This episode is part personal story, part practical how-to guide, and part insight. The insight I want to emphasize here is one that I think is far too often overlooked: sometimes we shouldn't be trying to lose weight because the time isn't right. But if the time is wrong, how can we know? And once we know, what can we do to prepare our bodies for weight loss and allow the time to become right? The short answer is that if weight gain is due to stress, I strongly believe we should always destress...
Aug 09, 2016•1 hr 29 min
Did you know that adding MCT oil to your pasta is more ketogenic than restricting your carbohydrates to ten percent of calories? Many people think of carbohydrate and insulin as central to ketogenesis, but the direct biochemical event that initiate ketone formation is actually the oversupply of acetyl groups to the TCA cycle during conditions of oxaloacetate depletion. While largely a biochemistry lesson, in this episode I also teach you the practical implications of this. There is more than one...
Jul 28, 2016•52 min
In this episode, I give my take on a recent masters thesis paper by Rachel Gregory from James Madison University, which reports a study where just under 30 members of Rocktown CrossFit and Sports Performance were randomized to do CrossFit for six weeks with a normal diet or a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet led to weight loss and loss of bodyfat without hurting the performance on a 6-7-minute for-time workout-of-the-day (WOD)-style test involving a 500-meter row, 40 bodyweigh...
Jul 25, 2016•33 min
In this episode, I tell the story of my own battle with eczema. I begin by describing my extraordinary recovery from extreme eczema using the right probiotic. I then describe how a more recent relapse led me to discover the incredible importance of mitigating soap exposure when gut-related approaches don't seem to work. In this episode, you'll find the following, and more: Chris Kresser's interview with Glenn Taylor on fecal microbiota transplants inspired this episode. My own story with eczema....
Jul 22, 2016•33 min
In this episode, I discuss dietary management of familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). This question was asked on the Facebook Live episode from 06/16/2016, "Ask Chris Masterjohn, PhD Anything About Heart Disease," but I was unable to get to the question within Facebook's time limit. Please note that HeFH is a medical issue and the purpose of this episode is not to diagnose or treat anyone with HeFH. This is educational in nature and the information should only be used to manage HeFH under super...
Jun 23, 2016•45 min
In this episode, I wrap up glycation week by discussing why glycation may play essential physiological roles in the body. In the early days of methylglyoxal research, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who won the 1937 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of vitamin C and critical steps in energy metabolism, saw the molecule as part of a regulatory system. In the early research into glycolysis, the system that converts methylglyoxal to pyruvate was seen as part of energy metabolism. Only l...
Jun 09, 2016•40 min
In response to popular demand, this week is glycation week. In this episode, I discuss the strengths and limitations of using Hba1c to measure our cumulative recent exposure to blood glucose and diabetes risk. Many people will be familiar with the fact that variation in red blood cell turnover confounds this measurement. Less well known is that variations in the deglycating enzyme fructosamine 3-kinase (FN3K) also confound the measurement. Counter-intuitively, if you have a higher rate of this d...
Jun 07, 2016•47 min
In this episode, I discuss some important insights from my Paleo f(x) talk and audience responses to it, including the potential dangers of treating type 1 diabetes with a low-carb diet, the importance of carbs and bodyfat for fertility and sex hormones, and why some people might have a great sex hormone profile on a long-term ketogenic diet despite the importance of insulin's contribution to fertility. I also discuss Headspace meditation, contrast showers, Snapchat, U.S. Wellness Meats liverwur...
Jun 02, 2016•39 min
In this episode, I show you how you can determine whether your genetics are contributing to your sensitivity to blue light, poor sleep, and poor daytime alertness, and what you can do about it. Specifically, I look at the research showing that variations in the gene for the vitamin A-dependent protein melanopsin underlie sensitivity to blue light and teach you how to figure out your own genetics for this protein using a 23andMe account (they don't have a health report for it, but the hack around...
