Thinking Health Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode of the Thinking Health Podcast features Dr. Bret Scher, a board-certified cardiologist, lipidologist, and leading expert in therapeutic uses of metabolic therapies, including a ketogenic diet. He has practiced for over 20 years as a preventive cardiologist and was the medical director for dietdoctor.com for over three years.

Now Dr. Scher is the Director of Metabolic Mind, a non-profit initiative providing education and resources in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry. Metabolic mind’s goal is to help revolutionize treatment of mental disorders through the adoption of metabolic therapies. Metabolic Mind explores science and lived experience to highlight the connection between metabolic and mental health.

In this episode, Dr. Scher discusses his journey from becoming a board certified cardiologist focusing on cardiovascular health to now being the director of a mental health initiative. Along the way, I get to pick Dr. Scher’s brain on the role metabolic health plays in various psychiatric disorders and how nutrition interventions like the keto diet are providing benefit to individuals suffering from these psychiatric conditions.

It is important to point out that much of the research that we discuss in this podcast is still in its infancy and there is a lot to learn but the truth is that many people are already using the strategies discussed in this episode to improve their own quality of life which is why it is so important that an initiative like Metabolic Mind exists to push this research forward!

This episode of the Thinking Health podcast features Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner, acclaimed author, and TEDx speaker who is here to guide you on a journey toward optimal health and well-being. In this Episode, Cynthia shares her insights and practical wisdom, catering to all dietary preferences and lifestyle choices. You don't have to completely overhaul your life to make a difference—small changes can have a massive impact.

The podcast begins by introducing Cynthia Thurlow as a powerhouse of experts with decades of experience in health and wellness. She is not only a healthcare expert but also a renowned TEDx speaker whose talks have reached millions worldwide. Cynthia's bestselling book, "Intermittent Fasting Transformation," focuses on women's health and intermittent fasting, shedding light on these crucial topics. She hosts the Everyday Wellness podcast, loved by thousands of health enthusiasts each month.

Cynthia shares her techniques to manage travel-related challenges and the stress of public speaking. She also discusses the vagus nerve's role in managing anxiety and provides strategies to stimulate it effectively. The podcast then dives into the surprising benefits of Inositol, a supplement that can be your next best friend. Cynthia explains how Inositol can improve sleep and insulin sensitivity, comparing it to Berberine. She suggests taking Myo-Inositol before a carb-heavy meal to manage blood sugar spikes and discusses the potential concerns and situations where these supplements can be useful.

Next, the podcast explores the benefits of creatine and appropriate dosages for different groups. Cynthia offers advice on incorporating creatine into your routine for maximum benefits. Sleep's impact on metabolic health and strategies to improve sleep quality are discussed. Cynthia provides tools and strategies for challenging situations like night shifts or busy schedules.

Finally, the podcast emphasizes that making meaningful changes in life is key and highlights how Cynthia Thurlow's resources can assist in this process. The journey to optimal health and well-being doesn't have to be daunting. With Cynthia's guidance, you can unlock a healthier, happier you.

This podcast presents a unique opportunity to tap into your potential and enhance your life. You'll learn strategies to manage travel-related challenges, handle stress, improve sleep quality, and discover the benefits of supplements like Inositol and Creatine. You can embark on a transformative journey toward optimal health and well-being with actionable steps and a comprehensive guide. 

Sneak Preview: What to Expect in this Episode

0:00 to 4:15 - How does Cynthia Thurlow manage travel-related challenges? 

4:15 to 8:15 - How does Cynthia Thurlow handle the stress of public speaking and travel?

8:15 to 11:45 - What techniques can you use to stimulate the vagus nerve and manage anxiety?

11:45 to 17:47 - What are the benefits and uses of the Inositol supplement? 

17:47 to 19:12 - How does Cynthia Thurlow use Inositol for sleep, and what are its effects? 

19:12 to 20:53 - How does Inositol affect insulin sensitivity, and how does it compare to Berberine? 

20:53 to 23:13 - Can taking Myo-Inositol before a carb-heavy meal help manage blood sugar spikes? 

23:13 to 28:28 - In what situations could supplements like Myo-Inositol or Berberine be useful, and what are the potential concerns? 

