Thinking Health Podcast

Rachel Gregory is a board-certified Nutritionist, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, podcaster, Founder of MetFlex Life, and author of the international best-selling book, 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge: Recipes and Workouts for a Slimmer, Healthier You.

Rachel received her Master’s degree in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine. She also completed the first ever clinical trial that looked at the effects a keto diet had on non-elite CrossFit athletes. Rachel is also a former collegiate triathlete and athletic trainer and she’s worked with Division I collegiate athletes, WNBA stars, and some of the top bodybuilders in the world.

Rachel comes on the show to share her expertise with using a keto diet while training and trying to build muscle, how women should approach their protein intake, and why women should build muscle to lose body fat and achieve a toned appearance.

Rachel also dives into the key differences she sees in training men versus women, what else you should consider when training, why it pays to become metabolically flexible, whether she follows keto long-term, and more.

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:30 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Rachel Gregory

01:13 Rachel’s backstory and the topics this episode covers

04:10 What the first clinical trial on the effects of a ketogenic diet on non-elite CrossFit athletes showed

11:13 Does Rachel still follow a keto diet?

20:24 The primary differences Rachel sees when working with men versus women using a keto diet

28:23 Why you need to build muscle to achieve a lean, toned look

29:04 Can you really build muscle on keto?

36:47 Rachel shares her protein recommendations and some helpful tips for uncovering the right amount for your needs

43:27 Important factors, aside from exercise and nutrition, to consider when trying to build muscle

48:15 Why you shouldn’t look at exercise as a means of burning calories and how you should approach it instead

52:38 What does it mean to be metabolically flexible and why would someone want this?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Rachel Gregory’s website

Rachel Gregory’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Rachel’s international best-selling book, 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge: Recipes and Workouts for a Slimmer, Healthier You

Rachel’s free Protein Hunger Hacks recipe ebook

Dr. Richard Johnson is an author, educator, researcher, and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. He’s board certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and kidney disease and he’s the founding editor of Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 

Dr. Johnson has also spent the last 20+ years researching the causes of obesity and diabetes and the role that fructose plays in chronic diseases. He’s published hundreds of research papers based on the studies he’s conducted over the years and he’s a wealth of knowledge on the topic.

Dr. Johnson comes on the show to share his in-depth expertise on glucose and fructose. In this episode, you’ll discover what Dr. Johnson and his team uncovered in their research on obesity, fructose, and leptin resistance and the connection between Alzheimer’s and fructose.

Dr. Johnson also answers the questions, Is fructose bad? Is fruit bad?

You’ll also discover how fructose is made in the body, how salty french fries turn into fructose, and so much more.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:30 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Dr. Richard Johnson

02:26 Dr. Johnson’s background

06:29 What’s the main takeaway about obesity that you discovered in your research?

14:28 With leptin resistance, is that occurring from the weight gain or fructose?

15:58 How fructose affects willpower

22:44 Is fruit bad?

26:13 Should you worry about fructose in fruits?

31:47 How long does leptin resistance last in people who actively work to improve it?

40:38 How fructose is also made in the body

44:20 How french fries can also convert into fructose in the body

47:00 Is there any benefit to having fructose in the body?

53:32 The connection between Alzheimer’s and fructose

1:00:23 How being obese can be a predictor for Alzheimer’s

1:00:58 Dr. Johnson’s latest book

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Richard Johnson’s website

Dr. Richard Johnson’s Instagram

Dr. Johnson’s latest book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat

Dr. Johnson’s first two books, The Sugar Fix and The Fat Switch

Jessie Inchauspé is an author, biochemist, and product developer who studies the effects food has on our health. She holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in biochemistry and she moved to Silicon Valley to build apps that help people engage with their health. It’s this experience that led her down the path of glucose monitoring and all of the life changing hacks she’s discovered along the way. 

You may also know Jessie as the brilliant founder behind Glucose Goddess, a growing community and movement aimed at helping people reconnect with their bodies.

Jessie comes on the show to share her backstory, her favorite hacks, the research behind her hacks, why everyone should follow them, not just those listeners with diagnosed blood sugar issues, and more.

