228 episodes

The Healthy Rebellion Radio is a weekly show featuring listener Q and A on all things diet and health. We dig into metabolic flexibility, body recomposition, resilient aging, circadian biology, gut health, low carb/keto/paleo diets and much more.
Brought to you by New York Times bestselling author Robb Wolf and his wife Nicki Violetti (hubs and wife). Welcome to The Healthy Rebellion Radio.

The Healthy Rebellion Radio Robb Wolf

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.7 • 746 Ratings

The Healthy Rebellion Radio is a weekly show featuring listener Q and A on all things diet and health. We dig into metabolic flexibility, body recomposition, resilient aging, circadian biology, gut health, low carb/keto/paleo diets and much more.
Brought to you by New York Times bestselling author Robb Wolf and his wife Nicki Violetti (hubs and wife). Welcome to The Healthy Rebellion Radio.

    Testosterone and Fasting Insulin, Neu5Gc, Too Many Cals or Not Enough? | THRR180

    Testosterone and Fasting Insulin, Neu5Gc, Too Many Cals or Not Enough? | THRR180

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: 6 ways to LOWER LDL on Keto!
    Tom Bilyeu Visibly Scared by Jordan Peterson's Warning of What’s Next
    Tomas Pueyo on SO2 injection to stop global warming Show Notes: Coach Cinnamon Prime - Mindset Mastery Course
    Uniquely human evolution of sialic acid genetics and biology
    A Simple Method for Assessment of Human Anti-Neu5Gc Antibodies Applied to Kawasaki Disease
    https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/neu5gc
    Questions:   
    Testosterone levels and fasting insulin
    Kevin writes:
    Hey Robb and Nikki, I am 65 1/2 years young. The last couple of years my sex drive has not been like it had been (it comes and goes, but mostly goes). I did a self referred testosterone level test thinking my levels were low ( also was feeling sluggish and just not feeling quite like myself, but I was thinking that was from my age). To my surprise, my level came back at 1150! I have been taking a prostate supplement the last 6 months called Prostagenix. Before that I was taking flow-max for about 5 years and it just seemed to not be helping my symptoms (taking a lot longer to empty bladder and when I had the urge to go, I had to go, if you know what I mean!) so I switched to this natural supplement. It has a sterol blend on the supplement so I am thinking that maybe that is causing my elevated levels? I also googled it and seen that adrenal gland problems can also cause the high level. I had never had a testosterone level done before so I have nothing to compare this high level with. What are your thoughts on that?
    Also I did a self referred fasting insulin test and it came back at 5.2. My last 2 fasting glucose test were at 112 and 117. I did a fasting A1C and it was 5.1. Just want to know if 5.2 is high and will lead to insulin resistance or am I there already? The test shows I am in the “normal” range between 2.4 and 26 something! I don’t trust what they think normal is.
    I have been listening to you guys for a while now. I first heard of you when you were in the Tom Woods show and been following you since then! Keep up the great work!
     
    Neu5 GC
    Teresa writes:
    Hi Robb and Niki I love your show and listen to it all of the time. I recently listened to Dr. Gundry speaking on Gabby Reese‘s podcast about Neu5 GC, which we get when we consume red meat. He says it causes inflammation and cancer, and that we should only eat it sparingly or only naturally fermented. Not exactly what I want to hear and I find it kind of hard to believe. I have cut out high fodmap vegetables, nightshades,high oxalate vegetables and I’ve adopted a higher protein diet, 1 g of protein per pound of desired body weight. Chicken is not my favorite and I find it hard to digest. Can you shed light on how much truth there is to this claim .
    Thank you!
     
    Am I Eating Too Much or Not Enough?
    Jessica writes,
    Hi Robb and Nicki,
    Been listening to the podcast for a few years, and appreciate the content! Also love the way you interact with each other--the love and respect in your relationship comes through--it's encouraging!
    My question is: Am I eating too much, or not enough?
    For context, I'm 43 years old, 5'7, 211lbs, and while I am feeling better than I have in probably the last 5 years, I cannot get the scale to budge. My goal would be about 155 (I felt my best at this weight about 8 years ago)
    I've spent the last 2 years working with a functional medicine practitioner who has helped me clear up some gut infections, mold, and sort out some other digestive concerns (constipation)
    I've had all the tests: Dutch, GI Map, HTMA, OAT, full thyroid panel (not just TSH), and bloodwork. I'll mention that I'm MTHFR heterozygous, and FNP says based on HTMA, also a "slow oxidizer". Not sure how relevant those two things are to the question.
    We redid the Dutch recently, and I do seem to be on the low side of progesterone, so she's having me supplement on days 1