28:28 to 35:35 - What are the actual benefits of creatine, and what are the appropriate dosages for different groups? 

35:35 to 40:38 - What's the best way to incorporate creatine into your routine for maximum benefits?

40:38 to 48:22 - How does sleep affect metabolic health, and what strategies can help improve sleep quality?

48:22 to 57:23 - What tools and strategies can improve sleep quality, especially in challenging situations such as night shifts or busy schedules?

57:23 to 01:01:11 - What is the key to making meaningful changes in life, and how can Cynthia Thurlow's resources be helpful in this process?

This episode of the Thinking Health Podcast features a great friend of mine, Dr. Anthony Gustin. Dr. Gustin is the founder of Perfect Keto and Equip and is actively building out many different businesses aiming at fixing the food system, improving the health of our society, and correcting the damage that happens to our environment daily. 

In this episode, we talk about Dr. Gustin's wedding which I had the pleasure of attending. We discussed how this wedding was much different than any wedding I had attended and how important rituals and rights of passage have traditionally been for our society as a whole.

We also talk about the benefit of doing hard things. How our society as a whole has become comfortable with being comfortable and is content with not challenging ourselves to get better. We also discuss how this is a big reason why people are unhappy. They are not living in accordance with their human biology and what is necessary for fulfillment and personal growth.

Another topic we dive into is the importance of supporting entrepreneurs who have causes that aim to better our world. We discuss one category of these causes, regenerative farming, and how Anthony is hoping to continue helping spread the word on the importance of this movement and help others take action in supporting it. 

Dr. Gustin has always been a mentor for me and has played a major role in shaping my thought processes and trajectory in life. I think you guys will catch a glimpse of that in this episode and hopefully experience something similar yourselves! 

Dr. Chris Palmer, MD received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine. He did his internship and psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. He is currently the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

In this episode, we cover topics like the impact of mental health meds on our metabolic health, the role of metabolic health in mental health, the Brain Energy model for mental health, and how nutrition and lifestyle interventions can play a major role in the treatment of mental health disorders. 

Dr. Palmer is a wealth of knowledge and has an incredible ability to take complex topics and break them down into easy-to-understand conversations. Thus, this episode features a ton of practical information that you can use to help make an action plan for taking control of your mental health.

Dr. Palmer is the author of the newly published book Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health - and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More. I can't recommend this book enough as it is everything you need to fully understand the role our metabolic health plays in mental health and it's a sneak peek into where the world of psychiatric medicine is headed!

Dr. Jaime Seeman, known as doctorfitandfabulous on social media, is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist with a background in nutrition, exercise, and health science. She is also a current Fellow in Integrative Medicine, a Board Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist, and the Chief Science Officer at BioCoach. Dr. Jaime has a passion for preventative medicine and is an expert in women's health.

In this episode, we dive into a few very critical and hard-to-discuss topics like birth control, difficulties getting pregnant, and the importance of muscle-building for women. Dr. Jaime talks about the ways women can optimize their health if they are taking birth control including the specifics of certain nutrients that are often depleted in these circumstances. We also talk about the importance of nutrient-sensing pathways that play a critical role in signaling that the female body is in an optimal environment to reproduce and how this is a big reason why so many people are struggling to get pregnant.

Dr. Jaime puts a big emphasis on the importance of muscle building for women when it comes to anti-aging, hormones, and even metabolic health. Dr. Jaime also gets into the nitty gritty of her new book Hard to Kill and how important it is for us to take control of the 4 pillars of health to increase our resilience and set us up a longer, happier, and healthier life.

In addition to Dr. Seeman's book, she offers an academy for Hard to Kill where she leads you through her program providing you with the support you need to make the incredibly beneficial lifestyle changes she recommends. 

This episode of the podcast breaks down a couple of interesting new keto studies published in the last couple of months. The first study relates to the ketogenic diet and heart health and the second study is on the ketogenic diet and hunger hormones.

Keto is often touted for its weight loss potential and ability to improve metabolic health. A lesser-discussed benefit of the diet is the impact it can have on our cardiovascular health. A recent study that reviewed the available research found that the keto diet can reduce cardiovascular risk factors like weight, glucose, and cholesterol levels. The interesting part of this study is that they found this to be the case both short term and long term. Listen to the podcast for more details on the study.