She also shares her thoughts and research on fasting, what having high cholesterol really means, how blood sugar affects our energy levels and mitochondria, and whether she follows a low-carb diet.   

Here’s a preview of everything Chris and Jessie chat about in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:30 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Jesse Inchauspé

04:45 Jessie’s backstory and how she got into the blood glucose movement

11:06 Did Jessie try a low carb diet when she first started studying blood sugar more?

12:32 Jessie’s “aha” moment and when things really started to click for her

17:40 The research on food order and what she discovered that blew her mind

23:50 How is blood sugar connected to energy levels and fatigue?

28:32 The research on apple cider vinegar and blood sugar management

35:01 Jessie’s thoughts on fasting to improve blood sugar

41:48 Should you rest and digest after a high carb meal or go for a walk?

44:36 What are the issues that come from big blood sugar spikes?

48:35 Where high cholesterol is really coming from

54:11 Jessie shares whether she’s tested her cholesterol levels since implementing her hacks

57:42 Jessie’s favorite glucose hack

59:03 What about taking supplements like berberine?

01:00:26 More about Jesse’s book, Glucose Revolution - The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar

01:03:01 How Jessie decided to write this book

01:04:22 What Jessie’s writing process looked like

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jessie Inchauspé’s website

Jessie’s Instagram and Twitter

Jessie’s book, Glucose Revolution - The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar

Chris Irvin, The Ketologist, is a nutrition science researcher and writer with a strong focus in ketogenic dieting. He holds a Master’s degree in exercise and nutrition science and spent his time in graduate school studying the ketogenic diet for performance and therapeutic applications.

Chris sits down for another Q&A style episode where he answers questions about keto supplements and whether you really need them, reintroducing carbs, and what to do if your cholesterol goes up on keto.

You’ll also get a peek into dad life for Chris and the new products launching at Perfect Keto.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s Q&A style

01:15 Perfect Keto updates, including a sneak peek at the new products coming out  

06:04 How dad life is going

08:24 Does Chris still work for Perfect Keto?

11:11 Are there any supplements you have to take while following a keto diet? Plus a breakdown of how to match your supplements with your health goals

18:56 How to reintroduce carbs back into your diet, including why someone would consider adding carbs in and how to do this without sabotaging your hard work

24:10 Is it bad that my total cholesterol has gone up since I started keto?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Chris Irvin’s website

Chris Irvin’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Dietdoctor.com Physician Finder

Dave Feldman

Dr. Nadir Ali

Dr. Bret Scher

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, CEO and founder of the Everyday Wellness Project, and an international speaker with over 10 million views for her second TEDx talk. She has over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, she’s a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and nutritional health, and she’s been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show. She’s also listed in Yahoo Finance as one of the “21 Founders Changing the Way We Do Business” and she hosts the Everyday Wellness podcast, which is considered one of "21 Podcasts To Expand Your Mind in 2021” by Business Insider. 

Her mission is to educate women on the benefits of intermittent fasting and overall holistic health and wellness, so they feel empowered to live their most optimal lives.

In this episode, Cynthia dives into everything you need to know about intermittent fasting, including the hormones that benefit from it, why it’s so helpful for improving health, the common myths that come up with fasting and why they’re not true, and more.

She also shares what you can do if you’re just starting out, how to adjust based on how you’re feeling, how to use carbs strategically around your workout, and what women should know about fasting. 

Here’s a peek inside what Cynthia and Chris Irvin chat about:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast  

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Cynthia Thurlow

02:08 Cynthia’s new book, the results of a recent study that came out, and looking at fasting from an evolutionary lens

06:49 Why are there recommendations that say women shouldn’t fast? Is that true?

13:17 Isn’t fasting bad for your thyroid?

18:48 Other benefits women can experience from fasting

23:35 Doesn’t fasting wreck your metabolism?

27:36 Does fasting stress the body and increase the production of stress hormones like cortisol?

31:41 How does intermittent fasting relate to exercise? Is fasted cardio better?

