Dr. Tommy Wood: Lifestyle and environment shape our health and longevity

Tommy isn't your average researcher; he's a neuroscientist who loves to nerd out at the highest level, and he's also a trusted advisor to world-class athletes across numerous sports.

Tommy has an impressive background, with degrees from top universities—biochemistry at Cambridge, medicine at Oxford, and a Ph.D. in physiology and neuroscience in Oslo. Nowadays, he's making waves at the University of Washington and the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, focusing on brain health and injury treatment.

Tommy is passionate about making science accessible, whether that's through his role at the Wiley Journal Lifestyle Medicine, guiding the British Society for Lifestyle Medicine, or advising health tech companies. He's on a mission to show us how lifestyle and environment shape our health and how we can live better, longer lives.

00:00 - 01:11 intro

01:11 - 02:00 What does health mean to you?

02:00 - 04:21 Can you talk a little about your background? How did all start?

04:21 - 07:57 How has the general view of the calories in, calories out model changed? Is this model still relevant?

07:57 - 11:19 Metabolic health and fexibility

11:19 - 13:50 How do factors like a food's texture, flavor, and how it's prepared affect our feelings of fullness and nutrient absorption?

13:50- 16:48 Could you share your perspective on the main factors contributing to the rise of insulin resistance within the population?

16:48 - 19:02 Is obesity genetic? And how does this view of obesity affect how it is approached?

19:02 - 21:55 From an evolutionary perspective, how do you interpret the differences in fat consumption between ancient hunter-gatherer societies and today's standard diets?

21:55 - 24:46 What would you say is the issue with the fat ratio that baby formulas offer since they are packed with seed oils.

24:46 - 27:20 We’ve been forced to believe that cholesterol is the enemy, why is this problematic?

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27:20 - 30:26 From a practical standpoint, how sustainable is long-term caloric restriction for the average person?

30:26 - 33:11 What advice do you have for individuals struggling with the psychological challenges of managing caloric intake for health or body composition goals?

33:11 - 33:56 What is autophagy and mitophagy and why should we understand them?

33:56 - 38:57 What is the relationship between exercise, fasting and autophagy?

38:57 - 40:40 What advice do you have about meal timing in relation to workouts?

42:12 -44:27 What are some common misconceptions regarding lactate during exercise, and how can we better understand its benefits?

44:27- 48:52. For those pushing their limits in training, what are some key indicators that they might be exceeding their recovery capacity, overall health?

48;52- 50:06 Where can people find you

Follow Dr. Tommy Wood:

The Better Brain Fitness Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2bTSpFGJ38QUx25HW62fC7?si=5afec30398bf41b7

Substack: https://www.betterbrain.fitness

Instagram: @drtommywood

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatwithniklas
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NiklasGustafson
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