LEVELS – A Whole New Level

Dr. Ami Bhatt, cardiologist and chief innovation officer at the American College of Cardiology, discusses wearables, prevention, and digital health policy. She explores how continuous data and AI can surface early signals, when tracking creates anxiety, and why collaborative intelligence—clinicians plus AI—may reshape diagnosis, trials, and care pathways.

Greg Mushen, a technologist who applied engineering to his own biology, presents the 'Theory of Flux' and why moving energy through the body matters for metabolic health. He discusses PAL and subsistence population patterns, how walking and frequent low-intensity movement improve clearance, contrasts diets in active populations, and reframes VO2 gains as cumulative oxygen work.

Dr. Stuart Phillips, a McMaster researcher on protein, exercise, and aging. He explains why protein alone is not enough and why exercise directs protein’s benefits. He discusses why current RDAs undershoot optimal intake, the brick-wall turnover analogy, anabolic resistance with age, and myths about timing, sources, and kidney harm.

Dr. Ann Shippy, a former chemical engineer turned board-certified internal medicine and functional medicine physician focused on preconception and generational health. She discusses treating preconception as a critical 3–12 month window, how toxins and mitochondrial function shape reproductive biology, practical mini-experiments like CGMs, and simple swaps to lower chemical exposures and boost fertility.

Dr. Ronald Krauss, a leading lipid researcher known for work on LDL particle size and ApoB, breaks down how cholesterol transport and particle types shape risk. He discusses small dense LDL, lipoprotein(a), particle residence time, and why standard panels can miss metabolic drivers. Conversation also covers when advanced lipoprotein testing and lifestyle or drug strategies matter.

Dr. Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist who studies human metabolism and hunter-gatherer energetics, explains the Constrained Energy Model. He contrasts additive vs constrained views of calories. He explores Hadza findings, how the body reallocates energy across systems, why exercise does not linearly add burned calories, and what truly drives weight versus overall health.

Dr. Matthew Budoff, cardiologist and MESA study investigator known for coronary artery calcium research, explains why imaging your arteries changes risk assessment. He discusses how calcium scoring predicts events, why cholesterol only tells half the story, the role of inflammation and perivascular fat in plaque, when to escalate to CT angiography, and how plaque can regress with aggressive therapy.

Christopher Gardner, PhD, Stanford nutrition scientist who runs large diet trials. He discusses why randomized diet trials are hard to generalize. Short takes on ultra-processed foods, equipoise in study design, why macronutrient wars mislead, and lessons from the DIETFITS trial showing big individual variation despite similar average results.

Dr. Eric Ravussin, a leading expert in human metabolism and obesity, shares key insights from his extensive research, including landmark studies like CALERIE and the Biggest Loser. He explains why BMI is an inadequate obesity measure and delves into the dynamics of energy expenditure. The discussion covers metabolic adaptation and its persistence post-weight loss, the implications of GLP-1 drugs on metabolism, and why unwavering willpower isn't the solution. Ravussin also debunks myths around obesity, emphasizing genetic and environmental influences.

Gary Taubes, an investigative science journalist and author focused on nutrition, joins Mike Haney to challenge traditional views on diet and obesity. They delve into how much of nutrition science is based on shaky evidence, particularly criticizing the overreliance on observational studies. Taubes introduces the carbohydrate–insulin model, arguing it offers a clearer explanation for obesity than the calorie-balance model. He highlights the cultural dogmas in nutrition science that hinder rigorous debate and concludes by encouraging personal experimentation with low-carb diets.