LEVELS – A Whole New Level

Highly processed food is hard to avoid. It’s especially harder when you’re a parent. For Austin McGuffie and Ben Grynol, they both have 4 kids, and they talk about the challenges of parenting, feeding kids nutritious food, and educating them along the way. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠ Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you...

Landmark new research published by Dr. Rob Lustig and dozens of other scientists shows us for the first time the intricate mechanisms of how environmental chemicals directly cause obesity, uncovering the latest research on this class of chemicals called obesogens. In this conversation between Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Casey Means, they discuss what products and environmental toxins we need to be awar...

What diet should you follow? Metabolic health experts say it doesn’t matter whether you’re keto, vegan, or otherwise if you focus on three simple principles, which will help reduce your risk for cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Swaranjit Bhasin and Dr. Casey Means discuss the biomarkers to ask your doctor about, why they matter, how to improve those biomarkers with accessible tips,...

Since metabolic health is downstream of food production, we need regenerative farming, balanced ecosystems, and to lift the veil of Big Food’s marketing schemes in order to optimize the entire system. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in...

Regenerative farming replenishes soil nutrients, which in turn, boosts the nutrient content of produce and animal products. It also focuses on animal and land stewardship. However, most farming today employs industrialized practices that deplete the soil, discount animal welfare, and harm humans. Will Harris and Dr. Casey Means discuss regenerative farming practices, the symbiotic relationships in...

Erectile dysfunction can be an early indicator of future cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, and early death. Learn more in this conversation between urologist and male reproductive specialist and surgeon Dr. Merrill Matschke and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations...

The ketogenic diet fuels the brain and makes the body more metabolically flexible. The keto diet drives ketone production, which serves as fuel for energy as well as an antioxidant to combat oxidative stress. Switching from burning glucose to burning ketones has numerous benefits, including for cognitive decline and ADHD. Dr. Annette Bosworth and Dr. Casey Means discuss the intricacies of the keto...

Dr. Sara Gottfried – a pioneer in health, research, and education – has seen more than 25,000 patients over the past two decades. She's a physician scientist, who graduated from Harvard Medical School and MIT, and completed her Residency at the University of California, San Francisco. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠ Dr. Gottfried is the Director o...

Diet and exercise culture tends to prioritize calorie restriction and calorie burning via cardio workouts. While fat loss is beneficial, building and maintaining healthy muscle mass is also crucial for metabolic health and longevity. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Dr. Casey Means discuss Lyon’s book “Forever Strong,” why strength-training should be a priority for workout routines, how muscle is the body’s...

The history of the Big Food and Big Sugar industries still affect our metabolic health today. Learn more in this conversation between Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech ind...

Our environment and culture directly affect the food choices we make. Ultra-processed foods are convenient and cheap, and they’re the main source of foods in food deserts, typically located in underserved communities. Yet ultra-processed foods lead to worsening metabolic health. How do you afford and access nutritious food? Shawn Stevenson and Dr. Casey means discuss how Stevenson, author of “Eat...

Obesity and chronic disease are fallouts from the lack of real human connection. Underneath biomarkers like glucose and physical aspects like mitochondrial dysfunctions are the root causes of disease: hijacked reward pathways, chronic stress due to constant threat mode, and the global human disconnect. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠ In this discussi...

The ketogenic diet is often used as a tool for weight loss and to improve metabolic health. However, it is increasingly being considered, studied, and used as a medical therapy for chronic physical and mental health conditions, and it can be tailored to patients’ specific needs. Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter, and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the benefits of the ketogenic diet, how they customi...

Dr. Casey Means, Chief Medical Officer of Levels speaks with Dr. Richard Johnson about his book, "Nature Wants Us to Be Fat," as well as his insights on the "survival switch" that drives our body to store fat in response to certain conditions like high fructose, dehydration, umami flavors, and more, and how this all relates to our current metabolic disease epidemic. Sign Up to...

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that has proven benefits for brain health. Research shows that the keto diet helps ease symptoms of some mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder. But no diet, even keto, is one-size-fits all. Dr. Georgia Ede and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss how diet and brain health are connected, how diet and gut health affect b...

From gallbladder issues to tinnitus to fatty liver disease and more, many chronic conditions have links to high blood sugar and insulin resistance. Dr. Ben Bikman and Dr. Casey Means discuss the connections between insulin resistance and ear-nose-and-throat conditions, how insulin resistance increases the risk for gallbladder stones, what non-alcoholic fatty liver disease does to the body, and how...

Medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and more, have become increasingly popular for weight loss. These drugs are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and they mimic a hormone that, among other things, tells the brain a person is full so they eat less. But are they safe, and do they help improve metabolic health? Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Casey Means discuss these weight-loss drugs and...

We know sugar is bad for kids, so why do parents continue giving it to them? Sugar damage kids’ health and drives behavioral issues. Infants get introduced to sugar early through commercial baby food, and the problem continues with school and birthday treats, soda, and the ultra-processed foods that have taken over the family pantry. Austin McGuffie & Dr. Robert Lustig discuss the rising rates...

The ketogenic diet may help reduce depression and other symptoms in bipolar disorder. The ketogenic diet also helps metabolic health and reduces the risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The risk for cardiometabolic diseases is elevated in people with bipolar disorder when compared to the general population. Dr. Iain Campbell, Dr. Bret Scher, and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss how the state of ketosi...

The United States government subsidizes ultra-processed foods and sugar, and the healthcare system focuses on treating diseases rather than preventing them. These issues are harming kids’ health and leading to crisis-level rates of prediabetes and diabetes in both adults and children. Siblings Calley Means and Casey Means discuss problems with the food industry, government funding, and healthcare,...

How might a keto diet transform not only your metabolic health but may also manage symptoms of mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and more? Dr. Chris Palmer outlines the principles from his book “Brain Energy” with Ben Grynol in this episode and discusses his journey toward the revolutionary idea that might change how we view mental health care moving forward. S...

Continuous glucose monitoring can be a powerful tool for gaining real-time insights into how diet, lifestyle habits, and the many decisions we make daily affect our health. Retired astronaut Scott Kelly tried a CGM for a month and shares his personal insights. Scott Kelly and Josh Clemente discuss how CGM can be used to effect habit change, what Kelly’s participation in the unique NASA Twins study...

Why do women have a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease than men, and how do women move forward as empowered patients with their clinicians? Listen to this episode between Levels Advisor, physician, and author 4 New York Times bestsellers Dr. Sara Gottfried and Levels Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Casey Means. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucos...

Ultra-processed foods harm people’s health and have ramifications for the overall health of the planet. While some food processing is necessary for recipes and feeding the globe, the food industry needs to make changes to ensure that processing doesn’t turn foods into harmful substances. Dr. Tim Harlan and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss the harmful ingredients in ultra-processed foods and how they impact...

Why are we craving food more than ever, and how do we overcome it? Mark Schatzker, journalist and author of The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well, chats with Dr. Casey Means about the dangers of food cravings. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellne...