Wellbeing: Metabolic Wellness
Metabolic disease is killing Americans, but it can be turned around
In two weeks, I turn sixty-six years old.
Four years ago, I was severely vaccine-injured.
After the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, I developed POTS, life-threatening high blood pressure, and severe tachycardia. My energy levels and muscle mass crashed—chronic fatigue set in, as well as brain fog. My sleep apnea increased to the point where Jill would often prod me at night - worried that I would stop breathing altogether. My sleep narcolepsy got so bad that I would occasionally fall asleep while on stage. I also developed severe restless leg syndrome at night, to the point where my leg twitching and bouncing would wake Jill up routinely. The year after the vaccine, as I decreased my activities, I gained an extra ten to fifteen pounds, putting me dangerously close to being not just overweight, but obese.
Today, I am sharing that story and how I turned that tragedy in my life around. As I delve into details not previously discussed, I am implementing a paywall. I've included the text below for paid subscribers only.
After a year of severe symptoms from the adverse events from the vaccine, I began to turn around my health, and two years later, I am proud to say that not only have I changed my lifestyle, but I have also maintained those lifestyle choices. I am not perfect, and I have gained a few pounds back out of the 50+ lost, but I am again practicing intermittent fasting and cutting out all carbs and sugar. I committed myself never to get that heavy and out of shape again. This was and is a promise to myself to live as long as possible, with as much quality of life as possible.
As I used various protocols from FLCC and AAPS to repair my body, and it has incrementally improved to the point where my heart function is back to normal, my blood pressure is normal, and I no longer suffer from either atrial tachycardia or blood pressure spikes. I am no longer as chronically fatigued, the brain fog is gone, I no longer have restless leg syndrome, etc. I have used or am still using ivermectin, nattokinase, berberine, collagen peptides, taurine, acetyl-L-carnitine, vitamins A, C, D (5,000 IU), E, K, magnesium L-threonate, probiotics, high dose omega-3, CoQ10, resveratrol, quercetin, zinc, lithium, and a B complex - as well as other supplements. Jill and I have poured over and discussed the studies on each and every one of these. Over the years, we have changed brands and doses, and often revisit and optimize this list.
As we age, we all have had “issues”. Two big ones for me are that I had intra-abdominal shingles and a Spigelian hernia about 15 years ago. The shingles resulted in post-polio paralysis on the left side of my body, including my internal abdomen. It took me years to recover from that, and my gut still is not right. The hernia was significant enough that it had to be repaired with mesh, which has left me with a digestive system that is less than perfect - to put it mildly. But at least it was not colon cancer, as I had originally feared.
So, I have a reduced capacity for absorption in my gut. Not unusual - and in fact, may be normal for people who have attained a “certain age”. All I know is that all this supplementation and weight loss coincided with both my heart and my gut getting healthier. I believe that eating more protein and taking supplements has significantly reduced my cravings for carbs.
The truth is that willpower and an understanding that we can moderate our food intake is essential. Jill likes to say that it's just like feeding the dogs. The kibble gets rationed out - otherwise, we end up with fat dogs. Truth be told, the dogs are just as happy with their rationed portion as with free feeding. Well… we have to do the same with ourselves.
At age 66 (close enough), I still have a tendency to binge on food, and I have to monitor my cravings for sugars and simple/refined carbs. The only way I can effectively control too many carbs is to avoid them altogether. Unfortunately, my sugar/simple carb cravings take the form of “drug seeking behavior”, and I have to not indulge or else, frankly, I binge. When we are on the farm, I can get outside. Doing chores and getting exercise happen on the farm without a lot of thought. When traveling, sometimes it seems like the most exercise we get is getting to our next gate at the airport.
This is partially why I have recently re-committed myself to again riding horses daily and making sure that I get moving each and every day. Adding exercise to my daily calendar and setting it as a goal is something I have to do, otherwise, I soon fall into a state of sloth.
Jill finds her iWatch that monitors steps, exercise, and heart rate an enormous help to keep her motivated - I don’t so much. Although when I had more heart-related issues, the iWatch was critical in monitoring EKG, heart rate, blood oxygen, and other vital signs.
The reason I write all this is to make the simple point that we are all on a journey through life to live life to the fullest, and none of us are perfect. That means being as healthy as possible, knowing that as we age, we all have setbacks. Some of these setbacks are just the luck of the draw, genetics, toxic exposures, etc, and some are self-fulfilling prophecies. We can’t control all of the incoming variables, but we can, at least partially, mitigate the risk and damage with careful management of lifestyle choices.
