Copper! Copper is needed to prevent anemia, histamine intolerance, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis, probably helps with allergies, and is needed to make you feel good overall. There's a dark side to its toxicity, but more likely you need more copper than less. Tune in for everything you need to know about how to manage your copper status! This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support t...
Nov 08, 2018•12 min
Do you supplement with collagen? Collagen is great, and important, but you SHOULDN'T be counting it toward your protein intake. I've been seeing "collagen protein" bars around, and there's nothing inaccurate about calling them that, but it seems easily to be misled into thinking they provide all the protein we need at a meal. They don't. Many people have asked me why I talk about collagen and non-collagen protein separately, and this episode explains why. Listen in and let me know what you think...
Nov 06, 2018•10 min
Got heavy metals? If the elevation of heavy metals is modest (for example, less than twice the upper limit of the reference range), I think it is best to use zinc supplementation as a gentle approach to help detoxify. Here's how I recommend using zinc for heavy metals. My previous episode on how to supplement with zinc can be found here: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2018/10/25/how-to-supplement-with-zinc/ This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors be...
Nov 01, 2018•6 min
There are plenty of zinc supplements out there, and while many are acceptable, I don't recommend using zinc oxide or zinc picolinate. People are often surprised that I recommend against picolinate. So, in this episode, I explain why. This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line ...
Oct 30, 2018•9 min
Wondering what the best way is to supplement with zinc? This episode covers what kind to take, what dose, when to take it, how often, with what foods or on an empty stomach, and of course how to know if you should be supplementing. My preferred zinc supplement for most people is Jarrow Zinc Balance. You can use one of these two links to generate a commission to support my work at no extra cost to you. Amazon: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/amazon/jarrow/zincbalance Iherb: https://chrismasterjohn...
Oct 25, 2018•7 min
Zinc is needed for healthy skin, a robust immune system, sharp vision, stable blood sugar control, balanced and strong hormonal health, and far more. It's even needed for protection against the heavy metals that pollute our environment. Here's how to make sure you're getting enough -- but not too much! -- from managing your diet, to non-dietary causes of deficiency, to measuring and managing your zinc status with bloodwork. My methylation resources, mentioned in the episode, can be found here: h...
Oct 23, 2018•9 min
Glutathione is a molecule you make from the protein in your diet that is incredibly important to protecting your liver, thyroid, and lungs. It's the master antioxidant of the cell, critical to detoxing and cleaning out your system, and plays an especially important role in preventing asthma. Here are seven natural ways to boost your glutathione status! This is the link to the glycine database that is mentioned in the episode: http://chrismasterjohnphd.com/glycinedatabase This is the link to the ...
Oct 18, 2018•7 min
Do you have asthma? Do you know or love someone who does? Here's how to use supplemental glutathione (reduced, liposomal, and nebulized) to help with this condition. This is the link to the episode on nitric oxide, mentioned in this episode: https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2018/01/11/nitric-oxide-genes-blood-pressure-asthma/ This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the c...
Oct 16, 2018•6 min
Many people use niacin supplements to reduce their methylation rate. Some use it regularly because they are "overmethylators" and some use it intermittently when they experience symptoms they associate with overmethylation. In this episode, I describe why I don't recommend using niacin in this way. Doing so is using niacin as a drug, not a nutrient. Our goal should be instead to supply glycine in nutritionally adequate amounts to make the methylation system run smoothly like a well-oiled machine...
Oct 11, 2018•7 min
A number of practitioners use whole blood histamine levels to classify people into undermethylators and overmethylators. I don't agree with using histamine levels to assess methylation status. Tune in to find out why. This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line of grass-fed liv...
Oct 09, 2018•5 min
Please head on over to the YouTube video and like it, share it, or comment on it to help me promote this! It would also be great if you're on Twitter if you could like, retweet, or reply to the twee t about the analysis. The links mentioned in the podcast can all be found in the description of the YouTube video. Enjoy! Chris Masterjohn, PhD, is the Founder and Scientific Director of the mitochondria test Mitome ....
Oct 04, 2018•1 hr 18 min
Are you an undermethylator or an overmethylator? Neither! Chris Masterjohn Lite is a show about what works. Today we kick off a short series on a few things that don't work by discussing why I don't think it's useful and why I think it's actually counter-productive to classify people as undermethylators and overmethylators. This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the c...
Oct 04, 2018•6 min
MTHFR or not, this is the minimum that EVERYONE should be doing to support methylation, boiled down into five simple rules. Tune in to learn the rules! This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line of grass-fed liver, organs, bone marrow and more... in the convenience of a capsul...
Oct 02, 2018•11 min
Here is a healthy diet, boiled down into five simple rules. Tune in to learn the rules! This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line of grass-fed liver, organs, bone marrow and more... in the convenience of a capsule. For more information or to buy any of their products, go to a...
Sep 27, 2018•7 min
Food allergies seem more common now than ever. Are we just hearing about them more because of better awareness, or are they really more common? We have reliable data about celiac disease: it's four times as common now than it was a half century ago. I suspect the same is true of other food intolerances and of food allergies. Your best weapons? The egg yolks and liver that have disappeared from our diets during this timeframe, and avoiding unnecessary use of over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. ...
