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In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Boomer Anderson sits down with Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Jup Kuipers, Dr. Scott Sherr, and Dr. Allen Bookatz to unpack what's really behind calories and macronutrients, and why you should think twice before grabbing ultra-processed foods on your next grocery haul. Research discussed in this episode compares meals and diets with similar nutritional profiles but different levels of processing. The team explores differences in glucose and insulin responses, appetite, food texture, eating rate, and energy intake. They also examine what these findings can and cannot tell us, why a nutrition label is only part of the picture, and how the HOMeHOPe framework looks at food through cellular health, clinical metabolomics, and individualized outcomes. Join us as we delve into: Calories vs. Metabolic Responses: Why meals with similar calories and macronutrients can lead to different short-term physiological responses. What Counts as Ultra-Processed? How the NOVA classification differs from simply canning, freezing, or pickling food. What the Trials Found: What controlled meal studies and longer dietary trials suggest about insulin, energy intake, body weight, and appetite. The Gut-Brain Connection: How food processing may interact with food reward, hunger, fullness, and the signals connecting gut and brain. Why Food Texture Matters: What research on eating rate suggests about texture and how much people consume. Beyond One Biomarker: Why glucose alone may miss part of the response, and how clinical metabolomics can add context to a person's metabolic patterns. The HOMeHOPe Framework: How bioenergetics, the gut-immune system, exposomics, and evolutionary medicine inform the team's approach to food and cellular health. A Practical Grocery-Aisle Swap: How to choose a less-processed option you enjoy and can afford, then observe how you feel over time.   This episode is for you if: You want to understand ultra-processed foods and metabolic health. You are curious about the relationship between calories, insulin, appetite, and food texture. You want practical nutrition ideas that account for convenience and budget. You are a clinician interested in clinical metabolomics and individualized health assessment.   You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/f0ZnDuiL2SY    Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics   Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Boomer Anderson sits down with Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Jup Kuipers, and Dr. Scott Sherr for a different kind of conversation focused on mental health, presence, and the Six Nails of Tilopa. Dr. Achacoso introduces the Six Nails of Tilopa through the mnemonic RITEC R: don't recall, don't imagine, don't think, don't examine, don't control, and relax into effortless awareness. The discussion explores how these principles can be applied to everyday life, particularly when dealing with grudges, future-oriented anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and the desire to control outcomes. Join us as we delve into: What Safety Feels Like: How breathing, muscle tension, posture, guarding, and a sense of choice may provide information about how a person is experiencing safety. Six Nails of Tilopa: An introduction to the six principles represented by RITEC R: Don't Recall, Imagine, Think, Examine, Control, and to Relax into effortless awareness. The Sympathetic Hyperdrive: Why the faculty describe modern life as highly stimulating and how chronic sympathetic activation can affect the experience of stress and recovery. HRV and Sympathetic Activation: How Dr. Sherr describes patients who may feel fine while showing persistently low HRV and signs of prolonged sympathetic activation. Past Events and Mental Health: Why learning from the past is different from repeatedly reliving it, and how letting go of grudges can change the way someone experiences the present. Perfectionism and Self-Judgment: How constantly evaluating your own performance can become distracting and exhausting. The Illusion of Control: How the faculty explore the relationship between control, anxiety, decision-making, and the philosophical question of free will. Free Will and the Self: A wide-ranging discussion of whether free will exists and how context, biology, perception, and internal states influence human decisions. The Happiness Game: Dr. Achacoso's practical exercise for noticing how quickly the mind produces another thought. Health Optimization and Presence: Why optimizing health may involve more than quantitative measurements and can also include how fully a person experiences the moment. This episode is for you if: You are interested in the biology of safety, stress, and recovery. You want to understand the Cell Danger Response and its different stages. You are interested in how cellular and nervous-system processes may interact. You have experienced a major stressor or illness and are interested in the recovery process that follows. You want to better understand why being intellectually aware of safety may not always correspond with how the body feels. You are interested in the relationship between stress, activation, recovery, and resilience. You want to explore how the body allocates resources between protection, repair, adaptation, and growth. You are interested in Health Optimization Medicine and the HOMeHOPe framework.  