Jay Shetty & Dr. Casey Means ON 5 Early Warning Signs of Disease

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty interviewed Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician and co-founder of Levels.

Dr. Means discusses the escalating prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, attributing these conditions to modern lifestyles that negatively impact metabolic functions. In her book, Good Energy.The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, she emphasizes the necessity of understanding and improving the body's ability to efficiently convert food into energy.

Dr. Means advocates proactive health management strategies, including balanced diets, consistent physical activity, effective stress management, optimized sleep, and reduced toxin exposure. She encourages listeners to become more attuned to their bodies' signals and take control of their health for a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

Trust Yourself in the First Place

Dr. Casey discussed with Jay Shetty her views on the conventional healthcare system. She shared a personal story about her mother's cancer that was only discovered late, shortly before passing away due to its aggressive nature. The doctors could not give an accurate diagnosis in time, which led to her mother's premature death.

Therefore, Dr. Casey advises the listeners to trust their instincts and themselves when it comes to their health. She advocates for more self-reliance and traditional medical advice. She explained to Jay Shetty the discrepancy between the high spending on healthcare and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in the U.S.

Modern tools can help individuals monitor and understand their own health. Dr. Casey believes that people need to be more informed so they can make proactive decisions about their health and shift the focus from symptoms to the underlying causes of disease.

Weaponized Fear

Dr. Casey shared with Jay Shetty that our body continually reconstructs itself through the intake and processing of food. She calls it "3D printing," a new version of yourself. Similarly, a Taoist concept views humans as processes rather than entities. Therefore, she explains that health issues, especially chronic diseases, are often reversible.

In Western society, we view bodies as static and isolated systems. However, throughout history, older traditions believed that the body can be healed with holistic means. Dr. Means told Jay Shetty that we need to shift our mindset and view our bodies as processes in a continuous flux. This way, we understand the power that we hold to actively influence our health outcomes through diet, lifestyle, and other environmental interactions. Dr. Means argues that, with proper lifestyle adjustments, we can even reverse type 2 diabetes, slow Alzheimer's progression, and combat obesity.

Yet Dr. Means tells Jay Shetty that she feels the current healthcare system keeps the consumers away from this knowledge. When people are scared of death, they would do anything to prevent it from happening, a fear that helps the system thrive. Therefore, she believes that we need to shift towards a health philosophy rooted in curiosity and empowerment rather than anxiety, so we can make more informed and beneficial health choices. She argues that this approach aligns with a spiritual understanding of life as a continuous, interconnected process besides improving physical health.

The Confusion Is Intentional

Jay Shetty mentioned people's distrust of the current health system. Modern life brings new challenges, such as altered food, technology, and lack of sleep, which all contribute to a decline in people's health. In his coaching sessions, he encountered clients who were often afraid to learn about their health status for fear of discovering a concerning issue.

Dr. Casey Means suggests that the system artificially cultivates the overwhelming nature of healthcare information and choices to its benefit by keeping people confused and dependent. According to a survey, 60% of Americans feel confused about their nutritional choices because of the conflicting information provided¹. Therefore, Dr. Means suggests listening to your body and returning to basics when it comes to your health: recognize natural, wholesome foods, ensure regular and sufficient sleep, and put in place stress management practices.

Dr. Casey told Jay Shetty that symptoms are signals from the body - they don't need to be suppressed because they are our body's way of announcing an underlying need. She explains that we can radically improve our health by paying more attention to the basic health aspects - food quality, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and toxin exposure.

This way, we can regain a more intuitive and empowered relationship with our health; we can combine this approach with the usage of modern technology such as wearables and biosensors that provide us with personalized insights. Dr. Means believes this empowerment can revolutionize personal health and overall wellbeing.

Solve the Issue, Not the Symptoms

It is not uncommon to take over-the-counter pain relievers such as Advil to manage our symptoms. However, this medication reduces inflammation by blocking certain enzymes in the body. Dr. Means argues that this approach masks the body's natural responses to threats. Therefore, she explains to Jay Shetty the importance of recognizing these symptoms as vital signals of underlying problems.