38:41 What about sleep and intermittent fasting? Does it improve sleep or hurt it?

42:29 How does fasting affect melatonin production?

46:23 How should someone break their fast? 

51:32 How does intermittent fasting impact hunger hormones?

57:38 What do you recommend for someone who is just starting out on their health journey or they’re getting back in the swing of things after taking some time off?

1:00:44 Cynthia shares more about her book, how she came about writing it, and what she hopes it does for people

1:04:08 How long it took Cynthia to write her book

1:06:40 What Cynthia’s writing routine looked like

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Cynthia Thurlow’s website

Cynthia Thurlow’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Cynthia’s book, Intermittent Fasting Transformation

Cynthia’s podcast

Former adjunct professor of brand strategy at Academy of Art in SF and former product manager at YouTube, Michael Brandt has since ventured out into co-founding and becoming the CEO of Health Via Modern Nutrition (@hvmn), the world’s first ketone esters drink, Ketone-IQ.

Michael comes on the show to share the research behind ketone esters, how they can improve performance, cognitive ability, and damage from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), why athletes would benefit from supplementing with them, how the military is using them, and more.

You’ll also learn about Michael’s background and how he found himself in this space and where he thinks the future of food is going.

Here’s a peek at what’s in store with this episode:

00:00 Introduction to the podcast

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Michael Brandt

02:34 Michael’s background and his experience with ketones

05:26 Michael’s personal ketone esters routine

09:53 How were exogenous ketones and their benefits first discovered?

16:54 Using exogenous ketones as brain fuel in the military

20:21 A Belgium study on cyclists using exogenous ketones

27:38 Exogenous ketones on traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

34:42 What’s going on in a traumatic brain injury that ketones can help with?

39:29 How athletes, especially those playing in the NFL, may benefit from ketone supplementation

44:34 Why wouldn’t the NFL supplement with ketones if they’re so beneficial for protecting their players’ brain health?

46:37 How the food industry is going to be forced to change thanks to these wearable devices

50:60 Future health trackers that are currently in the works

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Michael Brandt’s website

Michael Brandt’s Twitter

Michael’s company H.V.M.N and his Ketone-IQ (TM) drink

Dr. Elena Gross has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Neuroscience, and a PhD in Clinical Research. She’s also the founder and CEO/CSO of Keto.Swiss, a Swiss biotech company that’s developing brain fuels to treat migraines.

As a former migraine sufferer, Dr. Gross dove into the research to treat her own symptoms and ended up discovering how ketone bodies could provide a therapeutic treatment for migraines. She also initiated and funded the first ever clinical trial that used exogenous ketone body salts, which was her PhD project that won several awards. Dr. Gross has also been featured in high-ranking publications where she’s shared her expertise on ketosis, keto diets, energy metabolism, and neurological diseases (specifically migraines). She’s also the inventor of four patents.

In this episode, Dr. Gross discusses the causes of migraines, the evolutionary benefit of migraines, the metabolic side of migraines, how keto affects migraines, and more.

You’ll also learn what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to treating migraines.

Here’s a look at the episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast  

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Dr. Elena Gross

02:17 A look back at Dr. Gross and Chris Irvin’s last conference before Covid really hit and whether she’ll be attending any in the near future 

07:45 Dr. Gross’ personal experience with migraines

11:41 What causes migraines?

19:37 Do people suffer from migraines due to hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, or because they are insulin resistant?

28:17 Is the issue with the brain metabolizing glucose during a migraine?

30:50 More reasons why you could have migraines

34:51 Why Dr. Gross suggests using ketones as the last step

37:02 Why you shouldn’t go cold turkey when it comes to cutting back on carbs if you suffer from migraines

40:24 Why ketones are useful for migraines

45:17 The results Dr. Gross and her team discovered in a clinical trial for migraine treatment

51:41 What’s next for Dr. Gross and her team

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Elena Gross’ website Keto.Swiss

Dr. Gross’ Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Dr. Gross’ and her team’s product Brain Ritual MigraKet

Siim Land is a best-selling author, public speaker, and consultant who teaches people about the art and science of optimizing their health and performance. He’s published five books on nutrition and biohacking and he’s a top speaker at the world’s largest biohacking conferences.

