The Heart Surgeon: Cardio Is A Waste Of Time For Weight Loss! Philip Ovadia | E240

Cardio is Not Effective for Weight Loss

Dr. Philip Lavadia, a world-renowned heart doctor, explains that cardio is not effective for weight loss. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the root cause of health problems and how sugar and processed food are major contributors to chronic diseases.

The Mission to Normalize Health

• Dr. Ovidia's mission is to normalize health and help people become healthy again.

• She was once an unhealthy heart surgeon who was morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, and on the same path as her patients.

• Dr. Ovidia realized that many people believe their destiny is predetermined by genetics when in reality, human genetics don't change quickly enough to explain the epidemic of chronic diseases we see today.

The Importance of Diet

• Dr. Ovidia discusses the million-dollar question: what diet will keep our health intact?

• She explains that very little of the sickness we see today is truly genetic and emphasizes the importance of understanding how our diet affects our health.

Request for Subscriptions

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Overall, this transcript discusses important topics related to health and wellness, including why cardio may not be effective for weight loss, how sugar and processed foods contribute to chronic diseases, and why it's important to understand how our diet affects our health. Dr. Ovidia shares her personal journey towards becoming a healthier person and emphasizes that many people can take control of their own health by making changes in their lifestyle choices.

Turning Point

In this section, the speaker talks about his turning point in life and how he was able to make long-term changes to his health.

Short-term Success

• The speaker had tried making changes to his diet and activities before but only experienced short-term success.

• He attended a medical meeting where he heard journalist Gary Taubes speak about the importance of the types of food we eat rather than just the amount.

• This sent him down a pathway where he started to think differently about his health and eliminated sugar from his diet.

Long-term Success

• The speaker realized that something was different this time as he was able to maintain his weight loss over months and years.

• Understanding the true root causes of our health problems led him to long-term success.

• The approach that led to short-term but unsustainable success involved counting calories, eating less, doing more, and following traditional advice on healthy eating.

Medicine and Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker discusses his perspective on medicine and how it has evolved as he learned more about metabolic health.

Reducing Dependence on Medicine

• The speaker believes that medicines should be necessary a lot less often than they are currently used.

• There is an assumption built into healthcare that the human body is destined to become ill and that medicine is needed to manage these problems.

• Instead of relying solely on medicine, we should consider whether there are things we are doing to ourselves that cause health problems.

Stay Off My Operating Table

In this section, the speaker talks about why he wrote his book and how he defines health.

Struggle to Find Information

• The speaker struggled to find information on how to be healthy despite being a heart surgeon and doctor.

• He wrote the book because he wanted to share the information that he had learned with others.

Defining Health

• The speaker defines health as our bodies working the way they should.

The Importance of Food and Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker discusses how food is used to fuel our bodies and the importance of metabolic health in preventing chronic diseases.

Food as Fuel and Storage

• Food is used for energy, building tissues, and stored for times when energy is not available.

• Modern lifestyle has led to storing too much energy which leads to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease.

Preventable Heart Conditions

• A young woman died due to a preventable heart condition caused by high blood pressure from poor diet.

• Her physicians did not adequately address her high blood pressure or discuss the impact of her diet on her metabolic health.

• The woman was metabolically unhealthy with all five measurements abnormal at a young age of 38.

Increasing Need for Heart Surgery

• Heart surgeons are now operating on younger patients due to increasing rates of obesity and metabolic disease in children and teenagers.

• There may soon be 20-year-olds requiring heart surgery due to atherosclerosis caused by poor diet.

Importance of Metabolic Health

• Metabolic health is important in preventing chronic diseases and living longer.

• Compulsions driven by physiological and psychological factors can lead to poor dietary choices that negatively impact metabolic health.

Talking to Children About Death

In this section, the heart surgeon discusses his experience of having difficult conversations with family members about death and how he was not trained to have such conversations.

Conversations About Death

• The heart surgeon explains that there is no training for having conversations with children or young family members about death.