Sep 25, 2018•8 min
When I was in Greece this August, I didn't have any allergies at first, but then they started acting up, and they kept getting worse throughout my trip. I thought it was from the local environment, but when I woke up with conjunctivitis in the last week I looked back and realized my diet had been very deficient in vitamin A while I was there. Vitamin A deficiency can be an important cause of allergies, and if you suffer from allergies you should consider your vitamin A status. This episode is br...
Sep 20, 2018•9 min
Many people have asked me what I think about blood tests for food allergies. In this episode, I explain. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheatsheet Use the code LITE5 to get $5 off. This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements. Our Native American ancestors b...
Sep 18, 2018•7 min
If you suffer from allergies, you may need to remove fermented, aged, and cured foods from your diet. While the ultimate solution should be to make yourself more resilient to both pollen and these foods, lowering the amount of histamine in your "histamine bucket" may provide needed relief in the short-term. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and...
Sep 13, 2018•7 min
In the past I have recommended measuring your waist circumference in addition to your scale weight when you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle. This is an easy way to gauge how much of your change in weight is fat versus muscle. But sometimes it just doesn't give you good information. Waist circumference is influenced not just by abdominal fat but also by the amount of undigested food in the stomach, and by retention of water and gas from hormones, inflammation, and digestive distress. Thi...
Sep 11, 2018•8 min
It may seem that people at risk of iron overload should manage it by avoiding iron-rich foods, but in most cases this is a bad idea. Iron-rich foods are rich in many other nutrients, like copper, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. Chelators like phytate can induce deficiencies of other minerals, like zinc. In this video, I explain why dietary management should be a last resort for iron overload. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you...
Sep 06, 2018•8 min
A lot of people seem to think that they should avoid iron-rich foods, even if they have no reason to believe they have a genetic predisposition to iron overload. In this video, I show you why this is ridiculous. I *do* have a genetic predisposition to iron overload, and I consume over 5 times the daily value for iron, including 10 ounces of red meat, and my iron status is kept on the low end of the physiologically healthy range by donating blood about once a year. Watch the video to see the numb...
Sep 04, 2018•8 min
In this episode, I break down an iron panel and explain why it's important to also measure serum ferritin and transferrin, and when you should use transferrin saturation instead of iron saturation as a marker of your short-term iron status. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.c...
Aug 30, 2018•8 min
Thiamin, or vitamin B1, is needed for energy metabolism but is especially important to carbohydrate metabolism. Its deficiency causes severe neurological problems, but moderate deficits may manifest more mildly as poor carbohydrate tolerance. Carnivores and vegans alike can get plenty of thiamin if they eat the right foods, but a diet based mainly on fat, or on refined foods that have not been fortified with thiamin, can cause deficiency. Nevertheless, thiamin is unusual in that most factors con...
Aug 28, 2018•8 min
Magnesium is needed for literally everything in the body. When you don't have enough, the most common problems are twitching, muscle cramps or spasms, heart palpitations, and weakness, plus other signs and symptoms discussed in the video. In this episode, I teach you how to look for its deficiency, how to use three different lab measurements to monitor your magnesium status, and how to fix a problem if you find one. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat...
Aug 23, 2018•9 min
Taking creatine can raise your serum creatinine and give the false impression your kidney function is declining. Here is how to avoid this problem. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheatsheet Use the code LITE5 to get $5 off. To get these episodes free of ads, with trans...
Aug 21, 2018•4 min
Dry eyes? Poor night vision? Get sick often? Bumpy or flaky skin? You may need more vitamin A. In this video, I tell you how to figure that out, and what to do about it. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheatsheet Use the code LITE5 to get $5 off. To get these episodes f...
Aug 16, 2018•8 min
Only 2% of Americans meet the official recommendations for potassium, yet potassium supplements carry risks that has led the FDA to strictly regulate the amount in one serving to be so small you would need to take 50 pills a day to meet the requirement. Here are my recommendations for using potassium citrate powder in a way that protects you from the risks and allows you to get the benefits of much larger amounts than found in the typical pills. The potassium citrate powder discussed in the vide...
Aug 14, 2018•8 min
Calcium supplementation is controversial. Some people believe that supplements, but not calcium-rich foods, can increase the risk of heart disease. Here are my recommendations for calcium supplementation to make it as close to eating whole foods as possible. The bone meal powder I use can be found at chrismasterjohnphd.com/calcium . If you use my affiliate link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Chea...
Aug 09, 2018•5 min
Do we really need to be taking fish oil? For most people, it is better to use fish or pasture-raised egg yolks to get omega-3s. But there are specific reasons to use cod liver oil, fish oil, or krill oil. More details in the video! This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheats...
Aug 07, 2018•7 min
How do you put on muscle without risking gaining fat? You need the right workout, enough protein, and a gentle caloric surplus. Watch the video for more details! This episode is brought to you by Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Everything you could ever need to know to optimize your nutrition, all in one place. Easier to find and use than ever before. Get your copy at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/cheatsheet Use the code LITE5 to get $5 off. To get these episodes free of a...
Aug 02, 2018•8 min
