Can diet improve mental health? A doctor's message of hope

A family physician with 22 years of practice says a keto carnivore diet, which they call a proper human diet, can heal down to the mitochondrial level and in many cases put severe mental health disorders into complete remission, based on patient stories rather than trials.

  • What to do: If you live with anxiety, depression or brain fog, talk to your doctor and consider a time-limited trial of a keto carnivore diet built on meat, eggs and animal fat.
  • Why it matters: The physician has seen patients on a handful of medications with side effects such as lost sexual desire, and reports hope returning once they changed how they ate.
  • How to apply it: Eat the meat without buying supplements or products, note your mood, anxiety and mental clarity week by week, and do not change psychiatric medication without professional supervision.
  • Metrics: Stories in the video include Todd, who describes symptoms gone in three weeks, and a person with schizophrenia discharged within a month or two after decades in an institution.
  • Risks: These are testimonies, not controlled studies, so stopping prescribed medication on your own could be harmful.
  • Exceptions: The approach is not only a weight loss diet, and people without a formal diagnosis but with constant fog and fatigue are also part of the picture.

What happens if you never floss: from plaque to gum disease

Plaque biofilm that your toothbrush cannot reach hardens into tartar, and that step turns bleeding gums into periodontal disease, an infection that can destroy the bone holding your teeth in place.

  • What to do: Clean between your teeth every day with floss, floss picks, interdental brushes or a water flosser. The method matters less than doing it.
  • Why it matters: Gum disease is linked with heart disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Diabetes and gum disease affect each other in both directions, so poor gums can make blood sugar harder to control.
  • How to apply it: If you have not flossed consistently, start today, because there is always a point in starting. If your gums bleed, keep cleaning gently. Bleeding is usually a sign they need more consistent cleaning, not less.
  • Metrics: The progression runs from plaque to gingivitis (red, swollen, tender, bleeding gums) to tartar, then to periodontal disease and, in advanced cases, tooth loss.
  • Tools: String floss, floss picks, interdental brushes and water flossers all disrupt the biofilm between teeth.
  • Risks: Tartar is hardened plaque attached to the tooth, and neither brushing nor flossing removes it. Only a dental professional can.
  • Exceptions: Persistent bleeding can have other causes, so talk to your dental provider. If you have not had a professional cleaning in a while, book one, then restart your routine.

Brain scans and blood tests that reveal brain health

Brain scans of people who were overweight or obese looked about 8 years older, and low estrogen, testosterone or thyroid hormone also sped up brain aging, so fixing metabolism, hormones and nutrition can visibly restore brain structure.

  • What to do: Treat the brain through the body. Track cardiometabolic health, hormones and nutrients, and add a brain MRI with quantitative analysis plus Alzheimer's blood markers when family history or age 50 to 60 makes them relevant.
  • Why it matters: Brain changes can show up about 30 years before Alzheimer's, and around 60% of people diagnosed with dementia have cardiometabolic problems. Scans show recovery after nutrition is restored, as in anorexia, where the brain improved most.
  • How to apply it: Get a broad blood panel that includes vitamin D, iron, omega 3, heavy metals, insulin, thyroid, sex hormones, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, then retest after changes to see your trend.
  • Metrics: Alzheimer's incidence doubles every 5 years after age 70, from about 5% at 70 to 10% at 75 and 20% at 80. One APOE4 copy roughly triples risk, and two copies (about 6% of people) raise it 9 to 10 times. Key markers include p tau 217, amyloid beta 42/40, neurofilament light and GFAP.
  • Tools: Functional MRI, PET, NeuroQuant brain age and brain charts, plus the Function Health panel. Sponsors named in the episode: Bon Charge red light mask, Paleovalley bars, Timeline Mitopure, Seed DS 01, BiOptimizers magnesium and Fatty15.
  • Risks: A single marker or a normal structural MRI can miss the problem, because many psychiatric conditions show up in function, not structure. Imaging is more controversial than blood work.
  • Exceptions: Only about 2% of Alzheimer's cases are directly genetic. APOE4 tilts risk but is not destiny, and its effect varies by ancestry.

Normal blood sugar but insulin resistant? How to find out

Yes, you can be insulin resistant with normal blood sugar, because glucose is the last marker to rise while fasting insulin climbs first, and a fasting insulin under 5 is the target almost nobody tests.