May 20, 2016•1 hr 12 min
In this episode, I answer a listener's question about whether I am worried about my phosphorus intake and whether a high phosphorus intake is ok as long as it is balanced by calcium. I describe the biochemistry and physiology of the system that regulates calcium and phosphorus, their distribution in foods, how to determine the right balance in the diet, and how to use parathyroid hormone (PTH) as a blood measurement to assess whether the dietary balance is working for an individual. Access the s...
May 11, 2016•1 hr 9 min
In this short episode, I describe how voodoo flossing my computer-damaged wrists has made a tremendous difference in my ability to tolerate weight lifting (especially Olympic lifting) without wrist pain. I use a protocol from Kinetics Sports Rehab that I modify slightly to make my own, which builds on a concept developed by Kelly Starrett of San Francisco CrossFit and MobilityWOD. I don't think you need to lift weights to benefit from this (though I think you should lift weights). I think this i...
May 04, 2016•10 min
In this episode I describe why a set of two yoga blocks has beenone of my best low-cost investments in the last year, playing avariety of unexpected roles around my apartment, and allowing me tomake major strides in increasing the diversity of positions I canwork in to get a healthier level of hip mobility. A standing deskis not enough, and yoga blocks allow me to rest in a squattingposition or sit with greater external rotation in my hips, therebygently challenging the range of motion that sitt...
May 03, 2016•18 min
In this episode, I respond to a listener's question aboutwhether glycation is a good argument against a high-carbohydratediet. I agree that we should avoid refined carbs and emptycalories, but in this episode I describe why "glycation" is reallya misnomer and why carbohydrate is actually likely to protectagainst glycation. Glycation can be driven by the metabolism ofprotein, carbohydrate, and fat. Insulin protects against glycationfrom all three sources, and insulin signaling is strongest aftere...
May 02, 2016•35 min
In this episode I describe how I have designed my evening and morning routines to maximize my quality sleep and productivity. I include the roles of blue-light deprivation using f.lux, iOS 9.3 Nightshift, blue-blocking amber fits-over glasses and lights from lowbluelights.com. I also include the roles of list-making, television, movies, video games, paperback fiction, making the bed, morning walks, and low-decision, high-nutrition, time-saving breakfasts. Access the show notes, transcript, and c...
Apr 29, 2016•22 min
I am often asked what I eat, so here is my answer. To simultaneously meet the goals of productivity, fat loss, and good nutrition over the last few months, I get most of my food through Thrive Market and Whole Foods via Instacart, use Epic Liver Bites, Kettle and Fire broth, fresh meats, eggs, cheese, starches cooked in big batches, and supplemental fruits and vegetables. I also discuss how I have been maintaining protein and calories for fat loss and use MyFitnessPal to track my calories, and h...
Apr 28, 2016•29 min
In his April 7, 2016 piece in The Guardian, "The Sugar Conspiracy" Ian Leslie argues that the politics of nutrition has blinded us to the fact that sugar is more deserving than saturated fat of the status of dietary arch-villain and that the politics continue but the status of sugar and saturated fat are starting to switch. But we need to move beyond nutritional boogeymen, not switch one for another. Our sense of history and physiology -- key concepts about the historical role of Ancel Keys, the...
Apr 26, 2016•27 min
Is it really true that saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are the "bad fats" and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are the "good fats"? Christopher Ramsden uncovered previously unpublished data undermining the conventional wisdom that we should replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. The public health establishment dismissed the findings. Here's my take. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here: https://chrismasterjohnphd...
Apr 22, 2016•35 min
Why I drink coffee and won't apologize for it, but why I'm skeptical of the large body of literature associating coffee consumption with reduced disease risk. Do we drink coffee by choice? Sort of. I discuss why our genes may play a role in our coffee consumption and may be the ultimate influence on the risk of diseases that ultimately cannot be changed by coffee consumption. Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/001-coffee Chris Masterjo...
Apr 22, 2016•22 min
