3x More Cortisol Receptors: Why Stress Puts Fat On Your Belly First | Cynthia Thurlow #1371

What if your biological age doesn't tell the whole story? In this episode, Ben sits down with Dr. Will Cole, leading functional medicine expert and co-author of Heal Your Cells (written with Dr. Josh Axe), to explore why aging may be far more individualized than a single biological-age number suggests. They discuss research showing that different organs can age at different rates, why some cells within the same organ may age unevenly, and how deeper testing could reveal vulnerabilities that standard bloodwork may overlook. Dr. Cole also explains how he approaches functional lab testing, environmental toxins, chronic stress, sleep, nutrition, and other factors that influence how the body ages. He shares what he wishes he had known before losing his father to a cardiovascular event and why looking beyond standard reference ranges can provide a more personalized picture of health. They also break down a promising 12-week pilot study that reported nearly six years of biological-age reversal through a combination of personalized nutrition, botanicals, stress reduction, sleep optimization, and physical activity, while emphasizing why larger randomized controlled trials are still needed. This conversation is ultimately about moving from simply measuring age to understanding how your body is actually aging and where you have the greatest opportunity to intervene. 📚 Heal Your Cells releases September 8. If you're listening on release day, it's out tomorrow:Get Heal Your Cells: Heal Your Cells: Reversing the Irreversible--A Proven Plan to Heal Faster, Reclaim Energy, and Unlock Longevity FOLLOW DR. WILL COLEWebsite: Dr. Will Cole | Functional Medicine PractitionerAbout Dr. Cole: About Dr. Will ColeInstagram: Dr. Will Cole (@drwillcole) • Instagram profile 📚 GET BEN'S BOOKS:Metabolic Freedom: Metabolic FreedomKeto Flex: Ben Azadi introduces the revised edition of Keto Flex FOLLOW BEN AZADIInstagram: Ben Azadi (@thebenazadi) • Instagram profileFacebook: Ben Azadi, FDN-PTikTok: Ben Azadi - Metabolic Freedom on TikTokLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benazadiYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BenAzadiWebsite: Home - Ben Azadi

What if losing weight isn't the first step to getting healthy? In this episode, Ben joins Jesse Chappus to challenge the idea that excess weight is the root problem. Ben explains why he sees weight as a symptom of deeper metabolic dysfunction and shares the approach that helped him lose 80 pounds of fat in nine months after years of struggling with obesity. They break down why simply eating less and exercising more can become a frustrating cycle, how inflammation and hormones influence metabolic health, and why focusing on whole foods instead of ultra-processed foods is a powerful place to start. Ben also explains why eliminating constant snacking, building and preserving lean muscle, prioritizing protein, and supporting recovery all play a role in maintaining a healthy metabolism. He shares insights from the landmark 2021 Science study led by Dr. Herman Pontzer, which analyzed more than 6,400 people across 29 countries, including what it revealed about metabolic changes across adulthood and the role of muscle mass later in life. The conversation also explores creatine, protein intake, carbohydrates, insulin, and the importance of looking beyond the number on the scale. The bigger message is simple: don't make weight the only metric you care about. Build metabolic health first, and let the results follow. 📚 Get Ben's books:Metabolic FreedomKetoFlex FOLLOW BEN AZADIInstagram: Ben Azadi (@thebenazadi) • Instagram profileYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KetoKampWebsite: Home - Ben Azadi Follow Jesse Chappus:Website: The -[p Chappus ShowPodcast: The Jesse Chappus Show, available on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessechappusshow/

What if the reason keto isn't working for you has less to do with the diet itself; and more to do with your liver, your fats, and how well your body adapts to stress? In this episode, Ben chats with nurse practitioner, bestselling author, and host of the Everyday Wellness podcast Cynthia Thurlow to break down why keto fails so many women, and what to do about it. They dive into the two biggest culprits behind keto struggles: a backed-up liver that isn't producing healthy bile, and consuming the wrong types of fats that drive inflammation instead of healing. From simple bile-boosting strategies like bitter foods, apple cider vinegar, and ox bile supplementation to swapping processed seed oils for stable fats like butter, ghee, and beef tallow, Ben and Cynthia cover practical steps that can make a ketogenic approach actually work, especially for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. They also explore why chronic cortisol activation could be sabotaging your results, how to use heart rate variability and blood glucose testing to know if fasting is helping or hurting you, and why the concept of "keto flexing", intentionally cycling in and out of ketosis with strategic feast days—may be the missing piece for long-term metabolic flexibility. No rigid protocols. No one-size-fits-all approach. Just smarter strategies that meet your body where it is. To learn more about Cynthia Thurlow and her work: Website: cynthiathurlow.com Instagram: @cynthia_thurlow_ FOLLOW BEN AZADI Website: www.BenAzadi.comInstagram: @TheBenAzadiFacebook: @TheBenAzadiTikTok: @TheBenAzadiLinkedIn: @BenAzadiYouTube: Ben Azadi BEN AZADI'S BOOKS Keto Flex: Get Keto Flex + Bonuses Metabolic Freedom: Get Metabolic Freedom

