https://youtu.be/4CEV4URghPY

Your metabolism affects everything from energy levels and cravings to long-term health. But, metabolic health is far more complex than calories in and calories out. In this episode of Next Level Health, Dr. Melinda Ring talks with integrative pharmacist and nutrition expert Dr. Lara Zakaria about new tools and technologies are changing the way we understand metabolism. They discuss:

• What metabolic flexibility really means
• Signs your metabolism may not be functioning optimally
• How continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) reveal blood sugar patterns
• The pros and cons of health wearables like Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Whoop, and Fitbit
• What we're learning about GLP-1 medications and metabolic health
• Why body composition matters more than weight or BMI

You'll also hear practical strategies you can start using today to improve metabolic health, including strength training, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. If you've ever wondered why your energy crashes, why weight loss can be difficult, or how wearable health technology fits into the future of medicine, this conversation offers an evidence-based look at the science behind metabolism.

00:00 – Why Better Health Data Helps People Make Better Decisions
A powerful insight into how the right information can drive lasting behavior change.

00:00:27 – Podcast Introduction: Tools to Improve Metabolic Health
Dr. Melinda Ring introduces integrative pharmacist and nutrition expert Dr. Lara Zakaria.

00:00:58 – What Is a Healthy Metabolism?
Moving beyond calories and BMI to understand metabolism and energy production.

00:02:48 – Metabolic Flexibility: The Key to Burning Fat and Glucose
How your body switches between fuel sources and why this matters for health.

00:05:14 – Signs of Poor Metabolic Health (Prediabetes, Fatty Liver, "Hangry")
Common warning signs that your metabolism may not be functioning optimally.

00:06:58 – Lara Zakaria's Personal Health Journey and Career Path
How her own metabolic challenges led her into nutrition, functional medicine, and lifestyle medicine.

00:10:27 – The Explosion of Health Tech and Wearables
How modern tools are helping people understand their bodies in real time.

00:13:05 – Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs): What They Teach Us About Blood Sugar
How CGMs reveal patterns between food, stress, sleep, and glucose spikes.

00:17:25 – Making Sense of Health Data Without Overwhelm
Why clinicians, nutritionists, and health coaches are essential for interpreting wearable data.

00:18:45 – The Lumen Device: Measuring Metabolic Flexibility at Home
A breath test that estimates whether your body is burning carbs or fat.

00:20:47 – The Lifestyle Foundations of Metabolic Health
Protein intake, strength training, sleep, stress, and gut health.

00:23:11 – GLP-1 Medications Explained: Metabolism, Muscle Loss, and Inflammation
What we're learning about drugs like Ozempic and their metabolic effects.

00:25:41 – Best Fitness Wearables for Tracking Health and Recovery
Oura Ring, Whoop, Fitbit, and how they measure stress, sleep, and heart rate variability.

00:28:59 – Why You Should Stop Focusing on the Scale
The importance of body composition over weight and BMI.

00:31:31 – DEXA Scans vs At-Home Body Composition Scales
How to measure muscle mass and visceral fat for better metabolic tracking.

00:35:11 – One Simple Habit to Boost Your Metabolism This Week
Lift something heavier: the power of strength training for metabolic health.

00:36:19 – Final Thoughts: Building a Stronger, More Resilient Metabolism

Produced by the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University.

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When heart disease, cancer or diabetes runs in your family, it can feel like your health story is already written — but it doesn't have to be. In this episode of Next Level Health, Dr. Melinda Ring talks with integrative and culinary medicine physician Dr. Shad Marvasti, author of Longevity Made Simple, about how everyday habits can shape long-term health. Dr. Marvasti explains his DRESS Code framework — Diet, Relationships, Exercise, Stress, and Sleep — and how these five lifestyle factors influence how our genes behave and how we age.

https://youtu.be/VtlfKtfpq0o

00:00 Lifestyle vs genetics: What really determines health

00:56 The DRESS Code for longevity

02:07 Epigenetics explained simply

05:34 Can lifestyle increase longevity?

09:11 The role of diet in aging well

10:17 Real food vs processed food

16:44 Resetting your taste buds in 28 days

20:29 Easy cooking strategies for better health

22:23 Why relationships affect longevity

26:35 Exercise, stress, and sleep explained

27:34 Healthy stress vs chronic stress

32:31 The future of whole health medicine

36:49 Final advice for living longer

Trauma is one of the most overlooked drivers of chronic illness and stalled healing, and it's not just psychological, new research is suggesting it is biological, too. In this episode, Dr. Melinda Ring talks to Dr. Aimie Apigian about how trauma reshapes the body and nervous system, drawing from Apigian's bestselling book, The Biology of Trauma. Together, they explore why creating safety in the body is essential to healing and how understanding trauma's biology can unlock a new path forward.

https://youtu.be/WhAfbdEJccY

00:00 – Why Trauma Healing Requires Mind, Body, and Biology

00:00:14 – Welcome to Next Level Health

00:00:45 – Could Trauma Be the Root Cause of Chronic Illness?

00:01:54 – Trauma Isn't Just Big Events—It's Chronic Overwhelm

00:03:04 – Nothing Is Wrong With Your Body: Removing Shame From Trauma

00:04:11 – When Love Feels Unsafe: How Trauma Shapes Relationships

00:07:09 – Burnout Isn't a Failure—It's a Trauma Pattern

00:08:02 – When the Body Finally Says No: Trauma and Autoimmune Disease

00:10:53 – Trauma Is a Biological Survival Response

00:14:53 – Do All Bodies React the Same Way to Trauma?

00:18:00 – The Five Stages of the Trauma Response

00:22:42 – Freeze and Shutdown Are Not Weakness

00:23:52 – How Trauma Gets Stored as Chronic Inflammation and Pain

00:27:38 – Trauma: The Missing Root Cause in Functional Medicine

00:28:31 – Trauma or Gut Health: Which One Comes First?

00:29:30 – Why Pushing Through Trauma Can Make You Sicker

00:31:23 – Healing Begins With Nervous System Safety

00:34:53 – Your Nervous System Is Always Listening

00:36:57 – How Trauma Patterns Get Passed Down (And How to Stop It)

00:41:14 – Simple Somatic Practices That Help the Body Feel Safe Again

00:43:30 – How to Gently Shift Out of Survival Mode

00:43:50 – A Hopeful Path Forward in Trauma and Chronic Illness Healing

Subscribe to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OCIHNorthwestern Follow the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nmoshercenter/ Website: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ocih/index.html Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ocih/about-us/newsletter.html