cause through nutrition, they often reduce or eliminate other medications too, including blood pressure, pain, antidepressant, and heart medications, while gaining more energy, clearer thinking, and weight loss.
A waist measurement greater than half your height strongly suggests you are pre‑diabetic, making it critical to shift to low‑carb, whole foods and avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and industrial seed oils.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
182: The GOOD N_E_W_S_S_ For Getting Healthy
11 May 2026
00:33:11
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Most people are chasing quick fixes, new medications, and trendy programs that never address the real cause of poor health. In this episode, Dr. Steve Hughlett, Doctor of Pharmacy and author of Your Plate Is Your Fate, shares why real health starts with the GOOD N‑E‑W‑S‑S: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Sunlight.
You'll hear how constantly elevated insulin, chronic inflammation, and high blood sugar create the "three pillars of disease" and how simple low‑carb, whole‑food habits can help you lose fat, reverse type 2 diabetes, and get your energy back. Dr. Steve also explains why walking matters more than hardcore workouts at the beginning, why most people are dehydrated, how sleep repairs your body, and how getting outside in the sun can improve your hormones, blood pressure, mood, and brain health.
If you're tired of adding more and more prescriptions every year and you're ready for a natural, sustainable path to better health, this episode will give you a simple roadmap you can start today.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why real health does NOT start in a prescription bottle
What the GOOD N‑E‑W‑S‑S stands for and how to use it daily
How high insulin, inflammation, and high blood glucose drive chronic disease
Why lowering carbohydrates and glucose is the key to fat loss and diabetes reversal
Why you can lose fat even if you can't exercise much right now
How walking supports your lymphatic system, balance, and long‑term mobility
How to know how much water to drink and when to drink it
Why 7–9 hours of sleep is non‑negotiable for healing and fat burning
How morning sunlight and evening sunset help reset your circadian rhythm
The truth about sunlight, vitamin D, and why you shouldn't fear the sun (but also shouldn't burn)
N – Nutrition
Three pillars of disease: high insulin, chronic inflammation, and high blood glucose.
Glucose comes from carbohydrates, especially refined and processed carbs; when you eat it, blood sugar rises and insulin shoots up.
High insulin turns excess glucose into fat (triglycerides) and stores it in your fat cells so you can't burn fat for energy while insulin is high.
Over time, fat cells become "stuffed," leading to insulin resistance and higher blood sugar levels.
Key idea: keep glucose out of your mouth (low‑carb, real food) so insulin can stay low and your body can burn fat for fuel.
God‑made carbs (fruits and vegetables) are OK in controlled amounts, but remember they still contain glucose; above‑ground veggies usually contain less than below‑ground starchy ones like potatoes.
Fructose (fruit sugar, sugar, high‑fructose corn syrup) goes straight to the liver and is rapidly turned into fat—think of how bears fatten up on berries before hibernation.
Laboratory‑made carbs (boxed, bagged, bottled, canned processed foods) are loaded with glucose, fructose, seed oils, and chemicals that inflame your body.
Grains and flour are basically powdered glucose and will fatten you up just like grain‑feeding cows before slaughter.
E – Exercise
Exercise is healthy and important, but it is not required to start losing fat; fat loss is driven by low insulin, which comes from keeping glucose out of your mouth.
If you're obese or haven't exercised in years, don't let "I can't work out" be the reason you don't start getting healthy.
As you lose fat and lower insulin, you naturally gain more energy and mental clarity—this is the best time to add in more structured exercise and lifting heavier things.
Walking is non‑negotiable: everyone, at any size, should walk daily.
Walking strengthens your lower body and improves balance, which helps prevent falls as you age.
Walking pumps your lymphatic system (which has no heart to pump it), helping remove toxins, antibodies, and waste from your body so they don't build up and make you sicker.
W – Water
Most people walk around dehydrated, even though they think they are drinking enough.
Drinks with sugar/glucose, caffeine, and alcohol act like "anti‑water" and make you pee out more water than you take in.
Common dehydrating drinks: fruit juices, energy drinks, coffee, tea, soda, and alcoholic drinks.
Best choice: plain water or clean flavored water without artificial sweeteners like sucralose or other chemicals.
How much to drink:
Use your ideal body weight (not current).
Divide ideal weight (in pounds) by 2 = ounces of water per day.
Example: ideal 180 lbs → about 90 oz of water per day.
Spread water through the day; don't "chug it all" in the morning or your body will just dump it.
Avoid large amounts of water:
Right with meals (it dilutes stomach acid and weakens digestion).
Within a couple of hours of bedtime (to avoid getting up to pee and disturbing sleep).
S – Sleep
Sleep is when your body repairs and rebuilds itself after the damage and stress of the day.
Everyone needs about 7–9 hours of sleep; the "I only need 4–6 hours" mindset eventually catches up with your health.
Simple rule of thumb: about 1 hour of sleep for every 2 hours awake (16 hours awake → 8 hours of sleep).
At night, during deep and REM sleep, your body secretes growth hormone, repairs muscles, regenerates tissues, and burns fat while insulin is low because you're not eating.
The brain's "glymphatic" system flushes out toxins and metabolites while you sleep, helping you wake up with clearer thinking and better mood.
Cortisol (stress hormone) rises before you wake up, dumping stored glucose into your blood—this explains the "dawn phenomenon" where morning blood sugar is higher, especially in diabetics.
Morning is a great time to move and exercise so your muscles use that glucose.
Melatonin helps you fall asleep, and your body only needs about 1 mg; mega‑dose supplements (3–20 mg) can cause problems and are unnecessary.
Blue light from TVs, phones, and computers at night blocks melatonin and ruins sleep quality; shut off screens 1–2 hours before bed.
Good nighttime habits:
Read or write instead of scrolling.
Plan your food and clothes for the next day.
Write down worries and to‑dos on paper to get them out of your head.
S – Sunlight
Sunlight is critical for setting your circadian rhythm: sunrise cues cortisol to wake you up, sunset signals melatonin to help you sleep.
Getting outside in the morning light and again at sunset helps lock in a healthy sleep‑wake cycle.
Sunlight on the skin triggers vitamin D production, which supports bone, muscle, immunity, and overall health; many people are deficient.
The goal is to get sun without burning; burning is what raises skin cancer risk, not normal, smart sun exposure.
Avoid loading your skin with chemical‑laden sunscreens; instead, build up a tan slowly, seek shade, or cover up before you burn.
UVA rays penetrate deeper, and excess plus burning are linked to aging and cancer, but they also help release nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and can lower blood pressure.
UVB rays can burn the skin but are needed for vitamin D production and can help with conditions like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
Infrared rays improve circulation, support nitric oxide release, reduce pain and inflammation, and may help conditions like osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal pain.
Sunlight and infrared also improve mood, reduce drowsiness, and support better brain function, even in people with cognitive decline.
You don't have to buy fancy red‑light devices; just get outside in natural sunlight consistently.
Ready to stop adding prescriptions and start transforming your health naturally?
Click the link below to schedule your free 30‑minute Wellness Solutions Chat with Dr. Steve and discover your best next step—whether that's 1:1 guidance or a self‑paced program.
Learn more or enroll in the Thrive Naturally Transformation Course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
181: Are You a Carb Burner or a Fat Burner
04 May 2026
00:33:48
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Your body runs on two different fuels — fat and glucose — and most people are unknowingly using the wrong one. In this episode, Dr. Steve Hughlett breaks down why your body was designed to burn fat as its main energy source, and what happens when you run on glucose (sugar and carbs) instead. Spoiler: it's not good. Over time, too much glucose leads to weight gain, low energy, damaged blood vessels, and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Steve walks you through exactly how your body processes each fuel, why fat keeps you full for hours while carbs leave you hungry and crashing, and how insulin quietly stores fat on your body every time you eat the wrong foods. You'll also learn why eating fat does NOT make you fat — and how to start shifting your body back to fat-burning mode without starving yourself or giving up food you love.
This episode is your first step toward steady energy, a healthier weight, and feeling like yourself again.
Ready to take the next step? Book a free 15-minute wellness chat with Dr. Steve at drstevehughlett.com.
Your body has two fuel sources — and the one most people use every day is slowly destroying their health.
Fat is your body's clean, long-lasting fuel, but carbs and sugar have hijacked your energy system.
Learn why insulin is the hidden reason you keep storing fat no matter how little you eat.
Eating fat does NOT make you fat — and Dr. Steve explains exactly why in plain, simple terms.
Find out how one small change to how you combine foods can help you burn fat and feel full for hours.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
180: Type 2 Diabetes IS Metabolic Syndrome
27 Apr 2026
00:30:34
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve explains why type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance are really the same fire burning in your body—and how lowering glucose at the source can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, and get off medications without starving or living in the gym.
What we cover in this episode:
What metabolic syndrome really is
The history of the terms "metabolic syndrome," "syndrome X," and type 2 diabetes.
The 5 markers: high blood glucose, high triglycerides, increased abdominal obesity, low HDL, and high blood pressure—and why having just 3 means you already have metabolic syndrome.
How insulin resistance actually develops
What happens when you eat glucose: blood sugar rises, insulin rises, liver converts extra glucose to triglycerides, and fat cells keep filling up.
How overstuffed fat cells become insulin resistant, leading to full-blown type 2 diabetes over years or decades.
Where all that glucose is really coming from
Why sugar (50% glucose, 50% fructose), flour, and high-carb foods are constantly pushing your glucose and insulin up.
The danger of "laboratory foods" in boxes, bags, bottles, and cans, and why focusing on real "God-made" foods (meat, eggs, vegetables, some fruit) changes everything.
Why fruits and starchy vegetables (especially those that grow below ground) can be a problem when you already have metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.
Why just "lowering blood sugar" with meds is not enough
How most diabetes medications work by raising insulin or insulin sensitivity, which can actually worsen insulin resistance over time.
Why the better question is, "Why is my blood sugar going up in the first place?" instead of "How do I force it down?"
The body-wide damage from chronic high glucose and insulin
Fatty liver and fatty pancreas, and why we now see fatty liver disease even in teens and young adults.
Damage to fat cells (hormones like leptin, inflammation, aromatase), heart (fat around the heart, small dense LDL, damaged arteries), kidneys (leading cause of dialysis), nerves (neuropathy and amputations), eyes (retinopathy), brain (dementia, "type 3 diabetes"), and ovaries (PCOS).When you stop feeding your body constant glucose and processed carbs, you lower blood sugar and insulin naturally, start burning stored fat for fuel, and give your organs a chance to heal. For many people, this is the path to more energy, less belly fat, and fewer medications—without a restrictive "diet" or hours in the gym.
Click the link in the show notes to schedule your free 15-minute wellness chat to see if one of our programs can help you lower medications and move toward reversing type 2 diabetes.
Visit drstevehughlettt.com and click "Work With Us" to learn more about the Thrive Natural Transformation course.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
179: What Does Healthy Eating Really Mean for Weight Loss
20 Apr 2026
00:30:19
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Do you feel like you "eat healthy," but your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, or joint pain keep getting worse? In this episode, Dr. Steve Hughlett breaks down what eating healthy really means for people in their 30s to 70s who are tired, overweight, and frustrated with confusing diet advice.
You'll learn what your body is actually made of (and therefore what it really needs), why "healthy" salads, juices, and whole grains may be keeping your insulin and blood sugar high, and how glucose and fructose slowly drive diabetes, fatty liver, high blood pressure, and low energy over decades. Dr. Steve explains why animal-based, whole foods are nutrient-dense, why most man‑made foods in boxes, bottles, bags, and cans are toxic "Franken foods," and how to use low‑carb, real food to lower insulin, burn fat, and regain energy without starving or living in the gym.
He also walks you through practical first steps: stop drinking sugar, cut out ultra‑processed snacks, make meat the main part of your plate, and use fruits and vegetables (especially the higher‑carb ones) wisely based on your health status. You'll hear how many of his patients have gotten off diabetic medications in under a month simply by keeping glucose out of their mouths and insulin levels low.
If you've been told type 2 diabetes is "chronic and progressive" and you're stuck on more and more meds, this episode will help you see a different path forward using food as your most powerful medicine.
What "eating healthy" really means: feeding your body protein, fat, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals instead of constant carbohydrates and man‑made foods.
Why glucose and fructose from sugar, grains, juices, and processed foods slowly drive weight gain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and organ damage over 10–40 years.
How to think about carbs: veggies above ground vs. below ground, high‑sugar fruits vs. lower‑sugar options, and why drinking your produce spikes blood sugar.
Why animal‑based whole foods are deeply nutrient‑dense, and how making meat, eggs, and healthy fats the center of your plate lowers insulin and helps you burn stored fat.
Simple starting steps: stop drinking sugar, cut ultra‑processed snacks, avoid seed oils and fried foods, minimize high‑sugar fruits and starches, and focus on real, low‑carb, whole foods
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
178: We Have All Been Duped about Weight Loss
13 Apr 2026
00:25:42
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
In this episode, Dr. Steve pulls back the curtain on how we've all been systematically misled about nutrition, fat, cholesterol, and chronic disease—for decades. He traces the story from Ancel Keys and the American Heart Association to the 1992 food pyramid, showing how grain, sugar, cereal, and vegetable oil industries shaped our guidelines for profit, not health.