Moreover, Dr. Means tells Jay Shetty that she criticizes the widespread use of medications to manage symptoms without addressing root causes. In her opinion, this habit leads to a disconnection from our body's natural communication systems and it makes it increasingly difficult to engage with and understand our own health. She describes it to Jay Shetty as a cycle of dependency that benefits pharmaceutical companies while neglecting human well-being.

The setup of the current health system prioritizes intervention over prevention and profit over wellness. Dr. Means shares that the healthcare system is not made with the patients in mind - for example, chronic diseases are particularly lucrative because they require ongoing management and medication. This creates a perverse incentive to preserve these conditions rather than resolve them, leading to a system that thrives financially as the population's health deteriorates.

Dr. Casey Means told Jay Shetty that we need to better understand and treat our physiological processes underlying various symptoms and diseases. She emphasizes that we can even rectify the cellular dysfunctions causing our symptoms by changing our diet and lifestyle. You can reclaim your health and reduce reliance on a flawed healthcare system by reconnecting with your body's signals and adotping healthier habits.

Media Funded by Pharma

Jay Shetty quoted a study that found alarming health trends in the United States - 45% of teens are overweight or obese and 77% of young people are unfit for military service². Moreover, despite technological advancements, today's youth may not outlive their parents³.

Dr. Means argues that advertisements in mainstream media significantly influence public perception and health behaviors. The primary customers of media outlets are pharmaceutical companies, not the viewers. Therefore, the content is dictated by the funding parties, spreading a pro-medication narrative. Independent media, on the other hand, promotes foundational health and resilience without the influence of pharmaceutical funding.

Profit over Ethics

The current healthcare system is deeply intertwined with the pharmaceutical and processed food industries - Dr. Means defines it to Jay Shetty as a "devil's bargain" that perpetuates illness for profit. Coming from the medical field herself, she co-founded Levels Health, a company intending to provide tools that help individuals understand and manage their metabolic health, such as glucose monitors. She also advocates for an economic and healthcare model that genuinely promotes health through prevention and lifestyle.

Dr. Means shared with Jay Shetty that the FDA and academic centers receive up to 75% of their funding from pharmaceutical companies⁴. This financial dependency creates a conflict of interest that skews research and regulatory actions. Therefore, she argues for stricter policies, such as academic departments no longer receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies, to prevent conflict of interest and ensure research integrity.

Understanding Biomarkers

The confusion around health choices persists, and many don't know what to choose when it comes to a sustainably healthy lifestyle. Therefore, Dr. Means highlights the importance of empowering individuals with knowledge about their health. The system appears to be very complex, yet it is not difficult to understand; pharmaceutical companies influenced the public health narratives and made it appear unreachable to common citizens.

According to research, only 7% of American adults have optimal metabolic health⁵. Dr. Means explained to Jay Shetty what to look for when trying to understand your health based on biomarkers: fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, waist circumference, and blood pressure. These are reliable indicators of a person's metabolic health, which reflect the cellular functionality deep within the body. Moreover, Dr. Means encourages the listeners to educate themselves on their health and make decisions more in line with our natural human nature, rather than influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

Eat Mindfully and Walk

Jay Shetty and Dr. Casey Means discussed the power of simple lifestyle changes for health, such as eating slowly and walking. Slow eaters are significantly less likely to develop metabolic syndrome compared to fast eaters⁶; to improve your metabolic health, you don't need to change your diet, only to eat at a slower pace, preferably at the table.

Additionally, walking is a healthy habit that can improve your health. Research indicates that walking 7,000 or more steps a day can drastically reduce risks of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and even decrease mortality rates⁷. Dr. Means shared with Jay Shetty that walking helps move glucose channels within cells to the membrane, and enhances mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism. It is a simple habit that, practiced regularly, is more impactful than intense but infrequent exercise.

