Paleo Baby

At the 2021 Ancestral Health Symposium (AHS) in Los Angeles last month I was able to catch up with microbiome researcher and writer Lucy Mailing, PhD. This year Lucy presented on the topic of Rewilding the Gut, noting the detrimental effects of our modern environment, diet, and lifestyle on the gut microbiome. Lucy has been on the podcast twice before, talking about optimising the gut microbiome and debunking microbiome myths and misconceptions. Lucy’s research and writings are truly cutting-edge and have consistently shaped our recommendations and approach to gut health with our clients.  ​On this podcast, Lucy shares some of the concepts she outlined during her AHS Talk, including the specific aspects of modern living that interfere with microbiome diversity and establishing a basis for chronic disease.  She talks about the hygiene hypothesis, including the need for early childhood exposure to microbes, and some of the best ways to support a healthy gut ecosystem. Here’s the outline of this interview with

Joshua Fields Millburn is one half of the popular simple living duo known as The Minimalists. He and his best friend and fellow Minimalist Ryan Nicodemus have helped over 20 million people live more meaningful lives with less through their website, books, podcast, and Netflix films. The Minimalists have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Forbes, TIME, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, BBC, and NPR. Joshua has previously been an NBT client, and I’m fortunate enough to call him a friend. On this podcast, Joshua and I talk about minimalism, consumerism, values, and healing.  Joshua explains how minimalism is not simply about getting rid of material possessions (though that can play a role), but rather it’s a process of getting to the root of life’s lingering discontent - digging out from under the stuff, the debt, the stress and the loneliness and regaining control of your life. He describes some of the main points of his new book, Love People Use Things, and shares some of the most impo

Family physician Deborah Gordon, MD is the founder and Medical Director of the Northwest Memory Center in Ashland, Oregon. Her decades-long practice has revolved around healthy and adoptable lifestyle choices that impact the development of health problems, with a more recent focus on choices that affect cognitive health and neurodegenerative disease. Deborah has been on the podcast before to talk about autoimmunity, and she’s with me today to discuss her new study, currently in the peer review process, in which potential contributors to cognitive decline are identified and targeted therapeutically. ​On this podcast, Deborah discusses the potential for using a precision medicine approach to Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Inspired by the work of physician and author Dr Dale Bredesen, Deborah has been working with patients to identify and treat root causes, including environmental exposures and infections, while promoting many of the lifestyle changes we talk about all the time on this podcas

Benjamin Bikman, PhD is an internationally renowned scientist and pathophysiology professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Currently, his professional focus is to better understand the origins and consequences of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, with a particular emphasis on the role of insulin. He frequently publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals and presents at international science and public meetings. ​On this podcast, Ben talks with NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall about insulin resistance: what causes it, how it develops in the body, and the downstream effects of this all-too-common condition. Ben discusses the role of insulin as a regulator of human metabolism and its relevance in the development of most chronic diseases. He also offers a simple and effective prescription for optimal metabolic health and healthy ageing.  Here’s the outline of this interview with Benjamin Bikman: [00:00:00] Ben’s previous (2017) appearance on the NBT Podcast: Ketones, Insulin

Ben Azadi, FDN-P, is on a mission to help 1 billion people live a healthier lifestyle. Ben is the author of three best-selling books and has become a trusted resource on intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet. He is an advocate for investigating dysfunction and then educating, rather than medicating, to return the body to a state of health. Ben is also the host of the Keto Kamp Podcast and the creator of several online courses to help you build and achieve keto and intermittent fasting results that stick. On this podcast, Ben and I discuss the current state of keto and steps to take for those who want to improve their metabolic health. We talk about the best oils and artificial sweeteners (and the ones to avoid), electrolytes, and liver support. We also discuss sleep as the foundation of health, and how inadequate sleep can sabotage your diet. Ben also describes some of the key points in his latest book, Keto Flex, which brings together the benefits of a low carb lifestyle, intermittent fasting, nutrient

Dan Engle, MD, is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. His medical degree is from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His psychiatry residency degree is from the University of Colorado Denver, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship degree is from Oregon Health & Science University On this podcast, Dan talks about the potential to help people heal trauma - and instigate change in their lives - with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. He discusses how this drug, commonly known as Ecstacy, has been shown in studies to be remarkably effective for curing even difficult cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. We talk about his new book, A Dose of Hope, which offers a client’s first-person account of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for healing transgenerational trauma. An important disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does no

Dr. Ruth Tapsell is an NHS GP and an ambassador for the UK’s Public Health Collaborative, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of public health education. She and her colleagues have been having outstanding success helping patients to reverse their type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet. During a time when improving metabolic health is more important than ever, Ruth is showing that it is indeed possible to turn the metabolic supertanker around quickly and effectively. ​On this podcast, Ruth shares her perspective as a GP treating type 2 diabetes and prediabetes with a low carb approach. We discuss the effects this approach could have on a societal scale, including improved public health outcomes and huge financial savings, should the NHS adopt lifestyle interventions as the first-line treatment for metabolic disorders. Ruth also offers resources for making the change to low carb, for both health care consumers and practitioners. As a reminder, the information provided in this podc