You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/czPLAypqwPI    Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics   Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Allen Bookatz and Jodi Duval explore safety as a biological state and examine what happens when a threat has ended but the body's response has not yet fully resolved. The conversation looks at safety from two interconnected perspectives: the cell and the nervous system. Jodi explains how cells respond to threats through the Cell Danger Response, while Allen explores how the nervous system continuously evaluates the body's internal and external environment and determines how much of the system should remain committed to protection. A central theme throughout the episode focuses on the idea that the end of an acute threat is not necessarily the end of the healing response. The discussion explores what happens when the body remains organized around protection, even after the original crisis has passed.  Join us as we delve into: Safety as a Biological State: Why safety is more than simply removing an immediate threat and why the body may require additional signals before returning to normal function. The Cell Danger Response: How cells respond to infection, toxins, injury, and metabolic stress through stages of containment, rebuilding, and reconnection. Protection, Repair and Reconnection: Why the end of an injury or acute threat is not necessarily the end of the healing process. When the Crisis Is Over but Recovery Isn't: Why someone may continue experiencing changes in energy, cognition, or tolerance after an acute illness or crisis has resolved. The Nervous System and Safety: How the nervous system continuously samples internal and external information and determines how much of the body should remain committed to protection. Safety Does Not Always Mean Calm: Why a safe system can still be highly activated, such as during exercise, and why outward stillness does not necessarily mean that the system has settled. Stress and Recovery: Why stress itself is not necessarily the problem, and how the ability to recover, renew, and complete the response may influence resilience. The Metabolic Cost of Prolonged Protection: How prioritizing defense and repair can defer growth, reserve capacity, and longer-term processes. What Safety Feels Like: How breathing, muscle tension, posture, guarding, and a sense of choice may provide information about how a person is experiencing safety. When the Mind Knows but the Body Doesn't: Why intellectual reassurance and objective evidence may not always correspond with how safety is registered physiologically. The Limits of Measurement: What can currently be measured about cellular and physiological states, and where interpretation remains necessary. Interoception and Body Signals: Why internal sensations can sometimes be amplified or diminished, affecting how the body interprets its own signals. Scientific Uncertainty: Why frameworks such as polyvagal theory should be considered with awareness of ongoing scientific debate and why the broader discussion does not depend on resolving that particular debate. Completing the Response: Why the episode distinguishes between the absence of the original problem and the active completion of the biological response. This episode is for you if: You are interested in the biology of safety, stress, and recovery. You want to understand the Cell Danger Response and its different stages. You are interested in how cellular and nervous-system processes may interact. You have experienced a major stressor or illness and are interested in the recovery process that follows. You want to better understand why being intellectually aware of safety may not always correspond with how the body feels. You are interested in the relationship between stress, activation, recovery, and resilience. You want to explore how the body allocates resources between protection, repair, adaptation, and growth. You are interested in Health Optimization Medicine and the HOMeHOPe framework.  You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/GAxXyJQKv2Y    Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics   Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this special episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Jup Kuipers, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Dr. Scott Sherr discuss how toxicities can build up over time, affect cellular energy production, and eventually show up as problems across different organ systems. The team looks at two clinical cases involving mercury and arsenic exposure, and how symptoms were initially treated as separate problems by different specialists. They discuss why chronic, lower-level exposure can be difficult to identify, how heavy metals can interfere with mitochondrial function, and why looking at the cell may reveal a different picture than looking only at the organ that is showing symptoms. Join us as we delve into: The Limits of Organ-Based Medicine: Why specialists may correctly identify the affected organ while missing the shared environmental or metabolic cause.  