Meta Health: Mindfulness Meets Metabolism

That relentless inner voice—the one that replays past conversations, plans your next move, and won’t let you sleep—what if it’s physically affecting your health? In this episode, we explore the science of inner chatter, its surprising impact on your body, and how to reframe it to improve resilience and your overall health. We discuss some of the following: 

If we only pay attention to typical risk factors, we will miss what I call the "surprise diseases" that affect so many of my patients and people I know. The heart attack or plaque (detected on a heart scan) in someone who exercises and appears otherwise healthy, the breast cancer in a woman with no family history, the autoimmune disease that appears out of nowhere. How can we avert these conditions? Understanding the mechanism of Emotional Immunity (EI) is critical so you can start breaking common thought patterns. In this episode, we explore the following:

Meta Health is going to take a slight shift in direction with Season 2, as it incorporates more mindfulness, since it's not possible to fully optimize energy and wellbeing unless we recognize thought patterns that hold us back.

I'm calling this the Season of Inner Change, and this episode gives you an overview on my refreshed approach to sharing my insights from the clinic, from my programs, and from my personal life. Some topics include:

Peter was kind enough to allow me to re-release our interview from 2019 from his podcast, The Drive, Episode #69. Many people have found me through Peter and told me this was one of their favorite episodes. Aside from insulin resistance and metabolism, we end the discussion with a topic that really resonated with Peter, which is the impact of generational stress, social media, and devices on youth and how I've navigated this in my own personal life. 

This is longer than my usual episodes since we cover a ton of important topics, so I included detailed timestamps below. I hope you enjoy this important conversation. 

Is alcohol really a low carb, keto friendly substance like many ads and influencers claim, or is there more to it? Even if the glucose on your CGM (continuous glucose monitor) doesn't budge after a drink, there are real metabolic effects on glucose and body fat you should be aware of. Non-drinkers will benefit from this episode too since we cover some key metabolic principles, along with the following: 

In this episode I answer a question from a listener who is confused regarding whether breakfast is optimal or not optimal for health. Although intermittent fasting made breakfast skipping a common practice, there is nuance to this question. We cover some of the following:

Our body has become an obsession that many of us are consumed by day and night. Hollywood and the fashion industry started the movement of creating unrealistic body standards, but now the growing number of celebrity and health influencers have taken this movement and put it on steroids. In this episode I discuss the following:

Eating more protein is currently the mantra being shared by many health leaders and big food has caught on. Are we missing any potential risks in the midst of the high protein movement? This episode covers some of the following topics:

Much of our emotional unrest results from the act of splitting our identity into multiple roles and different personas. In this episode I explore:

I'm feeling an urge to shift my content in a new direction. I'm not giving up on discussing metabolism since that's a topic that is still very close to my heart, but at the age of 52 and after digging deep into insulin resistance for well over a decade, I'm sensing a different pull. 

In this episode I discuss my internal transformation and how you too might have a different voice inside that is longing for a new direction. 

This episode takes a fresh look at the 3 fundamental molecular root causes of insulin resistance using some familiar storylines from prior episodes combined with some new story hooks to help you understand the science of insulin resistance. We cover the following:

This episode digs deep into protein and more specifically amino acids (protein building blocks) and their role in metabolism, weight control, insulin resistance, and overall health. We cover some of the following:

I've selected 2 key metabolic ingredients, Acetyl CoA and Citrate, to explain nutrition metabolism in further detail. I've also selected a different storyline, the mitochondrial amusement park and the Kreb's merry-go-round, to help you visualize some of the most fundamental steps of metabolism. In this episode we cover:

The mental and metabolic impact of human beings predominantly or exclusively working from home has been profound. I've noticed significant increases in insulin resistant conditions including premature heart disease and a deterioration in mental health. All of these risks existed pre-pandemic, reflecting our modern digital lifestyles, but post-pandemic these risks have intensified to an even worse public health crisis. In this episode I cover some of the following:

I see lots of patients in my clinic who aim to lose body fat and have become well versed in the different types of body fat, specifically subcutaneous adipose tissue (aka SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (aka VAT). Although VAT and SAT are both fat, they represent different health risks and there are some differences in terms of which strategies are more effective for VAT vs SAT loss. This episode is a good follow-up to Episode 16 (Getting Your Body to Burn Fat), which provides the scientific foundation for fat loss (aka lipolysis) along with providing practical suggestions as well. In this episode, we cover:

GLP-1 drugs have been all over the headlines and the global demand for using these drugs for weight loss has been significant. GLP-1 belongs to a family of gut-based hormones called incretins. In this episode I'll teach you about the fascinating incretin system and how you can influence it naturally to promote weight loss. I cover the following:

The pentose phosphate pathway, which I refer to as P3, is one of my favorite metabolic pathways and one that gets far less attention than glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and Krebs, yet plays such a key role in our body. In this episode we go over the following:

In this Metabyte (shorter episode), I review the interaction of the insulin hormone and its receptor on the surface of the muscle cells using a slice of chocolate cake, a lock and key, and a reference to Indiana Jones. 

Call it holistic, functional, metabolic, integrative, longevity, or whatever, but this episode expresses some of my concerns about the direction of what I refer to as the rising "alt health" movement.