You'll learn why red meat, natural fats, and cholesterol have been wrongly demonized, and why glucose and fructose from ultra-processed foods are the true drivers of obesity, gout, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic damage. Dr. Steve explains the three pillars of disease—high insulin, high inflammation, and high blood glucose—and how a glucose-heavy, man‑made food supply keeps all three elevated.
He breaks down what really causes gout, heart attacks, insulin resistance, and "bad" LDL, and why statin drugs have become a multi‑billion‑dollar business built on a flawed cholesterol story. You'll also hear a clear, practical framework for getting healthy again: focus on God‑made foods (animal protein, healthy fats, and low‑toxicity plants), avoid man‑made boxed and bagged products, and keep glucose out of your mouth if you want to reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and lose body fat.
If you're ready to challenge everything you've been told about diet and disease—and finally understand how to take back control of your health—this episode is for you.
Call to action: If you're struggling with obesity or type 2 diabetes and want a realistic, sustainable way to turn your health around without exercise, click the link in the description to book a free 15‑minute Wellness Solutions Chat with Dr. Steve. To enroll in the Thrive Naturally Transformation course, visit drstevehughlett.com and click the "Work With Us" tab.
How Ancel Keys' unproven fat hypothesis, the American Heart Association, and the 1992 food pyramid set us up for an epidemic of chronic disease.
Why red meat, fat, and cholesterol were falsely blamed, while grains, sugar, seed oils, and ultra‑processed foods quietly became the foundation of our diet.
The truth about gout, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease: the roles of glucose, fructose, uric acid, triglycerides, and small dense LDL.
The three pillars of disease—high insulin, high inflammation, and high blood glucose—and how a glucose‑based diet drives all three.
A simple roadmap to reclaim your health: eliminate man‑made foods, prioritize animal protein and healthy fats, keep glucose low, and restore metabolic flexibility
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
177: Unpacking Macros_The Real Culprit Behind Weight Loss
06 Apr 2026
00:29:20
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Most of the diseases filling our hospitals today are not from bad luck, bad genes, or just getting older—they're driven by what we eat all day, every day. In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down the basic macronutrients—protein, fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates—and explains which ones help you heal and which ones quietly drive weight gain, diabetes, and low energy. You'll learn why your body makes you "hungry," why constant snacking keeps you sick, and how a simple low-carb, whole-food approach can lower insulin, burn fat, and protect your organs. He also shares the truth about seed oils, the lies behind the old food pyramid, and why focusing on real meat and above-ground vegetables can completely change your health path.
5 Key Takeaways
Almost every modern disease shares the same root cause: constant intake of glucose-heavy, man-made foods that spike insulin and get stored as fat.
Protein is your body's building block; if you don't eat enough, your body will break down muscle to protect your organs, especially on crash diets or GLP‑1 drugs.
Healthy fats and cholesterol from foods like meat, eggs, butter, and fruit oils are vital for hormones, cell membranes, brain health, and vitamin absorption—and are not the enemy.
Toxic seed oils and processed carbs from boxed, bagged, and canned "franken foods" drive inflammation, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and organ damage.
To reverse diabetes, lose fat, and gain energy, you must keep insulin low by cutting glucose (refined carbs, sugars, grains) and focusing on low-carb whole foods—meat and above-ground vegetables.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
176: Do Statins Help_Or Harm?
30 Mar 2026
00:31:44
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
If you are needing help getting off diabetes medications and/or losing weight. We are here to help! Click the link below to get on a FREE 30 min CHAT to see if we have anything that can help!
Your doctor just put you on a statin and told you it will "lower your bad cholesterol." But is that the whole story? In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down what statins actually do in your body, why LDL cholesterol has been oversimplified, and how your everyday food choices—not a "statin deficiency"—drive dangerous cholesterol changes, inflammation, and blood vessel damage. He also shares simple, low-carb, whole‑food steps you can take to lower triglycerides, raise HDL, protect your blood vessels, and support your energy and long‑term health without relying on more and more medications.
In this episode, Dr. Steve explains what statins are, how they work, and why simply chasing a lower LDL number can backfire on your health. He unpacks the difference between large, buoyant LDL (the kind your body normally makes and uses) and small, dense LDL (the kind that gets glycated, inflamed, oxidized, and stuck in your artery walls). He then connects the dots between high fructose and glucose intake, ultra‑processed "laboratory food," and the overproduction of triglycerides that leads to those small, dense LDL particles in the first place.
You'll learn why cholesterol itself is vital for life, how every cell makes it through the mevalonate pathway, and why blocking that pathway with statins doesn't just lower cholesterol—it also lowers other crucial compounds like vitamin K, CoQ10, dolichols, and more. Dr. Steve explains how this can damage cells all over the body and why statins have dozens of documented harmful effects while mainly "helping" one lab number your doctor is trained to focus on.
Instead of obsessing over LDL alone, Dr. Steve shows you how to read your own cholesterol panel using simple ratios: triglycerides divided by HDL, and total cholesterol divided by HDL. He shares what healthy ranges look like, what they suggest about your LDL particle type, and how to improve those ratios with low‑carb, whole‑food eating, more healthy fats, and resistance training—not another prescription.
You'll also hear practical guidance on which fats support better HDL and lower inflammation (like animal fats and fruit oils) and which industrial seed oils to avoid because they drive inflammation and poor metabolic health. If your goal is to lose weight, tame inflammation, protect your heart and brain, and decrease medications over time, this episode will give you a clear, hope‑filled roadmap to start taking back control of your health.
Statins work by blocking HMG‑CoA reductase, which shuts down the cell's mevalonate pathway and reduces not only cholesterol, but also vitamin K, CoQ10, dolichols, and other survival‑critical compounds.
The real danger is not "all LDL," but small, dense LDL particles that form when you eat a lot of glucose and fructose from processed foods and sugary drinks, leading to glycation, inflammation, oxidation, and artery damage.
You can quickly gauge your LDL particle pattern by checking two ratios: triglycerides ÷ HDL (aim for under 2, closer to 1) and total cholesterol ÷ HDL (aim for under 5, ideally under 3.5).
Lowering triglycerides and raising HDL comes from eating fewer carbs and ultra‑processed foods and more healthy fats like animal fats, extra‑virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil, plus doing resistance training.
Statins may lower LDL numbers on paper, but they do so at the cost of your cells' ability to heal and thrive, which is why Dr. Steve argues that fixing diet and lifestyle is a far better long‑term strategy than relying on statins.
Ready to lose weight, lower inflammation, and get off medications the natural way? If you'd like help applying these principles to your own life, click the link below to schedule your free 15‑minute Wellness Solutions Chat with Dr. Steve and learn which of our one‑on‑one or online programs is the best fit for you.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
175: Why the "Eat Less, Exercise More" Weight Loss Advice Fails
23 Mar 2026
00:30:24
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down why the old "eat less and exercise more" message fails most people and actually makes fat loss harder, especially if you're already overweight and exhausted. He explains what metabolism really is, how your body makes and uses energy (ATP), and why fat is a vital, healthy fuel source while glucose is optional.
You'll learn how your total energy expenditure works, why exercise is a tiny slice of it, and how your body can dial your metabolism up or down by about 30% to defend your current "body weight set point." Dr. Steve shows how cutting calories and adding hard workouts at the same time your body is slowing metabolism and ramping up hunger is a recipe for misery and failure.
Instead, he walks you through a simple, realistic plan: lower insulin by cutting glucose and processed, lab-made foods in boxes, bottles, bags, and cans, and focus on animal-based foods and low-glucose veggies so you feel full while burning fat. You'll also hear why stalls in weight loss often mean your body is resetting its set point, why that's actually good news, and why walking daily is the one form of movement everyone should do at every size.
If you're tired of being told to just "try harder" with the same old advice, this episode will help you finally understand what's going on in your body and how to work with it instead of against it.
Call to action: If you want personal help to reverse diabetes, get off medications, or finally lose fat without living in the gym, click the link in the show notes to schedule a 30‑minute one‑on‑one call with Dr. Steve, or visit drstevehughlett.com and click "Work With Us."
Why "eat less, move more" fights your biology and almost guarantees rebound weight gain.
How insulin—not calories—is the main switch that decides whether you store fat or burn fat.
What "body weight set point" means and why stalls in weight loss usually mean your set point is resetting.
The simple food rule: mostly animal-based foods, avoid lab-made boxed/bagged foods, and be careful with high-glucose plants (especially those grown underground).
Why most people should delay intense workouts until after fat loss starts, but should walk daily at every size for health and energy.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
174: High Insulin_Normal Sugar_A Silent Danger
16 Mar 2026
00:30:28
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
Most people think high blood sugar is what causes type 2 diabetes, but the real problem starts years earlier with high insulin while your blood sugar still looks "normal." In this episode, Dr. Steve explains the 7-step path from eating too much glucose to full-blown type 2 diabetes, and why focusing only on A1C and glucose tests keeps so many people sick. You'll learn how insulin forces your body to store fat, what "pre-diabetes" really is, and why lowering insulin—by changing what's on your plate—can help you lose weight, reverse type 2 diabetes, and get off medications.
Dr. Steve also breaks down carbs, sugar, and fructose in simple terms so you can finally understand food labels and see how boxed, bagged, and bottled foods are secretly driving weight gain and fatigue. He shares practical steps to keep insulin low using low-carb, whole foods, and explains why animal-based foods and above-ground vegetables are usually a better choice if you struggle with blood sugar or weight.
If you're tired of feeling overweight, exhausted, and confused by your lab work—this episode will show you how to spot the silent danger of high insulin and what to do about it.
5 Key Takeaways
High insulin with "normal" blood sugar is pre-diabetes, and it can silently damage your body for 10–40 years before glucose ever shows high on labs.
Type 2 diabetes is driven by eating too much glucose (carbs), which raises blood glucose, then insulin, then packs fat into your cells until they become insulin resistant.
When insulin is high, you force your body to store fat; when insulin is low, you force your body to burn its own fat for energy.
Packaged foods, grains, sugars, and high-fructose ingredients flood your body with glucose and fructose, driving weight gain, fatty liver, and inflammation.
You can start reversing type 2 diabetes by lowering insulin: stop eating lab-made, high-carb foods, focus on animal-based foods and seasonal, whole fruits and vegetables (especially above-ground veggies
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
173: Over the Counter Medications and the Smart Way to Use Them
09 Mar 2026
00:45:38
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode of Nutrition Prescription, Dr. Steve Hughlett, a Doctor of Pharmacy for over 35 years, breaks down the confusing world of over-the-counter (OTC) medications so you can stop feeling overwhelmed in the pharmacy aisle and start feeling confident about what you buy for your family. He explains why there are only a few main active ingredients behind most of the colorful boxes, and how to read the "Active Ingredients" section so you're not tricked by marketing and combination products you don't really need.
You'll learn the smart way to choose pain relievers like ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, and acetaminophen, when to use anti-inflammatories versus Tylenol, and the serious side effects that can come from taking NSAIDs every day, like stomach ulcers, bleeding, and kidney issues. Dr. Steve also walks through common problems with your eyes, nose, sinuses, and lungs—red, itchy, or dry eyes, runny or stuffy nose, dry nose in winter, and chest congestion—and how to match the right OTC product to the exact symptom instead of grabbing a "do-it-all" combo.
He explains why symptoms like pain, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing are your body's way of talking to you, and why you don't always want to completely shut them down—especially chest coughs that are helping clear mucus out of your lungs. You'll also hear practical home strategies like using saline sprays, humidifiers, boiling water for steam, and simple nasal sprays instead of heavy-duty pills that affect your whole body and can raise blood pressure.
Dr. Steve finishes by reminding you that most medications—OTC and prescription—treat symptoms, not the root cause, and that real long-term change comes back to better nutrition, lowering toxins, and taking care of your body daily. If you're tired of being on too many meds, frustrated with your weight, and want more energy and control over your health, you can click the link in the show notes to book a one-on-one call with him to review your medications, labs, habits, and goals together.
Most OTC products are built from just a few main active ingredients; learning to read the "Active Ingredients" box helps you avoid confusion and unnecessary combination meds.
For pain, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin reduce inflammation but carry more risks (bleeding, kidney damage, stomach ulcers), while acetaminophen (Tylenol) is usually safer if not overdosed.
Eye products should never be used past their expiration date, and you should match the product to the problem: redness (vasoconstrictor), watery/itchy (antihistamine), or dry eyes (lubricant drops).
For nasal and sinus issues, decide if it's runny, dry, or congested, use topical options (saline, nasal steroids, limited Afrin) when possible, and be very careful with oral decongestants if you have high blood pressure.