Subclinical vs. Acute Toxicity: Why chronic low-level exposure may affect health long before laboratory findings meet the threshold for acute poisoning.  Why Blood Testing May Miss the Full Picture: Why circulating levels may not fully represent what has accumulated within cells and tissues. Intracellular Toxicity Testing: How intracellular testing is discussed as a way of assessing mercury, lead, arsenic, and other toxic elements within cellular material. Toxicities and Mitochondrial Function: How heavy metals can interfere with metabolic pathways involved in cellular energy production. Why Symptoms Appear in Different Organs: How the system with the least resilience may become the first place where cellular dysfunction becomes visible. Metabolomics and Early Detection: How metabolomic testing may provide a window into cellular function and help identify metabolic disruption. Disease Management vs. Health Optimization: Why acute and specialist care remain essential, while a health optimization approach focuses on understanding the cellular environment before disease becomes the dominant problem. This episode is for you if: You experience symptoms affecting several organ systems without one clear explanation. You want to understand the difference between acute poisoning and chronic, low-level exposure. You are interested in how mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and aluminum may affect cellular energy production. You want to understand why certain toxic exposures can be difficult to identify through conventional testing. You are interested in metabolomics and intracellular testing as tools for looking more deeply at cellular health. You want to understand the difference between managing disease and proactively optimizing health.   You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/WChkA4twbg4   Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics   Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr sits down with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum to discuss the connection between vision, screen time, brain function, and nervous system regulation. Most people think of vision as eyesight, or how clearly they can see an eye chart. Dr. Appelbaum explains why vision is much broader. It involves how the brain receives information through the eyes, interprets the environment, coordinates movement, and decides how to respond. The conversation explores how prolonged screen use can narrow peripheral awareness, increase visual stress, and keep the nervous system in a more activated state. They also discuss the rise of myopia, the difference between eyesight and functional vision, and how vision performance training may support reading, learning, reaction time, spatial awareness, athletic performance, and recovery after concussion or traumatic brain injury. Join us as we delve into: Screen Time and the Nervous System: How prolonged engagement with close, two-dimensional screens can contribute to visual stress, tunnel vision, fatigue, and sympathetic activation. Central vs. Peripheral Vision: Why stress narrows visual attention and how soft gaze, panoramic viewing, and access to peripheral vision may help the nervous system move out of fight or flight. Eyesight vs. Vision: Why seeing 20/20 does not necessarily mean the eyes and brain are working together efficiently. The Eye-Brain Connection: How the brain gathers, filters, processes, and interprets visual information before directing movement or action. Brain Fog, Fatigue and Reading Difficulty: How inefficient eye coordination and focusing may contribute to headaches, tired eyes, reduced concentration, poor productivity, and avoidance of visually demanding tasks. The Myopia Epidemic: Why nearsightedness is becoming more common and how genetics, limited outdoor time, near work, poor lighting, and screen use may influence its development. Screen Breaks That Work: Why the 20-20-20 rule should be treated as the maximum interval between visual breaks for people who work on screens. The Limits of Vision Biohacks: Why palming may help relaxation, but broad claims that sunning or simple exercises can eliminate the need for glasses are not supported for everyone. This episode is for you if: You spend several hours each day working on a phone, computer, or tablet. You experience headaches, dry eyes, eye strain, blurred vision, brain fog, or fatigue after screen use. You want to understand the difference between eyesight and functional vision. You are concerned about myopia or increasing prescriptions in yourself or your children. You want practical ways to reduce visual stress during the workday. You are interested in vision training for learning, sports, productivity, concussion recovery, or healthy aging. You want to understand how vision may affect nervous system regulation, balance, spatial awareness, and cognitive performance.   You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/qwtP-0gU5wU   Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products   Find more from Dr. Bryce Appelbaum: Website: https://myvisionfirst.com/ ScreenFit™: https://screenfit.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbryceappelbaum/ Get $200 off ScreenFit™ using code SNH at https://screenfit.com/enroll Get 10% off Digital Performance Lenses using code SNH at https://shop.myvisionfirst.com/

