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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.

Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.

🎙 What Robert Lustig, MD, & Ben Grynol discuss:

(02:30) — Why do you get a glucose spike when you exercise?

(04:22) — The sport drink industry puts fructose in its products

(05:27) — What happens to your glucose when you enter a sauna?

(06:26) — Is it better to exercise or change your diet?

(08:16) — How cortisol, the stress hormone, impacts blood sugar and health

(10:36) — How does sleep affect your metabolic health?

(12:22) — How do you fix sleep deprivation?

⁠⁠Transcript & Show notes⁠⁠

🔗 LINKS:

Watch the full library for Rob’s Ultimate Health Guide: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/zG4XD116uy8?si=TesKp1WkgmgdrEay

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 lead to higher levels, why uric acid can be a driver of worsened brain health, and concerns regarding leaky gut and the immune system.

Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.

Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.

🎙 What David Perlmutter, MD, & Casey Means, MD, discuss:

(04:36) — Why your uric acid level matters for metabolic health

(08:51) — Fructose is a driver of high uric acid levels

(13:55) — High-fructose corn syrup contributes to the obesity epidemic

(15:57) — The key difference between fruit and fruit juice

(25:42) — What is an optimal uric acid level?

(28:57) — Alcohol consumption contributes to higher uric acid levels

(32:32) — Ultra-processed foods contribute to higher uric acid levels

(41:13) — Gut permeability can challenge the immune system

(52:43) — Immunometabolism is the link between our metabolism and immune system

(59:26) — What causes immune cells in the brain to become dysfunctional?

⁠⁠Transcript & Show notes⁠⁠

🔗 LINKS:

Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/IZhi4JXxy6Y

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, why high insulin leads to fat storage, and how to lower insulin levels.

Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.

Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.

🎙 What Robert Lustig, MD, & Ben Grynol discuss:

(03:05) — What drives fat growth?

(04:17) — Why insulin is both good and bad

(08:25) — Why insulin resistance creates a vicious cycle of fat gain

(10:36) — Changing diet is the easiest way to lower insulin levels to drive fat loss

⁠Transcript & Show notes⁠

🔗 LINKS:

Watch the full library for Rob’s Ultimate Health Guide: ⁠https://youtu.be/zG4XD116uy8?si=TesKp1WkgmgdrEay