Coughing from the chest is your body's way of clearing mucus from the lungs; you usually want to manage it (especially at night for sleep), not completely shut it down, and always remember that fixing your nutrition and lifestyle is key to reducing long-term medication use.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
172: Clear the Clutter to Claim Your Health
02 Mar 2026
00:33:02
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
Clutter isn't just stressing you out—it's quietly stealing your sleep, your energy, and even expanding your waistline. In this episode, Dr. Steve and Theresa break down how clearing both mental and kitchen clutter can make low-carb, whole-food choices almost automatic, so you can finally lose weight, cut meds, and feel energized again without living at the gym.
You'll learn how to shift your thoughts from "I have to" to "I get to," use the CTFAR model to get unstuck, and build a simple "health-first" home that makes it easier to follow through than to fall off. Then they walk you step-by-step through cleaning out your cabinets and refrigerator, what ingredients to toss, what real foods to bring back in, and how to set up easy, low-carb meals and snacks that actually keep you full. They also share one small, non-overwhelming action you can take this week to get started.
If you're tired, overwhelmed, scrolling on your phone, and grabbing sugar and energy drinks just to get through the day, this episode will help you create a home and mindset that finally support the healthy life you want.
You'll hear about:
The CTFAR framework (Circumstance, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, Results) and how changing your thoughts changes your health results.
Why man-made, processed foods (boxes, bottles, bags, cans) keep you hungry, inflamed, and overweight—and what to eat instead.
How to shop the perimeter, focus on single-ingredient, low-carb, God-made foods, and stop being fooled by front-of-package marketing.
Simple snack ideas (like boiled eggs, burger patties, wings, cheese, olives, beef sticks, pork rinds, Greek yogurt) that fit a low-carb, whole-food lifestyle.
How to involve your kids so you break the cycle of poor health for the next generation.
They also mention their Thrive Naturally Transformation (TNT) course if you want deeper help with your thoughts, environment, and step-by-step change.
How mental clutter and negative self-talk ("I have to," "I should have…") keep you stuck, tired, and overwhelmed—and how to flip them to future-focused, energizing thoughts.
The CTFAR method to go from "overweight and on meds" to "empowered and taking action" without starting in the gym.
Step-by-step kitchen declutter: what to remove from your cabinets and fridge (sugars, seed oils, dyes, "natural flavors," maltodextrin, long ingredient lists) and what to bring in instead.
What a simple, low-carb, whole-food kitchen looks like: meat, eggs, dairy, seasonal fruits and veggies, and easy grab-and-go protein-based snacks.
One small, doable action you can take this week to clear the clutter, lower temptation, and set up a health-first home for you and your family.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.​
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
171: Everything Sourdough Bread. Interview with Dr Bill Schindler
23 Feb 2026
00:57:48
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
Why does sourdough bread matter for your health and your life?
It's not just about nutrition; food also feeds your feelings, family traditions, and even faith or culture.
You don't need bread to live, but if you love bread, real sourdough can be the kindest choice for your body.
Long‑fermented sourdough can lower the "sugar impact" of bread on your blood, help calm inflammation, and support people with blood sugar issues like diabetes.
Many people with gluten troubles feel better on true sourdough, and some celiac patients can even tolerate carefully made sourdough from the right bakery.
How is real sourdough bread different from store bread?
Real sourdough uses just three simple ingredients: flour, water, and salt, plus wild yeast and bacteria that grow naturally.
Store "sourdough" often starts as cheap yeast bread, then has acids (like vinegar, citric acid, or lactic acid) added just to make it taste sour.
True sourdough takes time to ferment, so it's slower and harder to mass‑produce; fake sourdough is fast and easy for big companies.
A quick label check helps: if you see added acids, it's almost surely not real sourdough, and if you see added yeast, it's a red flag.
What happens during the sourdough process inside the dough?
Tiny wild yeasts eat sugars in the dough and make gas, which helps the bread rise and feel light.
Friendly bacteria eat sugars too and make lactic acid, which slowly makes the dough more acidic (a lower pH).
As the pH drops below about 4.6, special enzymes switch on and start breaking down gluten into smaller amino acids that are gentler on the gut.
The long, slow fermentation also helps "detox" grains by reducing lectins and phytates and lowering the glycemic index from around 71 (high) to about 54 (low).
How can families pick or make healthier sourdough at home?
First, choose organic flour, because non‑organic flour is often heavily sprayed and "fortified" with things like folic acid that can be problematic.
If possible, use sprouted grains, then grind them into flour; sprouting naturally lowers some of the grain's built‑in toxins before baking.
Learn to make your own sourdough so every bit of flour ferments long enough to get the pH below about 4.6 at some point.
If you buy bread, try to talk to the baker, look for simple ingredients, and consider slicing and freezing the loaf to lower the glycemic impact even more and make toast easy.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.​
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
170: Focus HERE for Weight Loss and to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
16 Feb 2026
00:32:16
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down exactly where you need to focus if you want real weight loss, more energy, and to reverse type 2 diabetes—without starving yourself or living at the gym. You'll learn why man-made, ultra-processed foods are toxic to your body, what your body is actually made of, and how to nourish it with real, low-carb, whole foods so it can grow, heal, thrive, and survive.
Dr. Steve explains why glucose (sugar and flour) is the real problem, why fat and protein are your friends, and how eating animal-based meals in a tight eating window can lower insulin, burn fat, and keep you full for hours. He also shares why diabetes drugs often make insulin resistance worse, why focus must shift from glucose levels to insulin levels, and why walking and building muscle are critical as you age.
If you're tired of being confused by diets and ready for a clear, simple path to better health, this episode will give you a step-by-step focus that can transform your life.​
What your body is actually made of (protein, fat, cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, water) and why your food should match that.​
Why man-made foods (box, bottle, bag, can) are toxic and drive obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.​
The difference between man-made food, plant-based "God-made" food, and animal-based "God-made" food.​
Why glucose is a toxin in excess, how carbs turn into glucose, and why "eating healthy" salads can still leave you hungry and undernourished.​
How to eat: mainly animal-based meals, 1–3 times a day, in a 6–8 hour window, with no snacking, to keep insulin low and burn fat.​
Why eating fat does not make you fat, but eating glucose does, and why fat is a cleaner, more powerful fuel than carbohydrates.​
How type 2 diabetes medications often make insulin resistance worse and why the real solution is changing nutrition, not adding more drugs.​
Your body is built from protein, fat, cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, and water—so that's what you must feed it.​
Man-made foods from a box, bottle, bag, or can are toxic and slowly damage your organs over decades.​
All plant foods contain carbohydrates (glucose), but animal foods give you the dense protein and healthy fat your body really needs.​
Glucose spikes insulin, stores fat, blocks your fullness hormones, and keeps you hungry and gaining weight.​
Eating mainly animal-based meals, 1–3 times a day in a 6–8 hour window, lowers insulin and lets your body burn stored fat.​
Diabetes and weight-loss drugs often lower blood sugar while driving insulin higher, making insulin resistance and long-term health worse.​
When you stop eating sugar and flour and focus on real food, walking daily, and building muscle, you can reverse type 2 diabetes and reclaim your energy and life.​
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.​
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
169: From Medication to Real Food with Holistic Hilda
09 Feb 2026
00:53:11
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode, Dr. Steve talks with Hilda Labrada Gore, better known as Holistic Hilda, a world‑traveling health explorer and host of the Wise Traditions podcast from the Weston A. Price Foundation. Hilda shares what she has learned from traditional cultures in places like Mongolia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Cuba about food, joy, and real health.
They discuss how moving away from processed "Franken foods" and back to simple, God‑made foods (meat, eggs, butter, seasonal produce) can lower inflammation, improve energy, and help prevent diseases like type 2 diabetes. You'll hear practical examples from indigenous diets, why getting off the blood‑sugar roller coaster matters, and how healthy fats help you feel full so you naturally stop snacking.
Hilda and Dr. Steve also dive into lifestyle "medicine": grounding, sunlight, stress, and sleep. Hilda explains why she thinks of humans as "little batteries" that charge from the earth below and the sun above, and how morning sunlight and going barefoot can calm your nervous system and support better hormones and sleep.
If you're stuck in the cycle of stress‑eating, ultra‑processed food, and more medications, this conversation will show you how simple, low‑carb, whole‑food changes (plus sun and grounding) can move you toward real energy and a longer health span, not just a longer lifespan.
What Dr. Weston A. Price discovered about traditional diets and why the Weston A. Price Foundation was created.
Why indigenous groups eating local, organic, seasonal, traditional foods have almost no type 2 diabetes or obesity.
How refined foods (sugar, white flour, seed oils, additives) drive cavities, crowded teeth, inflammation, and chronic disease over generations.
Why ultra‑processed foods are engineered to be addictive (the "bliss point," crunch, hand‑to‑mouth pattern) and keep you overeating.
How swapping to nutrient‑dense animal foods and healthy fats can reduce cravings and help natural weight loss.
The difference between "God‑made" and "man‑made" food, and why long shelf life often means it shortens your life.
How Hilda's husband lost weight and lowered inflammation by ditching gluten and dairy for a time and focusing on meat and simple whole foods.
Why healthy animal fats like butter, tallow, and lard (plus olive and coconut oil) are more supportive than industrial seed oils.
How grounding (bare feet on the earth) and sunlight act like natural anti‑inflammatories and help your body "charge" properly.
A simple morning routine (barefoot outside + early sunlight) that can help reset cortisol, improve sleep, and support energy all day.
How Holistic Hilda went from curious health coach to "Dora the Explorer 2.0," visiting traditional cultures around the world to learn their secrets for energy and longevity.
What Dr. Weston A. Price found when he studied isolated people groups and compared their teeth, posture, and overall health to those eating modern, refined foods.
Why indigenous communities eating "the lost diet" of local, organic, seasonal, traditional foods almost never develop type 2 diabetes.
How refined grains, sugar, and vegetable oils change facial structure, increase cavities, and set kids up for poorer health in future generations.
The reason you can't stop at one bag of chips or cookies: food companies engineer products to hit your brain's pleasure centers and keep you hooked.
Why real fats like butter, tallow, lard, and quality animal products are deeply satisfying and can naturally crowd out late‑night junk food.
Hilda's story of Mongolian families thriving on animal foods (meat, milk, fat, even organs) and what that says about nutrient density and strength.
The true cost of "cheap" food: more inflammation, pain, medications, doctor visits, and a poor quality of life as you age.
How to start breaking the cycle of stress‑eating and ultra‑processed snacks by focusing on satiating protein and fat instead of constant carbs.
A simple, free "prescription": get outside within 30–45 minutes of sunrise, bare feet on the ground, and let natural light and the earth help reset your body.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
168: The TRUTH about Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes
02 Feb 2026
00:33:54
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down the biggest myths about weight-loss and type 2 diabetes and explains why focusing on insulin, not calories or exercise, is the real key to lasting fat loss, more energy, and reversing disease. You'll learn why our modern food system, high sugar intake, and the wrong medical focus have left so many people overweight, tired, and sick—and what mindset shift has to happen first before true change starts.
It's not about losing "weight"; it's about losing fat while protecting your muscle so you stay strong and independent as you age.
Exercise is not the main driver of fat loss—you can't outwork a high-carb, high-insulin lifestyle.
The real problem is not "too many calories" but the source of those calories, especially constant glucose from carbs that keeps insulin high.
High insulin is the root cause of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and many chronic diseases—not just high blood sugar.
Most diabetes medications work by raising insulin or making you more sensitive to it, which can actually worsen the root problem of insulin resistance.
Our sugar intake has exploded from about 2 teaspoons a day in the 1960s to roughly 65 teaspoons a day, driving obesity and type 2 diabetes in adults and even children.
Chronic stress and the mindset of "escaping the old you" keep you stuck; real change comes from focusing on building the "new you" with less fat and more energy.
When you lower insulin by cutting excess carbs and processed foods, your body can burn stored fat for fuel, improve energy, and move toward reversing type 2 diabetes
If you're ready to reverse type 2 diabetes, reduce medications, and finally feel energetic and confident in your health, schedule a free Wellness Solutions Chat using the link in the show notes. You can also visit DrSteveHughlett.com and click the "Work With Us" tab to learn more about one‑on‑one coaching and online programs.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications
167: How Eating Glucose is Killing Us
26 Jan 2026
00:32:46
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this eye‑opening episode, Dr. Steve breaks down how constant glucose intake silently destroys your health and drives obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and brain decline. You will learn why man‑made, ultra‑processed foods and a high‑carb diet keep you in "glucose toxicity" and how lowering glucose and insulin with animal‑based, low‑carb whole foods can help reverse disease and get you off medications. Dr. Steve also explains the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, why current medical guidelines often make things worse, and the simple (but not easy) steps you can start today to protect your body from the inside out.
If you're tired of low energy, weight gain, and endless prescriptions, this episode will show you how to fuel your body with real nutrition so it can finally heal, thrive, and stay well.
10 Key Takeaways
We are living in "glucose toxicity" because most people eat man‑made, ultra‑processed food made almost entirely of carbohydrates and sugar.