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Jodi Duval explore the glymphatic system and the role sleep plays in clearing metabolic waste from the brain. Getting eight hours of sleep does not necessarily mean getting eight hours of effective brain clearance. The team looks at how the autonomic nervous system, norepinephrine, cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid exchange, aquaporin-4 channels, circadian timing, body temperature, gut barrier integrity, and even anxiety around wearable sleep scores may influence the conditions needed for healthy glymphatic flow. The discussion also introduces a practical HOMeHOPe glymphatic optimization protocol focused on creating the chronobiological, bioenergetic, and environmental conditions that support natural overnight brain clearance. Join us as we delve into: How the Glymphatic System Works: How cerebrospinal fluid moves through perivascular spaces, exchanges with interstitial fluid, and helps remove metabolic waste including beta-amyloid, tau, and cellular metabolites.  Circadian Biology, NAMPT and NAD+: How CLOCK and BMAL1 influence NAMPT and the NAD+ salvage pathway, and why disrupted circadian rhythms can affect cellular maintenance. The Autonomic Nervous System: How elevated sympathetic tone and nighttime norepinephrine can interfere with the conditions required for glymphatic flow. Circadian Biology and Brain Health: Why light timing, cortisol rhythms, and autonomic balance matter for creating the right conditions for overnight clearance. The HOMeHOPe Glymphatic Optimization Protocol: Practical strategies involving morning light, evening light reduction, bedroom temperature, sleeping position, autonomic safety, and gut barrier support. The Role of Sleep Hygiene: Why the environment and signals surrounding sleep may matter just as much as the number of hours spent in bed. The Skeptical Position: The team examines the conventional neurology argument that slow-wave sleep architecture, aging, and aquaporin-4 changes may limit how much glymphatic function can be influenced through lifestyle. Precision vs. Generic Sleep Advice: Why HOMeHOPe emphasizes measurement, metabolomics, circadian markers, and individualized guidance rather than simply telling someone to "get more sleep." This episode is for you if: You get enough hours of sleep but still wake up with brain fog or fatigue. You want to understand how the glymphatic system supports brain health during sleep. You are interested in the relationship between sleep hygiene, circadian biology, and brain clearance. You use a wearable to track sleep and want to understand the potential downside of becoming overly focused on sleep scores. You are interested in practical, non-pharmaceutical approaches to supporting healthy brain function and sleep.   You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/kLFUm2Ik2s4    Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr, Jodi Duval, and Dr. Allen Bookatz explore what happens inside the cell when the body perceives stress or danger. The discussion focuses on Dr. Robert Naviaux's Cell Danger Response and how mitochondria can alter energy production and signaling in response to perceived threats. The team examines why fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, and exercise intolerance can occur even when standard laboratory testing appears normal, and how the different phases of the cellular response are meant to move from defense through repair and recovery. Join us as we delve into: Stress at the Cellular Level: How mitochondria and cells respond when they perceive danger from infection, toxins, injury, environmental exposures, or psychological stress. Why Normal Labs May Not Explain Fatigue: Why standard testing may not capture changes in cellular signaling, mitochondrial output, or a cell's metabolic state. The Three Phases of the Cell Danger Response: How CDR1 involves inflammatory defense, CDR2 involves proliferation and rebuilding, and CDR3 involves differentiation and recovery. Stress, Mitochondria and Energy: Why cells may reduce energy output while continuing to interpret their environment as unsafe. Hormesis and Stress Dosing: Why exercise, temperature exposure, and other acute stressors may be useful when properly dosed, while excessive stress may add to the existing burden. Mitochondrial Nutrient Support: The role discussed for CoQ10, PQQ, magnesium, and NAD+ precursors in supporting the metabolic machinery during the transition through the CDR phases. Parasympathetic Safety Signaling: How extended-exhale breathing, HRV biofeedback, vagal tone work, and other approaches are discussed as ways to reduce chronic sympathetic