    • 52 min
    Carb Tolerance, Stevia For Birth Control, 600 Drinks Per Year | THRR179

    Carb Tolerance, Stevia For Birth Control, 600 Drinks Per Year | THRR179

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: Ketone bodies: from enemy to friend and guardian angel
    Show Notes: Robb substack article
    Lily Nichols book links
    Questions:   
    600 drinks a year
    Mike writes:
    Hey Robb,
    For a number of years my friends and I, all mid to upper 30’s at this point, have been back-of-the-napkin tracking our alcohol consumption. Why? To be honest, no real reason other than a little accountability to oneself, something to talk shit about in group texts, and potentially to nudge some improved habits. I led with the part that seems shocking. ~600 drinks last year. Every year I’ve counted has ranged from about 450-675, the low end being the years we had infants, the higher numbers being when I was 30ish and didn’t have a care. Here’s the question. 500+ adds up pretty easily for someone who likes to drink. 10/week can be 0-1-2-1-0-4-2 and often is, and I don’t need to tell you this but that becomes 520 drinks across the year. We all know alcohol is bad. Can you weigh in on your feelings about this kind of volume, given very very little of what anyone would call binge drinking?? 6 foot Male, ~165, 38 yrs old. Hike and/or lift weights approx 6 days a week and drinking doesn’t affect me negatively in any accute way. Is this bad? Any time I’ve had labs done they’ve been normal accross the board. What does Robb think?? I know less is probably better but is the juice worth the squeeze?? I like drinking, and again, very rarely drinking to imparement, and the count is very honest. Thanks, your fifth listener.
     
    Carb tolerance
    Holly writes:
    I just tested sweet potato, utilizing your carb tolerance protocol using a CGM. While my blood sugar returned under 100 after two hours, the spike was significant at 60 over baseline. So would you say this food is okay for me because of the test at two hours or potentially still a problem if trying to minimize the glucose variability?
     
    Stevia for Birth Control
    Jonathan writes:
    Hi Robb and Nicki, I'll first say that I really appreciate everything the two of you have put out into the world. My question is regarding the legitimacy of a Tik-Tok conspiracy about Stevia (I felt very strange typing that sentence).
    My wife and I have two young girls (coming up on 4 and 2 years old), and in June of 2023, we started trying for the third and final addition to our family. My wife got pregnant on the first try, as she did with the first two pregnancies. Miracles, yes, but a part of me was cursing this cruel, cruel world - my wife's pregnancy hormones cause a 180 on her libido.
    At the first ultrasound for fetus #3, however, we couldn't find a heartbeat - it turns out there was a "missed" miscarriage around week 9 or 10. It came as a shock to both of us, since the first two pregnancies were quite healthy, and conceiving was not an issue.
    We took a break from trying, but still have plans to try again in a few months. In the meantime, my wife is working on stacking the deck where she can to make sure her body is 100% ready this time around, so that we don't repeat the difficult experience we had last year.
    She recently came across a Tik-Tok video that warned of the dangers of Stevia - allegedly, native cultures used to use the Stevia leaf as a form of contraception. Despite heavy skepticism, I've looked into it a little bit, and it's not entirely baseless. A textbook written by Obama's former science czar, for example, contains an anecdote of native Paraguayans adding a powdered form of Stevia to tea to serve as a contraceptive. A cursory glance as more recent research has some mixed results in rats, but the "consensus" seems to be that Stevia is no issue. I typically tend to trust "ancient wisdom" passed down through generations, but the anecdotal evidence seems a little weak in this case.
    What is your take on the legitimacy of Stevia as a contraceptive? My wife, who probably did increase h