Glucose damages proteins all over the body (glycation), which leads to inflammation, organ damage, and diseases like heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, and vision loss.
Type 1 diabetes is a problem of no insulin, leading to very high blood sugar and extreme fat loss, while type 2 diabetes is a problem of too much insulin and constantly stored fat.
Many type 2 diabetics are made worse by drugs that force the body to make even more insulin instead of addressing the real problem: eating too much glucose.
Man‑made foods in boxes, bottles, bags, and cans are filled with ultra‑processed carbs, seed oils, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and chemicals that drive inflammation and disease.
All plant foods contain carbohydrates (glucose), while animal foods provide protein and fat with minimal impact on insulin and blood sugar.
Root vegetables, grains, flour products, breads, pastas, and baked goods act like powdered glucose in the body and rapidly raise blood sugar and insulin.
Fructose from sugar and large amounts of fruit is quickly turned into fat in the liver, similar to how bears fatten up on berries for hibernation.
The three pillars of modern disease are high glucose, high insulin, and chronic inflammation from chemical‑laden, ultra‑processed foods.
Shifting toward animal‑based, low‑carb, whole foods and cutting sugar‑sweetened drinks and flour products is the fastest way to lower glucose and insulin, reduce medications, and allow the body to heal.
If you're ready to reverse type 2 diabetes, reduce medications, and finally feel energetic and confident in your health, schedule a free Wellness Solutions Chat using the link in the show notes. You can also visit DrSteveHughlett.com and click the "Work With Us" tab to learn more about one‑on‑one coaching and online programs.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
166: Type 2 Diabetes: How to Reverse It!
19 Jan 2026
00:29:22
Hey Podcast Friends!
If you could use some help with weight loss, inflammation and getting off medications..
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
This is my Basic Essentials Course and it will help you to get started.
In this episode of The Prescription Nutrition Podcast, Dr. Steve continues last week's discussion on type 2 diabetes and explains how everyday food choices either push you toward disease or back toward health. He breaks down why type 2 diabetes is really a problem of insulin and not just "high blood sugar," and why most diabetes drugs actually drive insulin even higher over time.
You'll learn the three pillars that drive almost every chronic disease—high insulin, high glucose, and inflammation—and how going back to simple, God-made foods can calm all three. Dr. Steve explains why low-carb, whole-food eating helps your body burn stored fat, lower blood sugar quickly, and open the door to safely reducing medications with your doctor's guidance.
He also shares practical tips: which foods raise blood sugar the most, which vegetables are safer if you're diabetic, and why man-made, boxed foods keep you sick, hungry, and inflamed. You'll hear how to check your own fasting insulin and glucose without a doctor visit, and what numbers to aim for if you want to avoid prediabetes and full-blown diabetes.
If you're tired of being told diabetes only gets worse and you'll "always" need meds, this episode gives you hope, a clear path forward, and an invitation to get personal help through the Wellness Solutions Chat and the Thrive Naturally Transformation course.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance, not just "high blood sugar," and it develops over decades as fat cells become overfilled.
High blood sugar is a symptom of the real problem: years of high insulin from constantly eating glucose and carbs.
The three pillars driving diabetes and most chronic disease are high insulin, high inflammation, and high glucose, all heavily influenced by what you eat.
Glucose mainly comes from plant-based carbs and man-made processed foods, while meat, eggs, healthy fats, and above-ground vegetables keep glucose much lower.
When insulin is high, your body is forced to store fat and cannot burn its own fat, no matter how much you exercise.
Exercise alone rarely reaches your fat stores because your body burns stored glucose first; nutrition and insulin control are the real key to fat loss.
You can order your own fasting insulin and glucose through services like OwnYourLabs, and true healthy fasting insulin is closer to under 5, not just "under 20."
Type 2 diabetes can start as "normal" blood sugar with high insulin (true prediabetes), long before an A1C of 5.7–6.4 ever shows up.
The fastest way to start reversing type 2 diabetes is to stop eating sugars, starches, and man-made foods, and focus on protein, healthy fats, and low-glucose veggies.
Never change your diabetes medications on your own; as your glucose drops from better nutrition, work with your doctor to safely lower or stop meds.
165: Type 2 Diabetes: What it is and What Causes It
12 Jan 2026
00:32:52
Want to lose weight, get off medications, and finally feel great again?
Check out my Essential step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
In this episode, Dr. Steve breaks down type 2 diabetes in simple language and explains why almost everything we've been taught about it is backwards. He shares why insulin resistance—not "high blood sugar"—is the true root cause, how our modern food choices drive the problem, and why medications and "eat less, move more" usually make things worse instead of better. You'll learn the four key truths about insulin, glucose, and fat that can help you start reversing type 2 diabetes naturally with food and lifestyle.
Big picture & why this matters
Why Dr. Steve went into medicine—and why he left the hospital system after 29 years—because of the misinformation around type 2 diabetes.
How type 2 diabetes rates have exploded worldwide and why this is tragic when the condition is preventable, reversible, and often medication-free within weeks.
Type 2 diabetes as an "umbrella disease" driving kidney problems, liver disease, heart disease, dementia, and more.
Key #1 – The true root cause
The root cause of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, not high blood sugar.
High blood sugar is a symptom that shows up decades after insulin resistance begins.
What insulin is: a hormone your body releases whenever you eat or taste something sweet to tell your body what to do with glucose.
What insulin does with glucose
Four main jobs of insulin with the glucose you eat:
Uses a tiny bit for immediate activity right after eating.
Refills limited glycogen "storage tanks" in the liver (about 10 percent) and muscles (about 1 percent each).
Dumps extra glucose into the urine once blood sugar is too high.
Turns most of the extra glucose into fat (triglycerides) and stores it in fat cells.
Why "eating fat makes you fat" is a myth; high insulin from glucose is what forces fat into fat cells.
Key #2 – Insulin decides fat storage or fat burning
High insulin = your body stores fat and cannot burn fat out of fat cells.
Low insulin = your body burns fat out of fat cells for energy and cannot store new fat.
Why the real key to weight loss, energy, and diabetes reversal is keeping insulin low, not counting calories.
What insulin resistance really is
Insulin resistance explained as "stuffed fat cells" that can't take any more triglycerides.
As more fat cells fill up all over the body, the body must pump out more insulin to force fat in, which is pre-diabetes and insulin resistance.
After 10–40 years of this, fat starts getting stored around organs (liver, heart, etc.), and that's when major damage begins.
Healthy, pre-diabetes, and diabetes (the progression)
Healthy: low insulin, low glucose.
Early pre-diabetes: high insulin, normal glucose—usually missed because insulin is almost never tested.
Full diabetes: high insulin and high glucose after years of stuffed fat cells.
Why common medical definitions of "pre-diabetes" (using A1C only) are late and driven by marketing, not true root cause.
Key #3 – It's not about lowering sugar, it's about not raising it
The only meaningful way blood glucose rises is by eating it (carbohydrates and sugars).
You have very little stored glucose in the body (about two teaspoons in the blood, roughly 2,400 calories max in glycogen).
Stress and cortisol can temporarily raise blood sugar by releasing stored glycogen, but glucose is meant only for short "fight or flight," not all-day energy.
Why "eat less and exercise more" fails
Exercise burns some calories but rarely reaches the stored fat in fat cells because glucose stores are usually full.
Exercise often makes people hungrier when they are running on glucose as their main fuel.
The real solution is to stop constantly feeding glucose into the system so insulin can stay low and fat can be burned naturally.
Key #4 – It's not about calories, it's about fuel source
Calories from glucose vs calories from fat act very differently in the body.
Glucose: quick energy, limited storage, meant for emergencies.
Fat: long-lasting energy, huge storage capacity, and also needed to build cells, hormones, and absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Being 10 pounds overweight means roughly 40,000 calories stored in fat that can be tapped when insulin stays low.
Food categories and insulin
Plant-based foods: always contain carbohydrates, and the basic unit of carbohydrate is glucose—so plants raise glucose and insulin to varying degrees.
Animal-based foods: made of protein and fat; fat does not raise insulin, and protein raises it only slightly compared to carbs.
Man-made/chemical foods (boxes, bags, bottles, cans): ultra-processed carbs plus sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and seed oils—these are the biggest drivers of high glucose, high insulin, obesity, and organ damage.
Problems with the standard medical approach
Most training and guidelines focus only on blood sugar, not insulin or insulin resistance.
Common advice: "Eat the same carbs, just less, and exercise more," which keeps insulin high and the disease progressing.
Most diabetes medications either raise insulin or increase insulin sensitivity, which only helps stuff more fat into already full fat cells and worsens the long-term problem.
Hope and next steps
Type 2 diabetes is preventable, reversible, and you have direct control by changing what you eat, especially cutting out glucose-heavy foods.
Low-carb, whole-food eating (focusing on real food, not processed boxes and bags) is the key to lowering insulin and allowing the body to burn stored fat.
Next episode will cover specific steps to reverse type 2 diabetes and get off medications safely.
Call to action
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
164: Food over Fitness: The Truth about Fat Loss
05 Jan 2026
00:41:26
Want to lose weight, get off medications, and finally feel great again? Check out my Basic step-by-step course that helps you get started to take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
In this episode, Dr. Steve explains why losing fat and getting healthy is driven far more by the food you eat than by time in the gym. He breaks down how insulin controls whether your body stores fat or burns it, and why keeping insulin low is the real key to weight loss, more energy, and reversing type 2 diabetes. You'll learn why sugar, flour, and man‑made processed foods are wrecking your health, and how simple low‑carb, whole‑food swaps can help you finally tap into your fat stores for fuel.
Dr. Steve also talks about why most "eat less and exercise more" advice fails, what insulin resistance really is, and how to know if you're drifting toward prediabetes and organ damage. He gives practical, realistic first steps so overwhelmed men and women can start changing their health without restrictive diets or long workouts, just by changing what's on their plate.
Main Talking Points
Getting healthy and losing weight has very little to do with exercise and almost everything to do with the food you eat.
If you are obese and not already working out, intense exercise is the last place to start; focus on food first.
Exercise is good for the body, but it has strict limits for fat loss because you rarely burn through stored glucose to reach your fat stores.
The "eat less calories and exercise more" message fails because fat loss is not about calories; it is about the source of those calories.
How Your Body Burns Energy
The body can run on two main fuels: glucose and fat, and it always uses what is already in the blood first.
Glucose in the blood triggers insulin, which lowers blood sugar but also decides whether you store fat or burn it.
You have about 2,400 calories of stored glucose but 4,000 calories in just 1 pound of fat, showing that fat is meant to be your primary fuel.
One pound of extra fat is like a huge "battery" you never reach if insulin stays high from constant carbohydrate intake.
Insulin, Fat Storage, and Diabetes
There is only one thing that puts fat into your fat cells and one thing that lets it out, and that is insulin.
High insulin levels force your liver to turn glucose into triglycerides and store them as fat, making you gain weight.
When insulin levels are low, your body is forced to burn fat out of your fat cells for energy and cannot store fat.
Insulin resistance is not "broken insulin"; it is fat cells so full of triglycerides that they cannot store any more.
Pre-diabetes is a long phase where insulin is high but glucose is still normal because you still have fat cells left to fill.
True type 2 diabetes appears when insulin has been high for years, all fat cells are full, and blood glucose finally climbs.
Focusing only on lowering glucose with medications often makes diabetes worse by pushing more fat into already full cells.
The real root cause of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance from years of excess glucose intake, not a simple "glucose problem."
Warning Signs You're in Trouble
On a cholesterol panel, high triglycerides and low HDL are the real red flags for cardiovascular disease risk.
If your triglycerides are more than twice your HDL, you are likely causing organ and blood vessel damage and sliding into prediabetes.
Measure your waist at the level of your belly button; if that number is more than half your height, you are likely storing dangerous organ fat.
A large waist relative to height is a strong clue that you are already on the diabetes path and need to change quickly.
The Role of Stress and Glucose
Stress raises cortisol, which tells your liver to dump stored glucose into your blood for "fight or flight" energy.
When stress ends, glucose and insulin should drop, and your body should go back to burning fat for fuel.
The other way blood glucose rises is by eating it, especially from carbohydrate-heavy, plant-based and processed foods.
Rather than focusing on pushing glucose down, focus on not putting so much glucose into your blood in the first place.
Food Categories: Animal, Plant, Chemical
Animal-based foods (meat, eggs, cheese, full-fat dairy, fish, pork) provide protein and fat without spiking insulin.
Plant-based foods are built from carbohydrates, and their basic building block is glucose, though some have more than others.
Plants that grow below the ground (like potatoes) are starch-heavy and packed with glucose, while many above-ground vegetables have less.
It is possible to live a healthy life without plant-based foods, but if you eat them, you must be careful with quantity and type.
Chemical-based foods (man-made, ultra-processed foods from boxes, bags, bottles, and cans) are full of chemicals and seed oils.
These man-made foods are foreign to the body, highly inflammatory, and designed to keep you hungry and overeating.
Shopping mainly around the outside edge of the grocery store helps you stick to real meats, real vegetables, real fruits, and full-fat dairy.
