An interesting comment from my doctor when before my colonoscopy. He explained that he is seeing colon issues in younger and younger people, and believes this is due to the food that we eat, so I agree with the single ingredient foods.
Convenience potentially is impacting our health. Of course I learn this at an older age and not when I was younger.
It’s also amazing that “moving around more and eating less” helps with weight Mangement.
My Take on Gut Health: I believe gut health should be defined as having a diverse microbiome in both the mouth and intestines, along with a healthy mucus layer. This approach emphasizes the importance of a balanced microbial ecosystem and a robust mucosal barrier in promoting overall well-being.
Gut health is all about maintaining the right balance of good and bad bacteria in our digestive system. Think of it as the story of the two wolves—one good, one bad. The one that thrives is the one you feed. To keep your gut bacteria balanced, eat simple, nutrient-rich foods. If you can grow it or hunt it, then it’s good to eat. Skip processed foods and eliminate the middleman.
The gut is crucial because it transforms food into nutrients that our bodies use. It influences many aspects of our physiology, including mood, metabolism, inflammation, immune function, and overall health.
I’m starting to think our gut might be the most important organ system we have (though it’s tough to say that over skeletal muscles).
Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, a leading figure in microbiome research, has shown how our gut bacteria impact various aspects of our health. His research has highlighted the role of the gut microbiome in:
Immune Function: The microbiome helps regulate the immune system, protecting against infections and inflammation.
Neurotransmitter Production: Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which influence mood and behavior.
Metabolism and Energy Harvesting: The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in energy metabolism, influencing conditions like obesity and diabetes.
Nutrient Absorption: Gut bacteria aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients that the human body cannot process alone.
Development and Growth: Especially in children, a healthy microbiome is essential for proper development, including brain and immune system development .
To keep your gut healthy:
Eat a variety of whole, plant-based foods.
Include fiber-rich and fermented foods.
Cut back on sugar and processed foods.
A diverse gut microbiome helps with digestion, nutrient absorption, and regulating immune and metabolic functions, playing a crucial role in preventing diseases.
I am a dentist and have read a ton as of late on the correlation between oral microbiome and systemic health. Am really paying a lot more closer attention to this, even did an oral microbiome test on myself.
Definitely more focus on women's health issues. There is an area where rucking comes into play. About four times as many women as men are diagnosed with osteoporosis. In women over 50, around 20% have this potentially crippling and deadly loss of bone mass leading to severe impact on quality of life and longevity (there's that word!). Rucking, defined broadly to include walking with weighted vests, has been proven to improve bone density in a number of studies dating back over a decade.
Chiming in as a mature woman, age 51 :) I've always enjoyed being a bit stronger than the average woman, including in upper body and hand strength. I'm not anywhere near Crossfit or Goruck women, but at one point I completed a Spartan Sprint and only failed the stupid spear toss obstacle. Just to give context. However, when I hit about 48 or 49 I started to see massive muscle loss and it frightened me. I wasn't exercising regularly or lifting (so, duh!) but I realized I could no longer take my strength and health for granted. I thank God I stumbled into the Comfort Crisis from a recommendation by a Youtuber (@Amandaoutside) and it really resonated. The reason I'm telling this story is that I feel that one good thing social media and the internet have done is to make women more aware that there IS such a thing as women's health, but I also get tired of having to wade through sales pitches vs actual health info. And there's so much sensationalism in the attention economy. So reading the Comfort Crisis I realized Michael wasn't selling me anything. While reading, I realized I didn't want to go down without a fight, so to speak. When I finish a hike with a weighted pack, I FEEL strong. I missed that feeling! I would love to help other women find that feeling, but I think the truth is, its not the easy button and that's not going tonhave mass appeal. We all have been programmed for so long by the beauty and medical industries to look for the quick, easy answer.
Anyone know the best way to get bloodwork done frequently at a reasonable price? My insurance only covers once a year but I’d like to get it more often to see how things change.
