logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
1h 12m

#229 - Nature Wants Us to Be Fat | Dr. C...

LEVELS
About this episode

Dr. Casey Means, Chief Medical Officer of Levels speaks with Dr. Richard Johnson about his book, "Nature Wants Us to Be Fat," as well as his insights on the "survival switch" that drives our body to store fat in response to certain conditions like high fructose, dehydration, umami flavors, and more, and how this all relates to our current metabolic disease epidemic.


Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠⁠


Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.


Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.


🎙 What Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Richard Johnson discuss:

(04:25) - The fat switch

(11:39) - Metabolic syndrome is linked to survival

(13:36) - The switch is good for short term survival, bad for long term

(17:40) - Sugar triggers the switch

(19:39) - Sugar leads to metabolic syndrome, not extra calories

(23:40) - Fructose depletes energy

(31:28) - Vitamin C is protective against obesity

(35:12) - High glycemic foods help our bodies make fructose

(44:29) - Whole fruit is healthy because of the fiber

(53:48) - Salt can trigger fructose production


Transcripts & Show Notes


🔗 Helpful links:

Find us on YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

Up next
Today
#277 - Key blood tests that tell you about your pancreas health  | Dr. Robert Lustig & Mike Haney
The pancreas is a complex organ, but some key biomarkers can assess its health. The pancreas is both an exocrine organ (meaning it produces enzymes) and an exocrine organ (meaning it secretes hormones). It’s a key component of your metabolic health and therefore your overall heal ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 26
#276 - Lab tests for female hormones: menopause and fertility | Dr. Natalie Crawford & Mike Haney
Lab testing for female reproductive hormones offers insight into menstrual cycle irregularities, fertility concerns, and understanding where you are on the perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause trajectory. Dr. Natalie Crawford and Mike Haney discuss how the brain and ovari ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 12
#275 - What labs for micronutrient levels tell you about your health | Dr. Joel Fuhrman & Mike Haney
Proper nutrition supports healthy aging and longevity—that much is clear. But nutritional advice online can be confusing, so what does the science say about healthy eating? It’s less about your macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—and more about your micronutrients, whi ... Show More
1h 11m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
488: How to Stop Gaining Weight by Turning off Your Fat Storage Switch | Dr. Richard Johnson
Watch the full video interview on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/drrichardjohnson488 Dr. Richard Johnson (IG: @drrichardjjohnson) is a practicing physician and has been a medical scientist for over 25 years. He is internationally recognized for his seminal work on the role of sugar ... Show More
1h 40m
Nov 2021
320: Top 10 Worst Foods for Blood Sugar + How Blood Sugar Impacts Women's Hormone and Metabolism w/ Dr. Casey Means
If You Want to Take Back Control of Your Metabolic Health, You Should: Start monitoring your bodies reaction to foods through a CGM or other methodology Ensure that you are moving your muscles after eating to stabilize your glucose Focus on your dietary patterns and get back to b ... Show More
1h 4m
May 2022
Why Sugar And Fructose Are So Deadly with Dr. Richard Johnson
This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, InsideTracker, and HigherDOSE. Eighty-eight percent of people are metabolically unhealthy, and since the 1920s we’ve shamed them into believing it’s their fault—that they should just eat fewer calories and exercise more. But the real ... Show More
1h 15m
Mar 2024
How You've Been Lied To About Calories, Dieting, Exercise, & Losing Weight
View the Show Notes For This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal There are several different schools of thought behind obesity and metabolic dysfunction, for example, the energy balance model or “calories-in, calorie ... Show More
1h 49m
Oct 2022
The Causes Of Resistance To Weight Loss with Dr. Casey Means
This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, BiOptimizers, and InsideTracker. For decades, I’ve been on a mission to help my patients understand that weight loss is not about “calories in, calories out”. There are a multitude of factors that play into how our body makes, stores, ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 2023
TMHS 697: Master Your Blood Glucose To Enhance Immunity, Sexual Function, & Longevity - With Dr. Casey Means
You might think that keeping tabs on your blood sugar levels is only important for folks who have been diagnosed with diabetes. But the truth is, metabolic health is important for all humans. Our metabolic health can have far-reaching impacts on our fertility, body composition, i ... Show More
1h 35m
Mar 2022
The Bitter Truth About Sugar & How It's Destroying Your Health with Dr. Robert Lustig
This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers and InsideTracker. Seventy-four percent of products in the grocery store are spiked with some kind of sugar. The food industry has done this on purpose to keep you coming back for more. Here’s the thing: The liver can innately proces ... Show More
1h 38m
Jul 2022
Is fructose driving metabolic disease? with Dr Richard Johnson
In Episode #215, I’m joined by Dr Richard Johnson to discuss obesity, fructose, and metabolic disease. “Fructose” has become something of a fear word in modern diet culture. It is often positioned as the villain, without the in-depth breakdown of where we are sourcing this fructo ... Show More
2h 6m
Mar 2024
Metabolic Health and Good Energy with Dr. Casey Means
Today I sit down with my good friend Dr. Casey Means. We are discussing all things metabolic health, the state of health care, and GOOD ENERGY! About Good Energy: What if depression, anxiety, infertility, insomnia, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s ... Show More
1h 7m
Jan 2022
TMHS 548: How To Improve Your Metabolic Fitness - With Dr. Casey Means
For most of human history, folks didn’t put much thought into what was going on with their blood sugar unless they had a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes. But that’s changing—more and more people are becoming aware of the impact that blood glucose has on metabolic health and ... Show More
1h 44m