• He admits that he was not prepared for such conversations.

• The surgeon believes that most heart disease is preventable and that his mission is important because many surgeries could be avoided if people made lifestyle changes.

• When talking to a family member about a patient's death, the surgeon apologizes and explains that he did everything he could to save their loved one.

Heart Disease: A Preventable Problem

In this section, the heart surgeon discusses the prevalence of heart disease in the United States and worldwide. He also talks about how physicians have become too busy taking care of sick people to think about why so many people are getting sick in the first place.

Prevalence of Heart Disease

• Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and worldwide.

• The incidence of heart disease sharply increased around 1950 in the United States.

• The surgeon believes that heart disease is caused by the food we eat, and that it is a preventable problem.

Changes in Diet and Heart Disease

In this section, the heart surgeon talks more specifically about how changes in diet have contributed to an increase in heart disease.

Correlation Between Diet and Heart Disease

• The sharp increase in heart disease in the United States began around 1950, which is when people started eating more processed foods.

• The surgeon believes that the food we eat is the primary cause of heart disease.

• He argues that if people made changes to their diet and lifestyle, they could prevent most cases of heart disease.

The Relationship Between Processed Foods and Heart Disease

In this section, the speaker discusses the correlation between processed foods and heart disease.

Introduction of Processed Food

• The consumption of sugar starts rising dramatically along with the incidence of heart disease.

• Packaged foods, processed foods, whatever you want to call them, are being introduced widespread into society around that time.

Understanding Heart Disease

• Heart disease refers to atherosclerosis where blood vessels on the heart get blocked due to plaque buildup in the blood vessel.

• The heart is a muscle that needs oxygen and blood to carry that oxygen to it so it can work.

• When the blood vessels carrying oxygen to the muscle of the heart start to get blocked or clogged, there may not be enough oxygen making it to the heart anymore. This is what we call a heart attack.

What Causes Heart Disease?

• Plaque builds up in the blood vessel composed of cholesterol fatty stuff and calcium.

• Early scientists believed that cholesterol and fat in food were causing these problems but after 70 years later people are eating less cholesterol and taking medications yet heart disease isn't going away.

• Sugar damages blood vessels which could lead to plaque buildup. Sugar damaging lining of blood vessels theory makes sense as we have scientific evidence supporting it.

The Buried Theory About Sugar Causing Heart Disease

In this section, the speaker talks about how sugar was once considered a leading cause for heart disease but got buried under the cholesterol theory.

The Cholesterol Theory

• Scientists believed that it was the cholesterol in the diet causing heart disease.

• It makes sense to go down that pathway and we can see how we started pursuing that but after 70 years later seeing that it's not working, maybe it was sugar.

Sugar Damages Blood Vessels

• Many leading scientists going back to the 1950s were saying that it was sugar causing this problem because sugar damages blood vessels.

• Sugar damaging lining of blood vessels theory makes sense as we have scientific evidence supporting it.

Understanding Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker discusses how metabolic health affects sugar levels in our bloodstream and identifies markers of poor metabolic health.

Markers of Poor Metabolic Health

• High amounts of sugar in the bloodstream are caused by broken metabolic health.

• Waist circumference is a good indicator of poor metabolic health.

• Blood pressure is another indicator of poor metabolic health.

• Fasting blood glucose level and cholesterol levels are important measures to determine metabolic health.

• HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels are better indicators than LDL cholesterol.

Skinny Fat

• Skinny fat refers to having internal fat around organs despite appearing thin on the outside.

• Getting obese may be a protective mechanism against skinny fat.

Overall, understanding markers of poor metabolic health is crucial for maintaining overall well-being.

Understanding Metabolic Health

In this section, Dr. Philip discusses the importance of metabolic health and how to achieve it through diet.

Achieving Metabolic Health

• Being "skinny fat" can be a problem as it often goes unnoticed until later stages of illness. Checking key metabolic health markers such as triglycerides and blood glucose levels is important.