Recently, I reread an essay on metabolic health that I wrote two and a half years ago. It is an important topic that needs revisiting. And, frankly, motivating people to be healthy is something I truly enjoy. So, here goes - if some of this writing seems familiar, it is because I plagiarized from myself.
Dr. Brooke Miller (my personal physician) and I have discussed many times what constitutes a true health crisis in America. That is the lack of metabolic health in America. This conversation began long before MAHA, years before - probably in the beginning of 2022.
He once posed the question to me, “What if instead of pushing vaccines for COVID-19, the government instead had promoted the importance of ‘metabolic health?” to reduce the severity of COVID-19 disease. What if our elders had been told to exercise more, eat healthy, control blood sugars, drink alcohol less, take vitamin D3 (+ other needed supplements) and lose weight?” What if the “approved narrative” had been that it is imperative to increase metabolic health for the general population, and particularly for those of us who are older and tending towards too many pounds. What if these messages came to us via our doctors, public health officials, wellness clinics, public schools and medical schools? What if schools once again placed value on physical education?
One of the most important points Dr. Miller made during the discussion is the strong link between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. People who are obese tend to be vitamin D-deficient. The truth is that most Americans are both overweight and vitamin D deficient, and this is not a coincidence.
Just think what that means in terms of infectious respiratory disease, including COVID-19. Was the severe disease seen in obese patients during the COVIDcrisis largely driven by metabolic syndrome, high glycemic levels, vitamin D deficiency or some synergy between all three? Regardless of the answer, suffering from metabolic syndrome can have significant health consequences, even for something as simple as catching a case of flu, not to mention COVID.
So, understanding metabolic health is important. In the United States (2018 data), the percent of adults aged 20 and over who are overweight, including obesity, was 73.6%. Over 42% of adult Americans are obese.
What is metabolic health?
Here is a diagram that I think is very useful way to think about it:
Metabolic syndrome risk factors include:
Age. The older you get, the more likely you are to have metabolic syndrome. Caveat: It may be that the link between aging and increased weight gain/excess carbohydrates has led to this statistic, rather than the process of aging in of itself.
Ethnicity. African Americans and Mexican Americans are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. African-American women are about 60% more likely than African-American men to have the condition. Caveat: It may be that certain ethnic groups engaging in unhealthy lifestyle choices as a whole have led to these statistics, rather than genetics, contributing to this disparity
Body mass index (BMI) greater than 25.
A personal or family history of diabetes increases the risk of metabolic syndrome. Women who have had gestational diabetes or individuals with a family member with type 2 diabetes are also at higher risk.
Smoking
History of heavy drinking
Stress
Being past menopause
Sedentary lifestyle
High carbohydrate diet (see the reference list at the bottom of this article)
A diet high in ultraprocessed foods
Insulin resistance
What are the criteria for metabolic syndrome
A person meets the criteria for metabolic syndrome if they have at least three of the following:
Excess abdominal weight: A waist circumference of more than 40 inches in males and 35 inches in females
Hypertriglyceridemia: Triglyceride levels that are 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or greater.
Low levels of HDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL in males or less than 50 mg/dL in females.
Elevated blood sugar levels: Fasting blood sugar level of 100 mg/dL or greater. If it’s 100 to 125 mg/dL, you have prediabetes. If it’s over 125 mg/dL, you likely have Type 2 diabetes.
High blood pressure: Blood pressure values of systolic 130 mmHg or higher (the top number) and/or diastolic 85 mmHg or higher (the bottom number).
As an aside, I no longer meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, and I no longer have high blood pressure.
There are two primary ways to reverse insulin resistance without the use of drugs. The first is eating healthier foods, and the second is exercise, which has been shown to make the body more sensitive to insulin. The emerging third (pharmaceutical) way to reverse insulin resistance is through the use of GLP-1 inhibitors, which can aid in calorie control and reduce carbohydrate cravings. For those who are overweight and obese, in poor health, and can not control metabolic resistance in any other way, these are certainly something to be discussed with a health care provider. Fat cells maintain a memory of being fat - and so it can be extremely hard for people to lose weight.
Fat cells retain an epigenetic “memory” of obesity that persists even after weight loss. This memory alters gene expression and cellular function, predisposing individuals to weight regain. This is why it becomes tricky to maintain the weight loss once it has been achieved. But it gets worse.
Fat cells are long-lasting and are only renewed or replaced every ten years. Adults lose about 10% of their fat cells each year, while new ones are generated through a process called adipocyte renewal. Therefore, once someone is obese, it theoretically takes at least ten years for the body to fully recover its pre-obesity fat cell memory.