input. The Limits of the Framework: Why deliberately adding stress to an already overloaded system may be counterproductive when the dose is not appropriate. Disease Management vs. Health Optimization: Why the HOMeHOPe approach looks not only at the trigger but also at the conditions the cell may need to complete its response. This episode is for you if: You experience fatigue, brain fog, or exercise intolerance despite relatively normal standard laboratory results. You want to understand the Cell Danger Response and its proposed role in cellular stress. You are interested in mitochondrial function, cellular energy, inflammation, and purinergic signaling. You want to understand why more exercise, stimulation, or stress is not always the right answer. You are interested in hormesis, autonomic regulation, gut health, circadian biology, and metabolomic testing. You want to understand how Health Optimization Medicine approaches cellular stress and recovery. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/0Vx79yABA9k  Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Jup Kuipers, Boomer Anderson, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Dr. Scott Sherr explore a difficult question: can we influence the biology of an aging brain carrying APOE4 risk? APOE4 is not simply a diagnosis, and a genetic result does not tell us what is happening in someone's brain today. The team looks at how APOE4 may affect lipid transport, microglial behavior, vascular integrity, glucose utilization, mitochondrial function, circadian biology, and epigenetic maintenance. The discussion also lays out a practical three-phase framework: establish the phenotype, reduce ongoing stressors, restore circadian and bioenergetic alignment, and track whether cognitive, functional, metabolic, vascular, and biological age measures actually improve over time. Join us as we delve into: APOE4 Risk vs Diagnosis: What one versus two APOE4 copies may mean, and why genotype is not the same as the current clinical stage. Cellular Energy and Epigenetic Maintenance: Why disrupted energy metabolism can affect the conditions needed for normal transcription and epigenetic maintenance. Circadian Biology, NAMPT and NAD+: How CLOCK and BMAL1 influence NAMPT and the NAD+ salvage pathway, and why disrupted circadian rhythms can affect cellular maintenance. Health Optimization Medicine vs Disease-Centered Prevention: Why the HOMe approach focuses on the cellular environment and the conditions that create and sustain health. The Three-Phase Clinical Framework: How to establish a baseline phenotype, reduce exposomic stressors, restore circadian and bioenergetic alignment, and track outcomes over time. The Skeptical Position: The team considers the argument that APOE4-driven pathology may be too genetically determined for lifestyle and metabolic tuning to meaningfully change the trajectory. What Does a "Reset" Actually Mean?: Why a reset is a claim that needs to be demonstrated through durable improvements in cognition, function, and biomarkers over time. This episode is for you if: You have undergone genetic testing and want to better understand what an APOE4 result does and does not tell you. You are interested in the relationship between APOE4, brain aging, metabolism, vascular health, and mitochondrial function. You want to understand how circadian biology, NAD+ salvage, and epigenetic maintenance may intersect with brain health. You are interested in a measurement-based Health Optimization Medicine approach to genetic risk. You want to understand why phenotype, longitudinal tracking, and objective biomarkers matter when evaluating interventions. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/byEspMGRbtI Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Jodi Duval sit down to discuss what happens when the body's cellular defense systems remain activated after the original threat has passed. Fatigue and brain fog are often treated as problems that require more stimulation, more exercise, or more supplements. But what if low energy is sometimes an adaptive response? The HOMeHOPe faculty explores the Cell Danger Response, how mitochondria and purinergic signaling respond to threats, and why pushing harder can sometimes work against recovery. The discussion also introduces a practical three-phase approach to moving from persistent cellular defense toward greater metabolic and bioenergetic flexibility.  