Keto is also often touted for its ability to reduce hunger and cravings. A new study published about a week ago looking at the ketogenic diet versus two different carbohydrate-based diets found that the keto diet DID NOT lead to improvements in ghrelin levels or the subject's perceived hunger levels. As I discuss in this episode, there is a little more than meets the eye with this study!

Debbie Potts has been in the fitness industry for over twenty-five years. She was a competitive endurance athlete for twenty years and has accomplished many goals along the way.

Debbie was nominated as one of the top one-hundred best trainers in the U.S. by Men’s Journal in 2004 and 2005 and she’s participated in 15 Ironman Triathlons, five of them in the Hawaii World Ironman Championship.

Debbie has also owned and operated her own fitness studio and she currently teaches her WHOLESTIC Method Nutritional Therapy program to transform the WHOLE person from the inside out.

In this episode, Debbie shares everything she’s learned on her 25+ year journey from being a competitive endurance athlete (who also happened to be low-carb) to helping other athletes achieve optimal health, recovery, and longevity.

Debbie discusses why health goes beyond just exercise training and nutrition, what other factors play a huge role in health, what it’s like to be a low-carb athlete, how she started down that path, and more.

You’ll also hear about how Debbie adjusts training and nutritional strategies for women, whether she thinks it makes sense to sync your training plan with your cycle, what Debbie focuses on for health and aging, and the biggest lessons she’s learned along the way.

Here’s a breakdown of the topics Debbie and Chris get into:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
• 00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Debbie Potts, plus the topics Debbie and Chris Irvin discuss 
• 03:45 Debbie shares her journey of becoming a low-carb athlete
• 08:53 What the biggest changes over the last 20 years have been since Debbie first got into being a low-carb athlete
• 17:05 What Debbie recommends for endurance athletes to focus on
• 24:52 What it was like to recover from being burned out and how long it took Debbie to do so
• 31:36 Transitioning out of marathons and Ironman races and what Debbie’s training looks like now
• 38:09 What Debbie suggests focusing on when it comes to diet and aging   
• 40:17 The training and nutrition adjustments women can make to improve health and performance
• 46:25 Strategies Debbie’s uncovered for herself that she now carries over to using on her clients
• 52:02 Adjusting training and nutrition strategies as you age

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Debbie Pott’s website with free resources
• Debbie Pott’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
• Debbie’s ebooks, Life is Not a Race… It Is a Journey and The WHOLESTIC Method Manual and Workbook
• Debbie’s podcast, The Low Carb Athlete Podcast

Adam Von Rothfelder is a movement guru, self-proclaimed “motivational mind bomb,” a former professional MMA fighter, and the Founder of The Strong Coffee Company, a coffee brand that was created to help people reach their full potential.

Adam also recently starred on NBC’s “Strong” where he modeled for Versace alongside well-known model GiGi Hadid and he’s a movement advisor for Legendary Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece for XPT.

As a former professional fighter, Adam knows that it takes hard work, dedication, and resilience, among other things, to get what you want in life. He comes on the show to discuss how he’s able to do so much despite being a business owner, father, and someone who maintains his health along with what makes his brand of coffee so different and unique.

Adam also shares the journey behind his coffee company and what that looked like from inception to where it is today.

Here’s a peek inside this episode:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
• 00:30 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Adam Von Rothfelder
• 02:30 How giving away free samples can hurt your product’s perceived value 
• 03:28 How Adam got started with his Strong Coffee Company
• 11:43 Adam’s personal story and background
• 21:02 How Adam overcame painfully difficult situations in life and bounced back even stronger
• 24:26 How Adam does it all while running a company, staying lean and low in body fat, and as a father of two
• 29:56 Adam’s best kept secret for better health and why he uses a Meditation at Play approach
• 39:11 Adam’s impressive physical stats 
• 40:59 How Adam trains these days

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Adam Von Rothfelder’s Strong Coffee Company’s website and their blog
• Adam’s Instagram and Twitter
• Adam’s Strong Coffee Company’s Instagram

Chris Irvin, well-known author, nutrition science researcher, Head of Education at Perfect Keto, and The Ketologist, has a strong passion and focus for understanding the ketogenic diet.