  • What to do: Ask for fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1C and fasting glucose, then check your waist to hip ratio and body composition instead of trusting glucose alone.
  • Why it matters: One patient had glucose under 110 after two colas worth of sugar yet an insulin near 300, and doctors who test only glucose miss many cases.
  • How to apply it: Cut starch and sugar, eat protein, fat and 30 grams of fiber, walk 10 to 20 minutes after meals, lift weights, sleep well and fast 12 to 14 hours overnight.
  • Metrics: Fasting glucose 70 to 90, fasting insulin under 5, A1C about 5.0 to 5.2, post meal glucose under 110 to 120, waist to hip ratio under 0.8 for men and 0.9 for women.
  • Tools: Function Health tests with an insulin resistance score from 0 to 100, a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks and a tape measure.
  • Risks: Statins, sleep apnea, chronic stress and artificial sweeteners can worsen insulin resistance or cravings.
  • Exceptions: A glucose spike after eating is normal, and thin people can still carry hidden fat, so body composition matters more than weight.

Your skin is a check engine light: 5 pillars of skin health

Your skin works like a check engine light, because sudden spots, flushing or lines usually brew for about three months and can point to problems inside, such as severe psoriasis, which brings a sixfold higher ten year heart risk.

  • What to do: Cover the five pillars of skin span: sleep, diet and hydration, movement, stress recovery and topicals, and see a dermatologist for any new pigment on skin or nails.
  • Why it matters: Two nights of three to four hours of sleep weaken the skin barrier, while good sleepers recover the barrier about 30 percent better.
  • How to apply it: Sleep seven to nine hours, add fiber to every sweet meal, use fragrance free tub moisturizers, apply SPF 30 or higher by day and a barrier moisturizer with beta glucans at night.
  • Metrics: 23 percent fewer acne flares on a low glycemic diet, 10 cups of water a day for women, 10 percent facial volume loss per 20 pounds lost on GLP-1 medicines.
  • Tools: Magnesium L threonate before bed, humidifier, topical copper peptides, vitamin C with ferulic acid, tinted sunscreen, microfocused ultrasound.
  • Risks: Coconut oil and beef tallow give no UV protection, and injectable peptide stacks are untested and not FDA regulated.
  • Exceptions: Skip the injectable glow stack and choose topical copper peptides, and wait for weight to stabilize before collagen stimulating devices on GLP-1 medicines.

10 tips to stay strong, active and healthy after age 50

An average American spends about 12.5 of their final years sick, disabled or in a nursing home, and this video blames chronic inflammation and chronic disease rather than age, which ten habits can push back.

  • What to do: Pick one to three of the ten habits and start tonight: get labs, eat fat and animal protein first, cut sugar, grains and seed oils, lift something heavy two or three times a week and sleep at least 7 hours.
  • Why it matters: Visceral fat is the most dangerous fat, and in a British Medical Journal study the weakest grip carried about one and two thirds the risk of death of the strongest grip.
  • How to apply it: Measure your waist and height with a tape, take private photos every one to three months, fast 12 to 14 hours before blood tests, skip snacks, stand up and sit down every 10 to 15 minutes and raise the head of your bed.
  • Metrics: Hemoglobin A1C, fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL, hs-CRP, vitamin D 25, sex hormones, waist-to-height ratio, five timed floor rises and 10 seconds on each leg.
  • Tools: A tailor's tape, light dumbbells, red bricks or 2 by 4 blocks under the bed legs and the Proper Human Diet community for accountability.
  • Risks: Snacks of any kind, seed oils, alcohol and sugary breakfasts keep insulin and inflammation high.
  • Exceptions: Some people do fine on 6.5 hours of sleep, and a first step can be as small as walking to the mailbox.

A rational guide to supplements for sleep and focus

Supplements work best as the third layer after behavior and nutrition, and the smartest move is to test one single ingredient formula at a time for about a week, because that is how you find the minimum effective dose and drop whatever does nothing for you.

  • What to do: Answer three questions first: how well do you sleep, how good is your nutrition and what is your budget. With about $100 a month or more, start with a broad foundational formula (vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, adaptogens).
  • Why it matters: No supplement or drug can make up for poor sleep, light exposure, exercise and food for long. Ingredients also behave differently in different people, and the ideal dose for you may even be zero.
  • How to apply it: For sleep, avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. and food in the last 2 hours. To fall asleep faster, try magnesium threonate or apigenin for one week each. For waking at night, consider 900 mg myo inositol. For focus, keep stimulants (caffeine) separate from neuromodulators (alpha GPC 300 to 600 mg, L tyrosine 500 to 1,000 mg).
  • Metrics: Aim for more than 1 g of EPA a day from fish oil. Fadogia agrestis is around 600 mg a day, cycled 8 weeks on and 2 off, or 12 weeks on and 1 month off. Tongkat ali is around 200 to 600 mg a day, with blood work after 8 to 12 weeks. Protein is about 1 g per pound of body weight.
  • Tools: Examine.com for ingredient forms, and a high quality omega 3 as the single most impactful supplement.
  • Risks: Fadogia agrestis can be toxic to testicular cells at high doses, alpha yohimbine can cause strong anxiety, and melatonin doses are far above natural levels and may not keep you asleep.
  • Exceptions: Skip theanine if intense dreams wake you at night. Women should expect some supplements to act differently across the menstrual cycle. Always check with a physician before changing any protocol.

