Why Quitting Sugar Could Save Your Life

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and Rupa Health.   We are living in an epidemic of chronic disease that is destroying our health, our communities, and our economy. The common denominator between all of these things is food, or more specifically, our food system. The way our food is grown, transported, processed, and consumed is making us sick and driving health disparities related to income and race, especially among marginalized groups.   In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Dr. Rupa Marya, Raj Patel, and Karen Washington about creating a society that cultivates health, how our existing social structures predispose us to illness, and how we can make great changes to our food system through grassroots efforts.    Dr. Marcia Chatelain is a professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University. The author of South Side Girls: Growing up in the Great Migration, she teaches about women’s and girls’ history, as well as black capitalism. Her latest book, Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, examines the intricate relationship among African American politicians, civil rights organizations, communities, and the fast food industry.   Dr. Rupa Marya is an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she practices and teaches Internal Medicine. Her research examines the health impacts of social systems, from agriculture to policing. She is a cofounder of the Do No Harm Coalition, a collective of health workers committed to addressing disease through structural change.    Raj Patel is a research professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs, a professor in the university’s department of nutrition, and a research associate at Rhodes University, South Africa. He is the author of Stuffed and Starved, the New York Times bestselling The Value of Nothing, and coauthor of A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things.   Karen Washington is a farmer, activist, and food advocate. She is the co-owner and farmer at Rise & Root Farm in Chester, New York. Karen cofounded Black Urban Growers (BUGS), an organization supporting growers in both urban and rural settings. In 2012, Ebony magazine voted her one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country, and in 2014 Karen was the recipient of the James Beard Leadership Award.   This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and Rupa Health.   Right now when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase by visiting athleticgreens.com/hyman.   Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.   Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here: Dr. Marcia Chatelain Dr. Rupa Marya and Raj Patel Karen Washington

20 Touko 20221h 3min

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 culprit is sugar and the processed foods that contain it. The majority of foods on our market shelves contain insane amounts of added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup—ingredients that literally slow down our metabolism and turn on our internal fat storage switch. That means we have the power to turn that switch off by choosing to use food as medicine. Today, I’m excited to talk to Dr. Richard Johnson about how our biological fat storage process works and what we can do to positively affect it.  Dr. Richard Johnson is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver and has been a practicing physician and clinical scientist for over 25 years. He is internationally recognized for his seminal work on the role of sugar and its component fructose, in obesity and diabetes. His work has also suggested a fundamental role for uric acid (which is generated during fructose metabolism) in metabolic syndrome. He previously authored The Sugar Fix with Timothy Gower in 2008, and The Fat Switch in 2012. His new book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat was just released. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, InsideTracker, and HigherDOSE. Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman. Right now, get your own Infrared Sauna Blanket or Infrared PEMF Mat at HigherDOSE.com. Use my promo code FARMACY15 at checkout to save 15% off OR just go to HigherDOSE.com/hyman to get your 15% off today. Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  What makes sugar so bad? (5:50 / 2:44)  How our body’s fat-storage switch works (7:25 / 4:06)  Why eating certain foods makes us hungrier (15:07 / 11:58) Why eating sugar slows down your metabolism (18:08 / 14:59)   Comparing high-fructose corn syrup to table sugar (27:19 / 21:55) The physiology of how fructose affects your body’s energy production and weight gain (32:45 / 27:52)  The difference between eating a high-carb and low-carb diet, even if calorie intake is the same (42:30 / 36:46)  Why mitochondrial function is key to health and longevity (53:35 / 49:27) / Supplementing with vitamin C (59:44 / 55:51)   Is salt good or bad for us? (1:05:33 / 1:00:46) Get a copy of Dr. Johnson’s book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent—and Reverse—It, here.

18 Touko 20221h 15min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Thrive Market, and InsideTracker. In today’s episode, I’ve compiled questions submitted by my social media audience from some of my most popular Masterclass episodes. I am joined by my good friend and podcast host, Dhru Purohit, to discuss a range of topics related to autoimmune disease, optimizing your sleep, and inflammation.  Dhru Purohit is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur, and investor in the health and wellness industry. His podcast, The Dhru Purohit Podcast, is a top 50 global health podcast with over 30 million unique downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Thrive Market, and InsideTracker.   Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. Check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account a RupaHealth.com.   Thrive Market is an online, membership-based grocery store that makes eating well convenient and more affordable. Join Thrive Market today to receive an extra 40% off your first order and a free gift worth over $50 at thrivemarket.com/hyman.   InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman.   In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version): The main Functional Medicine approach to treating autoimmune disease (4:15 / 00:43) Hashimoto’s disease and thyroid testing (8:59 / 5:59)  Is there a connection between autoimmune issues and allergies? (21:01 / 15:58) Where to start to heal autoimmune disease (26:32 / 21:30)  Top three mistakes people make in dealing with autoimmune disease (28:34 / 23:36)  Do you need to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day? (33:44 / 28:43) Supplements and sleep aids (40:55 / 35:58) Do grains affect inflammation? (43:43 / 38:48)  The biggest driver of chronic inflammation (46:11 / 41:20)  Can inflammation be driven by genetics? (47:42 / 42:41) Mentioned in this episode: How a Doctor Cured Her Autoimmune Disease with Functional Medicine  Reversing Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Disease with Functional Medicine The UltraThyroid Solution Dr. Hyman’s Sleep Master Class IFM's Find A Practitioner Tool