It took about a week to get my labs back after getting blood drawn. The Quest results PDF isn't quite as nice as the Labcorp one I got on my previous draw. But I just put all the data into my own tracking document, anyway. Completely serviceable. And very easy to order and get your results.
Clinical Pathology Laboratories has reasonable cash prices. If more frequent labs are medically necessary then health insurance should provide coverage.
I’ve been using InsideTracker for a couple of years. You can get packages that make each blood draw more reasonably priced and there are also pretty good discounts from popular podcasts. I think this episode of 2% includes a code.
"Two Percent take: Please, for the love of God, make this area grow as fast as possible."
TRUE STORY. It's so insane to look back on all the ways women and girls are dismissed and ignored in athletics and health care. It's so hard to get doctors to listen to you, often even female doctors. We have to fight so hard just to be heard and our health care system doesn't make that easy when they control who you can see and when and what for.
I am grateful that things have moved forward in some aspects. When I was a high schooler in sports, girls were never taken seriously. We never got pep rallies when we went to games or celebrated in school at all. We weren't allowed to use the weight room because the boys needed it. That has changed, even in our tiny rural town, so I am glad for that. Women need strength! The earlier the better to support them through peri-menopause and beyond. Going into that phase of life now (I am 48) it feels like I am constantly pushing back against evolution that tells us our bodies aren't important once we can't produce children. The earlier you start that fight the better off you will be later on. I wish I had known 20 years ago even a fraction of what I do now about my hormones and the impacts they have. The medical world has a lot of catching up to do.
What Petter Attia recommends about managing ApoB can really only be achieved through pharmacology (he’s very clear about this). Except, no mainstream doctor will prescribe a healthy person with ApoB in the normal range lipid lowering medication that will bring it to the range Peter is targeting. My ApoB from my latest test was 74. That’s <10th percentile for my age but it’s still far from “ceiling” of 60 and the optimal target of 20-30, according to Attia. The only option is to get a concierge doctor like him and forego insurance, which immediately makes this a very costly enterprise outside the reach of regular people.
Michael, what are your thoughts on dexascan? I know Peter Attia was really big on this in his outlive book, I have done two scans in the past 1+ year and found it very helpful as to where I needed to make improvements. I also just noticed that whoop just came out with a weight tracking feature where it integrates with a withing scale to keep track of your body composition. I am not familiar with this scale but it also def seems interesting.
Awesome insight as always. I love the way you position these trends, debunk some passionately held beliefs and interpret the world for us. Please keep being so forthright. Your comments about exercise, social interactions and avoiding the latest fad (where there is little evidence of value for consumers but a big upside for the producers) are well made. Your books are life changing.
Great post. It amazes me how opinionated and inaccurate people are concerning health and weight management. This year I really started looking at my health and started losing weight and improving my fitness/lifestyle. The changes have been fantastic. We had my inlaws up this weekend to our cottage and the negative commentary was mind blowing. I often wonder if when people see positive changes that people make, it makes them realize they could do it too. But since they don’t want to change, it is easier to be negative about the change than positive. I didn’t word-smith that well, but you get my drift.
Michael, you’re killing it in 2024. That’s all the trends I need.
One thing that struck me about this list is that other than women’s health (and yes please make this better), most of the trends are some kind of hack. Hack longevity for $40k. Hack your water, your gut, your weight, all your biometrics, etc. 98% are likely, thanks to Dr. TikTok, misdiagnosing something or just looking for shortcuts, no matter how well-intentioned they are to improve their lives. Hacks can be great! I’m all in favor for anything that makes doing laundry easier! But I still believe in sweat equity and being (mostly) careful with what you eat.
In a similar vein as the microplastics research, I'd love to see what you can dig up regarding herbicides and pesticides in our veggies (i.e. - the organic vs. conventional debate). Resources like the Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen (ewg.org) are a great help to "buy organic on a budget", but I'm always re-evaluating and trying to dial in HOW concerned I should be about allowing any poisons into my family's food (no matter how safe they are considered by the USDA).
