The Intersection of Metabolic Health and Spiritual Health | Pastor Gary Evensen - E437
Release Date: 04/06/2026
The Intersection of Metabolic Health and Spiritual Health | Pastor Gary Evensen - E437
Low Carb MD Podcast
Pastor Gary Evensen is the longtime leader of North Jersey United Pentecostal Church and an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church International. Since his conversion in 1980, he has spent more than four decades in ministry, serving in roles from deacon to pastor and helping lead churches across the country. Alongside his wife Milly—a gifted gospel singer and pianist—he has been deeply involved in missions and church planting, including pioneering their current congregation in Secaucus. Pastor Evensen brings a lifetime of experience in faith, leadership, and personal...
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The Hunger Code (Part 2) | Dr. Jason Fung -E436
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist and leading voice in metabolic health, best known for making the science of fasting and insulin resistance simple, practical, and empowering. Through his books, lectures, and clinical work, he’s helped thousands rethink weight loss, type 2 diabetes, and long-term health by focusing on hormones, not just calories. Dr. Fung is the co-founder of The Fasting Method and a sought-after educator on metabolic health. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Jason talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:12) GLP-1s, hunger, and sustainable weight loss (07:35) The three...
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Exercise as Medicine: Rethinking Fitness for Metabolic Health | Peter Cummings MHP, NNP - E435
Low Carb MD Podcast
Peter Cummings is a preventive health practitioner and endurance sports coach with more than 30 years of experience helping people improve metabolic health through exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle change. A Metabolic Health Practitioner (MHP) and Nutrition Network Practitioner (NNP), he specializes in therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, cardiorespiratory fitness, and personalized exercise prescription. Cummings has authored peer-reviewed research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine – FOCUS and has helped train health professionals to integrate fitness and lifestyle interventions...
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Sleep Medicine and Metabolic Health | Dr. Alan Schaffer - E434
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Alan Schaffer is a board-certified physician specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. With decades of clinical experience, he focuses on the intersection of respiratory health, sleep disorders, and metabolic health, including the role of nutrition and carbohydrate restriction in improving chronic disease. Dr. Schaffer practices with St. Peter’s Health Partners in New York and is a frequent educator and media guest discussing conditions such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and the broader drivers of cardiometabolic health. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Alan talk...
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Quality, Accessible, Sustainable Medical Care | Dr. Marion Mass - E433
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Marion Mass is a pediatrician, educator, and fierce advocate for restoring integrity to American medicine. A co-founder of the nonprofit Practicing Physicians of America, she has been a leading voice calling out the corporate forces reshaping health care and their impact on doctors and patients alike. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, and Dr. Marion talk about… (00:00) Intro (02:29) Systemic problems in medicine over the last few decades and how we can solve them (05:27) Perverse incentives in health insurance and how health care can be made cheaper (14:40) Conflicts of...
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The Menopause Gut | Cynthia Thurlow - E432
Low Carb MD Podcast
Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, bestselling author, and leading voice in women’s metabolic health. With over two decades of clinical experience, she’s known for translating complex science into practical strategies—helping women navigate perimenopause, optimize fasting, and reclaim energy, resilience, and long-term wellness. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, and Cynthia talk about… (00:00) Intro (02:28) Hormonal shifts, the microbiome, and metabolic health (07:50) How modern developments in food production and the advent of mass-produced plastics have impacted our...
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The Metabolic Healthcare Revolution | Dr. Frank Dumont - E431
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Frank Dumont is Executive Medical Director at Virta Health, where he leads medical strategy to advance safe, scalable metabolic care. A longtime internal medicine physician at Estes Park Medical Center, he previously directed its Wellness Service Line. A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Dumont has also served in leadership roles with the Colorado Medical Society and the American Medical Association. In this episode, Drs. Brian and Frank talk about… (00:00) Intro (04:03) How Dr. Frank’s personal health issues and professional experiences as a doctor led him to adopt...
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Eating in the Age of Addiction | Michael Prager - E430
Low Carb MD Podcast
Michael Prager is a journalist and writer focused on food addiction and the science of ultra-processed foods. Drawing on personal experience and deep reporting, he explores how modern food environments hijack appetite—and what it takes to reclaim health, agency, and freedom around food. He is also the chairman of the Food Addiction Institute and the author of two books: Fat Boy Thin Man and Sustainable You. In this episode, Dr. Tro, Dr. Brian, and Michael talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:15) Michael’s personal health journey dealing with food addiction and how he first became interested...
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The Microbiome and Metabolic Health | Dr. Brian and Dr. Tro - E429
Low Carb MD Podcast
When there is no guest to interview, Dr. Brian and Dr. Tro get to talk about whatever they want! Today, that’s the microbiome and metabolic health. The conversation ranges from fasting to microplastics to inulin and beyond. You are not likely to walk away without hearing something about gut health that you’ve never heard before. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Brian talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:24) How the peer review process works for scientific publications (10:50) How the SMHP is tackling the barriers to good science caused by the standard peer review process (17:04) Fasting,...
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The Power of Metabolic Psychiatry | Dr. Matt Bernstein - E428
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Matt Bernstein is a clinical psychiatrist and leading voice in metabolic psychiatry, with 25 years of experience helping people achieve lasting mental health and functional recovery. A Columbia graduate (summa cum laude) and Penn-trained physician, he completed residency at MGH/McLean, where he served as chief resident and later held senior leadership roles. Now Chief Medical Officer at Ellenhorn, he develops innovative, community-based models for mental health care and serves on advisory boards advancing the metabolic psychiatry movement. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Matthew talk...
info_outlinePastor Gary Evensen is the longtime leader of North Jersey United Pentecostal Church and an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church International. Since his conversion in 1980, he has spent more than four decades in ministry, serving in roles from deacon to pastor and helping lead churches across the country. Alongside his wife Milly—a gifted gospel singer and pianist—he has been deeply involved in missions and church planting, including pioneering their current congregation in Secaucus. Pastor Evensen brings a lifetime of experience in faith, leadership, and personal transformation to every conversation.
In this episode, Dr. Tro, Dr. Brian, and Pastor Gary talk about…
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(00:00) Intro
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(02:41) Gary’s spiritual and metabolic health journey
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(12:45) Fasting and the Christian life
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(16:01) Fasting and physical health/wellbeing
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(23:08) Dealing with guilt and shame without turning to unhealthy coping habits
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(31:58) Cortisol, B1 deficiency, and obesity
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(47:57) The health issues faced by pastors and people in ministry
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(57:19) Outro
For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!
Links:
Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.lowcarbmd.com/
Pastor Gary Evensen:
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North Jersey United Pentecostal Church: https://njupc.org
Dr. Brian Lenzkes:
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Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Dr. Tro Kalayjian:
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Website: https://toward.health
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
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