    • 29 min
    Keto and Xanthelasma, High Blood Sugar, Mindset Change | THRR178

    Keto and Xanthelasma, High Blood Sugar, Mindset Change | THRR178

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: Oreo Cookie Treatment Lowers LDL Cholesterol More Than High-Intensity Statin therapy in a Lean Mass Hyper-Responder on a Ketogenic Diet: A Curious Crossover Experiment
    Show Notes: Precision Health Reports
    Dr. William Cromwell discusses the LMHR
    Coach Cinnamon Prime
    Questions:   
    High Blood Sugars
    Eric writes:
    Hi Robb & Nicki - long time listener and fan! I’m hoping you have some thoughts or suggestions on this one.
    Background: I’m a lean, 56 yo male who follows a lower carb (50-75g daily) / higher protein diet (1+g/body weight). I’m very in tune with my diet given my wife is a T1D following Bernstein. I lift weights 3x/week and run about 20 miles/week (because I enjoy it). Admittedly, my work stress is high and I work about 50-60 hours/week. I get about 7.5 hours of sleep nightly and do all the sleep hacks to ensure I’m getting restful sleep. I’ve been wearing a CGM in hopes to better understand a recent A1c test of 6.0. I also had my fasting insulin level checked and it was 3 - so I don’t think I’m insulin resistant.
    The CGM consistently shows fasting glucose around 115 and staying there through mid afternoon, when I’ll typically drop into the 90s. I see spikes for exercise as high as 160, but come back down within 1-2 hours.
    I’m trying berberine (even though I don’t have a carb load) and l-theanine for the stress spikes, but so far, I’m not seeing much change
    Could this all be stress related?
    Any suggestions on how to fix this?
    Could this be gluconeogenesis from too low calorie? I don’t think I eat too few calories and am about to embark on some tracking to see where I am.
     
    Keto and xanthelasma
    Fredrik writes:
    Hi Robb and Nikki,
    I have a question about a condition I heard you mention once on the podcast, xanthelasma. Basically yellow spots around the eyes. I have been on paleo since 2009 and keto since 2012 and you were some of the first people I found on my journey. It really has changed my life for the better. Back in 2009 I was training 5-6 days a week as a 28-year old with good performance but still had a less than optimal body composition and generally did not feel great.
    Now many years later on keto, as you guys often say, I look, feel and perform much better. There is just one nagging issue, yellow spots around my eyes. They started to occur after about three years on keto and I had a couple of them removed surgically but they are now coming back slowly. Obviously I cant keep on having surgery, so what to do? I have theorized that dairy might be a contributing factor but the problem of just trying to remove something is that I will not know if it is effective until years later.
    I have tried but it is very hard to find any useful advice for this online. Some people mention that supplementing with bile salt could help, what do you think? Physically and mentally I feel my absolute best on keto bordering to carnivore so I really want to maintain that. Dairy has also been really helpful for me to get enough calories for my workouts (three days a week of heavy weights and two days of either running or cross country skiing). So how do I know what to do and is dairy a likely contributor? Also, what else, other than dairy, could I eat to get in the calories for not just maintaining but building muscle? Protein is at 150-200 grams per day btw and aiming for around 2600-3000 calories a day.
    Thanks for all your great work with the books and podcast!
    Fredrik
     
    Weight loss/mind change
    Mark writes
    Robb,
    Long time follower, my wife and I went to Nutrition seminar in 2009 at crossfit Monrovia. I like listening to yall.
    I am the former football/rugby player that eats too much food and sits at a desk. It has come to a point now that Life Insurance is requiring me to lose 60 pounds. I need to get to 231 pounds at 6'0". Currently i range between 285-295. I have tried diet

    • 49 min
    Burning Junk Calories, Last 15 Pounds, Diabetes and Cardio | THRR177

    Burning Junk Calories, Last 15 Pounds, Diabetes and Cardio | THRR177

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: Recent advances in the exploration and discovery of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory peptides from edible animal proteins
     
    Questions:   
    Too much cardio for diabetes? 
    Thomas writes:
    Hi Robb and Nicki, second time questioner with an answer on the first question. First was about long term Imodium use. I am one of the six who truly appreciate what you do and listen all the time. I’m also an LMNT believer. This one is for my mother in law. She has controlled diabetes with diet and exercise for years. I would say they are Paleo on the lower end of protein. Now her A1C and fasting glucose are going up. Lots of walking and biking (weather permitting on the biking). Walking upwards of 7-10 miles a day. Could this be causing her body to produce more glucose for energy if protein is low or is her time up and leading towards insulin after all these years. Would weights be a benefit? Failed to mention she is in her low 70’s and pretty small framed.
     