Interestingly, I'm part of both alt health and mainstream medicine, so I'll share my take from both sides. I'll discuss:

In this episode we will tie together cholesterol metabolism using the boat vehicular model from Part 1, and understanding your own cholesterol results in greater depth. My free cholesterol e-book here summarizes key numbers and concepts discussed in this episode. We'll discuss the following: 

Lipid (cholesterol) physiology is complicated, but essential for you to understand as part of metabolism, health, and longevity. Let's simplify lipids (and glucose) using cars, boats, and traffic. This sets the foundation for future episodes where I discuss the practical implications of lipids and heart disease risk. We'll discuss the following:

Glucose variability (GV) is an important metric that expands upon the current limited application of fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C. In this episode we'll discuss:

The hemoglobin A1C is a useful, yet imperfect glycemic marker which we'll explore further in this episode where we discuss:

There are significant ethnicity-specific differences in metabolism and heart disease risk that are not often discussed. In this episode we cover:

I'm going to explain the interaction between blood pressure, body fat, and sodium by explaining the all important RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system). Understanding this system can help you optimize blood pressure, heart, and overall vascular health. We'll discuss the following:

Understanding the mechanism behind how your body stores and burns fat (aka lipolysis) will help you incorporate lifestyle strategies to help you lose excess body fat.  In this episode we discuss:

Muscles are a key organ for longevity, yet the majority of patients I see in my clinic suffer metabolically, physically, and even mentally from a lack of optimal muscle strength.  Most individuals are also consuming insufficient protein to activate muscle growth.  In this episode I discuss:

Ketogenic diets are commonly associated with meat-based diets, but this misconception isolates individuals from accessing this precious metabolic state. In this episode I discuss the following:

Envy is an emotion very few people like to talk about, but that simmers inside so many of us.  I talk about envy openly in this episode and discuss the following:

In this episode I use 4 key coenzymes along with storytelling and visualization to help you understand energy metabolism.  We'll weave in James Bond's Casino Royale and introduce a "RAP" to help you become a metabolic whiz.  Topics include:

In this episode I do my best to provide an objective, science-based mechanism for how plant-based and paleo-type diets can be effective in reversing insulin resistance.  I cover the following:

It's time to introduce the liver into our metabolic framework and understand how it interacts with fat and muscle. We'll discuss:

This episode introduces fat metabolism through signature storytelling that involves ships, TSA agents, and a visit to a pub. We'll cover the following:

In prior episodes we discussed how glucose gets into cells from the bloodstream, but now it's time to dig deeper and understand how glucose and nutrients actually get into the mitochondria to produce energy.  Optimal mitochondrial function is essential for energy, weight control, and disease prevention, so understanding its function is key.  

Fasting continues to be one of the top health and nutrition trends in the world.  Why wouldn't it be?  Weight loss, disease prevention and reversal, longevity benefits, and the list goes on.  As someone who has practiced fasting and prescribes it in the clinic, there is a dark side to fasting that is not being discussed.  I discuss some of the following topics in this episode:

If this episode resonates, please share with others, post comments on my instagram @roneshsinhamd, or reach out by e-mail at my blog, www.culturalhealthsolutions.com

We laid the groundwork for understanding the root cause of insulin resistance in prior episodes, and now we have reached a major climax in this saga where we discuss one of the molecular root causes for this condition.  There will be some James Bond references and an explanation of insulin resistance using a kitchen power outage as an example.  We’ll end this episode by panning out from the molecules to the meta picture of insulin by going over 3 key substances that trigger insulin resistance and how these are linked to lifestyle. 

This episode will explain the important interaction between insulin, insulin receptor, and a key protein called IRS (insulin receptor substrate).  I'll use a simple lock and key model to simplify how these molecules interact and serve as an important doorway to metabolism.  Understanding the information in this episode will move you closer to gaining deep insights into future episodes where I discuss the molecular and lifestyle basis for insulin resistance and related issues with metabolism.  

Find out why I call rumination pre-depression/pre-anxiety.  Identifying and solving for rumination can have a significant impact on reducing much of the suffering we experience on a daily basis.  In this episode I describe the science of rumination, common rumination movies that play inside our head, and tactics for terminating rumination before it spirals out of control.  

Beta cells are the insulin-producing cells in our pancreas and their durability is a key factor in promoting longevity and optimal health.  In this episode I use the battery analogy to explain how beta cells work and what actions you can take to preserve your beta cell battery life which helps prevent/reverse diabetes and other chronic health conditions.  I also discuss ways in which you can estimate your beta cell battery life and what role certain conditions have on beta cell life. 

Glucose transporters (aka Glut) are a key protein that shuttles glucose into cells.  Understanding Glut helps you understand how your body transports and utilizes sugar, and how you can impact your glucose metabolism through lifestyle changes like exercise.  We'll use some clever mnemonics to keep the different Glut subtypes straight. 

This is the first of a series of episodes that digs deep into insulin's actions and uses what I call the "mango cell model" so you understand the key components of cell structure.  I'm also going to introduce a key glucose transporter called GLUT and end with my opinion about mangos and fruits in general when it comes to metabolic health. 

Your time is precious and there are a ton of health podcasts out there already.  In my trailer I discuss how this show might add some unique value and give you a totally different angle on learning about metabolism and health science.