I also live in Vegas. It took me about 4-5 years living here to find a doctor I liked. After 14 years, she switched to a concierge practice. I’ve struggled to reconcile that expense because I’ll still have copays and deductibles… but after 8 months of looking, I may be taking that plunge. I need someone who will listen to me and it is, sadly, hard to find that in medicine!
I totally agree on the part about weight management. I learned a lot about this as I am going through the Trevor Kashey nutrition kickstart program (have completed 10 weeks out of 12 so far). Have totally focused on eating habits with very little increase in exercise and I am shocked as to how effective it has been! Before this, I put way too much emphasis on exercise and not enough on eating and it was so frustrating not getting the results I expected.
Trevor Kashey Nutrition is the best. I haven't seen a single person work with him and not be successful and learn A TON. Glad to hear you're working with them.
The kickstart program was def the best $ spent for my health. You would be amazed as to how many of their clients discovered him (myself included) from the comfort crisis book!
Once again the Keep It Simple Stupid method prevails.
Eat better food and move your body seems to be the way.
I've got to imagine that a coffee enema in the morning really gets you up and going though!
Yeehaw 🤠
An interesting comment from my doctor when before my colonoscopy. He explained that he is seeing colon issues in younger and younger people, and believes this is due to the food that we eat, so I agree with the single ingredient foods.
Convenience potentially is impacting our health. Of course I learn this at an older age and not when I was younger.
It’s also amazing that “moving around more and eating less” helps with weight Mangement.
Yes, there have been huge jumps in younger people getting diagnosed with (for example) colon cancer: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/colorectal-cancer-in-young-people
It's important to keep in mind that the rates in young people are still low, but they are growing significantly.
Very true. Interesting topic this morning thanks
When I hear stuff like this, Peter Attia + Lew Cantley comes to mind: https://peterattiamd.com/lewcantley/
TLDR: drinking sugar is especially bad for colorectal cancer risk
My Take on Gut Health: I believe gut health should be defined as having a diverse microbiome in both the mouth and intestines, along with a healthy mucus layer. This approach emphasizes the importance of a balanced microbial ecosystem and a robust mucosal barrier in promoting overall well-being.
Gut health is all about maintaining the right balance of good and bad bacteria in our digestive system. Think of it as the story of the two wolves—one good, one bad. The one that thrives is the one you feed. To keep your gut bacteria balanced, eat simple, nutrient-rich foods. If you can grow it or hunt it, then it’s good to eat. Skip processed foods and eliminate the middleman.
The gut is crucial because it transforms food into nutrients that our bodies use. It influences many aspects of our physiology, including mood, metabolism, inflammation, immune function, and overall health.
I’m starting to think our gut might be the most important organ system we have (though it’s tough to say that over skeletal muscles).
Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, a leading figure in microbiome research, has shown how our gut bacteria impact various aspects of our health. His research has highlighted the role of the gut microbiome in:
Immune Function: The microbiome helps regulate the immune system, protecting against infections and inflammation.
Neurotransmitter Production: Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which influence mood and behavior.
Metabolism and Energy Harvesting: The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in energy metabolism, influencing conditions like obesity and diabetes.
Nutrient Absorption: Gut bacteria aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients that the human body cannot process alone.
Development and Growth: Especially in children, a healthy microbiome is essential for proper development, including brain and immune system development .
To keep your gut healthy:
Eat a variety of whole, plant-based foods.
Include fiber-rich and fermented foods.
Cut back on sugar and processed foods.
A diverse gut microbiome helps with digestion, nutrient absorption, and regulating immune and metabolic functions, playing a crucial role in preventing diseases.
Fantastic comment. And well timed! We covered a lot of this in today's post.
Look forward to checking it out!
