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Today we’re going to talk about something incredibly important that most people have never heard clearly explained. That is metabolic stress. And this is so much more than how we burn calories. It is about disease prevention. Now most people believe disease appears suddenly. One day you’re fine and the next day the doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol, prediabetes, heart disease, or metabolic syndrome. Or that we just have to start watching your fatty liver!  That is so crazy in my mind when that is just like waiting for a bomb to go off!

Because let’s face it—most people don’t worry about brain health until they start misplacing their keys… forgetting names… or walking into a room and wondering why they went there or even what I had for breakfast yesterday. But here’s the important message I want you to hear today: Cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging. In fact, research now suggests that many of the factors driving brain aging are lifestyle-related, which means we have a tremendous amount of control over how our brain ages.

Today we’re going to talk about something that sits at the root of almost every chronic disease we see today. It’s called chronic inflammation. Now when most people hear the word inflammation, they think of something obvious — maybe a swollen ankle, a red rash, or a painful joint. Actually, that type of inflammation is actually a good thing. It may hurt but It’s your body’s emergency response system. If you cut your finger, your immune system rushes in to stop infection and repair tissue. You get redness, swelling, heat — and then healing. That’s called acute inflammation, and it’s just a beautiful example of how well the body is designed. But today we’re not dealing with just short-term inflammation anymore. We’re living in what we in functional health call the inflammation epidemic — a situation where millions of people are walking around with low-grade fire of chronic inflammation simmering inside their bodies every single day.

Now if you’ve been following the Making America Healthy Again movement, or what I like to call MYHA — Making YOU Healthy Again, you’ve probably heard this conversation starting to bubble up everywhere. People are asking: Are seed oils healthy? Are they inflammatory? And why are they suddenly in everything we eat? Don’t they reduce cholesterol? Today I want to walk you through what seed oils are, how they’re actually made, and why many metabolic health experts are raising concerns about them. And like always, I’m going to break this down so it makes sense and is practical for real life.

And today we’re going to talk about a Mediterranean village that has captured the attention of longevity researchers: including me.  As the decades click by, life becomes more dear with each passing day. Acciaroli, Italy is a  tiny seaside village, home to an unusually large number of people living into their 90s and even past 100 years old. Now what makes this so interesting is not just that they live a long time. It’s that many of them live well. They continue walking the village streets, tending gardens, and sharing meals and going to church with neighbors. No cataracts, cardiovascular profile of a 20 year old, no broken bones, great hormones, and no real signs of what we consider normal aging. So naturally scientists began asking: What are they doing differently?

But like many powerful medical tools, there’s an important conversation happening right now about benefits, risks, and long-term metabolic consequences. So today we’re going to walk through: • what GLP-1 medications are • how they work • why they are so effective • the metabolic benefits • and some emerging concerns — including nutritional deficiencies, hair loss, and even cases of scurvy. Yes… scurvy. A disease we normally associate with 17th-century sailors is now occasionally appearing in the conversation around modern weight-loss drugs.

Today we’re going deep — microscopic deep. We’re talking about mitochondria. Now don’t let that word intimidate you. This is not a high school biology lecture. This is about your energy, your metabolism, your brain clarity, your ability to burn fat, your resilience to stress — and yes, even how fast you age. Because mitochondria are the spark plugs of your cells.

I hear a lot of talk on social about a tiny little molecule these days, so I thought I would clear up any misunderstanding and give you the facts.  This little molecule is really important and acts like a master switch for cardiovascular health, metabolic health, brain function, and even performance. That molecule is nitric oxide.

It’s the winter metabolic slowdown. You know what I mean. You feel a little more tired A little more snacky. A little less motivated to move. The scale creeps up. Your jeans feel snug. And suddenly you’re wondering, “What happened to my metabolism?” And the winter can even bring on the blues Let me reassure you. Winter metabolic slowdown is not a character flaw. It’s physiology. But here’s the good news — we can work with it instead of against it. With a little knowledge.

Today’s topic comes from people asking me if I knew anything about the increase rate of cancers and particularly what doctors are calling “turbo cancers”- coming out of nowhere after covid, and raging through the body with terrifying speed. I was listening to another podcast that featured Dr. Patrick Soon Shiong whose approach to cancer treatment is to strengthen the patient’s immune system- particularly the IL-15 cells and Natural Killer cells, rather than solely relying on conventional treatments that deplete body, and the immune cells.

For decades, we were taught to build our diets on grains, fear protein, fear fat, and count calories—often with disappointing results- metabolic chaos. Today, I am diving deeper into the need for protein and give some suggestions on how to get enough in daily. I know I have struggled to get what is recommended and I have some tips for us more mature in the audience. So grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath, and let’s dig into the science—made simple—so you can feel confident fueling your body in a way that supports health, vitality, and longevity.

Today’s show is especially exciting, because we’re going to take a fresh look at the new inverted food pyramid—and what it finally gets right for a population where the majority of Americans are metabolically unwell. Thank you to Secretary Kennedy and the MAHA group dedicated to making America healthy again.  To reverse this huge increase in metabolic disease and chronic disease in general.  A change that has been long time coming and I applaud it! Loudly! For decades, we were taught to build our diets on grains, fear protein, fear fat, and count calories—often with disappointing results. Today, we’ll talk about why that advice didn’t work for so many people, what’s changed, and how this new model brings common sense back to nutrition by prioritizing blood sugar balance, muscle, and metabolic health.

Hello my friends, Dr. Deb here —your favorite dietitian and doctor of clinical nutrition and today we’re diving into a supplement that has been hiding in plain sight for decades. In fact, I went to a special session on it back in 1995 at the National Institute of Health in its’ new area of interest- sports nutrition. This supplement is powerful, it’s safe, it’s backed by mountains of research… and yet so many people — especially women — have no idea how beneficial it really is. Yes, indeed.  I’m talking about creatine. Now, before you picture giant bodybuilders flexing in mirrors, let me assure you: creatine is not just a “gym bro” supplement. Creatine is for brains, bones, and bodies of every age. Creatine is for moms, dads, grandparents, and yes — even the people who say, “I’m not really a workout person.” And get this: creatine is one of the MOST researched supplements in the world. Thousands of studies. Decades of data. And the results are consistently impressive on its results and safety. So today we’re exploring how creatine supports both physical and cognitive health — for women and men — and especially why it matters even more as we age.

Today is about progress. It’s about clarity. And it’s about taking charge of your health — because no one else can do that for you. I love the New Year. I really do. A fresh calendar. A clean slate. The blessing of new possibilities. Every year, I intentionally design my year to be the best one yet. Not perfect — but better. This year is extra special because I will be 70 in a couple of weeks and I really do believe it is just a number . In fact, I am training for another half marathon and this year, I am going all out and going to Italy to do it with my oldest son. Oh my gosh, I am excited.  Setting those goals and intentions high.  If you would have said I was going to do that kind of a thing 30 years ago, I would have thought you were crazy! I love the line in the 1976 road race movie The Gumball Rally, the Italian driver Franco, says, “what’s behind me is not important” as he tosses his rearview mirror away to focus on the road ahead.  The past is over. Eyes forward. Set your sight as high as you want. Learn some tricks this week.

Let’s go back to our magical little village: Acciaroli, Italy. Here, people don’t grow old — they grow bold. Active. Engaged. Laughing. Loving. Cooking. Fishing. Dancing. With no chronic diseases stealing their joy. Out of 1,000 residents: 300 are over 100 years old Virtually no dementia Zero significant cataracts — despite blazing coastal sun They don’t take hormones They don’t live in doctor offices Their cardiovascular health looks like a 20-year-old American