Published on 15 Aug 2022, from the mindbodygreen podcast!
Your host is Jason Wachob, founder and co-CEO of mindbodygreen.
Today’s featured guest is Ben Bikman, Ph.D., a metabolic scientist with a doctorate in bioenergetics. “The single greatest predictor of a good night of sleep is if I go to bed on an empty stomach,” he says. In this episode, Ben and Jason discuss how to eat, sleep, and exercise your way to a healthy metabolism.
“Too many people live constantly in a state of elevated insulin.” Your doctor measures fasting glucose, because that’s cheap and easy. But as metabolic dysfunction gets worse over a period on 20+ years, blood glucose remains stable, while excess insulin is quietly getting worse, unseen and never measured. It’s critical to understand why in our society almost EVERYBODY gets sick, and that it’s CAUSED by modern “foods” by marketing and supermarkets, and not because you are somehow, lazy or neglectful of your health.
Most of the time it’s unreasonable, to go to your doctor looking for a medical cure for your aches and pains. He/She may be able to help relieve the symptoms, but as most people discover, there’s no medical cure for many of our problems. However, once you recognise the power of diet to reduce insulin levels in the blood, you have a strong tool to help yourself become healthier.
In the video below Jason Wachob, asks sensible questions and doesn’t get in the way as Ben Bikman tells his story. It’s a good podcast you might choose to follow.
2:41–9:19 What drives insulin resistance.
9:19–14:21 How to eat carbs without spiking your blood sugar
The first 14.5 minutes are important.
Other parts of the interview.
18:45–27:05 The worst seed oils for your health
27:05–30:22 What Ben eats in a day for a healthy metabolism
39:00-45:49 Weight loss suggestions
Key Points to Write Down
Primary Causes of Insulin Resistance
Stress in your life. (Usually not something you can control)
Inflammation in the body. (Once again difficult to control.)
Elevated insulin. This situation is relatively EASY to control.
Four Rules for Healthy Eating
Control Carbohydrates: Avoid wheat and corn as much as possible. Eliminate bread, rice, pasta and potatoes from your plate. Don’t make the mistake of turning carbohydrates into juice. The NutriBullet advertisement is correct, juiced foods deliver energy quickly, which is exactly what we want to avoid. You smoothie is a bad idea.
Prioritize Protein: Choose the protein source for each meal first. Then consider how to make a meal that highlights that food. Animal sources of protein are much more bio-available than plant based proteins.
Don’t Avoid Fats: Particularly ALL of the animal fat that comes with meat, fish, milk and eggs. The fat you eat becomes energy provided insulin is low. (We don’t measure insulin, but we know that if we avoid carbohydrates, insulin will not be activated.) Enjoy your butter!
Learn how to never be hungry: Ben Bikman says, “Learn how to fast.” He means that every day create a 12 to 16 hour window when you don’t eat, although you may drink black coffee or tea or drink water. If the previous meal was high in BOTH protein and fat that will be easy to do. You may at first have a clock problem, as in “it’s time for breakfast”, or for lunch.
In my own case we usually finish our evening meal before 7pm. I avoid breakfast, but I do drink coffee. My first meal is at 2pm or even at 3pm, and it’s usually quite plain and small. Our main meal is dinner. It’s relatively easy to eat only once a day, although that’s not what I’m currently doing.
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