Join us as we delve into: Why Cells Get Stuck in Survival Mode: How infection, toxin exposure, tissue injury, and other stressors can shift cellular priorities toward defense, and what happens when those signals persist after the original crisis. The Cell Danger Response: How mitochondrial function, ATP signaling, inflammation, and purinergic pathways can change during cellular stress. Why More Energy May Not Be the Answer: Why fatigue can sometimes represent an adaptive biological response rather than simply a deficiency that can be corrected with more stimulants or supplements. ATP Has Two Different Messages: How intracellular ATP supports cellular work while extracellular ATP can act as a danger signal through purinergic receptors. The Three Phases of Recovery: How exposomic unburdening, assessment of intracellular and metabolic function, and reinforcement of cellular safety can provide a framework for recovery. Measure, Don't Guess: Why organic acids, acylcarnitines, redox markers, amino acids, micronutrient patterns, and membrane lipids can help identify metabolic constraints and guide targeted interventions. Circadian and Autonomic Regulation: Why morning light, sleep, appropriately graded activity, autonomic regulation, and circadian timing are part of restoring biological capacity. The Limits of the Cell Danger Response Model: Where the evidence is mechanistic or emerging, why the framework should not be used to explain every chronic symptom, and why stronger clinical evidence is still needed. This episode is for you if: You work shifts, overnight schedules, or other situations where acute sleep deprivation is sometimes unavoidable. You want to understand how sleep loss affects brain energy metabolism and cognitive performance. You are interested in the relationship between creatine, phosphocreatine, ATP, and brain function. You want to understand the potential and limitations of using creatine during acute cognitive stress. You are interested in cellular bioenergetics and the Health Optimization Medicine approach to precision health. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/0mn-8B6K0bU Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Boomer Anderson, Dr. Allen Bookatz, Dr. Ted Achacoso, and Dr. Jup Kuipers explore a misunderstood cause of chronic fatigue and leaky gut: the bioenergetic failure of your colonocytes. While many practitioners throw random probiotic strains and anti-inflammatory herbs at gut issues, metabolomic research shows this approach fails to address the root problem. The team explains how a starved microbiome forces gut cells to switch energy systems, leaking oxygen into the colon, destroying strict anaerobes, and allowing endotoxins to flood the bloodstream and drain your cellular vitality. From holobiont metabolomics to targeted mucosal protocols, this discussion reframes gut health through the lens of mitochondrial beta oxidation rather than simply managing inflammation.  Join us as we delve into: The Gut Hypoxia Trap: How starved colonocytes switch to anaerobic glycolysis and leak oxygen into the gut, killing off the strict anaerobes that make butyrate. The Endotoxemia Dilemma: How opportunistic bacteria pry apart tight junctions, allowing lipopolysaccharides (LPS) into the bloodstream and locking your cells into a permanent Cell Danger Response. Why Probiotics Fall Short: Why conventional protocols fail to repair the mucosal shield and how to properly signal Akkermansia muciniphila with complex polyphenols. The 4-Step Clinical Protocol: How to use stool metabolomics, pomegranate ellagitannins, oral tributyrin, and L-glutamine to rebuild the gut barrier from the ground up. Pathogenesis vs Salutogenesis: Why Health Optimization Medicine focuses on restoring root cause physiological health rather than perpetually suppressing symptoms. This episode is for you if: You are dealing with chronic fatigue, brain fog, and unyielding food intolerances despite taking probiotics. You want to understand the true biochemical mechanism behind leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. You are a practitioner looking to replace guesswork with objective metabolomic testing and precision mucosal protocols. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wZH8tJTFWw&feature=youtu.be Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Dr. Jup Kuipers explore how acute sleep deprivation affects brain energy metabolism and whether creatine monohydrate can help preserve cognitive function when sleep loss is unavoidable. Rather than relying on stimulants like caffeine or modafinil to push through fatigue, the team examines whether directly supporting the brain's phosphocreatine and ATP systems can maintain cellular energy and cognitive performance during acute sleep deprivation. The discussion looks at recent research on single-dose creatine, brain bioenergetics, blood-brain barrier transport, clinical dosing, and the limits of using creatine as an acute rescue tool.  Join us as we delve into: Sleep Deprivation as a Bioenergetic Crisis: Why acute sleep loss is more than simply feeling tired, and how depletion of phosphocreatine and ATP can affect executive function and cognitive performance. The Creatine Rescue Effect: What a 2026 randomized crossover study found when healthy participants received a single dose of creatine after prolonged sleep deprivation. Creatine, ATP & the Brain: How creatine acts through the creatine kinase system to help maintain high-energy phosphates during acute metabolic stress. The Blood-Brain Barrier Under Stress: Why sleep deprivation may change the conditions for creatine transport into the brain and create a window for acute supplementation. The Clinical Protocol: What the episode discusses regarding single-dose creatine monohydrate, timing before an acute cognitive stress period, hydration, magnesium, and other cofactors. Creatine Is Not a Substitute