    Junk food calories - can the junk be burned? 
    Caleb writes:
    Howdy Robére and Nikki,
    I'm an OG supporter that came across you all while I was working for one of the first Whole30 approved products, Tessemae's All Natural. I've been to a handful of PaleoFX events and my last one was a few years back where we connected at the LMNT booth and I just want to extend my appreciation for you two staying true to real food and nuanced information without turning into sh*thead snake oil salesman selling Beauty Counter or other garbage products like the majority of the old "real food influencers". I recently started ultra training and found that if I use whole foods for all my fuel I end up with a giant rock in my stomach and occasionally have to sprint off trail to test my below 90 degree wall sits on a tree to relieve myself. I've since gone towards gu's and swedish fish for my training and race fuel and the rest of my calories come from lean red meat, fruits, japanese sweet potatoes, avo oil, ghee, and trace amount of calories from a little slice of heaven called LMNT (plug). My digestion is great, my stool is strong, my skin is clear(ish. I always have trouble with acne), and my energy is solid. I just want to make sure I'm not causing any long term issues by crushing swedish fish, gu's, and chilled peanut m&ms during training and wondering if the fact that I'm currently a furnace for calories, if that furnace burns the "bad" stuff in processed foods along with the calories themselves.
    Stay salty,
    C
     
    Weight Loss and Maintenance
    Jenn writes: 
    Hi Robb & Nikki,
    I want to start by first saying thank you for the entertaining and informative podcast as well as the delicious electrolytes! My question today is related to weight loss and how to potentially move that needle. Sorry for the long winded story and question!
    I'm a 34 year old female 5'7" and 175 pounds. I have a desk job, but I am active every day. I box/kickbox twice a week, crossfit once a week, swim laps once a week, practice yoga/mobilty several times a week, strength train at least once a week (aim for 2-3x) and I walk between 7 & 10,000 steps every day.
    I have in the past lost weight doing chronic cardio and extreme calorie restriction, and I have reached 155 pounds, which is where I feel the best (confidence and energy wise), but of course, once I stop the extreme dieting and exercise, the weight comes back on. At my heaviest I was 215 pounds but I am able to maintain 175 very easily now, but getting that last 15-20 pounds off and keeping them off is a major struggle. Peter Attia has said that your waist should be half of your height or less, so at 5'7", my waist should 33.5" and I'm at 37" and it will not budge.
    I eat a very clean diet, following Paul Saladino' animal based framework - beef, eggs, chicken, apples, blueberries, hard cheeses (parmesan and old cheddar), potato, carrots, squash, sauerkraut,

    • 33 min
    Border Brinkmanship, Climate Change, and Homeschooling | THRR176

    Border Brinkmanship, Climate Change, and Homeschooling | THRR176

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: Steven Koonin on The Limitations of Climate Change Models
    Show Notes: Classical Conversations
    Institute for Excellence in Writing
    Life of Fred
    Math U See
    Questions:   
    Homeschooling
    Jessica writes: 
    Hi Robb and Nicki!
    I have been a fan for over 10 years. You, along with a couple others, helped me to find the paleo diet when I was in the midst of several health issues. Long story short, I changed not just my diet, but my lifestyle years ago and have never looked back. I am actually writing to you on something unrelated to diet, something I never thought I would do! My husband and I live near a big city and over the last few years we have become increasingly unhappy with our environment. We have always loved cities for their walkability, culture, and convenience, but our city leaders keep developing to the point where my 5-year old daughter doesn’t even know what “the woods” are. Also, while my daughter seems to love school, we have concerns for her staying in the public education system with all its current issues. We are seriously contemplating a move into the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, my husband would have a long commute to work, but this would enable us to possibly do some things we have dreamed about such as homeschooling or finding a microschool for our daughter, have chickens and/or goats and bees, and create our own environment instead of worrying about the city building something in our backyard. I am writing to you all for advice. Do you have any tips for starting this journey? Any thoughts on starting homeschooling for a 5 year old, especially for a kid that is extremely social and extroverted? I currently work fulltime, but will have to quit to either support her schooling or look for a remote position that will offer me some flexibility. Either way, I have some obvious anxiety over all these changes, but it would be good to hear your thoughts and any lessons learned. Thanks for all you do and for continuing fighting the good fight.
     
    Homeschooling
    Jack writes: 
    Hi Robb and Nicki
    We’re struggling a bit with our daughter  just now. She’s not loving school, not wanting to go, not engaged by it particularly, all this against a backdrop of some sensory processing disorder that makes the whole environment a little much for her. The occupational therapist thinks autism - if it’s there it’s fairly mild. 
    So we were discussing all options - pushing the school a bit harder, moving her elsewhere etc and the possibility of home schooling. I was wondering what that actually looks like for you guys. How much of their academic learning do you provide personally?  Are any of the online teaching resources really good? What is a realistic time commitment? Would you do this if you just had the one child, or do you feel that they’d be too isolated? Do you take steps to ensure that they spend time away from home or from you, for example. Are there other aspects of this that we may easily miss as we try to anticipate what it might look like? 
     
