LEVELS – A Whole New Level

The pancreas is a complex organ, but some key biomarkers can assess its health. The pancreas is both an exocrine organ (meaning it produces enzymes) and an exocrine organ (meaning it secretes hormones). It’s a key component of your metabolic health and therefore your overall health. Dr. Robert Lustig and Mike Haney discuss key pancreatic blood work to get checked, the differences between diabetes...

Lab testing for female reproductive hormones offers insight into menstrual cycle irregularities, fertility concerns, and understanding where you are on the perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause trajectory. Dr. Natalie Crawford and Mike Haney discuss how the brain and ovaries communicate during the different phases of the menstrual cycle, when to test female hormones, how oral contraception...

Proper nutrition supports healthy aging and longevity—that much is clear. But nutritional advice online can be confusing, so what does the science say about healthy eating? It’s less about your macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—and more about your micronutrients, which are vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Mike Haney discuss micronutrient testing...

Levels offers biomarker testing to give you more insight into your health status so you can understand the root causes of your symptoms, take a preventive approach to disease, and see if your lifestyle changes or other interventions are reducing your risk factors and improving your health. Dr. Anjali Dsouza and Mike Haney discuss why biomarker testing can be beneficial, how to understand your leve...

Not all calories are equal. Tracking your macronutrient intake, using AI capabilities, can help you improve your body composition, facilitate weight loss, and boost exercise performance. The three macronutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates, with fiber a subset of carbs. Josh Clemente & Dr. Dominic D'Agostino discuss the new macros-tracking feature in the Levels app, the purpose and...

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,...

Stable glucose levels are a foundation of feeling and looking your best at any age. When glucose levels are more erratic—with spikes and crashes—cravings, weight gain, low energy, health issues, and more can ensue. Jessie Inchauspé and Dr. Casey Means, thought leaders on the topic of blood sugar, discuss simple hacks for keeping glucose levels more stable without resorting to restrictive diets, an...

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...

Levels, aiming to fix the metabolic health crisis with the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) paired with an intuitive and educational app, was founded in 2019 by Josh Clemente, who eventually brought on several co-founders to help steer the startup’s ship. Josh Clemente and Ben Grynol discuss Clemente’s lightbulb moment for the concept, the networking process for gaining investor buy-in a...

The obesity epidemic isn’t about calories-in-calories-out. Instead, chronic stress and high insulin levels from refined carbs and sugar are drivers of fat storage. And the type of fat stored matters, since visceral fat accumulation leads to worsening metabolic health. Dr. Robert Lustig and Mike Haney discuss the different types of fat and how they are stored and burned; what thin on the outside, f...

Trauma causes physiological changes to the nervous system. Over time, these impacts may place someone on a trajectory from health to a pre-disease state to a disease state, leading to autoimmunity or autoimmune disorders. Dr. Sara (Gottfried) Szal and Mike Haney discuss Szal’s new book “The Autoimmune Cure,” trauma and how it can contribute to autoimmunity, how personalized precision medicine may...

Inflammation is an essential process in the body to help with healing and illness recovery. However, many people have chronic inflammation, which accelerates aging and drives disease processes. We can help control inflammation through diet. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss environmental and dietary sources of chronic inflammation as well as the foods that are anti-inflammatory. Sign Up to...

Although not one single test can tell you whether you are healthy, some biomarkers and lab results can provide you a picture of your metabolic health, which can then inform you about your overall health. Dr. Robert Lustig and Mike Haney discuss why fasting insulin is one of the best metabolic health biomarkers, how you can use continuous glucose monitoring as a proxy for insulin sensitivity, how f...

Both aging and menopause affect metabolism. Unless people build and preserve muscle mass, aging drives muscle loss and fat gain. While these changes affect everyone, the menopause transition can also worsen metabolic health. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss aging’s effects on body composition, how menopause exacerbates these and other effects, and what you can do to protect your health. Si...

Macronutrients include fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate. All four nutrients have different effects on glucose and metabolic health. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss the metabolic health effects of each macronutrient, how to prevent age-related muscle loss, how to improve gut health, and more. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https...

Exercising and changing your diet are both beneficial for metabolic health. But you may be wondering which one has more benefits for fat loss, increasing insulin sensitivity, and more. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss the answer to this burning question and more, including how exercise, saunas, stress, and sleep affect glucose levels. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠...

High uric acid can cause gout, but it’s also a marker for worsened metabolic health and gut health and a contributor to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Consumption of purines can lead to high uric acid levels, but other ingredients in our food system are also culprits. Dr. David Perlmutter and Dr. Casey Means discuss the problems with high uric acid, the foods and drinks that can...

High insulin levels drive the growth of fat cells. In turn, fat gain can exacerbate insulin resistance, leading to a vicious cycle. Insulin is a hormone the pancreas releases in response to glucose rising in the bloodstream. A lower insulin level is required to lose fat, and dietary habits and lifestyle changes can help. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss insulin’s dual functions in the body...

Before someone develops type 2 diabetes, they go through a prediabetic stage. But if someone is reversing their diabetes and is trending toward better glucose levels or even optimal levels, they are postdiabetic. Eric Edmeades and Ben Grynol discuss Edmeades’s new book “Postdiabetic,” his company Wildfit, and how the program helps people reverse type 2 diabetes, change their relationship with food...

Excess glucose from food gets stored as fat. And our insulin response drives that fat storage. The goal is for the pancreas to release less insulin but for the body to have a healthy response to it. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss the interplay between glucose and insulin, healthy glucose numbers, and the problems with insulin resistance. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose...

Why are we spending more on health care every year, yet people are getting sicker? “Good Energy,” a book by Casey Means, MD, details how you can take your health into your own hands with the power of food as medicine. Dr. Casey Means and Dr. Robert Lustig discuss the overarching themes of “Good Energy,” why we need changes in government and health care, and how people can overhaul their own health...

About 93% of people in the United States are not metabolically healthy. But metabolic health can be improved quickly and over time with lifestyle changes. Dr. Robert Lustig and Ben Grynol discuss what metabolism is, how to determine metabolic health status, and how and why maintaining metabolic health is crucial. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠⁠⁠⁠ L...

A lean mass hyper-responder is someone with high LDL and HDL cholesterol and low triglycerides. They are often lean and healthy people who present with strange and alarming lipid numbers after going on the ketogenic diet. Dave Feldman, Dr. Nick Norwitz & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the LMHR phenotype, whether it’s a concern, whether it’s rare, the Oreo vs statin study, how exercise levels m...

Writing an evidence-based nonfiction book requires time, dedication, and a true passion for the content. Dr. Casey Means and her brother Calley Means joined forces to create their book “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health.” Casey Means, MD, and Mike Haney discuss the book-writing process, insights into creativity and inspiration, the steps to seeking an a...

Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin’s signal to uptake glucose. It’s a hallmark of prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic dysfunction, and it manifests as several chronic disease, ranging from Alzheimer’s to polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the importance of monitoring insulin levels, why a high or increasing...