He holds a Master’s degree in exercise and nutrition science and spent his time in graduate school studying the keto diet for therapeutic applications and performance.

In this special topic episode, Chris dives into all things Alzheimer’s and Dementia related, including what’s causing these neurodegenerative diseases, whether or not Alzheimer’s is genetic, can a keto diet cure Alzheimer’s, and more.

He also shares helpful tips for what you can do to prevent developing Alzheimer’s if you’re at high risk for it, how ketones can help, and the role that diet and nutrition play with brain metabolism.

Here’s a peek at the topics Chris Irivn discusses in this episode:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
• 00:34 An introduction to how this episode differs from a typical one
• 01:42 The topics covered in this episode
• 03:40 What is a neurodegenerative disease?
• 05:54 Why don’t we have good treatment options for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
• 10:27 Why do some people get Alzheimer’s and Dementia? Plus, why Alzheimer’s has been labeled as Type 3 Diabetes
• 15:21 Is Alzheimer’s genetic?
• 16:39 What can we actually do to prevent Alzheimer’s and alleviate symptoms?
• 17:28 What happens when you feed the brain ketones
• 21:14 How ketones can help people who suffer from Alzheimer’s symptoms
• 22:20 How the benefits of ketones extend past just giving the brain energy
• 26:19 Can going on a keto diet reverse Alzheimer’s?
• 27:57 Exogenous ketones versus endogenous ketones for Alzheimer’s treatment and symptom relief
• 29:38 How diet and nutrition can play a role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Chris Irvin’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
• Dr. Dale Bredesen - How to Prevent and Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease
• Max Lugavere on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast
•  Stephen Cunnane, PhD: The Potential for Brain Energy Rescue in Mild Cognitive Impairment
• The ketogenic diet as a potential treatment and prevention strategy for Alzheimer's disease
• Dietdoctor.com

Leanne Vogel is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Blood Chemistry Specialist who has been helping women use a ketogenic diet to balance their hormones since 2007. 

She specializes in addressing chronic root cause issues such as parasites, mold, and metal toxicity using standard blood work. Leanne is also the international best-selling author of The Keto Diet paperback, the founder of HealthfulPursuit.com and the voice behind the longest running keto podcast, The Keto Diet Podcast. 

She works one-on-one with clients from all over the world, helping them understand their blood work and coaching them through their root cause issues. 

Leanne comes on the show with Chris Irvin to discuss her personal experience with parasites. You’ll hear how her unexplainable health symptoms actually pointed to a parasite, what she did to treat her parasites, how long she had to do this protocol for, and so much more.

You’ll also discover how to tell if you could have a parasite through your blood work, what to do if you suspect there is one, and how common it is for people to have parasites living in their guts.

Here’s a peek and breakdown of what this episode looks like:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast
• 00:30 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Leanne Vogel
• 02:46 Quick check in with how Leanne’s doing with the recent hurricane that swept through
• 05:33 Leanne’s story and how she went from studying keto to taking a break from keto and studying parasites, mold, functional blood medicine, and more instead
• 10:15 The weird symptoms Leanne experienced from having parasites
• 13:58 Her experience with pathogenic parasites and how she eventually found them
• 15:54 How long it took Leanne to get rid of the parasites and how she could tell they were truly gone
• 20:40 What affects the severity of parasites?
• 25:35 How many people do you think have parasites and don’t know it? 
• 28:55 Functional blood chemistry, including what that is, why someone would turn to this, and more. This section also includes blood patterns and what to look for in lab results to see if parasites are an issue
• 45:20 What to do if you suspect you may have a parasite

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Leanne Vogel’s website

Leanne Vogel’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel

Leanne’s free resource on What Labs to Request from Your Doctor 

Leanne’s Parasite Protocol

The book Leanne mentioned in the episode, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

The Keto Answers Podcast S2E12: Dr. Jaban Moore - How to Spot and Treat Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, and Chemical Toxicities

Additional resources:

The Keto Answers Podcast S2E22: Dr. Mike Mallin - Precision Medicine: Using Your Genes as the Blueprint for Reaching Optimal Health

The Keto Answers Podcast S1E2: Dr. Will Cole - Investigating Underlying Factors of Chronic Diseases to Restore Health