for Sleep: Why acute creatine rescue may help preserve cellular function during unavoidable sleep loss, but cannot replace the restorative functions of deep sleep and REM sleep. Health Optimization vs. Disease Prevention: Why HOMeHOPe approaches acute physiological stress by supporting cellular function before the system reaches a state of failure. This episode is for you if: You work shifts, overnight schedules, or other situations where acute sleep deprivation is sometimes unavoidable. You want to understand how sleep loss affects brain energy metabolism and cognitive performance. You are interested in the relationship between creatine, phosphocreatine, ATP, and brain function. You want to understand the potential and limitations of using creatine during acute cognitive stress. You are interested in cellular bioenergetics and the Health Optimization Medicine approach to precision health. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/LvEBMroaLA4 Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Allen Bookatz, and Jodi Duval explore one of the most overlooked causes of declining cellular energy: the structural breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane. While many people invest in premium longevity supplements like NAD+, NMN, and CoQ10 to improve energy production, emerging research suggests these compounds cannot overcome a damaged mitochondrial membrane. The team explains how age-related phosphatidylcholine depletion weakens the mitochondrial lipid bilayer, causing proton leakage, oxidative stress, and reduced ATP production, even when the biochemical machinery appears intact. From membrane lipidomics and clinical metabolomics to phosphatidylcholine replacement and methylation support, this discussion reframes mitochondrial health through the lens of structural integrity rather than simply adding more fuel. Join us as we delve into: The Leaky Mitochondria Problem: Why declining phosphatidylcholine causes proton leaks that reduce ATP production and accelerate mitochondrial aging. Why NAD+, NMN & CoQ10 Sometimes Fail: How expensive mitochondrial supplements cannot restore energy when the mitochondrial membrane itself has become structurally compromised. Pathogenesis vs. Salutogenesis: Why Health Optimization Medicine focuses on building the biology of health instead of simply preventing disease. Clinical Metabolomics & Membrane Lipidomics: How measuring functional biomarkers provides deeper insight into cellular health than conventional blood tests alone. Phosphatidylcholine Replacement Therapy: Why rebuilding mitochondrial membranes with pharmaceutical-grade phosphatidylcholine, methyl donors, and chronobiology may improve bioenergetics. The Prevention Paradigm Shift: Why optimizing membrane integrity may become a foundational strategy for supporting healthy aging and cellular resilience. This episode is for you if: You are taking NAD+, NMN, CoQ10, or other mitochondrial supplements but still struggle with fatigue or poor recovery. You want to understand why mitochondrial membrane health may be more important than simply increasing energy substrates. You are interested in clinical metabolomics, membrane lipidomics, and the future of precision lifestyle medicine. You want to learn how phosphatidylcholine and methylation support contribute to healthy mitochondrial function. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr sits down with Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, the premier researcher in ketogenic metabolic therapies. Moving past the mainstream fads of keto ice cream and internet trends, they break down how exogenous ketones actually impact cellular energy, cardiovascular health, and environmental stress. From the liver toxicity associated with certain high-dose ketone esters to the hidden vasodilatory superpowers of L-BHB, this discussion separates the biohacking hype from the physiological reality of ketone supplementation. Join us as we delve into: Fad vs. Science: Why serious researchers use the term Ketone Metabolic Therapy instead of Ketogenic Diet, and why peer-reviewed science is growing exponentially despite Google trends. The Metformin VO2 Max Penalty: Exploring recent data showing metformin can blunt VO2 max adaptations to exercise by 50% and acts as a weak mitochondrial toxin. Mitochondrial Hydraulic Efficiency: How ketones physically tighten electron flow in the mitochondria, reducing superoxide (ROS) production and enhancing endogenous antioxidant capacity. The Danger of 1,3-Butanediol: Why relying on high doses of certain ketone esters and diols can trigger dizziness, liver abnormalities, and dependence, and how to formulate them safely. The L-BHB Advantage: Why the lesser-known L-enantiomer of BHB acts as a potent vasodilator, significantly increasing cardiac output and brain blood flow through adenosine signaling. Performance vs. Recovery: Why exogenous ketones might underwhelm a healthy athlete looking for a power boost, but shine in extreme stress environments like hypoxia, hyperoxia, and recovery. This episode is for you if: You want to know the difference between a nutritional ketogenic diet and simply taking exogenous ketone supplements. You are concerned about the side effects, liver stress, and acidic load of pushing your blood ketone levels too high. You are interested in the synergistic effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) combined with ketone therapies for traumatic brain injury and mitigating oxygen toxicity. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/sU-ZNinqqgg Find more from Dr. Dominic D'Agostino: Website: https://ketonutrition.org/ Metabolic Health Initiative: https://www.metabolicinitiative.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-d-agostino-156014b/ Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, Jodi Duval, and Dr. Jup Kuipers take a deep dive into the shocking new 21-year pre-diabetes follow-up study (DPPOS) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on June 15, 2026. Moving past the mainstream longevity hype surrounding Metformin as an anti-aging cure-all, the faculty breaks down why chemically poisoning your enzymes is a profound mismatch for healthy, active individuals. From the bioenergetics of exercise to the clinical application of precision metabolomics, this roundtable shifts the conversation from off-label drug prescriptions to cultivating true cellular safety and mitochondrial hormesis. Join us as we delve into: The Metformin Illusion: The long-term results of the DPPOS study proving Metformin completely failed to outperform a placebo for reducing multimorbidity risk, while intensive lifestyle intervention reduced multiple chronic disease risks by over 20%. Mitochondrial Blockade: How Metformin's inhibition of Complex I of the electron transport chain chemically throttles your cells, cutting cardiovascular fitness gains (VO2 max improvements) in half compared to exercise alone. The mTOR Obstacle: Why daily off-label Metformin use actively blunts muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in response to resistance training by blocking key adaptation pathways. The Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Spike: How chemically throttling your mitochondria drives up lactic acid, leaving active biohackers with nagging, unexplained fatigue during workouts. Pathogenesis vs. Salutogenesis: Why functional and preventive medicine remain trapped in disease-centered thinking, and how Health Optimization Medicine shifts the focus to detecting and correcting cellular imbalances. The 3-Phase Metformin Transition Protocol: A step-by-step clinical sequence using early morning circadian anchors, urinary organic acid testing, targeted orthomolecular cofactors, and pulsed phytoceuticals strictly on rest days. This episode is for you if: You are currently taking Metformin or berberine off-label for anti-aging but feel like your gym gains and recovery have plateaued. You want to understand the exact biochemical mechanisms of how daily chemical inhibitors block the cellular stress signals required for exercise adaptations. You want to learn how to transition off chronic metabolic blockades and restore biological peak quality of life naturally. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/v1e132gqY_k Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, Dr. Jup Kuipers, and Jodi Duval take a deep dive into the gut-brain-microbiota axis. Moving past the simplistic, pathogenic "pill-for-an-ill" approach of conventional psychiatry and the mainstream hype around over-the-counter probiotics, the faculty breaks down why establishing enteric safety must always precede biochemical optimization. Join us as we delve into: The Tripartite Axis: How the enteric microbiota, gut barrier, and central nervous system communicate at a molecular and metabolomic level to dictate brain state and mood. Epigenetic Signaling: How gut microbes act as active metabolic factories, fermenting dietary fibers into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate that cross the blood-brain barrier to upregulate BDNF and support synaptic plasticity. The IDO Serotonin Hijack: How gut-driven inflammation activates indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), shunting tryptophan down the kynurenine pathway to produce neurotoxic quinolinic acid instead of serotonin and melatonin. The Microglial Fire: How circulating cytokines cross the blood-brain barrier at the circumventricular organs, placing the brain's microglia into an active defense state that triggers cognitive fatigue and brain fog. The 3-Phase Gut-Brain Protocol: Why seeding probiotics into inflamed soil fails, and how to logically sequence clearing overgrowth, rebuilding mucosal integrity with L-glutamine, and seeding validated strains. This episode is for you if: You are running on high-dose over-the-counter probiotics for mood issues but feeling no relief or worsening symptoms. You want to understand the exact cellular and biochemical mechanisms connecting leaky gut to leaky brain and psychiatric distress. You want a practical, clinically sequenced blueprint to restore gut barrier safety before attempting to optimize your neurochemistry. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/AX-Mt1crayc  Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products