Optimal Metabolism

At just 32 years old, Michelle Patidar received a devastating cancer diagnosis, shortly after losing her own mother to stage IV stomach cancer. She underwent six rounds of intensive inpatient chemotherapy and survived, but what happened after treatment was something she never expected. Although Michelle was declared cancer-free, she was far from healthy. She was left severely depleted, struggling...

Are your own food rules, dieting habits, and body image struggles affecting your children more than you realize? With Halloween right around the corner, candy, sugar, and food rules are on a lot of parents' minds. But what if the way we talk about food and our own bodies has a bigger impact on our kids than the candy they eat? Many of us grew up believing certain foods were "bad," that being thinn...

What if the missing piece to improving your metabolism, balancing your hormones, and restoring your energy has very little to do with what you're eating? What if the light you're exposed to, the timing of your meals, and the signals your body receives from its environment are just as important as the food on your plate? This week on Optimal Metabolism , I welcome fellow registered dietitian Ethan...

Have you ever been told your lab results are perfectly normal, yet you're still struggling with exhaustion, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, digestive problems, or hormonal imbalances? You're not alone, and there may be important pieces of your health puzzle that haven't been explored. In this episode of Optimal Metabolism , I welcome Dr. Jim Chialtas , a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine...

300 EPISODES! 🎉 After more than six years behind the microphone, I am so grateful to every one of you who has listened, shared an episode, learned alongside me, and supported the evolution of the Optimal Metabolism Podcast. I couldn't think of a more fascinating topic for this milestone episode! Today I'm joined by Ariana Thacker, founder of MoldCo , whose work in the mold space began after her o...

What if one of the most overlooked tools for improving blood sugar has been sitting right in front of us all along? In this episode of Optimal Metabolism , I'm joined by Chris Reade, entrepreneur and author of Beating Diabetes , to talk about his personal journey with type 2 diabetes and the discoveries that changed the trajectory of his health. Chris shares how his diagnosis pushed him to dig int...

How long does it actually take to reverse insulin resistance? Is it 30 days, 90 days, six months—or years? This episode of Optimal Metabolism was originally recorded as an Instagram LIVE, where I answered this question and talked about what it really takes to improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. There isn't one universal timeline for reversing insulin resistance, but that doesn't mean...

What if one of the biggest missing pieces in your metabolic health has nothing to do with your diet—and everything to do with the light you're exposed to every day? In this episode of Optimal Metabolism, I sit down with Roudy Nassif, founder of VivaRays and a leading educator in light, circadian health, and quantum biology. Roudy's passion for light began with his own search for answers after year...

Amy Van Houten has a story you won't soon forget. As a mom of sextuplets, Amy already knew what it meant to navigate a full and demanding life. Then everything changed when she unexpectedly lost her husband to a heart attack and found herself moving forward as a single mom. In this episode, Amy shares the deeply personal story of navigating loss, motherhood, her own health transformation, and ulti...

If your body suddenly seems to be playing by a completely different set of rules in perimenopause or menopause, this episode is for you! For the first time ever on Optimal Metabolism, I am welcoming back a three-peat guest! Cynthia Thurlow, NP, is a two-time TEDx speaker, international speaker, bestselling author, and host of the Everyday Wellness podcast. Her viral TEDx talk on intermittent fasti...

What if we've been focusing on the wrong things when it comes to preventing heart disease? In this episode of Optimal Metabolism , I sit down with Daniel Trevor , heart attack survivor, citizen scientist, serial entrepreneur, and author of Unholy Trinity: How Carbs, Sugar & Oils Make Us Fat, Sick & Addicted and How to Escape Their Grip. Daniel's interest in cardiovascular and metabolic health beca...

What if obesity isn't simply about food? In one of the most powerful conversations I've ever had on the Optimal Metabolism podcast, I sit down with CrossFit coach, author, educator, and metabolic health advocate Athena Perez to explore the deeper roots of obesity, emotional eating, and lasting transformation. Athena's story begins long before she reached nearly 500 pounds. She shares how childhood...