Back on the podcast with me today is licensed therapist and certified meditation teacher, Jason Connell. His work focuses on the intersection of evidence-based psychology, philosophy, and enduring insights from the wisdom traditions. His goal is to help his clients develop self-love and self-compassion while solving persistent and challenging problems related to happiness, stress, anxiety, work, relationships, and finding meaning. On this podcast, Jason talks about Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), the approach he uses to foster connection and facilitate positive transformational experiences with his clients. We discuss the goals of this therapeutic method, including the healing of attachment injury, which affects about 50% of the population. You can also listen in as Jason guides me through a short AEDP session right here on the podcast. Here’s the outline of this interview with Jason Connell: [00:02:13] People experience greater stress in urban areas; Study: Lederbogen, Florian, et al.

Ted Naiman MD is a board-certified Family Medicine physician in the Department of Primary Care at a leading major medical centre in Seattle. His research and medical practice are focused on the practical implementation of diet and exercise for health optimization. He is also the author of The P:E Diet, which breaks down the success of every dietary strategy into one simple metric: Protein vs. Energy. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall interviews Ted about the basic levers that govern physiology and how to achieve mastery over your own body composition. Ted talks about the Protein:Energy (P:E) Ratio and why how much you eat depends on what you eat. He discusses why adequate protein is necessary for longevity and healthspan, and the differences between plant and animal sources of this critical macronutrient. Here’s the outline of this interview with Ted Naiman: [00:01:10] Ted's background and interest in diet. [00:04:57] Protein vs. non-protein energy (carbs and fats) - P:E ratio. [00:09:32] P

Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur and author, who has co-created and led four companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He is Managing Partner of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator that he founded to build, train, and invest in people and companies that contribute to a healthy human ecology. He is also a recognized expert in French thinker René Girard's mimetic theory. On this podcast, Luke discusses mimetic desire - how people unconsciously want what others want, and therefore value jobs, spouses, brands, moral viewpoints, and even themselves according to the desires of others. He describes this phenomenon, which has been exploited by internet trolls, politicians, and ad agencies, in his new book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. Luke also talks about how the future depends on what we learn to want today, and how best to cultivate desires that are authentic for each of us. Here’s the outline of this interview with Luke Burgis:  [00:00:35] Book: Wanting: The Power of Mimetic

Patrick Samy is the co-founder and CEO of Span Health, a start-up that offers health coaching informed by biometric data from lab work and wearable devices. Like me, Patrick started out as a software engineer confronted with his own health challenges. Pairing his curiosity for biology with his background in computer science, and adding in a new generation of more accurate consumer health and fitness devices, Patrick is leading Span Health to enable everyday athletes to take their health and performance to a new level. In this podcast, Patrick talks about the value of personal biometric data for finding your individual path to optimal performance and longevity. He shares lessons learned from his own experiments with wearable data trackers, and trends he’s observed while working with clients. We also discuss his go-to devices and biomarkers to track, and the lifestyle interventions that make the biggest difference. Here’s the outline of this interview with Patrick Samy: [00:00:49] The story behind Span Health.

Kelly Casperson, MD is a board-certified urologist and self-taught women’s sexual health expert. Years of helping care for women has shown her that we, as a society, are not doing enough to teach women about their mind, body and relationships. Kelly aims to break down societal barriers and combat limiting beliefs that are keeping women from awakening into their best intimate experience. She is basically the friendly expert you never had, to teach you - You Are Not Broken. On this podcast, Kelly talks about women’s sexual health and wellness, including the biological and psychological issues that stand in the way of having a great sex life. She talks about spontaneous vs. responsive desire, and why unrealistic expectations may be a huge barrier to intimacy. Kelly also offers great tips for improving sexual health and function, from mind-body strategies like mindfulness and meditation to purely physiological options like topical estrogen and lube. Here’s the outline of this interview with Kelly Casperson: [00:

Peter Dobromylskyj is a UK-based veterinary anaesthetist and nutrition blogger whose blog Hyperlipid is amongst the longest-running and most highly respected in the low-carb and ancestral health communities. Peter has been writing about the biochemistry of nutrition since 2006, and has authored over 800 posts aimed at reviewing, analysing, and interpreting nutrition literature. Given his outside-the-box thinking and unconventional approach to metabolism and health, Peter’s work has amassed a large and devoted following. Today, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall interviews Peter to talk about insulin resistance, including the factors that cause it and why the condition is actually physiologically adaptive. Peter compares dietary saturated fats to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and explains why the scientific literature can be misleading when determining which truly promotes health. He gives specific science-based recommendations for how much PUFA to include in your diet, and also offers advice on what to

