Newsletter #9: Use labs to overcome diet confusion, a better-for-you sandwich, and 3 things to know about fertility
Welcome back! This week’s newsletter includes:
Good Food: My recent lab results, and how biomarker testing can help you overcome diet confusion.
Good Swap: Upgrade your sandwich so that it will help your health instead of hurt it.
Good Thought: The 3 things everyone should know about fertility that I learned when writing Good Energy. One involves psychedelics 🍄 .
Today’s newsletter sponsor: Osmia Skincare
Sponsors ensure this newsletter remains freely accessible to everyone. All sponsors are brands I already use daily and absolutely love!
A recent study found that nearly 60% of ‘natural’ skincare products contain synthetic ingredients.
While not all synthetic ingredients are necessarily harmful (and not all natural ingredients are inherently beneficial!), you as the consumer should know what you’re putting on your body. Developing truly healthy skincare products takes expert research to ensure the safety and efficacy of ingredients, from sourcing to correct usage in a formula. Synthetic ingredients in particular require close scrutiny as some of them can hurt the body through epigenetic changes to our genome, affecting cell receptor activity, altering the microbiome, generating oxidative stress and inflammation, changing hormone function, and more. And unfortunately, few synthetic ingredients are adequately tested for safety, and none are tested for safety in the aggregate combinations we’re using them in regular daily life.
I care immensely about not just what I put into my body, but on my body (our skin is our largest organ after all). The reason is because I want to put only things in or on my body that support cellular health and optimal function, not which distract my cells towards defense and alarm. We want to direct as much of our cells’ capacity towards our maximal thriving and function; not towards cleaning up messes from synthetic toxins.
That is why I LOVE Osmia Skincare because they NEVER use synthetic color or synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals, phthalates, parabens, or sulfates. Their founder, Sarah Villafranco, MD, left a career in conventional medicine (she was an ER doc!) for the same reasons I did, and obsessively did the necessary homework about which ingredients are doing real harm to humans and the earth. Also, every product comes in eco-conscious packaging and every single order plants a tree. 🌲 I am truly in love with this brand!
Osmia’s doctor-formulated, natural skincare products are created with a “less-is-more” approach that performs beautifully for healthy skin and equally well for difficult skin, including acne, eczema, dermatitis, and sensitive skin. All of their fragrances are 100% essential oils (so hard to find this!), so their beautiful scents don’t give me a headache like so many brands that use artificial fragrances (see why I really don’t like artificial fragrances, here). They also offer lots of fragrance free products if you prefer the unscented route. Every day, I use the Osmia Naked Body Oil and Naked Body Mousse. For cleaning my skin, I use the Mud Cleanser and follow it with the Restore Facial Oil. I don’t go to bed without putting the Lip Doctor on. In the shower, it’s only Osmia soaps. Osmia products are also my GO-TO gift for friends or family. I keep bottles of the body oil and mousse on hand at all-time for last minute hostess or thank you gifts.
If you are looking for a great place to start, I suggest the natural bar soap and a body oil, since that alone will clean up a huge percentage of the ingredients your skin encounters every day!
Until March 31st, you can get 20% off your next Osmia order with code GOODENERGY. Limited to one use per customer!
🥑 Good food - My recent lab results + proving to YOURSELF that your diet is “right” for you
Recent research shows that only 6.8% of American adults are optimally metabolically healthy. This is a travesty. This means that the internal cellular processes that determine how our bodies fundamentally power themselves and make energy is not working properly. An underpowered cell will not work properly and therefore will express symptoms. This is the root of our chronic disease epidemic.
The data show that 93.2% of us have some element of impaired processes that lead to unpowered cells, and when this underpowering happens in different parts of the body, it can look like different “diseases.” In a brain cell it can look like depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s dementia, fibromyalgia, migraine, or ADHD. When it happens in an ovarian theca cell, it can look like polycystic ovarian syndrome. When it happens in blood vessels, it can look like erectile dysfunction, stroke, retinopathy, or heart attack (all related to blockage of adequate blood flow). When it happens in the joints, it can look like arthritis or gout. When it happens in the hepatocytes of the liver: fatty liver disease. You get the idea. Metabolic dysfunction (underpowering) in different cell types looks like different symptoms and diseases. But really they are all branches of the same tree. And the most powerful way to impact that tree is diet. We eat 70 metric tons of food in our lifetime and the quality of that food largely determines our metabolic health.
And yet, research shows that the majority of us are SO confused about what to eat. But we needn’t be! We live in an incredible time where we have access to the data that can prove to us whether our diet is “working” for us or not. I lay out a simple, first principles approach to eating in my book Good Energy that transcends dietary dogma and simply focuses on what our cells need to function well. And in the same chapter, I tell you not to take my word for it or even to trust me on diet. I tell you to trust YOURSELF.