• To achieve metabolic health, one should aim to meet all five criteria for metabolic health.

• There are many diets out there, but the commonality among them that promotes metabolic health is eating whole real food and eliminating processed foods.

• Animal products are essential to human health, and our bodies are designed to process meat efficiently. Eating more animal products than plant products is optimal for human health.

What is Whole Real Food?

• Whole real food refers to things that grow in the ground (plants) and things that eat what grows in the ground (animals).

• Eating whole real food means avoiding processed foods.

Blue Jeans Basic: A Video Conferencing Tool

This section briefly introduces Blue Jeans Basic, an online video conferencing tool with high-quality audio and video features.

Features of Blue Jeans Basic

• Blue Jeans Basic is a free version of their top-quality video conferencing tool.

• It offers immersive video experiences with high-fidelity audio and video quality, including Dolby voice.

• The tool has expertise-grade security features for secure collaboration.

Sponsorship and Vegan Diet

In this section, the speaker talks about his sponsor and how they helped him stay nutritionally complete. He also discusses vegan diets and their benefits.

Sponsorship and Vegan Diet

• The speaker's sponsor believed in his podcast before anyone else.

• The sponsor helped the speaker stay nutritionally complete throughout his busy schedule.

• A well-constructed vegan diet is an improvement over the standard American diet.

• People who switch to a vegan diet often feel better initially but may find it difficult to maintain in the long run due to essential nutrients that cannot be obtained from plants.

• It becomes hard to maintain a good vegan diet on a day-to-day basis unless one puts a lot of energy into it.

• Any optimal human diet should not require supplementation, which is why the speaker believes that our ancestors did not evolve to take supplements.

Carnivore vs. Vegan Diets

In this section, the speaker compares carnivore and vegan diets and discusses what he believes is an optimal human diet.

Carnivore vs. Vegan Diets

• People who follow a carnivore diet usually do not require supplementation and thrive on long-term carnivore diets.

• The speaker does not believe in being dogmatic about any particular type of diet as long as someone is getting metabolically healthy and staying metabolically healthy on whatever they are eating.

Reframing Health as a System

In this section, the speaker talks about the importance of reframing health as a system rather than a goal.

Reframing Health as a System

• The speaker believes that it is important to think of health as a system, not as a goal.

• He explains that this means not being too focused on short-term goals and instead focusing on long-term metabolic health.

• The speaker lays out seven principles for achieving optimal metabolic health, with the first principle being to reframe health as a system.

The Seven Principles for Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker discusses the seven principles for metabolic health.

Habits to Support Health

• People should think about their health as a system and focus on adopting sustainable habits that support their health over the long term.

• Focusing on losing a specific amount of weight can be counterproductive. Instead, people should focus on adopting healthy habits that support their overall health.

Exercise and Metabolic Health

• Exercise is important for metabolic health, but cardio exercise alone is not effective for weight loss or fat loss.

• Building and maintaining muscle is crucial for metabolic health because muscle is metabolically active throughout the day.

Nutrition and Metabolic Health

• A diet high in processed foods and sugar can lead to insulin resistance, which can contribute to metabolic dysfunction.

• Eating whole foods that are nutrient-dense can help improve metabolic function.

Sleep and Stress Management

• Poor sleep quality and chronic stress can negatively impact metabolic function.

• Prioritizing good sleep hygiene and stress management techniques can help improve metabolic function.

Environmental Toxins

• Exposure to environmental toxins such as BPA, phthalates, and PFAS can contribute to metabolic dysfunction.

• Reducing exposure to these toxins by avoiding plastic containers, using natural cleaning products, and filtering drinking water can help improve metabolic function.

Gut Health

• The gut microbiome plays an important role in regulating metabolism.

• Eating a diet rich in fiber and fermented foods can help support a healthy gut microbiome.

Hormonal Health

• Hormonal imbalances, such as insulin resistance and thyroid dysfunction, can contribute to metabolic dysfunction.