Social Jetlag

Jay Shetty and Dr. Casey Means discuss the concept of "social jetlag." It is a measurement of the variation in sleep times between workdays and leisure days, mainly focusing on the midpoint of sleep. For example, if someone sleeps from 10 PM to 6 AM on weekdays (midpoint at 2 AM) and from midnight to 8 AM on weekends (midpoint at 4 AM), the two-hour difference represents social jetlag. According to research, two or more hours of social jetlag can double the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes⁸.

Dr. Means emphasizes the importance of aligning our lifestyle with our circadian rhythms to maintain metabolic health. 

You can do that in three ways:

• Maintain consistent sleep and wake times;
• Eat meals at regular times;
• Regulate light exposure.

If you properly manage these factors and enhance the natural 24-hour cycle, you can increase your overall health and reduce the risks associated with disrupted circadian rhythms.

Create a Safe Environment to Thrive in

Dr. Means highlights to Jay Shetty that true health emerges when our cells exist in an environment of safety, joy, and awe when we resonate with every thought and emotion we experience. She advocates for a life lived in curiosity and marvels at our existence instead of being ruled by fear of disease or aging.

Lastly, Dr. Means advocates for a holistic approach in which daily health habits are not just physical necessities but spiritual practices that enhance our connection to a greater source. By understanding and managing the fears of our modern world, we can shift our focus from surviving to thriving, allowing us to live a happier and healthier life.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode on “Dr. Casey Means ON 5 Early Warning Signs of Disease & What Your Body Is REALLY Trying to Tell You” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.

¹Howard, Jacqueline. “‘Healthy’ Foods Have Most of Us Confused, Survey Finds.” Web log. CNN Health (blog), May 16, 2017. https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/health/healthy-foods-confusion-study/index.html. 

²Webber BJ, Bornstein DB, Deuster PA, O'Connor FG, Park S, Rose KM, Whitfield GP. BMI and Physical Activity, Military-Aged U.S. Population 2015-2020. Am J Prev Med. 2023 Jan;64(1):66-75. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.008. Epub 2022 Sep 23. PMID: 36155710; PMCID: PMC9885292. 

³Gantz, Sarah. “Millennials Are the First Generation Ever to Have a Lower Life Expectancy than That of It’s Predecessor Generation - Research Says.” Web log. The Inquirer (blog), November 7, 2019. https://www.inquirer.com/health/consumer/millennial-health-worsening-economic-impact-20191107.html. 

⁴Jewett, Christina. “F.D.A.’s Drug Industry Fees Fuel Concerns Over Influence.” Web log. New York Times (blog), September 15, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/health/fda-drug-industry-fees.html. 

⁵Araújo J, Cai J, Stevens J. Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2016. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2019 Feb;17(1):46-52. doi: 10.1089/met.2018.0105. Epub 2018 Nov 27. PMID: 30484738. 

⁶Yuan SQ, Liu YM, Liang W, Li FF, Zeng Y, Liu YY, Huang SZ, He QY, Quach B, Jiao J, Baker JS, Yang YD. Association Between Eating Speed and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Nutr. 2021 Oct 20;8:700936. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.700936. PMID: 34746200; PMCID: PMC8564065. 

⁷Cuthbertson CC, Moore CC, Sotres-Alvarez D, Heiss G, Isasi CR, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Carlson JA, Gallo LC, Llabre MM, Garcia-Bedoya OL, Farelo DG, Evenson KR. Associations of steps per day and step intensity with the risk of diabetes: the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022 Apr 15;19(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s12966-022-01284-2. PMID: 35428253; PMCID: PMC9013106. 

⁸Koopman ADM, Rauh SP, van 't Riet E, Groeneveld L, van der Heijden AA, Elders PJ, Dekker JM, Nijpels G, Beulens JW, Rutters F. The Association between Social Jetlag, the Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the General Population: The New Hoorn Study. J Biol Rhythms. 2017 Aug;32(4):359-368. doi: 10.1177/0748730417713572. Epub 2017 Jun 20. PMID: 28631524; PMCID: PMC5564947.