Avoiding man-made foods reduces toxins and inflammation while helping keep insulin levels down.
The Big Lies About Fat and Glucose
One deadly lie is that "eating fat makes you fat," even though fat does not increase insulin levels.
Protein raises insulin only a tiny bit, while carbohydrates (glucose) raise insulin strongly and drive fat storage.
Another lie is that "glucose is your preferred energy source," despite the body storing far more energy as fat than as glucose.
Fat is a cleaner, more efficient fuel and is what the body was designed to use for daily energy, with glucose reserved mostly for emergencies.
Why Modern Diet Advice Fails
Food and drug companies profit from pushing high-carb, low-fat guidelines and more medications.
Many people born after the 1980s grew up under these guidelines and are heavier and sicker than previous generations.
Diabetic medications usually target blood glucose, not insulin resistance, so they treat the symptom instead of the cause.
Some drugs make the pancreas pump out more insulin or make cells more sensitive to insulin, which simply stores more fat and delays the problem.
Practical First Steps (Simple, Not Restrictive)
The goal is not restrictive diets or long workouts but small, daily food habits you can do almost without thinking.
Today can be your real "Day One" simply by reassessing every bite you put in your mouth.
Many people fail not because they lack willpower but because they start with huge, overwhelming goals instead of small, doable ones.
Think in terms of tiny, repeatable habits—like brushing your teeth—that you can stick with every day.
Key Food Swaps and Meal Ideas
If you love Mexican food, keep the meat, cheese, lettuce, and vegetables but skip the chips and shells.
For fajitas, order extra meat and vegetables and eat it without tortillas or chips.
When ordering a hamburger, load it with cheese, bacon, mushrooms, and even an egg, but skip the bun and fries.
Replace fries or pasta sides with options like buttered broccoli to keep insulin levels low and meals satisfying.
For lasagna, leave out the noodles and use layers of deli chicken or turkey instead to cut out the flour.
Avoid most fried foods at restaurants because they are usually cooked in toxic seed oils that cause inflammation.
Look for places that cook with animal fats like tallow or lard if you want fried foods more safely.
Building meals around animal-based proteins and fats helps keep insulin low and hunger steady for hours.
The Two Biggest Food Villains
Sugar is a mix of glucose and fructose; fructose is toxic to the body, and glucose drives insulin up and fat storage.
Flour is basically powdered glucose, and everything made from it (bread, pasta, pizza crust, crackers, cookies, donuts) spikes insulin.
Sugary drinks like soda, fruit juice, smoothies, and many energy drinks are essentially liquid glucose that hit the bloodstream quickly.
Liquid sugar spikes insulin fast and high, which is why cutting out soda alone often leads to surprising weight loss.
Man-made foods are usually built from sugar, high fructose corn syrup, refined grains, and seed oils, a perfect storm for weight gain.
Most boxed, bagged, and bottled foods are designed to keep you craving more by rapidly raising and then dropping your blood sugar.
Focus first on eliminating sugary drinks and flour-based foods, then replace them with simple animal-based options and water.
As insulin comes down, you begin burning stored fat for energy and naturally feel less hungry and more energized.
Building New Habits and Mindset
This process is not about perfection; it is about consistency and learning from small slip-ups.
When you "fall off," do not beat yourself up; treat it as a speed bump, not a dead end, and get right back on track at the next meal.
Your goal is to be smarter, not tougher—small, smart changes you can live with beat big, heroic changes you cannot sustain.
Think of health as giving your body nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water) and keeping toxins out (excess glucose, chemicals, seed oils).
Simple Action Steps to be Taken
Stop all sugar-sweetened beverages and replace them with water, unsweet tea, or unsweet coffee.
Eliminate foods made with flour: bread, pasta, pizza crust, crackers, cookies, and donuts.
Avoid man-made, ultra-processed foods in boxes, bags, bottles, and cans as much as possible.
Build most of your meals from animal-based foods like meat, eggs, cheese, full-fat dairy, and fish, with careful use of plant foods if desired.
If you want, the next step can be writing a short intro and outro script for this episode that speaks directly to overwhelmed 30–70 year olds who are tired, overweight, and ready for a simple low-carb, whole‑food plan.
"If this episode helped you, share it with a friend
"To join the Thrive Natural Transformation course and get step-by-step help reversing type 2 diabetes, boosting energy, and getting off medications, visit drstevehughlett.com and click the 'Work With Us' tab."
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
163: Toxins in Your Food Causing Sun Sensitivity pt 2
29 Dec 2025
00:26:37
Many people think they are "just fair-skinned" or that the sun is the enemy, but sometimes the problem is actually toxins in the food they just ate. Dr. Steve breaks down how compounds called furanocoumarins in certain plants can react with sunlight and damage your skin, causing redness, blisters, and dark spots, even if you are not allergic.
He explains the difference between a normal sunburn and phytophotodermatitis, a reaction where plant chemicals on or in your skin are activated by UV light and create reactive oxygen species that damage your cells. You will learn why your overall diet, your antioxidant status, and the strength of your cell membranes matter so much for how your skin handles sunlight.
Dr. Steve also talks about why a meat- and animal-fat-based, low-carb, whole-food way of eating can make your skin more resilient, improve your energy, and reduce inflammation, while ultra-processed foods, seed oils, sugar, and excess plant toxins can do the opposite. He gives practical tips on what to avoid before going out in the sun, how to build up your sun tolerance slowly, and how to support your mitochondria so your body can use sunlight the way it was designed to.
If you feel like you burn easily, are confused about sunscreen, or are trying to move from tired and inflamed to strong and energized, this episode will help you connect the dots between your plate, your skin, and the sun.
Key Talking Points (Bullet Points)
Quick recap of Part 1: how UV light penetrates the skin and why healthy cell membranes and antioxidants protect against damage.
Saturated fat and cholesterol as vital building blocks for strong, stable skin cell membranes rather than "bad fats" to fear.
What furanocoumarins are and where they come from (certain plants and plant foods).
How these compounds absorb UV light and create reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage DNA and proteins in skin cells.
Signs of damage: inflammation, blistering, hyperpigmentation, and why it may not be a normal sunburn.
Why it is different from an allergic reaction and can happen the first time you are exposed.
Factors that affect how bad the reaction is:
How much of the plant toxin you ate or got on your skin.
Intensity of the sunlight and time of day.
How long you are in the sun and how healthy your skin cells are.
Why this often shows up on vacations or trips to the beach, especially when people are less used to sun.
Common wellness trends that can backfire:
Celery juice cleanses, giant raw salads, heavy citrus use before sun exposure.
How they can secretly load you with furanocoumarins and set you up to "burn."
Practical steps to reduce sun sensitivity from food:
Be aware of what you ate hours before going outside.
Avoid lots of raw celery, parsnips, and heavy citrus before sun.
Always wash hands well after preparing citrus (limes, lemons) or other suspect plants, especially if you will be in the sun.
Remember that even a few drops of lime juice on the skin can cause a painful reaction in the sun.
Strengthening your skin from the inside out:
Focus on animal-based, meat- and fat-rich foods: collagen-rich meats, organ meats, quality animal fats, and mineral-rich salts.
How these foods support strong cell membranes, provide vitamin E, zinc, and other nutrients that improve sun tolerance.
Why carnivore and animal-based eaters often notice better skin quality and better sun tolerance.
Hydration and electrolytes:
Drink about half your ideal body weight in pounds as ounces of water per day.
Increase water if you drink alcohol, sugar, or caffeine because they are dehydrating.
Make sure to include electrolytes, not just plain water.
Lifestyle pieces that support skin health:
Quality sleep as the time your body repairs and detoxes.
Avoiding inflammatory seed oils and ultra-processed "Franken foods" in boxes, bottles, bags, and cans.
Limiting processed carbs and high-fructose corn syrup that drive inflammation and oxidative stress.
Building sun tolerance safely:
Start with short sun exposure without burning, then slowly increase time outside.
Let your skin tan naturally through melanin production instead of jumping straight to long sun sessions.
Why you may eventually tolerate sun without sunscreen if your nutrition and skin health are strong.
Sunscreen discussion:
Concerns about toxic chemicals in many sunscreens.
The real problem often being damaged, poorly nourished skin and plant toxins, not the sun itself.
Focus on not burning rather than avoiding all sun.
Plants, antinutrients, and toxins:
Plants use chemicals as defense systems against insects, animals, and humans.
Some plant compounds interfere with digestion, hormones, and skin health.
Antinutrients can bind minerals in the gut and keep you from absorbing them.
Why you should be selective with vegetables, not fear them, but not make them the main course.
Animal-based nutrition principles:
Animal foods provide dense protein, healthy fats, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals your body is built from.
You are not built out of carbohydrates; glucose is meant for short bursts (fight or flight), not constant fuel.
Benefits of including fatty fish like salmon at least once a week for omega-3s.
Sun and circadian rhythm:
Morning sunlight helps raise cortisol and wake you up.
Evening darkness and fading light help trigger melatonin for sleep.
Your body is designed to live in rhythm with the sun, not to fear it.
Big-picture takeaways for listeners:
Do not fear the sun; be cautious of man-made processed foods and certain plant toxins that damage your cells.
Your skin is a mirror of what is happening inside your body. If you are inflamed on the outside, you are likely inflamed on the inside.
Eat mostly animal-based whole foods, with small amounts of fruits and vegetables if desired, prepared in ways that reduce toxins.
Make smarter choices before going outside, know what you ate, and protect your skin without being afraid of nature.
"If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who burns easily in the sun and wants a more natural approach to skin health."
"To join the Thrive Natural Transformation course and get step-by-step help reversing type 2 diabetes, boosting energy, and getting off medications, visit drstevehughlett.com and click the 'Work With Us' tab."
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
162: Toxins in your Food Causing Sun Sensitivity pt 1
22 Dec 2025
00:22:44
This episode explains how certain foods—especially seed oils, processed grains, and specific plants—can make your skin much more sensitive to the sun and cause burning, rashes, and even blistering that looks like a bad sunburn. You will learn why the sun itself is not the main problem, how plant toxins like furanocoumarins work, and how shifting to more saturated animal fats and whole foods can help your skin handle sun exposure better.
Why sunlight is so important
Sunlight helps balance hormones, lift mood, and support your natural sleep–wake rhythm (cortisol in the morning, melatonin at night).
Sun on the skin is needed for vitamin D and has been essential for humans, animals, and plants throughout history.
The goal is to get regular, gradual sun without burning—not to avoid the sun or always hide behind sunscreen.
How diet makes you burn more
Many people burn easier now not just because of time in the sun, but because of what they eat.
Seed oils (polyunsaturated oils) and ultra‑processed grains create oxidative stress and make skin cells more fragile in the sun.
Every cell membrane is made of fat; when those fats are mostly unstable polyunsaturated oils, UV light damages them more easily and leads to inflammation and burning.
When people switch to low‑carb, animal‑based, keto/carnivore style eating with more saturated fats, many notice they can stay in the sun longer without burning.
Plant chemicals that react with the sun
Some plants make defense chemicals called furanocoumarins to protect themselves from insects, fungi, and being eaten.
In humans, these chemicals can cause phytophotodermatitis: plant + light + skin = inflammation and burn‑like reactions.
These compounds can be absorbed through the skin or by eating the plant; once in the body, they can stay for hours to days and increase sun sensitivity.
The reaction often looks like a severe sunburn with redness, blisters, dark streaks, and peeling, even when sun exposure was not extreme.
Common foods that increase sun sensitivity
Citrus, especially limes, are a major trigger; bartenders, gardeners, and vacationers with lime drinks in the sun often get streaky burns and blisters on hands and arms.
Other citrus like lemons and grapefruits can also make skin more reactive to UV light.
Celery, parsley, parsnips and similar plants have high levels of these "phototoxins," and field workers handling them often develop painful streaks and rashes that cannot simply be washed off.
Juicing or eating large amounts of raw versions of these plants can load the skin with these chemicals and set you up for a bad "burn" when you hit strong sun.
Plants, toxins, and why "healthy" isn't always harmless
Not all fruits and vegetables are automatically safe in all amounts; many plants contain toxins and antinutrients meant to protect the plant.
Examples include oxalates, lectins, and phytates that can damage the gut lining or block nutrient absorption, contributing to GI problems like IBS, colitis, reflux, and more.
Story: A daily "healthy" green juice with kale, spinach, and apple led to bleeding in the bladder area due to oxalate crystals from those greens; stopping the juice stopped the bleeding.
Raw plant parts like potato skins can be especially toxic; many traditional cultures always peel potatoes for this reason.
Fruits, seeds, and man‑made changes
Only three foods are truly "designed" to be eaten: honey (for bees), milk (for infants), and ripe fruit (to spread seeds).
A fruit is basically the plant's ovary, carrying seeds; when seeds are ripe, the fruit sweetens to invite animals to eat and spread them.
Seedless grapes and seedless watermelons are no longer true fruits in this sense and are products of genetic manipulation and added chemicals.