• Addressing hormonal imbalances through lifestyle changes and medical interventions can help improve metabolic function.

Building Muscle for Weight Loss

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of building muscle for weight loss and metabolic health.

Muscle Building is Effective for Weight Loss

• Building muscle burns more calories throughout the day.

• Resistance exercise is a preferential way to lose fat and improve metabolic health compared to cardio.

• Muscle is metabolically active tissue that burns more calories throughout the day.

Benefits of Maintaining Muscle as We Age

• Maintaining muscle as we age leads to better quality of life and longer lifespan.

• The key to maintaining muscle as we age is by eating enough protein, whole real food, and continuing resistance exercise activities throughout our lifespan.

Importance of Sleep for Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker explains how sleep impacts metabolic health.

Unique Benefits of Sleep Related to Metabolic Health

• Sleep is important for rebuilding processes that maintain our health.

• There is a two-way relationship between sleep and metabolic health. Poor metabolic health can lead to poor sleep quality, while lack of sleep can be an indicator of poor metabolic health.

• Getting enough sleep is crucial for maintaining good metabolic health.

Relationship Between Metabolic Health and Sleep Apnea

• Poor metabolic health can cause sleep apnea, which is when you stop breathing for short periods while sleeping.

• Improving your metabolic health can improve or even eliminate sleep apnea.

Sleep Problems and Food Lies

In this section, the speaker talks about his sleep problems and how he no longer has them. He also discusses the 12 deadly food lies, including the misconception that only obese people are metabolically unhealthy. The speaker is critical of doctors and their approach to medication versus preventative measures.

Sleep Problems and Food Lies

• The speaker used to snore a lot but no longer has any sleep problems.

• One of the 12 deadliest food lies is that only obese people are metabolically unhealthy.

• The speaker is critical of doctors and their approach to medication versus preventative measures.

• The speaker receives pushback from his own industry for being critical of the healthcare system's design and perspective towards medication.

Big Food Industry

In this section, the speaker defines big food as the processed food industry that prioritizes profits over health. He explains how processed foods make people hungry more often by supplying calories without meeting nutritional needs.

Big Food Industry

• Big food refers to the processed food industry that prioritizes profits over health.

• Processed foods make people hungry more often by supplying calories without meeting nutritional needs.

Fasting and Ancestral Eating Habits

In this section, the speaker discusses fasting and ancestral eating habits. He believes that our ancestors did not graze like cows in fields but rather ate two or three times a day.

Fasting and Ancestral Eating Habits

• Our ancestors did not graze like cows in fields but rather ate two or three times a day.

• The speaker believes that fasting is accurate to our ancestral eating habits.

Following Your Own Advice

In this section, the speaker talks about how he is better at following his own advice now than in the past. He also discusses how people search for nuance in health advice and want to know if there is a middle ground where they can still be metabolically healthy while enjoying treats like cookies.

Following Your Own Advice

• The speaker admits that he wasn't good at following his own advice in the past.

• However, he believes that he is pretty good at it these days because he is giving himself better advice.

• People often search for nuance in health advice and want to know if there is a middle ground where they can still be metabolically healthy while enjoying treats like cookies.

Importance of Metabolic Health Measures

• The answer to whether someone can enjoy treats like cookies and still be metabolically healthy will vary from person to person.

• This is why metabolic health measures are so important, as each person needs to figure out how they can improve their metabolic health.

• The more metabolically healthy someone gets, the more they want to remain that way.

Why Don't We Listen?

• People don't listen because they don't believe it's possible to be healthy anymore.

• Many people look around them and see that everyone's unhealthy, so they assume that they can't be any different.

Psychological Forces That Stop Us From Eating Healthy

In this section, the speaker discusses the psychological forces that prevent people from eating healthy and relying on pharmaceuticals. The addictive nature of processed foods and sugar is also discussed.

Psychological Forces That Prevent Healthy Eating

• People know what foods are good or bad for them but still struggle to make healthy choices.

• Chemical components in processed food make it addictive, similar to sugar which is found in almost everything.