How do we trust ourselves? We listen to 2 critical pieces of information:
Our biomarkers (which we should check regularly and know how to interpret for ourselves since our doctors don’t learn nutrition and generally won’t be able to advise effectively)
Our symptoms (which are the constant way our bodies communicate with us - symptoms mean there is dysfunction in our cells)
In Good Energy, I have an entire chapter (Chapter 4 - Your Body Has the Answers, How to Read Your Blood Tests and Get Actionable Insights from Wearables) dedicated to understanding your key metabolic biomarkers and exactly what they mean about your body’s functioning. The second half of the book is a plan to improve them.
For ME, I can be certain that my diet is pretty solidly working for me, because I eat in a consistent pattern (the Good Energy pattern) and I track my biomarkers every 3 months. If you’re in the optimal range for basic metabolic biomarkers and feel incredible, I believe you can safely say that your diet is working for you.
Two recent studies looked at how metabolically healthy Americans are. One found that its just 12%. One more recent study found that it's actually less than 6.8%. Here are some of the criteria they used:
Waist Circumference: < 88 cm in women (or <102 cm in men)
Total cholesterol: HDL ratio <3.5:1
Blood pressure: <120/80 mmHg
Triglycerides: <150 mg/dL
Glucose: Fasting glucose <100 mg/dL and hemoglobin A1c <5.7%
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol: HDL >40 for men and >50 mg/dL for women
BMI: < 25
No history of cardiovascular disease
My results as of 2/24/24 (through Quest diagnostics via Next Health):
✅ Waist Circumference: 81 cm (goal < 88 cm)
✅ Total cholesterol:HDL: 2.49 (goal <3.5)
✅ Blood pressure: 101/68 mmHg (goal <120/80)
✅ Triglycerides: 43 mg/dL (goal <150 mg/dL)
✅ Fasting glucose: 84 mg/dL (goal <100 mg/dL)
✅ hemoglobin A1c: 5.5% (goal <5.7%)
✅ HDL cholesterol: 87 mg/dL (goal >50 mg/dL)
✅ BMI: 24.9 (goal <25)
✅ No history of cardiovascular disease
Many of these tests are cheap and easy, and often FREE on an annual physical. Every single one of us should know whether we are in the 6.8%, and if we’re not, work to get there and make that percentage much larger. If we’re not in the optimal range, we can implement Good Energy habits and retest in 3 months. Metabolic health means our internal life force is 🔥 ON AND STRONG 🔥. We want that.
✅ Other labs I got as part of the Next Health panel (not part of the criteria set out by the studies listed above, but I consider these important metabolic biomarkers):
Insulin: 3.3 uIU/mL (optimal range is <6 uIU/mL, although standard sources say <18 or <25 uIU/mL)
Uric acid 3.4 mg/dL (optimal range is <4 mg/dL, although standard sources say <6 mg/dL)
hsCRP 0.3 mg/L (optimal range is <0.36 mg/L, although standard sources say <1.0)
Triglyceride:HDL ratio: 0.49 (my goal <1)
Liver function AST 15 U/L (optimal range is <17 U/L, although standard criteria says <48 U/L) and ALT 14 U/L (optimal range is <17 U/L, although standard criteria says <55 U/L).
ALL of these labs are explained in detail in my book: preorder here. Note: “standard criteria” for lab results are far too lenient in my opinion, which is why I include my take on optimal range.
My favorite way to get labs done without having to deal with the hassle of a primary care doctor:
Levels Labs: Tests five key markers of metabolic health (Fasting Insulin, ApoB, Triglycerides, Uric Acid, and HbA1c) and explanation of optimal range for just $99. If you use this link, you can get a set of FREE Labs with a new Levels membership.
Function Health: Starts with 100+ lab tests and insights every year for $499. Use code GOODENERGY to skip the waitlist.
Inside Tracker: Prices start at $699 for 48 biomarkers and insights. Includes metabolic markers such as ApoB, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, Fasting Insulin, FastingGlucose, HbA1c, ALT and more.
Next Health Labs: $299 membership per month that includes extensive baseline Lab testing once per year, optional add-on Lab testing also available.
🔄 Good swap - Tuna Sandwich UPGRADE 🙅🥪
I shared an oatmeal zhuzh last week, and loved the comments about other things you were zhuzhing up. If you did not practice your zhuzh-ing (aka making a meal more metabolically healthy with simple swaps) yet - what can you zhuzh up this week?
Here is another example. Last week I was craving tuna salad, but wanted to make it as metabolically healthy as possible.