This is why, for some people with metabolic syndrome and other associated issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, GLP-1 inhibitors may provide a partial solution to weight control - if combined with diet and exercise modifications. This is an individual choice and should not be demonized or denigrated by others.
There is also a link between metabolic syndrome and inflammation. The proinflammatory state linked to metabolic syndrome connects insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction, forming a harmful link between inflammation and metabolic processes that adversely affect vascular functions (ergo - cardiac disease).
An inflammatory state and metabolic syndrome are associated not only with cardiac disease but also with auto-immunity, including rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis face an increased risk of heart disease and they have a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Those affected by both conditions generally experience more severe disease, greater pain, reduced functional ability, lower remission rates, and less favorable responses to treatment. There is also a growing body of evidence linking metabolic syndrome with osteoarthritis. Managing metabolic syndrome requires a proactive and aggressive approach. Lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise) form the foundation of healing in these cases.
Clearly, I had metabolic syndrome - which I am recovering from. Maybe this is part of the reason why my initial infection with Wuhan-1 SARS-CoV-2 in late February 2020 hit me so hard. I can partially blame COVID and the vaccine. Still, the truth is that I let my BMI creep up just enough, I have a genetic profile that is susceptible, the pseudo mRNA vaccine caused hypertension/Tachycardia/POTS, and I let myself use food as a reward when stressed. All together, it was the perfect storm.
Thirty-three percent of adult Americans have metabolic syndrome, and this is even more prevalent in my age cohort. Over forty percent of people over the age of 40 have metabolic syndrome.
My hope in sharing this story of my struggles with controlling my metabolic health is that it will inspire others to do the same. Here’s the thing: I am not perfect. I know this, and my social media haters seem to never rest in pointing this out to me. but I’ve been working hard to overcome my health issues. I am almost 66 years old, and I will never be a young man again. However, I have improved my health—more progress than I thought possible for my age. I have achieved this one day at a time, and it does take time. Day after day. Just like building this substack! For me, it is a lifelong process of maintaining good health. It is just like feeding my animals; careful control of the inputs results in better health outcomes.
I believe most people understand that finding a solution to improve one’s metabolic health that one can “live with” is crucial for living a long, high-quality life. However, there is no simple fix, no single answer on how to achieve it. Each of us has to find that answer on our own.
It is something I have to grapple with every day, but so should the 74% of Americans who are overweight. This is not easy. Food is addictive. Sugar is essentially an addictive drug of abuse.
This is what has worked for me:
Putting myself on a schedule of intermittent fasting (two meals a day).
Cooking only what I should eat to control overeating (portion control).
Eat a small portion and then wait, let it settle, before eating any more.
Eating enough protein.
Not eating many simple carbs and sugars. We don’t keep potatoes at home.
Making sure I routinely get outside, with some exercise, even if it is just walking
Getting myself away from the computer and cell phone.
Not routinely eating sweets or desserts.
I wish I could add “avoid too much travel and hotel food” to the list, but there it is. I can’t. Maybe someday.
Changing habits is hard, I know. But I have overcome bad habits - slowly, over time, and you can too.
Health is important. Healing takes work. I hope and trust we're aligned on how important this is.
One tip I can give is that stevia can be of great help. I use a very high-quality, organic stevia with reduced aftertaste. We like to buy organic black tea powder, sweetened with stevia and lemon added. This is our “go-to” drink and greatly reduces my cravings for something sugary. Below is our very simple recipe, and I am listing the product brands, as finding these ingredients that created a quality drink required extensive searching on Jill’s part.
Makes a half-gallon of iced tea:
References: For the link between high-carbohydrate diets and metabolic syndrome (studies involving human subjects or population-based studies):
Cho YA, Choi JH. Association between carbohydrate intake and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean women. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):3098. doi:10.3390/nu13093098. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8465012/
Yoo H, Lee JE, Kim HJ, Park J. Carbohydrate intake levels and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: results from a prospective cohort study. Nutr Res Pract. 2024;18(3):250-261. doi:10.4162/nrp.2024.18.3.250. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11314304/
Hyde PN, Sapper TN, Crabtree CD, LaFountain RA, Bowling ML, Buga A, et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss. JCI Insight. 2019;4(12):e128308. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.128308. Available from: https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/128308
Tajima R, et al. Carbohydrate intake and risk of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2070. doi:10.3390/nu11092070. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31653521/
Choi J, Park S, Kim S, et al. Associations between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults: the 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1030563. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1030563. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10305636/
Hashimoto Y, Fukuda T, Oyabu C, Tanaka M, Asano M, Yamazaki M, et al. Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on metabolic syndrome markers: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrients. 2020;12(9):2603. doi:10.3390/nu12092603. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32885229/