    Sponsor: The Healthy Rebellion Radio is sponsored by our electrolyte company, LMNT.
    Proper hydration is more than just drinking water. You need electrolytes too! Check out The Healthy Rebellion Radio sponsor LMNT for grab-and-go electrolyte packets to keep you at your peak! They give you all the electrolytes want, none of the stuff you don’t. Click here to get your LMNT electrolytes
    Transcript:
    Coming soon...
     
     

    • 1 hr 5 min
    Semaglutide, Psoriasis, Magnesium Supplementation | THRR175

    Semaglutide, Psoriasis, Magnesium Supplementation | THRR175

    Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS
    Submit your questions for the podcast here News Topic: Too Late and Not Enough: School Year Sleep Duration, Timing, and Circadian Misalignment Are Associated with Reduced Insulin Sensitivity in Adolescents with Overweight/Obesity
    Show Notes: Effect of Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Psoriasis Patients: A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Metabolomic Study
    Gluten free
    AIP
    Semaglutide, a glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist with cardiovascular benefits for management of type 2 diabetes
    Stone Ridge Investor letter 
    Questions:   
    Magnesium Supplementation
    Charles writes
    Hi Robb and Nikki, I have a question about Magnesium intake. For years I've supplemented 400 mg of Mg nightly based on Rhonda Patrick's recommendation. I always use a highly bioavailable form (e.g. Glycinate or Malate). Recently I've had some discussions with people online who brought to my attention that supplemental Mg *at best* provides like 15% elemental Mg (i.e. a 400 mg supplement gives you 50-60 mg Magnesium). I thought this was fine since I eat a paleo diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which presumably provide a few hundred milligrams of Mg, and I supplement LMNT; but some argue that with our modern soil situation plus anti-nutrients in other foods (not sure if that applies to Paleo people) means that our dietary Mg intake is effectively zero.
    My questions:
    1) Can you get most of your Mg from food in a reasonably simple Paleo diet?
    2) If supplementing, is 400 mg (The Rhonda Patrick recommendation; 50 mg elemental) Mg enough if you do (1)?
    3) Can you supplement hundreds of milligrams of elemental Mg without shitting your pants?
    Keep up the good work.
    Charles
     
    Psoriasis
    Steve writes: 
    Any evidence on any particular dietary solutions to help with psoriasis? I turned 50 and it hit me, mainly my right hand and right foot. Makes lifting difficult. Chalk, Wash, leather up with doc spartan and repeat. I am on a medication, lowest dose. Prefer not to use meds at all, it helps, keeps the tearing pain to an acceptable level to keep moving forward.
     
    Semaglutide
    Trevor writes: 
    What’s the deal with semaglutide? I’ve read that it slows down stomach emptying, but wonder what the health risks might be?
    I have a family member who legitimately needs to lose about 100 pounds. They have some orthopedic and neurological issues that make exercise pretty difficult right now. Some version of semaglutide seems pretty appealing right now, if just to get the weight loss ball rolling.
    Thanks to you both for your podcast.



    Sponsor: The Healthy Rebellion Radio is sponsored by our electrolyte company, LMNT.
    Proper hydration is more than just drinking water. You need electrolytes too! Check out The Healthy Rebellion Radio sponsor LMNT for grab-and-go electrolyte packets to keep you at your peak! They give you all the electrolytes want, none of the stuff you don’t. Click here to get your LMNT electrolytes
    Transcript:
    Coming soon...
     

    • 42 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
746 Ratings

746 Ratings

jenhowat ,

Trusted Source

This podcast is one of my go to’s for reliable health information!

DRCTNMD ,

Years ahead of most for decades

Robb has been at the forefront of paradigm shifts in health and fitness for decades, and his intelligent balanced perspectives have laid the foundations for most others in the space. Would love him to dig into Qortal so he can provide his disciples with insight into true decentralization, and I hope he continues to upend the educational system in his spare time.

Kettlebellgurl ,

Always something to learn.

This is my favorite podcast! No matter the subject I always learn something new. The way that Robb and Nicki explain information is very understandable. I really appreciate their perspectives and way of analyzing data. Thank you for this amazing platform!

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