Could your gut be the missing piece behind your hormone imbalance, stubborn weight, fatigue, and blood sugar struggles? In this episode of Optimal Metabolism, I'm joined by returning guest Dr. Cassie Smith , licensed naturopathic physician, founder of Modern Endocrine, and author of the new book Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones . Dr. Cassie explains why so many women spend years chasing hormone sol...

Have you recently been told you have  fatty liver or high cholesterol ? If so, you're not alone, and the good news is there are practical steps you can take to improve your metabolic health. In this episode, I explain why these conditions are connected and why simply focusing on cholesterol numbers or liver enzymes doesn't tell the whole story. We'll explore the root causes behind fatty liver and...

If you listened to Dane Johnson's first appearance on the podcast, you know his personal healing journey from severe Crohn's/Colitis inspired thousands of people struggling with inflammatory bowel disease. In this follow-up conversation, we go far beyond his story and take a deep dive into the practical strategies he uses to help clients address the root causes of chronic gut inflammation. We disc...

Most people think fiber is simply about digestion. But fiber is one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting blood sugar regulation, cholesterol, gut health, appetite, and overall metabolic health. The surprising part? Not all fibers do the same job. In this episode, I explain why fiber diversity matters and how different soluble and insoluble fibers work together as a fiber matrix to sup...

One of the most significant changes in women's health has officially arrived. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is now known as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) —a name that better reflects the true nature of this common condition. In this episode, I sit down with Cory Ruth, RDN, women's health and PMOS expert, to discuss why this historic name change was made and what it means for t...

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to do everything "right"—eat nutritious foods, take quality supplements, exercise regularly, and prioritize sleep—yet still struggle with fatigue, inflammation, hormone imbalance, or stubborn metabolic issues? In this fascinating conversation, I sit down with Dan Stachofsky, founder of Essential Energy, to explore one of the most overlooked influences on...

Obesity treatment has changed dramatically over the past decade. While nutrition and lifestyle remain the foundation of long-term metabolic health, today's medical landscape also includes bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications as potential tools for certain individuals. In this episode, I sit down with board-certified bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Betsy Dovec to discuss ho...

What if the way you're aging has more to do with your metabolic health than your age itself? In this episode of Optimal Metabolism, I sit down with longevity physician Dr. Jennifer Timmons to discuss the powerful connection between insulin resistance, hormone health, disease prevention, and aging well. Dr. Timmons shares how her experience in traditional primary care led her to pursue advanced tra...

Between constant notifications, endless scrolling, chronic stress, poor sleep, ultraprocessed food, and information overload, modern life is placing an unprecedented burden on our brains. It's no wonder so many people struggle with brain fog, forgetfulness, low energy, difficulty focusing, and concerns about long-term cognitive decline. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Marc Milstein, brain hea...

Type 2 diabetes is often presented as a chronic, progressive disease that inevitably requires increasing medications over time. But what if that's not the full story? In this week's episode of Optimal Metabolism, I sit down with Dr. Jason Shumard to discuss the root causes of type 2 diabetes, why conventional treatment approaches often fall short, and what it actually takes to reverse blood sugar...

In this thought-provoking episode of Optimal Metabolism, Shana tackles four deceptively simple questions that reveal some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding metabolic health today. Could eating too often be more problematic than eating too much? Can someone be overweight and undernourished at the same time? Is your fatigue really a food issue—or could your light environment be playing a lar...

Cancer care is evolving, and today's conversation with Martha Tettenborn dives into one of the most overlooked aspects of healing and prevention: metabolic health. Martha is a cancer survivor, author of Hacking Chemo , and currently works with Dietary Therapies , where she helps support patients using evidence-based nutritional and metabolic approaches alongside conventional cancer care. In this f...

In today's episode, I'm answering some of the most common metabolic health questions I hear from people who feel frustrated, exhausted, and stuck — even though they're trying to "do everything right." We're diving into the real root causes behind fatty liver, high triglycerides, stubborn weight gain, cravings, blood sugar instability, and rising blood pressure — and why insulin resistance is often...