Is it Worse to Be Overfat or Under Lean? with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers, Rupa Health, and InsideTracker. If we want to age as well as possible, maintain function and strength, and stay independent as we age, there is a key area of our physiology that we need to pay attention to: muscle. Skeletal muscle is the currency of aging; it’s an essential lever in maintaining optimal metabolic health, reducing body fat, and supporting longevity. And a major piece of building and maintaining muscle is protein consumption—which is often a controversial topic in the nutrition space. Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I talk with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon about the science of muscle mass, protein sources, and healthy aging and how we can all pay attention to these things in our daily lives. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a Washington University fellowship-trained physician in Nutritional Science and Geriatrics and is board certified in Family Medicine. She is the founder of the Institute for Muscle Centric-Medicine™ and has a private practice that services the leaders, innovators, mavericks, and executives in their prospective fields. In addition, Dr. Lyon also works closely with Special Operations Military. Her goal is to change the paradigm of medicine from obesity-focused to muscle-centric and change the way we think about health and medicine with high scientific integrity. This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers, Rupa Health, and InsideTracker. Magnesium Breakthrough really stands out from the other magnesium supplements out there. BiOptimizers is offering my community 10% off, so just head over to bioptimizers.com/drhyman with code drhyman. ​​Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman. Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version): Why muscle is key to overall health and longevity (5:25 / 2:14) How much protein should you eat vs the government’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) (11:12 / 9:26) Essential amino acids, animal vs plant sources of protein, and building muscle (18:55 / 15:10) How much protein do you need to eat with each meal? (29:04 / 26:02) Research showing that dietary protein will reduce hunger and cravings (33:54 / 29:15) High-protein food sources (37:22 / 32:19) Is meat bad for your health? (39:38 / 34:44) Stimulating mTOR, our “longevity switch” (45:55 / 37:23) Muscle-centric medicine (54:50 / 50:08) Dr. Lyon’s daily diet and exercise routine (1:05:09 / 1:00:24) Check out Dr. Lyon’s podcast, The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show, here. Get her free protocol with a food guide and subscribe to Dr. Lyon’s newsletter at drgabriellelyon.com.