• The food industry knows about the addictive nature of sugar but still includes it in their products.

• Giving up sugar can be difficult, but over time, the desire for it decreases.

Conversation Cards

In this section, the host introduces conversation cards that guests have written questions on. These cards can be used to start deeper conversations with friends.

Diary of a SEO Conversation Cards

• Guests write questions on these cards for future guests to answer.

• QR codes on the back of each card link to videos of previous guests answering their question.

• These cards can be used at home to start deeper conversations with friends.

Tell Me Something You Have Never Told Anyone Before

In this section, the host asks a guest a personal question from one of the conversation cards.

Personal Question

• The guest admits they are not sure if they can solve the problem they are trying to solve regarding health.

• Despite this uncertainty, they will continue trying to fulfill their mission.

Can We Solve Our Health Problems?

In this section, the host and guest discuss whether society can change direction towards healthier living and away from reliance on pharmaceuticals.

Solving Health Problems

• The guest questions whether the problem of unhealthy living is too big to solve.

• Despite this, they will continue trying to make a difference.

• The host asks if society can change direction towards healthier living and away from reliance on pharmaceuticals.

Concerns about the Future of Health

In this section, the speaker expresses concerns about the current state of health and metabolic health in the Western world. He worries that if we don't change our course in the next 50 years, there won't be enough healthy people left to maintain society.

The Speaker's Concerns

• The speaker is concerned that we may not be able to solve our health problems.

• Not everyone will be able to extricate themselves from their current situation.

• The speaker asks whether we'll be in a better or worse position regarding health and metabolic health in 50 years.

• The speaker believes that if we're not in a better position, society won't survive.

Coping with Trauma as a Heart Surgeon

In this section, the interviewer asks the heart surgeon how he copes with trauma associated with his job. The surgeon explains that while it can be difficult when surgeries don't turn out well, he focuses on the positive impact he has on patients' lives.

Coping Strategies

• The surgeon hasn't sought psychological support but deals with trauma by focusing on positive outcomes.

• Positive feedback from patients who have improved after surgery helps him cope.

• While difficult when surgeries don't go well, knowing he's having a net positive impact makes it worthwhile.

Importance of Targeting Root Causes for Better Health

In this section, the interviewer praises the heart surgeon for targeting root causes of health problems rather than just treating symptoms. They discuss the importance of health and how it impacts every aspect of our lives.

Importance of Health

• The interviewer discusses his interest in learning more about how to live a longer, fuller life.

• Quality of life is more important than just extending life.

• Health is fundamental to being better as humans, whether as entrepreneurs or artists.

• Without good health, everything we've built and love would come to an end.

Closing Thoughts

In this section, the interviewer thanks the heart surgeon for his work and emphasizes the importance of good health. They discuss how health impacts every aspect of our lives and why it's crucial to prioritize it.

Importance of Good Health

• Good health is the foundation for everything we do in life.

• Prioritizing health is crucial for living a long, fulfilling life.

Advice to Stay in My Lane

In this section, the speaker talks about the advice he received earlier in his career from his mentors to stay in his lane. He explains how he followed this advice as a heart surgeon but now realizes that it was not the best approach.

Focusing on Heart Surgery Only

• The speaker followed the advice of staying in his lane and focused only on doing heart surgery.

• He realized that he needs to treat the whole patient and not just focus on their heart surgery.

• Addressing the root cause of patients' problems is important, and working upstream can help prevent them from coming back after surgery.

• The speaker emphasizes addressing the whole person and not just their heart disease.

Optimism for Metabolic Health

In this section, the speaker expresses optimism for metabolic health in 50 years due to education and information sharing. He also thanks Philip for writing an accessible book on cardiovascular health.

Optimism for Metabolic Health

• The speaker expresses optimism that we will be in a better place regarding metabolic health in 50 years due to education and information sharing.

• He thanks Philip for writing an accessible book on cardiovascular health that he enjoyed reading.