16 Touko 202254min

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and ButcherBox.   For so long, we’ve been told that memory loss and dementia are just normal parts of aging. We now know it doesn’t have to be that way, and that there are many measures we can proactively take to avoid cognitive decline as we age. Emerging research is helping us look at new ways to treat and even prevent devastating neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, giving people a newfound sense of hope.   In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, Dr. Richard Isaacson, and Dr. Jay Lombard about the role of genetics in brain disorders, lifestyle habits you can start right now to reduce your risk or reverse symptoms, and why we need to look at bacteria as a cause of neurodegenerative disease.    Dr. Marwan Sabbagh is a board-certified neurologist and considered one of the leading experts in Alzheimer’s and dementia. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and BMC Neurology and is now Editor-in-Chief of Neurology and Therapy. Dr. Sabbagh is the author of The Alzheimer’s Answer: Reduce Your Risk and Keep Your Brain Healthy and The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Boost Brain Health. His latest book, Fighting for My Life: How to Thrive in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, is now available. Dr. Richard Isaacson serves as Director of the Center for Brain Health and Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic (APC) at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine. He previously served as Director of the APC at the Weill Cornell Memory Disorders Program, Assistant Dean of Faculty Development, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian. He remains as Adjunct Associate Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell.  Dr. Jay Lombard is an internationally acclaimed neurologist, author, and keynote speaker specializing in neuroimmunological conditions and medical mysteries. Dr. Lombard integrates biological, psychological, and existential components in his holistic treatment approach. Dr. Lombard’s clinical experience revealed an interesting pattern: one patient with ALS also had small-intestine bacterial overgrowth, another had ulcerative colitis, yet another had Crohn’s, and so on. He started seeing the connections between these bacterial imbalances and Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, and the link to neurological symptoms.   This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and ButcherBox. Right now, when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase by visiting athleticgreens.com/hyman. When you sign up today, ButcherBox will send you two pounds of sustainably caught, wild Alaskan salmon in your first box for free. To receive this offer, go to ButcherBox.com/farmacy. Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here: Dr. Marwan Sabbagh Dr. Richard Isaacson Dr. Jay Lombard

13 Touko 20221h 3min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, InsideTracker, and Mitopure. I recently took a life changing trip to Antarctica to see what is really happening to our environment as the result of climate change. Before you roll your eyes or gloss over this episode, I want you to understand this: Climate change is not just floods, droughts, a hotter planet, and deadly weather events, which are all scary enough to think about. It affects our whole body health—impacting chronic disease, infectious diseases, our food supply, our mental health, and so much more.  On my way to Antarctica, I had an important conversation with my friend Amanda Ravenhill about one of the most critical aspects of climate change and human health—our food system. We also dive into why apathy around climate change is so dangerous.  Amanda is an active member of the international community focused on addressing imminent global challenges. She is the Co-Founder and Founding Executive Director of Project Drawdown, the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.  This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, InsideTracker, and Mitopure. Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman.   Mitopure is the first and only clinically tested, pure form of a natural gut metabolite called Urolithin A that clears damaged mitochondria away from our cells and supports the growth of new, healthy mitochondria. Get 10% off at timelinenutrition.com/drhyman and use code DRHYMAN10 at checkout.   Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  Why you should care about climate change if you care about your health (7:06 / 3:51) Overcoming apathy to feel empowered about climate solutions (12:01 / 7:10)  Our food system is the number-one driver of and solution to climate change (14:36 / 11:10) Eating and shopping regeneratively (25:22 / 20:05)  Reframing carbon and its potential to promote planetary life (30:29 / 25:38)  The role of government and corporations in helping to create climate solutions (32:33 / 27:37)  The case for investing in women farmers (36:38 / 32:03)  Applying corporate personhood to grant personhood to rights to nature (44:46 / 35:38)  What you can do on an individual level to support the regeneration of climate (49:18 / 44:22)  Shifting the climate conversation from one of despair to one of hope (56:28 / 51:53)  Learn more about Amanda Ravenhill at amandajoyravenhill.com.