I am a dentist and have read a ton as of late on the correlation between oral microbiome and systemic health. Am really paying a lot more closer attention to this, even did an oral microbiome test on myself.
Definitely more focus on women's health issues. There is an area where rucking comes into play. About four times as many women as men are diagnosed with osteoporosis. In women over 50, around 20% have this potentially crippling and deadly loss of bone mass leading to severe impact on quality of life and longevity (there's that word!). Rucking, defined broadly to include walking with weighted vests, has been proven to improve bone density in a number of studies dating back over a decade.
Chiming in as a mature woman, age 51 :) I've always enjoyed being a bit stronger than the average woman, including in upper body and hand strength. I'm not anywhere near Crossfit or Goruck women, but at one point I completed a Spartan Sprint and only failed the stupid spear toss obstacle. Just to give context. However, when I hit about 48 or 49 I started to see massive muscle loss and it frightened me. I wasn't exercising regularly or lifting (so, duh!) but I realized I could no longer take my strength and health for granted. I thank God I stumbled into the Comfort Crisis from a recommendation by a Youtuber (@Amandaoutside) and it really resonated. The reason I'm telling this story is that I feel that one good thing social media and the internet have done is to make women more aware that there IS such a thing as women's health, but I also get tired of having to wade through sales pitches vs actual health info. And there's so much sensationalism in the attention economy. So reading the Comfort Crisis I realized Michael wasn't selling me anything. While reading, I realized I didn't want to go down without a fight, so to speak. When I finish a hike with a weighted pack, I FEEL strong. I missed that feeling! I would love to help other women find that feeling, but I think the truth is, its not the easy button and that's not going tonhave mass appeal. We all have been programmed for so long by the beauty and medical industries to look for the quick, easy answer.
Anyone know the best way to get bloodwork done frequently at a reasonable price? My insurance only covers once a year but I’d like to get it more often to see how things change.
Inside Tracker is worth checking out.
I just ordered labs through jasonhealth.com. As long as you have a site nearby, it's the cheapest way I've found to get labs drawn thus far.
Right on. Check back in and let us know how you liked them.
It took about a week to get my labs back after getting blood drawn. The Quest results PDF isn't quite as nice as the Labcorp one I got on my previous draw. But I just put all the data into my own tracking document, anyway. Completely serviceable. And very easy to order and get your results.
Thanks for reporting back! I’m glad to hear it was an easy process.
Clinical Pathology Laboratories has reasonable cash prices. If more frequent labs are medically necessary then health insurance should provide coverage.
I’ve been using InsideTracker for a couple of years. You can get packages that make each blood draw more reasonably priced and there are also pretty good discounts from popular podcasts. I think this episode of 2% includes a code.
Thanks, I usually ignore the Sponsors so I missed that part
Thrilled you linked Dr. Prasad in your answer about full body MRIs.
"Two Percent take: Please, for the love of God, make this area grow as fast as possible."
TRUE STORY. It's so insane to look back on all the ways women and girls are dismissed and ignored in athletics and health care. It's so hard to get doctors to listen to you, often even female doctors. We have to fight so hard just to be heard and our health care system doesn't make that easy when they control who you can see and when and what for.
I am grateful that things have moved forward in some aspects. When I was a high schooler in sports, girls were never taken seriously. We never got pep rallies when we went to games or celebrated in school at all. We weren't allowed to use the weight room because the boys needed it. That has changed, even in our tiny rural town, so I am glad for that. Women need strength! The earlier the better to support them through peri-menopause and beyond. Going into that phase of life now (I am 48) it feels like I am constantly pushing back against evolution that tells us our bodies aren't important once we can't produce children. The earlier you start that fight the better off you will be later on. I wish I had known 20 years ago even a fraction of what I do now about my hormones and the impacts they have. The medical world has a lot of catching up to do.
This is one of my all-time favorite comments on Two Percent. Thanks for weighing in and giving us your perspective.
