The South Asian Metabolic Health Podcast

Sruti Mohandas
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  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

The South Asian Metabolic Health podcast is an open, honest, culturally sensitive discussion about all things metabolic health among South Asians. Hosted by Sruti Mohandas who is a medical device product leader turned functional medicine health coach, each episode aspires to simplify the science of metabolic dysfunction, weave in the peculiarities of South Asian genetics that harbor an innate predisposition for cardiometabolic disease, and invite a conversation about lifestyle changes that create an environment for becoming metabolically healthy.

Episodes

  1. 06/18/2024

    Episode 2 - The Gut Microbiome Connection to Metabolic Dysfunction

    If you’ve seen a lot of press lately about the gut microbiome, you already know that this area of science is quickly becoming a research hotbed. There is so much that we have to uncover still, but the data that exists today points to a clear connection between the gut microbiome and metabolic disease.   In this episode, we discuss what a microbiome is and how it positively affects health. Tune in to hear about how the microbiome defends us from external pathogenic exploits, the critical role it plays in maintaining a healthy and intact intestinal lining, its extraordinary capacity to command the immune system, manufacture vitamins, be the body’s go-to for digesting dietary fiber and serve as an important link in energy metabolism.   We talk about a chemical called short-chain fatty acids, a master compound produced only by the microbiome and its fascinating role in orchestrating many of the mechanisms that create health. To explore the many roles these compounds play, we discuss 3 metabolic diseases where there is published evidence of low levels of short chain fatty acids among diseased individuals. So essentially, the absence of or reduction in these master compounds is highly correlated with the presence of disease. Listen in to learn more about their role in obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease. Lastly this episode also discusses some very practical ways to maintain a healthy gut microbiome.   Here’s a link to the study that found a higher level of short chain fatty acids (SFAs) in people of Ghana who consumed much higher amounts of dietary fiber when compared to Western populations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6244201/

    15 min
  2. Episode 1 - Belly Fat: Causes, Effects and Lifestyle Changes to Tackle It

    05/23/2024

    Episode 1 - Belly Fat: Causes, Effects and Lifestyle Changes to Tackle It

    If you are noticing belly fat, possibly a new occurrence or maybe the inches seem to be slowly adding up, then this episode is for you.   Visceral or belly fat is different from subcutaneous fat, the one that’s most typically associated with obesity. It deposits in the abdominal cavity around critical organs like the liver, heart, pancreas and muscle giving an individual the characteristic pot-belly-like appearance. For this reason, the term central obesity is associated with belly fat. Unlike the fat deposits underneath the skin, belly fat is known to cause chronic inflammation that damages nearby organs and is associated with many chronic diseases. This fat is also known to interfere with insulin sensitivity and leads to a phenomenon called insulin resistance.   The causes for belly fat are multi-factorial. Evolutionary mechanisms of fat storage, a diet high in carbs and unhealthy fats, genetic predisposition to fat storage in the abdomen among South Asians, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to chronic stressors and poor stress responses, and unhealthy sleep patterns are among the main causes. While there is a significant genetic component, most of the causative factors are lifestyle-related, making it possible to lose visceral or belly fat.   To determine if you have belly fat, traditionally the body-mass index (BMI) measure has been used. But South Asians tend to have visceral fat in spite of a normal BMI. Using the waist-to-hip ratio is a more conclusive way to determine the presence of belly fat.   Reducing belly fat is well within one’s reach with intentional lifestyle changes. A low carb diet rich in healthy unsaturated fats, avoiding refined, processed foods and trans fats, including a wide variety of fruits and non-starchy vegetables and plenty of fiber is very potent against inflammation while also building metabolic control. Pairing it with a consistent regimen of moderate to high intensity physical activity, stress management techniques and good sleep hygiene create an effective strategy to shed a few inches around your waist.   Looking for specific content? Here are the timestamps: 0:35 – What is belly fat? 1:41 – Why is it dangerous? 4:40 – What causes belly fat? 8:15 – How to determine presence of belly fat? 9:56 – Lifestyle changes to reduce belly fat.     Links for further reading:    South Asians store more fat in the belly than under the skin subcutaneously https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4821815/ Stress and elevated cortisol cause abdominal fat distribution https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16353426/ WHO published guidelines on waist-to-hip ratio https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44583/9789241501491_eng.pdf?sequence=1 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for weekly physical activity https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults

    15 min
  • 2 Episodes

About

The South Asian Metabolic Health podcast is an open, honest, culturally sensitive discussion about all things metabolic health among South Asians. Hosted by Sruti Mohandas who is a medical device product leader turned functional medicine health coach, each episode aspires to simplify the science of metabolic dysfunction, weave in the peculiarities of South Asian genetics that harbor an innate predisposition for cardiometabolic disease, and invite a conversation about lifestyle changes that create an environment for becoming metabolically healthy.

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