Man‑made food, inflammation, and skin
Ultra‑processed "man‑made" foods with refined grains, inflammatory seed oils, and sugars create massive oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in the gut and whole body.
An already‑inflamed body plus plant toxins like furanocoumarins makes skin even more sensitive to the sun and more likely to burn or rash with normal sun exposure.
Many modern gut issues (Crohn's, IBD, IBS, reflux, colitis) are tied to these processed foods and certain plant compounds.
Sunscreen, sun fear, and a better approach
Many people think they are just "sensitive to the sun" and respond by lathering on more sunscreen, without realizing foods may be the problem.
Commercial sunscreens often contain chemicals that are absorbed more deeply into the skin when heated by the sun and when blood vessels are dilated.
A healthier strategy:
Gradually build sun exposure in the spring and summer so you tan instead of burn.
Cut back on seed oils, ultra‑processed foods, and big loads of raw, high‑furanocoumarin plants (like celery juice and heavy citrus) before going into intense sun.
Center your diet on whole, animal‑based foods with natural saturated fats (tallow, lard, etc.) plus small amounts of well‑prepared fruits and vegetables as tolerated.
Next episode will dig into practical steps to protect your skin from the inside out, how to make your skin more sun‑resistant, and what to use instead of toxic sunscreens.
I
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
161: Good Stress-Bad Stress. When survival turns Self Destructive
15 Dec 2025
00:26:44
Want to lose weight, get off medications, and finally feel great again?
Check out my step-by-step course that helps you take control of your health using real food — not pills, not crash diets, and definitely not tons of time in the gym. You'll learn how to eat low-carb, boost your energy, and build a healthier lifestyle that actually lasts.
Stress isn't always bad. In this episode, Dr. Steve explains how "good stress" helps you survive and stay sharp, and how "bad stress" slowly tears down your body, energy, and health when it never turns off. You'll learn how adrenaline and cortisol work, why short bursts of stress can be healthy, and how chronic stress leads to weight gain, fatigue, poor sleep, and even type 2 diabetes. Dr. Steve also shares practical, natural ways to calm your system so you are not relying on more and more medications.
Main talking points
Why the body needs stress in short bursts for survival, focus, and performance.
Fast "alarm" phase: adrenaline kicks in within seconds to raise heart rate, breathing, and blood flow to muscles.
Follow‑up phase: cortisol arrives about 10 seconds later to keep you alert and to raise blood sugar so you have fuel to respond.
Sympathetic ("fight or flight") vs parasympathetic ("rest and digest") systems and why you must be able to shift back into calm mode.
How cortisol normally peaks in the morning to help you wake up and then should fall through the day as melatonin rises at night.
What happens with chronic stress: constant high cortisol, fatigue, anxiety, depression, weight gain (especially belly and upper back), poor immunity, high blood pressure, headaches, bone loss, and higher diabetes risk.
Signs of too little cortisol (adrenal insufficiency): fatigue, weakness, weight loss, low blood pressure, dizziness, mood changes, and blood sugar swings.
Why adding more medications often creates more problems and side effects instead of real solutions.
Natural supports: morning sunlight and walking, limiting bright screens at night, simple stress‑management practices, and brief, controlled "good stress" like short sprints or cold exposure to train your body to recover.
Check out our Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Wellness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
160: Cholesterol Medication Mis-Direction
08 Dec 2025
00:36:31
This is part two of the "Medication Misdirection" series, focusing on cholesterol drugs and why so many people are told they "need" a statin to be healthy. Dr. Steve explains how drug companies shifted the focus to LDL numbers, why that's the wrong target, and how real heart risk is driven by sugar, flour, seed oils, and man‑made foods—not by eating natural fat and cholesterol.
You'll learn what triglycerides, HDL, and LDL really are, why small dense LDL is the real danger, and how statins may actually damage every cell in your body by blocking key nutrients your cells must have to survive. Dr. Steve also gives simple, practical steps to lower triglycerides, raise HDL, and protect your heart using low‑carb, whole‑food eating, lifting heavy things, and avoiding toxic seed oils.
1. Medication Misdirection: Cholesterol Edition
This episode is part two of the medication misdirection series; last time was about diabetes meds, now it's cholesterol meds.
The medical system teaches that "to be healthy, you must be on medication," and cholesterol drugs are one of the biggest examples.
Doctors are not the villains; drug companies shape the message, and even many physicians are unaware of the bigger picture.
2. What the Body Is Really Made Of
The body is built from protein, fat (fatty acids), vitamins, minerals, cholesterol, and water—these are vital; we must have them.
Protein comes from 20 amino acids, nine of which are essential and have to come from food.
There are two essential fatty acids—omega‑6 and omega‑3—that must come from fat in your diet.
3. We Don't Need Carbs to Live
The body does not need glucose or carbohydrates; it can function without ever eating plant‑based carbs.
Plants below the ground (like potatoes) are high in starch, which is long chains of glucose; these can be a big problem if you struggle with blood sugar.
Fruit, especially modern, out‑of‑season fruit, can easily fatten you up because fructose is quickly turned into triglycerides and fat—just like a bear fattening for hibernation.
4 Man‑Made Food Is the Real Enemy
Man‑made, processed food is loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, flour (powdered glucose), and toxic seed oils.
These foods raise insulin, force the body to store fat, and create massive inflammation in the body.
The problem is not "too many calories" but the source of the calories—glucose versus fat.
5. Fat as a Clean Fuel
The body stores very little glucose (about 2,400 calories total) but stores a lot of fat (one pound of fat holds about 4,000 calories).
Fat is designed to be our long‑term, steady energy source, while constant glucose intake keeps insulin high and locks fat in our fat cells.
Using fat for fuel keeps insulin low and lets the body burn stored fat throughout the day.
6. What Triglycerides Really Are
A triglyceride is like a capital "E": the backbone is glycerol and the three "arms" are fatty acids.
When you eat glucose, insulin tells the liver to turn that glucose into triglycerides, then ship them to fat cells for storage.
High insulin = you store fat and cannot burn it; low insulin = you can burn fat out of your fat cells.
7. What Cholesterol Really Is (And Why It's Vital)
Cholesterol isn't truly a "fat"; its structure is rings, not straight chains like fats.
Cholesterol is so important that the liver makes about 80% of what the body uses, and nearly every cell (except red blood cells) makes cholesterol.
Start cutting out man-made processed foods and base meals on real, whole, mostly animal-based foods.
Invite them to check out your Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weillness Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
159: Diabetic Medication Mis-Direction
01 Dec 2025
00:33:35
In this episode, Dr. Steve shares a powerful talk from the Secrets in Health Conference about how diabetes medications often "miss the mark." He explains the real root problem behind type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance), why focusing only on blood sugar and A1C keeps you sick, and how man-made, high-carb processed foods have created an epidemic of high insulin, inflammation, and weight gain. You'll learn what pre-diabetes really is, how drug companies have shaped the way doctors are trained, and why low-carb, whole, animal-based foods can help you lower insulin, burn fat for fuel, and regain your energy without living on medications.
Bullet point episode highlights
The "three columns of disease": high inflammation, high insulin, and high blood glucose damage every organ over time.
High insulin and inflammation show up 10–40 years before blood sugar ever becomes high, which is when most people finally get diagnosed.
Man-made, processed "Franken foods" from the center aisles of the store drive high insulin, high glucose, and constant fat storage.
Type 2 diabetes is really a problem of insulin resistance, not just "high blood sugar." High blood sugar is a symptom, not the root cause.
Insulin is the fat-storage hormone:
High insulin = you store fat.
Low insulin = you burn fat from your fat cells for energy.
There are only two ways blood sugar goes up: you pull it from your limited glycogen stores or you eat it (through carbohydrates).
The body was designed to use fat as the main long-term fuel and glucose just for short bursts like "fight or flight," not as an all-day energy source.
Processed foods often mix carbs and fats together (like burgers with buns, pizza, donuts), which is the worst combo for fat gain.
Our bloodstream only holds about 2 teaspoons of sugar, yet the modern diet now averages an estimated 65 teaspoons of sugar per person per day when you include soda, juice, breads, pasta, and sweets.
Extra glucose is quickly turned into triglycerides and stored as fat, which keeps your insulin high and your energy low.
How insulin resistance develops
Every fat cell takes in triglycerides under the command of insulin until it is completely full.
When fat cells are stuffed and can't take more, they become insulin resistant and start pushing the problem to other cells and organs.
This process can take decades, which is why you can look "fine" but be building disease silently for years.
"TOFI" people (Thin Outside, Fat Inside) can look lean but still have fat packed around their organs and have type 2 diabetes.
Others can be very obese without diabetes because their bodies keep making new fat cells (adipocyte hyperplasia), but they still suffer from hormone problems and other issues from having so much fat tissue.
How diabetes medications mislead us
Most diabetes drugs work in only two basic ways:
Forcing the pancreas to make more insulin.
Making cells more sensitive to insulin.
This means the drugs push even more triglycerides into already stuffed fat cells, kicking the can down the road and worsening insulin resistance over time.
Historically there were only two main drug classes (sulfonylureas and biguanides like metformin), but once A1C testing and "pre-diabetes" were defined, the number of drug classes and medications exploded.
A1C was originally used around a cutoff of 8, then gradually lowered to 7, then 6.4, which suddenly turned millions more people into "drug candidates."
The creation of the "pre-diabetes" label (A1C 5.7–6.4) allowed even more people to be put on medications, even though true pre-diabetes is high insulin with normal blood sugar, often for 10–40 years.
There are now six drug classes and over 30 diabetes medications, with roughly one new drug coming out every year, yet people are sicker and on more meds than ever.
GLP-1 drugs and rapid weight loss
GLP-1 agonist drugs (the popular weight loss/diabetes injections) work partly by paralyzing the stomach so you feel full and eat less.
They also stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, which can keep you in fat-storage mode even when blood sugar looks "better" on labs.
When people aren't eating enough, the body pulls energy from fat stores (good) but also from muscle (bad), leading to muscle loss and slower metabolism.
Many of these medications come with 30–70 documented adverse effects each, meaning they may improve a single lab number while harming many other systems.
What you should really focus on
Stop focusing only on:
Blood sugar numbers.
A1C.
"Weight loss" on the scale.
Start focusing on:
Lowering insulin levels.
Losing fat while protecting muscle.
Reducing inflammation.
A healthy goal for fasting insulin is ideally below 5, and even closer to 3 if possible.
You can order your own fasting insulin test through services like OwnYourLabs and get it drawn at labs such as Labcorp, often without needing a doctor's order.
Food and lifestyle message (for your 30–70 audience)
Man-made, high-carb, highly processed foods (boxed, bagged, and canned) are the main drivers of high insulin, low energy, and stubborn weight.
You never "need" to eat refined sugar or processed carbs; the body can function just fine without adding glucose from junk foods.
Emphasize:
Low-carb, whole foods.
Mainly animal-based foods: meat, healthy fats, and natural cholesterol for energy, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Non-starchy vegetables above ground and limited fruit, especially if you already struggle with blood sugar.
This way of eating keeps insulin low, allows your body to burn fat for fuel, supports your muscles, and boosts day-to-day energy without hours in the gym or restrictive "diet mentality."
Call to action
Ask for (or order) a fasting insulin test instead of only tracking blood sugar and A1C.
Shift their focus from "glucose control" to "insulin control and fat loss."
Start cutting out man-made processed foods and base meals on real, whole, mostly animal-based foods.
Invite them to check out your Thrive Naturally Transformation course at drstevehughlett.com under the "Work With Us" tab to help reverse type 2 diabetes, get off medications, and regain energy and confidence in their health.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
This episode dives into simple and practical ways to keep your health and energy on track during the holiday season. Learn why most people gain weight between Thanksgiving and New Year, and how to avoid extra pounds without missing out on the festivities. Discover what's really in your holiday meals, why low carb and whole foods matter, and get easy tips you can use at parties and family gatherings. Focus on eating good food, staying connected, and feeling confident in your health as you celebrate. Join the "Freeze the Scale" challenge to help keep your weight steady through the holidays!
Most people gain 2-5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year—keep your insulin and glucose low to avoid this.
The holidays should be about enjoying friends and family, not just food—give your future self the gift of no weight gain.
Focus on nutrients (protein, fat, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals) instead of toxins (fructose, chemicals, and excess glucose).
Eat foods that satisfy you like meat, eggs, and healthy natural fats; these keep you full and help your body burn fat.
Stay away from man-made foods: anything in a box, bag, bottle, or can is loaded with chemicals and processed sugars.
Reduce portion sizes by using small plates, especially for desserts—most cravings are satisfied by just two or three bites.
Never go to holiday gatherings hungry; eat a little protein or healthy fat before arriving to avoid bingeing on carbs.
Don't start meals with sweets or sugary foods; it makes you hungrier and causes more cravings.
Choose water, unsweetened tea, or coffee over sodas and juice to cut down on sugar intake.
Take a walk after big holiday meals to help burn off extra glucose and lower insulin levels.
