Episode 294- What We've Gotten Wrong About Cholesterol, Heart Disease, and Metabolic Health with Daniel Trevor

What if we've been focusing on the wrong things when it comes to preventing heart disease?

In this episode of Optimal Metabolism, I sit down with Daniel Trevor, heart attack survivor, citizen scientist, serial entrepreneur, and author of Unholy Trinity: How Carbs, Sugar & Oils Make Us Fat, Sick & Addicted and How to Escape Their Grip.

Daniel's interest in cardiovascular and metabolic health became deeply personal after suffering a heart attack despite believing he was doing the right things for his health. That experience sent him deep into the research surrounding cholesterol, insulin resistance, blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, nutrition, and cardiovascular disease.

And this conversation challenges a LOT of conventional thinking!

We explore whether cholesterol alone gives us an accurate picture of cardiovascular risk, why metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance deserve much more attention in the heart disease conversation, and which tests Daniel believes can provide a better picture of what's happening before a cardiovascular event occurs.

We also get into statins, vegetable oils, low-fat diets, processed foods, obesity, prediabetes, and why our rates of metabolic disease have risen so dramatically.

You don't have to agree with every perspective presented in this episode to benefit from asking better questions about your health. My hope is that this conversation encourages you to become more informed about your own metabolic health, understand your numbers, and have deeper conversations with your healthcare provider.

WHAT WE DISCUSSED:

• Daniel's own heart attack and why it completely changed the direction of his life
• Why he began questioning conventional thinking surrounding cholesterol and heart disease
• Is high cholesterol always an accurate predictor of cardiovascular risk?
• The relationship between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, blood sugar, and heart disease
• Why prediabetes and insulin resistance can go undetected for years
• Which cardiovascular tests and markers Daniel believes deserve more attention
• The controversy surrounding statins and their relationship with blood sugar and type 2 diabetes
• What Daniel believes we've gotten wrong about vegetable oils and dietary fat
• Why he challenges conventional low-fat nutrition advice
• Processed foods, appetite, cravings, and our modern food environment
• What's really behind the dramatic rise in obesity and metabolic disease
• What the Blue Zones can—and can't—teach us about longevity
• Practical steps you can take to better understand your metabolic and cardiovascular health

ABOUT DANIEL TREVOR

Daniel Trevor is a citizen scientist, serial entrepreneur, heart attack survivor, and author of Unholy Trinity: How Carbs, Sugar & Oils Make Us Fat, Sick & Addicted and How to Escape Their Grip.

Following his own heart attack, Daniel immersed himself in research surrounding cardiovascular disease and metabolic health. His book draws from more than 1,200 scientific references as he explores the relationships among our modern diet, insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Learn more about Daniel and his work: DanielTrevor.com

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