Siim comes on the show to discuss metabolic autophagy, intermittent fasting, whether you can reach autophagy while fasting for 16 hours, hormesis, longevity tools, NAD, and more. 

He also dives into his personal fasting protocol, how to find your own optimal fasting window, circadian rhythms,  his favorite biohacking techniques, and supplementing with glycine.

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll find in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:31 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Siim Land

04:00 Why Siim uses fasting in his biohacking strategies and what this looks like for him

06:14 How many calories Siim consumes per day in his one meal a day (OMAD) approach

07:38 Can you put on muscle while fasting?

14:33 Are the different adaptations that happen during fasting due to the stress response it creates?

17:40 Hormesis and putting the body through different stressors

18:55 How to choose the right fasting protocol

24:56 One of the benefits of fasting that’s fascinating and not often talked about

26:28 What is autophagy?

31:19 Is autophagy an umbrella term that includes all different types of autophagy?

35:18 If you’re only fasting for 16 hours, are you reaching autophagy?

40:34 All about NAD, including what it is, the benefits of it, what increases it, and more

48:55 Siim’s top three favorite biohacking techniques

49:41 Glycine supplementation

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Siim Land’s website

Siim Land’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Siim’s books

Aaron Day is an Accredited Nutritional Therapist, Dietary Supplements Advisor, Advanced Sports Exercise Nutritional Advisor, Clinical Weight Loss Practitioner, and the founder of FatForWeightLoss. He’s also a ketogenic food blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and videographer who is passionate about making keto quick and simple.

Aaron comes on the show to tackle topics like why someone would add carbs back in on their keto diet, how to do this without wrecking your hard work, ways to limit your blood sugar spikes, upping protein intake, and more.

Here’s a peek at what Chris and Aaron get into in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:29 Introduction on this episode’s guest, Aaron Day

02:05 Aaron’s story and how he went from developing software to becoming a nutritional therapist

05:27 What Aaron noticed when he changed his diet to low carb

10:00 The macronutrients Aaron first focused on and what he does now

15:30 What Aaron noticed when he upped his protein intake

20:14 Aaron answers whether he sets protein targets per lean body mass or as a percentage of total calories

26:18 Why would someone reintroduce carbs back into their diet? 

36:07 What is the best way to reintroduce carbs back into your diet?

40:46 Does the order of how you eat macronutrients in a meal matter?

42:06 Strategies to limit blood sugar spikes

49:48 The importance of tracking your blood sugar and a simple trick if you don’t want to track your blood sugar with finger pricks

58:01 Aaron’s Mount Everest Strategy to reach weight loss and health goals

01:07:28 Has becoming a dad changed Aaron’s nutrition approach?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Aaron Day’s website

Aaron Day’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

In this episode, Dr. Estima chats with Chris Irvin about the different hormone changes that take place during a monthly cycle, how women should approach these changes, using keto throughout your cycle, why cravings are drastically different during your cycle, and more.

Dr. Estima also dives into how keto can affect your thyroid, why you may do well on keto for a certain time only to find yourself craving carbs soon after, and what you can do to improve your hormone health starting today.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode with Dr. Estima:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast  

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Dr. Stephanie Estima

02:56 Dr. Estima’s background, how she found herself in this space, and what she noticed in her practice and through her research

09:14 The difference in nutrition for men and women

16:42 Understanding progesterone and its effects on cravings 

21:59 Changing your diet throughout your cycle

33:22 The connection between hormonal changes and mental health

42:01 What to do when estrogen is higher in your cycle

47:19 Optimizing keto for women

53:14 Why women shouldn’t do keto forever and a better approach to take

59:29 Is keto bad for your thyroid?

01:05:09 The Estima Diet and Dr. Estima’s training program

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Stephanie Estima’s website

Dr. Estima’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Dr. Estima’s book, The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex 

The Estima Diet

Dr. Estima’s certification program

Dr. Estima’s podcast