Remember: The holidays are just a few days—don't turn every day into a food free-for-all.
Join the "Freeze the Scale" challenge to maintain your weight through the season and feel great in the new year.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
The body can use either glucose or fat as fuel. Most people rely on glucose due to dietary guidelines over the last 40–50 years, but this is not the way humans are designed to function.
Using fat for energy leads to stable insulin levels, reduced inflammation, and lower blood sugar—all three are pillars for good health and protection against disease.
Elevated insulin levels (from glucose) cause the body to store fat; using fat for energy keeps insulin low and helps you burn stored fat.
Where Glucose Comes From
Glucose is found in all carbohydrates, which are plant-based foods. Not all carbs are equal: fruits and above-ground vegetables are much healthier than man-made foods like sugar, flour, and processed snacks.
Man-made, processed foods lead to excessive glucose intake, high insulin, and ongoing fat storage—this is a main contributor to obesity and organ damage.
Fat: The Better Fuel
Animal fats (tallow, lard, butter, whole milk, Greek yogurt) and naturally pressed fruit oils (avocado, extra virgin olive, coconut oil) are good choices.
Avoid highly processed vegetable and seed oils; these "man-made" oils are linked to inflammation and toxicity, often due to chemical processing and additives.
Why Fat Burns Longer Than Glucose
Glucose burns quickly—like throwing kindling on a campfire, giving a short burst of energy and then leaving you hungry and searching for more fuel.
Fat is like a big log on the fire, providing steady, long-lasting energy throughout the day since it stays in the stomach and intestines much longer and stimulates fullness hormones.
Eating mostly protein and fat allows you to go longer without feeling hungry, unlike carbs that leave you hungry every few hours.
Energy Storage and Usage
The body stores very little glucose—just enough for about 24 hours of energy. In contrast, even 10 pounds of body fat equals around 40,000 calories of energy—plenty to last days or weeks.
We are designed to tap into our fat stores for sustained energy, but modern diets keep our bodies locked into using glucose instead.
Negative Effects of Glucose Metabolism
Burning glucose generates more damaging free radicals and oxidative stress, contributing to insulin resistance, diabetes, organ and blood vessel damage, and chronic inflammation.
High insulin levels eventually fill fat cells to the max, leading to fat storage in organs (liver, pancreas, heart, kidneys), causing fatty liver and other diseases.
Changing Your Fuel Source
The quickest way to shift to fat-burning is to limit glucose-rich foods (man-made carbs, processed snacks) and focus on whole foods: meats, eggs, full-fat dairy, above-ground vegetables, and natural fats.
Protein briefly raises insulin but much less than carbs, and it's critical for preserving muscle and keeping you full.
The body does not need dietary glucose—it can make what is needed from protein and fat.
Hunger, Fullness, and Fat Loss
Glucose meals make you hungrier by interfering with fullness hormones like leptin, often leading to overeating and weight gain.
Protein and fat meals stimulate more lasting fullness and keep you satisfied for hours, reducing cravings for snacks and sweets.
Medications or starvation diets may lead to muscle loss and feeling unwell due to inadequate protein and nutrients—avoid restrictive diets.
Practical Tips for Listeners
Avoid man-made carbs and processed foods; stick to whole, nutrient-dense foods that support steady energy.
Focus on above-ground veggies, whole cuts of meat, eggs, full-fat dairy, and natural oils for meals.
Don't worry about dietary fat—fat does not make you fat; excess glucose does.
You have control over your health by choosing what you eat; keep meals simple, satisfying, and easy to prepare.
Featured Call-to-Action
Stay tuned for the podcast's new name and branding!
Consider joining the "Thrive Naturally Transformation" course for extra support with energy, diabetes reversal, and medication reduction. See drstevehughlett.com for details.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
156: Pain Free and 45 lb weight loss with David Woodcock
10 Nov 2025
00:37:31
Introduction
In Today's episode Dave Woodcock, shares how their relationship began and how Dave's health journey recently became inspiring for many.
Dave explains their connection through family and describes their first discussions about nutrition and health, sparked by reading "Your Plate is Your Fate" in 2021, even though initial changes were gradual.
Dave's Background and Struggle
Dave grew up in Iowa and was always active, playing sports in high school and college.
Nutrition was not a priority throughout his youth and early adulthood, especially living in Chicago, where an unhealthy lifestyle caught up with him by his late 30s.
After a significant personal turning point and entering ministry, Dave moved to Texas and started gaining weight, reaching his highest at 266 pounds after discovering his love for Bluebell ice cream.
Attempting to Lose Weight
Dave initially tried typical approaches: cutting calories and exercising more, mostly through basketball, but struggled to lose all the weight.
Even after moving back to Iowa to plant a church and joining CrossFit in his 50s, he remained frustrated by stubborn weight despite consistent workouts.
It wasn't until he focused on true nutrition that things began to shift.
The Turning Point & Pain
In 2023, Dave had two hip replacement surgeries back-to-back, which further exacerbated weight gain and left him at 255 pounds in late 2024.
Diagnosed with high cholesterol, he was put on statins, but soon suffered severe pain and was misdiagnosed with PMR before ultimately being diagnosed with gout after blood tests.
The pain and frustration reached a peak at Christmas 2024, motivating Dave to reach out to Steve for guidance.
Embracing Clean Eating & Low-Carb
With direction from the host, Dave committed to a strict eating plan on January 1: no carbs, no sugar, and no processed foods—just clean, whole foods.
The pain persisted in the beginning, but the weight started falling off; frequent check-ins and encouragement helped him stay committed.
Dave learned firsthand how sugar directly influenced his pain; whenever he cheated, pain returned almost immediately. Eating clean brought rapid relief and weight loss, reinforcing his commitment
Results and Life Change
Over time, Dave lost 45 pounds, dropping from 255 to around 210 pounds, feeling energized, pain-free, and motivated to maintain this lifestyle.
He found that eating red meat did not worsen his gout markers, contrary to common advice—uric acid levels actually dropped as he continued eating whole foods and avoiding processed items.
Dave's story emphasizes the simplicity of choosing foods without labels, focusing on what's natural and "God-made," and the pitfalls of modern processed foods and conflicting health advice.
Impact and Spreading the Message
Inspired by results, Dave shares this lifestyle with people around him, including colleagues interested in replicating his success.
The podcast closes with Dave expressing gratitude for the support, noting how this change not only improved his health but also his outlook, family life, and future wellbeing.
Featured Call-to-Action
Stay tuned for the podcast's new name and branding!
Consider joining the "Thrive Naturally Transformation" course for extra support with energy, diabetes reversal, and medication reduction. See drstevehughlett.com for details.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
155: Fat Cells and their link to Insulin Resistance
03 Nov 2025
00:31:55
This episode dives deep into what fat cells actually do, why we have them, and how they play a huge role in health, energy, and the development of insulin resistance. The discussion is practical and focused on helping you understand that fat cells, insulin, and the kinds of foods we eat are tightly linked to our energy, confidence, and overall wellbeing—all without restrictive diets or hours at the gym.
Podcast Rebranding Announcement
New name: "Nutrition Prescription: Wellness vs Medications" to reflect a focus on overall health, not just weight loss.
Coming in mid-November.
Why Fat Cells Exist
Fat's main job is energy storage, but it's vital to the body for many other functions.
Every cell membrane uses fat; cholesterol is crucial for brain and body health.
How Fat Gets Into Fat Cells
Glucose from food (especially high in plant foods and processed foods) raises blood sugar and triggers insulin release.
Insulin moves glucose into muscles and stores excess as fat (triglycerides) in fat cells.
Processed foods spike glucose and insulin levels, making it easy to gain fat.
Eating frequently or choosing processed/man-made foods keeps insulin high, blocking fat burning and making you tired and overweight.
Why Insulin Resistance Develops
Fat cells store as much as they can; when overstuffed, they become "resistant" and can't take anymore, driving up insulin and leading toward type 2 diabetes.
Genetics matter: Some people can make new fat cells; others fill the ones they have, eventually putting fat around organs, which is dangerous.
Hidden Dangers: Thin Outside, Fat Inside
Even thin people can get insulin resistance (TOFI: Thin Outside, Fat Inside) if their few fat cells get overstuffed and start storing fat in organs.
Fat Cells Are Hormone Factories
They make hormones like leptin (controls fullness), but too many fat cells cause "leptin resistance," so the brain never gets the "I'm full" signal—leading to overeating.
They also turn testosterone into estrogen (aromatase), increase inflammation (cytokines), and raise blood pressure (angiotensinogen).
More fat cells equals more inflammation, estrogen, and higher blood pressure.
The Problem with Standard Diets
Most modern diets promote carbohydrates (especially processed foods), which our bodies don't need; we need protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water—not extra glucose.
Eating whole foods—mainly meat, eggs, dairy, and seasonal fruits/vegetables—is the simplest healthy habit, especially from local or farmers' markets.
Tips for Healthy Fat Loss (Not Just Weight Loss)
The key is to lose fat but keep muscle: eat more protein and fewer carbs, avoid processed foods, and lower insulin so your body burns fat, not muscle.
Simple Actions
Focus on whole foods: meat, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, some fruits and vegetables (especially those above ground), and avoid processed snacks.
Limit carbohydrate-rich foods, especially those from processed and man-made sources.
Practice time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting to lower insulin and give your body time to burn stored fat.
Prioritize strength by eating enough protein to maintain muscle mass as you lose fat.
Featured Call-to-Action
Stay tuned for the podcast's new name and branding!
Consider joining the "Thrive Naturally Transformation" course for extra support with energy, diabetes reversal, and medication reduction. See drstevehughlett.com for details.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
154: My Before and After Weight Loss Journey
27 Oct 2025
00:36:44
This episode is a deep, personal look into my own weight-loss transformation — from struggling with weight gain and low energy to regaining health and vitality. I walk through the early days of trying the Body for Life program, the lessons learned, the mistakes realized over time, and what truly works for lasting fat loss and energy today.
Key Talking Points
The episode begins with a reflection on the host's personal journey and the question so many listeners ask: Have you ever struggled with weight yourself?
After years in college and early adulthood, weight gradually climbed due to poor eating habits, heavy junk food intake, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Discovery of the Body for Life program around 1999 brought structure, discipline, and the first major change.
The Body for Life Experience
Program required six meals per day, eaten roughly every three hours.
Exercise six days per week — three days resistance training and three days cardio.
Meals centered on a palm-sized portion of protein, a carb (above and below-ground vegetables), and a carb or veggie serving.
Focus on low-fat meats, mainly chicken; drinks limited to water, unsweet coffee, or tea.
Weekly cheat day allowed anything, as long as workouts stayed consistent.
Participants took before and after photos and wrote in daily journals to plan every meal for the next day.
Result: lost about 35–40 pounds in 24 weeks and improved energy, but constant hunger and fatigue were red flags.
Lessons Learned
The real success came not from eating 6 times a day, but from cutting out processed man-made foods (foods in boxes, bottles, or bags).
Eliminating soda, fruit juice, and artificial foods drastically improved results.
Planning meals ahead remains one of the most powerful habits for staying consistent and avoiding fast food or vending machine traps.
Lessons Rediscovered Later in Life
Weight gain returned after going back to old habits.
Years later, when preparing a lecture on childhood obesity, new research on nutrition flipped older "food pyramid" advice upside down.
Understanding how insulin and glucose control fat storage became the breakthrough.
True fat loss requires keeping insulin levels low, not endless exercise or calorie counting.
What Works for Sustainable Health
Avoid man-made and processed foods: stay away from flour, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, and artificial sweeteners.
Focus on real foods — whole meats, above-ground vegetables, and minimal glucose intake.
Keep insulin low by limiting glucose and shortening your eating window (time-restricted eating like OMAD or two meals a day).
Exercise smartly: don't start intense workouts before improving nutrition. Build muscle through resistance training once your energy improves.
Walking is essential for moving lymphatic fluid, improving circulation, and overall wellness.
Replace "cheat days" with controlled "crave meals" — one meal a week to satisfy cravings without derailing progress.
Major Takeaways
The key to fat loss is not burning calories, but keeping insulin levels low.
Low-carb, whole food lifestyles are sustainable and energizing.
Meal planning, water intake, and photo tracking are powerful accountability tools.
Health and weight loss are about what you don't eat as much as what you do.
The journey taught that lasting change happens by removing processed foods, managing insulin, and focusing on whole real food — not by restriction or extreme exercise.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
153: Intermittent Fasting with Gin Stephens
20 Oct 2025
01:00:00
In this episode I am interviewing Gin Stephens.
Gin Stephens is a bestselling author, podcaster, and educator who has become a leading voice in the world of intermittent fasting. She began dabbling in intermittent fasting around 2009, but truly committed to the lifestyle in 2014 after her weight reached 210 pounds, ultimately losing over 80 pounds and transforming her health.
Her books, including "Delay, Don't Deny" and "Fast. Feast. Repeat.," have helped popularize the concept of a "clean fast" and empowered thousands to adopt intermittent fasting for weight management and well-being.