Tuna sandwich upgrade 🥪 ✨
🙅♀️ Instead of a classic tuna sandwich:
1 can of tuna
2 slices of Orowheat 100% whole grain whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Heinz sweet pickle relish
Lettuce
Tomato
🔁 Swap for this metabolically healthy upgrade:
1 serving plain Flackers
1 tablespoon Primal Kitchens mayo
4 tablespoons chopped Wildbrine sauerkraut
½ small avocado
Bonus: I also mixed in a ½ cup of leftover cold shredded roasted brussels sprouts which mixed in easily and barely knew they were there!
My Tuna sandwich upgrade with avocado and flackers!
💪 Why you should swap:
1️⃣ Avoid the ridiculous toxic unnecessary ingredients in the classic tuna sandwich, like:
“Whole wheat bread” – secretly contains the unholy trinity (refined grains, refined sugar, and refined seed oils): Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Bulgur Wheat, Sugar, Whole Wheat, Vegetable Oil (Soybean), Wheat Gluten, Honey, Yeast, Cultured Wheat Flour, Sea Salt, Grain Vinegar, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Soy, Whey.
“Pickle relish” - includes colorings linked to cancer and neurologic issues, multiple artificial preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup: Cucumbers, high fructose corn syrup, cabbage, distilled white vinegar, salt, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (as preservatives), guar gum, aluminum sulfate, xanthan gum, dried red bell peppers, polysorbate 80, natural and artificial flavors (including celery), FD&C yellow no. 5 and FD&C blue no. 1.
“Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise” - Soybean oil, water, whole eggs, distilled vinegar, egg yolks, salt, sugar, lemon juice concentrate, calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality), natural flavors.
The only real cellular benefit to the classic tuna sandwich is the protein in the tuna. Otherwise, this recipe has no probiotics and minimal omega 3s.
On top of that, it also has refined grains, refined sugar, LOTS of refined seed oils, natural flavors (which aren’t natural at all!), and artificial colorings - all of which we want to avoid as much as possible.
These are horrifying. I would never eat these. I recommend not eating anything you can’t visualize in your mind or couldn’t make in your own kitchen from natural ingredients. Read labels extremely carefully.
2️⃣ Increase the “Good Energy” meal components.
With the simple swaps, you get so much more omega-3s (6,000+ mg vs 500 mg) and tons of fiber (18g!). There’s also a probiotic source and a cruciferous vegetable, and it doesn’t have any refined grains, refined sugars, or seed oils.
The nutrition content of the American classic (tuna sandwich) vs its upgraded counterpart.
The image above shows the nutrition content of the American classic (tuna sandwich) vs its upgraded counterpart. So much more omega-3s, fiber, fats, and proteins and a lot less carbs and sugar.
Swaps save lives.
🧠 Good Thought - 3 things I learned about pregnancy and fertility when writing Good Energy
We know that chronic disease rates are skyrocketing, but has it been on your radar that infertility rates are going up at alarming rates as well? Since the 1970s, the following statistics are emerging (credit to the WeNatal team for sharing these in a recent episode they did with Dhru Purohit):
1% increase in miscarriage rates per year
1% decline in sperm counts per year
1% decline is testosterone per year
1% decline in total fertility rate per year
Cumulatively, we’re looking at a 50-60% decline in total fertility rate, testosterone, and sperm counts, and a 50-60% increase in miscarriages and erectile dysfunction. Not ideal.
Symptoms and diseases are simply the way that cells express that their needs are being met (i.e., too few micronutrients), or that they are being overburdened with unhelpful factors (i.e., chronic stress hormones). These fertility statistics all represent that the cells of our body cannot cope with our modern environment. It’s that simple.
To me, the infertility crisis is the most overt, dramatic signal that our modern environment is not working to meet our cells’ needs. The result? Our cells saying the following, very, very clearly:
“It is not safe to produce more humans. The environment is not conducive to further life.”
Our body is trying HARD to tell us that our environment is so mismatched to our cellular needs, that our bodies can’t continue to make new humans effectively.
Will we listen?
Or, will do what we’ve done with almost every other chronic illness: medicate and operate intensively, ignore the root causes, build industries around it, and then watch in shock while the rates keep going up (i.e., what we’ve done with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, cancer, obesity, and more). All these chronic diseases – and infertility – are largely rooted in the same thing: metabolic dysfunction from cells that are broken due to a toxic industrial world ➡️ cells can't make cellular energy appropriately ➡️ cells are therefore underpowered ➡️ cells are therefore dysfunctional ➡️ disease.
So with all that doom and gloom, what can we do about it? A lot. For starters, heal your metabolism and mitochondria. You can learn how through my podcasts, newsletter, website, and my upcoming book: Good Energy.
There are 3 things I learned about pregnancy and fertility when writing Good Energy, and I’ve turned them into a blog post for you here.
With good energy 💓
Dr. Casey
👀 In Case You Missed It
I spilled the tea on 10 of my favorite health and wellness products in this article for WellWorthy! One of them involves WORMS! 🪱 Read the full article to see some of my favorite apps, products, and routines!
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