#9 - Fat Metabolism: How We Store, Move, and Burn Body Fat
Release Date: 11/09/2021
The Meta Health Podcast
I see lots of patients in my clinic who aim to lose body fat and have become well versed in the different types of body fat, specifically subcutaneous adipose tissue (aka SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (aka VAT). Although VAT and SAT are both fat, they represent different health risks and there are some differences in terms of which strategies are more effective for VAT vs SAT loss. This episode is a good follow-up to Episode 16 (Getting Your Body to Burn Fat), which provides the scientific foundation for fat loss (aka lipolysis) along with providing practical suggestions as well. In...
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GLP-1 drugs have been all over the headlines and the global demand for using these drugs for weight loss has been significant. GLP-1 belongs to a family of gut-based hormones called incretins. In this episode I'll teach you about the fascinating incretin system and how you can influence it naturally to promote weight loss. I cover the following: Understanding the incretin system and how the gut communicates with the brain How the incretins affect the pancreas and other major organs Benefits and risks of GLP-1 agonist drugs My thoughts on using GLP-1 for what I call "cosmetic" weight loss...
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The pentose phosphate pathway, which I refer to as P3, is one of my favorite metabolic pathways and one that gets far less attention than glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and Krebs, yet plays such a key role in our body. In this episode we go over the following: Brief refresher on glycolysis and coenzymes using James Bond storytelling Deeper dive into oxidation, reduction, and free radicals (aka reactive oxygen species or ROS) Understanding and remembering the key functions of P3 How P3 is tied to obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, and cancer How erythritol is tied to P3 and the fallacy...
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In this Metabyte (shorter episode), I review the interaction of the insulin hormone and its receptor on the surface of the muscle cells using a slice of chocolate cake, a lock and key, and a reference to Indiana Jones.
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Call it holistic, functional, metabolic, integrative, longevity, or whatever, but this episode expresses some of my concerns about the direction of what I refer to as the rising "alt health" movement. Interestingly, I'm part of both alt health and mainstream medicine, so I'll share my take from both sides. I'll discuss: The story of "Dr.Bob," a fictional alt health practitioner whose practice is rife with hypocrisy and questionable practices The story of "Diane," a fictional patient anecdote based on patient and audience feedback, who is going bankrupt purchasing alt health services. ...
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In this episode we will tie together cholesterol metabolism using the boat vehicular model from Part 1, and understanding your own cholesterol results in greater depth. My free cholesterol e-book summarizes key numbers and concepts discussed in this episode. We'll discuss the following: Review of lipid boats and cholesterol metabolism Understanding the impact of lifestyle on blood vessel health Key characteristics of lipid particles driving heart disease Overlooked cholesterol numbers that matter most Hidden heart disease risks you need to prioritize
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Lipid (cholesterol) physiology is complicated, but essential for you to understand as part of metabolism, health, and longevity. Let's simplify lipids (and glucose) using cars, boats, and traffic. This sets the foundation for future episodes where I discuss the practical implications of lipids and heart disease risk. We'll discuss the following: The vehicular metabolic traffic model Quick review of glucose and insulin metabolism Introducing lipoprotein boats Understanding glucose cars and lipid boats together What we mean by "fat-burner" and "sugar-burner"
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Glucose variability (GV) is an important metric that expands upon the current limited application of fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C. In this episode we'll discuss: The limitations of A1C and fasting blood glucose What is GV and why it matters? How GV is related to inflammation and chronic disease Glucose dipping and its connection to weight gain Defining an optimal range for GV
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The hemoglobin A1C is a useful, yet imperfect glycemic marker which we'll explore further in this episode where we discuss: The origins of the glycohemoglobin test (aka A1C) The flaws of A1C testing and why you may not be prediabetic Insulin resistant markers that should accompany A1C testing The impact of ethnicity on A1C testing An exciting new metric that may be superior to the A1C test
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There are significant ethnicity-specific differences in metabolism and heart disease risk that are not often discussed. In this episode we cover: A brief overview of insulin resistance (IR) and the renin angiotensin system (aka RAS) How IR and RAS present in major ethnic groups like African Americans, Asians (including South Asians), Hispanics, etc. My simplistic model for categorizing IR to better explain ethnic risk Ethnic-specific lifestyle changes to improve metabolism and reduce heart disease risk
info_outlineThis episode introduces fat metabolism through signature storytelling that involves ships, TSA agents, and a visit to a pub. We'll cover the following:
- Overlaps in fat and glucose metabolism
- The essence of fat mobilization and storage
- Key hormones for fat storage and burning
- Deeper understanding of insulin resistance and fat gain
- Lifestyle changes to enhance fat burning