The key principles of Gin Stephens' fasting approach center around the concept of the "clean fast" and intuitive eating during the eating window.
She emphasizes the importance of avoiding all flavors (sweet, sour, umami) during the fasting period, meaning only plain water, black coffee, and unflavored tea are permitted—no sweeteners, creamers, flavored drinks, or supplements that could trigger an insulin response or hinder autophagy.
Main Topics Covered
Gin's background as an educator and author
How she started intermittent fasting in 2014 and refined it over time
The difference between Delay, Don't Deny and Fast, Feast, Repeat
What "clean fasting" means and why small mistakes matter
The link between insulin, brain health, and longevity
The shift in the fasting community from weight loss to overall health
Research by Dr. Mark Mattson and Dr. Ben Bikman on fasting and neurological health
How fasting lowers inflammation and helps prevent diseases like Alzheimer's
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
152: Medicine or Marketing, Untangling the Deception
13 Oct 2025
00:39:53
This episode explores how big corporations use marketing tactics—like the food pyramid and low-fat trends—to prioritize profits over genuine health. Listeners will learn how processed foods and misleading dietary advice have caused chronic health issues, and discover why choosing whole foods and a low-carb approach is essential for restoring energy and well-being.
Core Discussion Topics
How the food pyramid was designed by the sugar industry to normalize high-carb, sugar-heavy diets.
The dangers of ultra-processed foods and why they contribute to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
The myth that "fat makes you fat"—and why overloading the body with glucose and processed carbs is the real cause of weight gain and chronic disease.
The shift in diabetes diagnosis parameters to sell more medication, including the introduction of "pre-diabetes".
The crucial role of eating protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water—versus the perils of high sugar intake.
Marketing rhetoric around body positivity being exploited by food and drug industries to keep people unhealthy.
Quotes
"They don't really care about our health, they just care about their profits, these big companies."
"The food pyramid was invented by the sugar industry… There's nothing wrong with eating sugar, there's nothing eating wrong with eating carbohydrates. In fact, your main nutrients should be carbohydrates. And that's what food companies are based on."
"Our body needs protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. The nutrients we don't need are carbohydrates—the basic building block is glucose, and toxicity of glucose is why we see all the diseases now."
"Obesity is a state of health, not a state of looks. That's totally your thoughts as far as the looks."
"Diabetes is not a problem of high blood glucose. Type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance."
"In 1965, it was estimated we ate about two teaspoons of sugar per person per day… By 2015, it's up to 65 teaspoons per person per day."
"We're supposed to use fat for our energy source, but they lied. They want you focused on the calories, but you should be focusing on the calorie source."
Practical Advice
Cut out ultra-processed carbs and chemical-laden foods to restore energy and reverse chronic conditions.
Don't get fooled by new fad diets; focus on the body's basic needs—whole foods, healthy fats, and proteins.
Recognize marketing tactics that normalize unhealthy states and challenge messages that focus only on looks, not health.
Understand the purpose of medications for diabetes and cholesterol, and why fixing diet is a more effective approach than relying on drugs alone
Final Message
The episode encourages listeners to take control of their health by learning about nutrition, questioning the focus on medications, and prioritizing whole foods over processed foods for lasting wellness.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
This episode dives into the hidden truth behind medications: all of them have adverse side effects, and the medical system doesn't always teach patients how nutrition and lifestyle changes can help reverse chronic health issues.
Key Points
Steve shares 35 years of experience as a doctor of pharmacy, stressing that the medical system is confusing and often overwhelming for patients dealing with multiple medications and diseases.
Medications only treat symptoms, not root causes. Most chronic conditions—like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity—can often be reversed with proper nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Doctors and healthcare professionals are often not educated about nutrition. Instead, they're taught to treat symptoms with drugs, and patients rarely get informed about all possible adverse effects unless they directly ask.
Drug company marketing focuses on symptoms and pushes more medications, which can cause additional side effects. The push for new drugs has also increased, with many new medications released every year—most being slight variations of existing drugs ("me too" drugs).
Medication Side Effects
All medications cause adverse effects. For example, diabetes medications may have dozens of side effects each; adding more drugs can create a cascade of new health issues.
Examples include:
Sulfonylureas: 33 known side effects
GLP-1 agonists (such as Ozempic): up to 70 documented side effects
Metformin: 28 known side effects
Role of Nutrition
The real solution isn't another medicine—it's changing what is eaten: cut out processed foods and high glucose sources.
By switching to whole, low-carb foods, many listeners could reduce or eliminate medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol (with physician guidance).
Action Steps & Resources
Don't stop medications abruptly; work with healthcare providers if making major changes.
Download resources, read the host's book, sign up for the newsletter, or check out short videos explaining how nutrition can heal the body.
Listeners can click the show notes link to schedule a free 15-minute chat about weight loss and healthy eating courses designed to help them get started.
Final Message
The episode encourages listeners to take control of their health by learning about nutrition, questioning the focus on medications, and prioritizing whole foods over processed foods for lasting wellness.
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe if you enjoyed my show.
If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Quotes
"I realize how absolutely confusing all this medical stuff is. All these medications, all these diseases. I understand how it gets so overwhelming that you don't know who to believe."
"Our medical system is totally, totally messed up. The way we do medicine is crazy."
"Most medications that people take do not cure anything at all. All they take care of is the symptom."
"If you quit eating glucose, you probably just have to quit for two, three, four weeks and you will be off all your diabetic medications. and probably your blood pressure medications."
"We're hiding from everybody how toxic these medications are and that there are much, much easier, better ways to actually cure because medications for the most part ... do not cure anything at all."
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
150: What is meant by the term Man-Made-Food
29 Sep 2025
00:38:49
In this episode, I break down what "man-made food" truly means and why it's important for anyone struggling with weight, low energy, or health issues. Discover how food manufacturers changed the way we eat and why those changes are making us sick.
What qualifies as man-made food: ultra-processed grains, sugar (including high fructose corn syrup), and vegetable/seed oils.
How ingredient labels reveal chemical additives and man-made processing, not natural nutrition.
The three pillars of sickness: high glucose, high insulin, and inflammation—and how man-made foods fuel all three.
The difference between sugar, glucose, and fructose—and why fructose is especially toxic.
The rise in sugar consumption: from 2 teaspoons per person per day in 1965 to 65 teaspoons by 2015.
How ultra-processed grains are stripped of nutrients and fiber, leaving only pure glucose.
The serious health effects of vegetable and seed oils, and the massive omega-6 imbalance they create.
Why artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners in processed foods worsen inflammation and harm kids.
Seeds, grains, nuts, and legumes: the differences and why overly processed forms are problematic.
How marketing tricks us into believing processed foods and seed oils are healthy.
Tips for eating real, whole foods from animals and local sources, and how it's not as expensive as many believe.
Big Takeaways
Man-made foods are not just "less healthy"—they actively drive disease by spiking glucose, insulin, and inflammation in the body.
All the chemicals and additives in packaged foods are unfamiliar to your body and trigger a chronic inflammatory response.
Our bodies are built from protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water—not carbohydrates and chemicals.
Avoid foods in a box, bottle, bag, or can, especially those with a long ingredient list.
Eating whole, local foods doesn't have to be expensive when prioritizing nutrition and fullness over empty calories.
Tweetable Quotes
"All man-made food is built from three things: sugar, ultra-processed grains, and vegetable or seed oils."
"The three pillars of sickness—high glucose, high insulin, and inflammation—are fueled by man-made foods."
"Fructose is toxic. Your body doesn't know what to do with it, so it sends it straight to your liver to get rid of—which drives inflammation and disease."
"The minimum daily requirement of glucose for your body is zero. You don't need to eat sugar or flour to live."
"Vegetable and seed oils were never made for people to eat. They're chemically processed and packed with inflammation-causing omega-6."
"If your food comes in a box, bottle, bag, or can and has a long ingredient label, it's likely loaded with toxic chemicals and ultra-processed ingredients."
"We're made from protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water—not from carbohydrates or chemicals."
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
149: Cholesterol, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
22 Sep 2025
00:36:44
In this episode, I cut through the confusion around cholesterol and break down what you really need to know about HDL, LDL, and why they're not "good" or "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol itself is vital for life—it helps build cell membranes, supports hormone production, and keeps your body functioning. The real story is in how cholesterol is transported, what damages your blood vessels, and what truly raises your cardiovascular risk.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why cholesterol is essential for every single cell in your body
The real role of LDL and HDL: they are transport particles, not cholesterol itself
How cholesterol supports hormones like testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and vitamin D
The difference between large, buoyant LDL (good) versus small, dense LDL (harmful)
Why high LDL doesn't automatically mean heart disease risk
How triglycerides and HDL levels are the true markers to watch
The connection between excess glucose, triglycerides, and dangerous small dense LDLs
What actually damages your arteries: high blood pressure, inflammation, glucose spikes, and oxidation
How processed foods, high-carb diets, and chemicals harm your blood vessels
What a CAC (coronary artery calcification) score can tell you about your true heart health
Key Takeaways
Cholesterol itself is not the villain—it's critical for life and health.
High LDL does not equal high heart disease risk. The concern is small, dense, oxidized LDL driven by high carbs and glucose.
The best markers for heart health are your HDL-to-triglyceride ratio. Aim for triglycerides ÷ HDL = less than 2 (closer to 1).
You raise HDL by eating healthy fats and cholesterol from whole foods, not by avoiding them.
You lower triglycerides by cutting back on glucose and processed carbs.
Statins are not the answer; nutrition and lifestyle are far more powerful.
Practical Steps You Can Take
Eat more whole, natural fats (meat, eggs, butter, etc.) to boost HDL
Reduce processed carbs and sugars to lower triglycerides
Focus on real foods from animals and local farms over boxed, bagged, and sprayed produce
Consider asking for a CAC score or running your own labs for fasting insulin, CRP, and triglycerides/HDL
Remember: your doctor may not have been trained in nutrition—the power to take back your health is in your hands
Mentioned in This Episode
Previous deep-dive episodes on cholesterol: #107, #108, and #109
Episode #68: Adverse effects of statins
Episode #8: How carbs raise blood pressure
Tweetable Quotes:
"Cholesterol is not your enemy—it's absolutely vital for your health and every cell in your body needs it."
"HDL and LDL aren't cholesterol. They're just vehicles that carry cholesterol and fat through your bloodstream."
"High cholesterol does not cause heart disease. High glucose, insulin, and inflammation does."
"A high blood cholesterol level does not come from eating cholesterol. It comes from eating so much glucose."
"Medications only treat the symptoms. They don't treat the underlying disease."
"What we were being told was healthy was actually what's causing us to become extremely sick."
Please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe
if you enjoyed my show. If you'd like even more information on this topic, you can go to Amazon or Audible and pick up my book, Your Plate Is Your Fate.
Check out our website: drstevehughlett.com You can also check us out on Youtube.
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.
148: Southern Keto Secrets: Victor Prince's Holistic Health Tips
15 Sep 2025
01:00:48
In this episode, Dr. Steve and his wife, Theresa, chat with Victor Prince of Southern Keto about his wake-up call in the corporate grind and how he rebuilt his health with real food. They break down Victor's "3 main food groups," simple swaps for Southern classics, which fats to actually cook with, why homemade probiotic yogurt matters, how to spot shady supplements, an easy DIY magnesium/electrolyte mix, and sweeter-without-sugar baking tips. Real talk, practical takeaways, and plenty of kitchen inspiration.
Victor Prince, creator of the "Victor Prince | Southern Keto" YouTube channel, is a former personal trainer, holistic health practitioner, and nutrition consultant who turned his own health crisis into a mission to help others. After reversing serious health issues and losing over 75 pounds with a low-carb, keto lifestyle, he now shares Southern-inspired recipes, keto tips, and wellness guidance to show that real health starts with food. Explore his work at www.southernketo.shop and his supplement line at www.primalnutrition.shop.
[00:01 - 12:04] From Skinny Teen to Holistic Health
Started lifting young, inspired by action stars
Became a college personal trainer
Learned diet matters more than workouts
Corporate life wrecked his health
A health scare pushed him back to wellness
[12:05 - 26:32] Healthy Fats, Gut Health & Real Food
Sign up for a FREE 15 minute Weight-Loss Solutions Chat to help you decide if you would like our help on your weight-loss journey.
For more in-depth answers on how to lose weight the healthy way, how to decrease the need for medications, and how to eliminate diseases like type 2 diabetes, sign up for our FREE weekly Thrive Naturally Newsletter released every Thursday.
Tweetable Quotes:
" We had a lot of, I mean, really great results with people when I was personal training. And it wasn't so much the people who were working out the hardest. It was really the people that were eating the most, and kind of, or eating right the most, I would say." - Victor Prince
"Prebiotic sodas—that's junk. There's no—there's not enough prebiotics in those to do anything, but it's good marketing for them." - Victor Prince
"If you go to the farmer's market, I mean, the farmers are proud to tell you what they're doing." - Victor Prince
Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel/podcast/publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.