I would love to watch/read an interview with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz about gut health, @Michael Easter!
What Petter Attia recommends about managing ApoB can really only be achieved through pharmacology (he’s very clear about this). Except, no mainstream doctor will prescribe a healthy person with ApoB in the normal range lipid lowering medication that will bring it to the range Peter is targeting. My ApoB from my latest test was 74. That’s <10th percentile for my age but it’s still far from “ceiling” of 60 and the optimal target of 20-30, according to Attia. The only option is to get a concierge doctor like him and forego insurance, which immediately makes this a very costly enterprise outside the reach of regular people.
I do think the light he's shed on ApoB may start changing the conversations doctors are having.
It's also worth checking around for different concierge doctors. Their prices range quite a bit, and many aren't as expensive as people often think.
I would gladly and so would some of my colleagues. We’re out there!
Thanks for weighing in!
Michael, what are your thoughts on dexascan? I know Peter Attia was really big on this in his outlive book, I have done two scans in the past 1+ year and found it very helpful as to where I needed to make improvements. I also just noticed that whoop just came out with a weight tracking feature where it integrates with a withing scale to keep track of your body composition. I am not familiar with this scale but it also def seems interesting.
Awesome insight as always. I love the way you position these trends, debunk some passionately held beliefs and interpret the world for us. Please keep being so forthright. Your comments about exercise, social interactions and avoiding the latest fad (where there is little evidence of value for consumers but a big upside for the producers) are well made. Your books are life changing.
I'm glad you found the post useful! Thanks for joining us.
Great post. It amazes me how opinionated and inaccurate people are concerning health and weight management. This year I really started looking at my health and started losing weight and improving my fitness/lifestyle. The changes have been fantastic. We had my inlaws up this weekend to our cottage and the negative commentary was mind blowing. I often wonder if when people see positive changes that people make, it makes them realize they could do it too. But since they don’t want to change, it is easier to be negative about the change than positive. I didn’t word-smith that well, but you get my drift.
Michael, you’re killing it in 2024. That’s all the trends I need.
One thing that struck me about this list is that other than women’s health (and yes please make this better), most of the trends are some kind of hack. Hack longevity for $40k. Hack your water, your gut, your weight, all your biometrics, etc. 98% are likely, thanks to Dr. TikTok, misdiagnosing something or just looking for shortcuts, no matter how well-intentioned they are to improve their lives. Hacks can be great! I’m all in favor for anything that makes doing laundry easier! But I still believe in sweat equity and being (mostly) careful with what you eat.
And better women’s health.
In a similar vein as the microplastics research, I'd love to see what you can dig up regarding herbicides and pesticides in our veggies (i.e. - the organic vs. conventional debate). Resources like the Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen (ewg.org) are a great help to "buy organic on a budget", but I'm always re-evaluating and trying to dial in HOW concerned I should be about allowing any poisons into my family's food (no matter how safe they are considered by the USDA).
I also live in Vegas. It took me about 4-5 years living here to find a doctor I liked. After 14 years, she switched to a concierge practice. I’ve struggled to reconcile that expense because I’ll still have copays and deductibles… but after 8 months of looking, I may be taking that plunge. I need someone who will listen to me and it is, sadly, hard to find that in medicine!
I totally agree on the part about weight management. I learned a lot about this as I am going through the Trevor Kashey nutrition kickstart program (have completed 10 weeks out of 12 so far). Have totally focused on eating habits with very little increase in exercise and I am shocked as to how effective it has been! Before this, I put way too much emphasis on exercise and not enough on eating and it was so frustrating not getting the results I expected.
Trevor Kashey Nutrition is the best. I haven't seen a single person work with him and not be successful and learn A TON. Glad to hear you're working with them.
The kickstart program was def the best $ spent for my health. You would be amazed as to how many of their clients discovered him (myself included) from the comfort crisis book!