Elevated blood glucose is one of the earliest and most common indicators of worsening metabolic health, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. For our clients, fasting blood glucose and triglycerides are amongst the first things we test to get a snapshot view of metabolic health. We’ve now added HbA1C - a marker that offers a broader look at glycemic history - to our baseline blood panel, to better evaluate our clients. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall talks about the HbA1C blood test: what it is, who needs it, and why you should care. Megan talks about the optimal reference range for this test, and when to become concerned about your result (hint: it’s sooner than your doctor would have you believe). She also talks about exactly what to do if your A1C is out of range, and how a continuous glucose monitor can help you evaluate your body’s response to different foods and other environmental factors. Here’s the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:00:48] HbA1C (aka glycated

Michael S. Sorensen is a business executive by day and a bestselling author, speaker, and relationship coach by night. He has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the world heal broken relationships, revitalize their confidence, and become masters of connection in business, love, and life. Unique among others in his field, Michael is not a therapist, social worker, or medical professional. Instead, he gained his knowledge by going to therapy himself—1-2 times per week, for over five years—and voraciously consuming every relationship and self-help book he could get his hands on. On this podcast, Michael talks about one of the most valuable (yet little-known) communication skills - validation. The subject of his book, I Hear You, validation is the key to calming fears and uncertainties, increasing feelings of love and appreciation in relationships, and giving advice and feedback that sticks. Michael shares his 4-step method for validating others (and oneself), talks about how to identify emotions, and

Back on the podcast with me today is Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Zac Cupples. When it comes to physiology, movement and biomechanics, Zac is among the best and has become an invaluable resource to me and many of our clients. He offers online movement consultation, mentoring, and fitness training, with expertise in the areas of rehab, training, nutrition, sleep, stress management, breathing, pain, and sports science. ​On this podcast, Zac and I are talking about the impact of mouth and face structure on breathing, sleeping, and overall health. Zac discusses some of the causes of abnormal facial development, and the problems that result, including sleep disorders, crowded and crooked teeth, and worsened athletic performance. He also describes the best way to assess for breathing problems at night and offers some tips for prevention and intervention. Here’s the outline of this interview with Zac Cupples: [00:01:15] Utilizing breathing to enhance movement. [00:05:10] Abel Rom

For the last 18 months or so NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall has been holding weekly Office Hours sessions on Zoom. It’s a chance for our clients and Patreon supporters to ask questions about just about anything related to improving health and performance and get answers based on the scientific literature. This has become such a valuable resource for the NBT community that I wanted to share just a taste of it on the podcast today. Today you can listen in on one of Megan’s recent Office Hours sessions. First, she discusses ways to increase the body’s nitric oxide (NO) production, including the best foods and the supplements arginine and citrulline. NO’s most important function is vasodilation, meaning it relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels, causing them to widen and increase circulation. Later she talks about natural ways to keep mosquitos away, including her favourite non-toxic insect repellant and other lesser-known strategies for staying bug-bite free. Here’s the outline of this interview with

I’m so excited to introduce you today to a good friend of mine. Jason Connell is a licensed psychotherapist practising in the state of Colorado, with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University. He works with a focus on Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), a therapeutic methodology that works toward healing trauma and expanding positive transformational experiences. He is also a certified meditation teacher and has advanced training in motivational enhancement.  On this podcast, Jason and I talk about his personal and professional evolution, from entertaining the masses as a magician at the age of 6 to embracing his current role as a teacher and psychotherapist. He describes his young adult life of travelling and volunteering (and inspiring others to do the same), and becoming a public speaker as a “22-year old jackass.” Perhaps most valuable are Jason’s insights on entrepreneurism and the importance of authentic communication. Here’s the outline of this interview with

Anaemia is an incredibly common blood condition in which you lack enough red blood cells - or haemoglobin within them - to adequately deliver and supply oxygen to the body’s tissues. Worldwide, children and pregnant women are disproportionately affected, though we’ve had a number of clients benefit from lifestyle changes aimed at increasing haemoglobin. And I can tell you from personal experience, anaemia can have a measurable impact on athletic performance. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall and I are talking about low oxygen deliverability resulting from anaemia and the many factors that can lead to this condition. We discuss in detail the blood tests that suggest anaemia is affecting your health, along with science-based optimal reference ranges for the most important markers. Megan also details steps you can take to improve your oxygen deliverability status if your haemoglobin is low (and taking an iron pill is not always the answer!). There’s a ton of great information in this one, so be

Back on the podcast today is Eric Helms, PhD. Eric is a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand at Auckland University of Technology, pursuing research in training, nutrition and psychology for strength and physique sport. He has a PhD in Strength and Conditioning with a research focus on autoregulating powerlifting, a masters with a research focus on protein and macronutrient manipulation for dieting bodybuilders, a second masters in exercise science and health promotion. Also an athlete, Eric earned pro status as a natural bodybuilder with the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association in 2011 and is a powerlifter in the International Powerlifting Federation. Today’s podcast is a Q&A, with Eric fielding questions on some of the best diet and weight lifting strategies. Eric offers an insider’s view on the psychological effects of dieting for competition and also describes some of the most popular non-linear eating strategies and who might benefit from them. He discusse