The wheel of motivation: how to keep doing hard things

You can keep doing hard things by switching between several drivers instead of relying on one, as ultra endurance swimmer Ross Edgley did over a 157 day swim around Great Britain, a 56 hour Yukon swim and 30 marathons in 30 days.

  • What to do: Name your spokes before a hard task: because I said I would, fear of letting people down, love, anger, doing it for others, gratitude for what you can do and the absurd hero mindset.
  • Why it matters: The anterior mid-cingulate cortex reportedly grows when you do hard things and shrinks when you avoid them, and one driver alone tends to fail during long, painful efforts.
  • How to apply it: Focus on the next stroke or step instead of the clock, lower the stakes in your head when pressure builds, protect deep sleep and switch spokes when one fades.
  • Metrics: Edgley swam almost 2,000 miles in about 157 days, 317 miles of the Yukon in 56 hours went 70 hours without sleep on the Yukon expedition and uses his pull-up one rep max as a strength reserve.
  • Tools: Electrolytes, a glucose wearable, a temperature regulating mattress cover and a protein snack are mentioned as sponsor products, not as part of the model.
  • Risks: Motives such as anger or ego can fuel you, but Edgley found records alone felt shallow and sleep loss can drain dopamine and serotonin.
  • Exceptions: In ultra endurance an imperfect stroke is fine, while high stakes in precision tasks can overload the motor system and hurt performance.

Breast cancer prevention: change your biological terrain

Breast cancer risk is shaped by your biological terrain, meaning inflammation, high insulin, estrogen excess, gut health and toxins, and almost all of these can be changed years before any screening picks up a problem.

  • What to do: Balance blood sugar with protein, fat and fiber at every meal, eat cruciferous vegetables and ground flaxseed, move daily and keep alcohol to one or two drinks a week or fewer.
  • Why it matters: Breast and colorectal cancers are rising in people under 40, and screening only detects cancer early, it does not prevent it.
  • How to apply it: Ask for fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1c, C reactive protein, homocysteine and vitamin D, use a breast cancer risk calculator and schedule mammograms every other year from 40 or 45 to 75, adding ultrasound for dense breasts.
  • Metrics: Fasting insulin, A1c, C reactive protein, homocysteine, zinc and copper, 8 to 12 plant servings a day.
  • Tools: Function Health lab panels, Environmental Working Group guides, a water filter and an air filter.
  • Risks: Xenoestrogens such as BPA, parabens, phthalates and pesticides, plus low butyrate and too much body fat, push estrogen up.
  • Exceptions: Mammography works less well in younger women and dense breasts, and bioidentical hormone therapy needs individual tuning because it can feed cancer cells already present.

Keto diet and liver fat: why protein did the heavy lifting

A controlled trial where all food was provided showed that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet cut liver fat by 67 percent, about three times more than two other diets, yet ketones were only 0.5 mmol per liter, so protein and carbohydrate restriction, not ketosis, did the work.

  • What to do: Raise protein to about 35 grams per meal, pick chicken, fish, tofu and legumes, and keep carbohydrate portions small.
  • Why it matters: About one in three adults has fatty liver, and ApoB fell on all three diets once participants lost about 10 percent of their weight.
  • How to apply it: Cook with olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil, eat about 25 grams of nuts and 30 grams of fiber daily, and add vegetables to every meal.
  • Metrics: 67 percent less liver fat, 23 percent of energy from saturated fat, 0.5 mmol per liter of ketones, apoB, HbA1c and fasting glucose.
  • Tools: Eight Sleep Pod 6 for sleep temperature, Function Health lab panels, IM8 multinutrient, Momentous creatine.
  • Risks: Saturated fat from butter, cream or coconut oil has no nutritional upside and can raise LDL once weight stabilizes.
  • Exceptions: The trial could not isolate saturated fat, did not report vascular function and did not find different glucose tolerance across diets.