11 Touko 20221h 9min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Paleovalley, and InsideTracker. Today, as part of my Masterclass series, I’m answering questions submitted by my community through the new video app, HiHo. I am joined by my good friend and podcast host, Dhru Purohit, to discuss a range of topics including sugar cravings, migraines, acupuncture, chronic pain, and much more. Find a link below to follow me on HiHo and we may select your question for a future episode! Dhru Purohit is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur, and investor in the health and wellness industry. His podcast, The Dhru Purohit Podcast, is a top 50 global health podcast with over 30 million unique downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Paleovalley, and InsideTracker.   Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.   Paleovalley is offering my listeners 15% off their entire first order. Just go to paleovalley.com/hyman to check out all their clean Paleo products and take advantage of this deal.   InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman.   In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version): How to tackle candida, mold, and sugar addiction (4:11 / 00:51) Treating migraines and the keto diet (11:33 / 8:16)  Which mushrooms to eat and why (18:14 / 14:57)  Pea protein powder (21:26 / 18:08)  Combining acupuncture and Functional Medicine (28:08 / 22:46)   Creating a healthy community (31:16 / 25:54 Why doctors don’t recommend nutritional solutions (34:19 / 28:58) Armour Thyroid and thyroid health (39:59 / 34:38) Losing those last five pounds (44:39 / 39:18) Living with chronic pain (47:57 / 42:35) Follow me on HiHo here! Mentioned in this episode: The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet The Functional Medicine Approach to Ending Migraines How to End Migraines 5 Steps to Solve Your Migraines Galleri Cancer Test The UltraThyroid Solution

9 Touko 202255min

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and Rupa Health.   Many of us are living our lives out of balance and are stressed from the time we wake up until the time our heads hit the pillow. The problem is that chronic stress causes inflammation and is behind many of the health conditions that affect men specifically. Stress can drive low testosterone, for instance, which is a common problem for men that drives many other health issues.    In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. George Papanicolaou, Dr. Louis Ignarro, and Jessie Inchauspé about low testosterone and its effects on men, the heart-protective molecule nitric oxide, the importance of minimizing blood sugar spikes, and much more.    Dr. George Papanicolaou is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board certified in Family Medicine from Abington Memorial Hospital. He is also an Institute for Functional Medicine practitioner. Upon graduation from his residency he joined the Indian Health Service. He worked on the Navajo reservation for four years at the Chinle Comprehensive Medical Facility, where he served as the Outpatient Department Coordinator. In 2000, he founded Cornerstone Family Practice in Rowley, MA. He began training in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine. In 2015, he established Cornerstone Personal Health, a practice dedicated entirely to Functional Medicine. Dr. Papanicolaou joined The UltraWellness Center in 2017. Dr. Louis Ignarro is a medical research scientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his breakthrough discovery of how nitric oxide positively impacts health and longevity. His groundbreaking research on nitric oxide paved the way for—among other innovations—Viagra. He is an award-winning Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has his PhD in pharmacology, with over 35 years of experience teaching. Jessie Inchauspé holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from King's College London and a master’s degree in biochemistry from Georgetown University. Her work at a genetic analysis start-up in Silicon Valley made her realize that, as the key to good health, food habits beat genetics. In her first book, Glucose Revolution, Jessie shares her startling discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives, from cravings to fertility, and the surprising hacks to optimize it while still eating the foods we love.   This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and Rupa Health. Right now, when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase by visiting athleticgreens.com/hyman. Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here: Dr. George Papanicolaou Dr. Louis Ignarro Jessie Inchauspé

6 Touko 20221h 1min

This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers, InsideTracker, and Cozy Earth.   Many of us will try anything to get away from hard feelings. Food, shopping, alcohol, screens… There is an endless list of distractions and addictions we use to try to avoid our emotions. But the key word here is “try,” and as much as we might resist the tough feelings, it never really works. Today, I’m thrilled to talk about the power of sitting with unpleasant feelings with my guest Dr. Joan Rosenberg.  Bestselling author, consultant, master clinician, and media host, Dr. Joan Rosenberg is a cutting-edge psychologist who is known as an innovative thinker, acclaimed speaker, and trainer. As a three-time TEDx speaker and member of the Association of Transformational Leaders, she has been recognized for her thought leadership and influence on personal development. A California-licensed psychologist, Dr. Rosenberg speaks on how to build confidence, emotional strength, resilience; achieving emotional, conversational, and relationship mastery; integrating neuroscience and psychotherapy, and suicide prevention. She is the author of 90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience, and Authenticity.   This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers, InsideTracker, and Cozy Earth.   BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough formula contains seven different forms of magnesium, all of which have different functions in the body. There is truly nothing like it on the market. Go to magbreakthrough.com/hyman and use code hyman10 at checkout for 10% off your next order.   InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman. Cozy Earth makes the most comfortable, temperature-regulating, nontoxic sheets on the market. Right now, get 40% off your Cozy Earth sheets. Just head over to cozyearth.com and use code MARK40. Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  Why we avoid unpleasant feelings and the physiology of these feelings (5:28 / 1:48) How blocking feelings leads to soulful depression (11:25 / 7:28) The importance of naming our feeling experiences (15:01 / 11:10) Ninety seconds to a life you love (18:25 / 14:35) Dealing with lingering feelings and disappointment (26:11 / 20:44) Identifying disguised grief (36:11 / 30:54) Five categories of grieving (38:48 / 33:30)  Finding the good that may have resulted from difficult life experiences (45:31 / 39:38) Building emotional strength and speaking truth with love (47:36 / 42:15)  Why it’s vital to stop harsh self-criticism and accept compliments (1:09:52 / 1:04:20) Get a copy of Dr. Rosenberg’s book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience, and Authenticity, here, and download her powerful, free tools to help you create a life of your design here.

4 Touko 20221h 19min