What if improving your metabolism has less to do with complicated protocols—and more to do with the small choices you make every day? In this episode, Ben chats with health and biohacking expert Dylan Gemelli to dive into some of the fundamentals that matter most: sunlight, gut health, fasting, ketosis, food order, glucose, and movement. From eating protein first, fat second, and carbs last to taking a simple 10-minute walk after a meal, Ben and Dylan discuss practical strategies that can help you better understand and support your metabolism. No complicated protocols. Just better information and simple actions you can actually apply. To learn more about Dylan Gemelli and his work:  Website: www.dylangemelli.com  Podcast: The Dylan Gemelli Podcast FOLLOW BEN AZADI Website: www.BenAzadi.comInstagram: @TheBenAzadiFacebook: @TheBenAzadiTikTok: @TheBenAzadiLinkedIn: @BenAzadiYouTube: Ben Azadi BEN AZADI'S BOOKS Keto Flex: Get Keto Flex + Bonuses Metabolic Freedom: Get Metabolic Freedom

 Book Mentioned in This Episode:The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles What happens when you feed your mind the same message every single day for a year? For 365 days, Ben read or listened to the same three chapters from The Science of Getting Rich. Over that year, he watched so many areas of his life change—his relationships, marriage, health, mindset, gratitude, and wealth. Ben doesn’t believe the book magically created those results. It changed the way he thought, and that changed the way he lived. In this episode, Ben breaks down the three chapters, why he read them in that exact order, and how repetition can reshape your mindset, habits, gratitude, relationships, health, and approach to wealth. He also shares the 90-day challenge he wants you to try.  Listen or watch the full episode:I Read the Same 3 Chapters Every Day for 365 Days — Here's What Happened | The Ben Azadi Show #1369 FOLLOW BEN AZADI:  Website:BenAzadi.com  Instagram:@thebenazadi  TikTok:@thebenazadi  LinkedIn:Ben Azadi  YouTube:Keto Kamp BEN AZADI’S BOOKS Keto FlexGet Keto Flex + Bonuses Metabolic FreedomGet Metabolic Freedom

Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → ketoflexbook.com It’s not too late to change your health. In this episode, Alex Montalenti came back to the show to review what changed in his bloodwork over just 90 days. We broke down his nutrition, training, sleep, inflammation, and the simple habits that helped move his health markers in the right direction. What I love about Alex’s story is that he didn’t need to completely change his life overnight. He made better choices consistently, took responsibility for what he was putting into his body, and started seeing the results. Your health can change at any age. It starts with the choices you make today. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → benazadi.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → benazadi.com

Visit Stephen's Website Here: http://revivewellnesscompany.com/ 📘 Ben's book Keto Flex is out now. Grab it and claim your free bonuses → ⁠https://ketoflexbook.com⁠ For years, I thought my lower back pain was something I simply had to live with. I tried everything from chiropractic care and acupuncture to red light therapy, inversion tables, braces, and more. Nothing addressed why the pain kept coming back. Then I met Stephen Shin. In this episode, we talk about what actually changed for me, why movement and breathing matter, and why getting to the root cause can completely change the way you approach pain and strength. If you've dealt with chronic back pain, I think this conversation will give you a completely different perspective. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → ⁠https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals⁠ Ben's website → ⁠http://www.benazadi.com

Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM For years, I thought my health struggles were just genetics. Then I realized I had to take responsibility. That shift changed how I ate, moved, thought, and ultimately lived. Nine months later, I had lost 80 pounds. In this conversation with Dr. Daniel Pompa, we go deeper into the mindset shift that changed everything and how pain can become purpose. That purpose became my mission: helping others find metabolic freedom. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

📘 Ben's book Keto Flex is out now. Grab it and claim your free bonuses → https://ketoflexbook.com You might be tracking your heart rate, but are you tracking HRV? In this episode, Ben Azadi and Alex Montalenti break down what heart rate variability can tell you about stress, recovery, and how well your body is adapting. What we get into: Why HRV is a powerful marker for understanding your nervous system and recovery. How to find your personal baseline and why you shouldn't compare your number to someone else's. Why the goal isn't to avoid stress, but to apply stress, recover, and adapt. The everyday habits that can impact HRV, from sleep and exercise to late-night eating, alcohol, and recovery. How to use HRV to know when to push yourself and when it's time to slow down. The other key markers worth tracking, including resting heart rate, deep sleep, REM sleep, and VO2 max. One line to remember: Test, don't guess. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

A lot of people are now feeling "old" symptoms in their 20s and 30s fatigue, brain fog, slower recovery, decades before their parents ever did. What's actually happening inside your cells before you can even feel it? By the time you notice it, your mitochondria have already been quietly losing power for years. In this episode, I sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Siobhan (PhD in Neuroscience, 25 years researching mitochondria) to break down why aging is really happening at the cellular level, and what you can do about it starting today. Why symptoms that used to show up in your 50s, 60s, and 70s are now showing up in your 20s and 30s What's really happening when your mitochondria "stop working as well" — and why that hits your brain and muscles first The real reason you can't train, eat, or bounce back the way you did in your 20s Why mitochondria act like the "CEO" of your cells — controlling everything from energy production to your immune response The surprising truth about mitochondrial DNA: you only inherit it from your mother, and a single egg can carry over 700,000 mitochondria How oxidative stress from your mitochondria drives nearly every hallmark of aging — DNA damage, inflammation, and more The hidden link between dopamine hits (social media, processed food) and accelerated brain aging Why motivation naturally fades as you age — and how it traces directly back to mitochondrial energy production The top 3–5 habits silently destroying your mitochondria (and the ones that protect them) Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM Remember this: Your mitochondria don't just power your cells — they decide how long, and how well, you actually live. Use code BEN10 for 10% off at https://bit.ly/4xK1imd. For subscriptions, this adds an additional 10% off, for up to 30% off Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com