40 Years in Addiction Medicine: Why Sugar Is the Gateway Drug, How Cravings Rewire the Reward Center, and the Truth About Food Addiction with Bitten Jonsson | #1358

📘 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

Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM What if the way you respond to stress is affecting your health more than you realize? In this Freedom Friday episode, Ben Azadi and Alex dive into the hidden connection between survival mode, stress, relationships, and your health. They break down why constantly reacting to life can keep you stuck in a state of scarcity, and how learning to pause, respond, and shift your perspective can change the way you experience your day. What we get into: - Why your body can get stuck in a cycle of stress and survival mode- How everyday stressors can compound over time.- The difference between reacting and responding, and why the space between the two matters.- How breathing can help you interrupt an automatic stress response.- Why gratitude and abundance can completely shift the way you approach your day. One line to remember: You can't always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

You felt fine this morning. You went to the gym, ate your usual, told yourself you were healthy. But your blood work is telling a completely different story, and by the time your body starts shouting, the damage has been years in the making. In this episode, I read Alex's full lab panel live and show him exactly where "normal" was quietly hiding a real problem. Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM What we get into: Why "in range" on your labs is not the same as healthy, and how the reference range is built on the average of an unhealthy population The markerbiohacksasic yearly panel skips: triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, LP(a), homocysteine, fasting insulin, and free testosterone How Alex felt totally fine while sitting at pre-diabetic blood sugar, a testosterone of 225, and a cardiovascular risk ratio of 8.2 The simple swaps that move the needle: killing seed oils, cutting the sugar hiding in green juices, and mastering the foundations before the fancy biohacks Remember this: If you treat your health casually, you will end up a casualty. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

Get Justin's Holy Health book here: http://www.holyhealthbook.com Get Ben's new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM Two studies say the opposite thing about faith and health. Harvard followed 74,000 women and found the ones who went to church more than once a week were 33% less likely to die. Northwestern followed young adults and found the most religiously involved were 50% more likely to become obese by middle age. Live longer, get sicker. In this episode, Ben Azadi sits down with Justin, former NHL performance coach and author of the new book Holy Health, to unpack how that contradiction is even possible and what to actually do about it. Justin's new book Holy Health is out now → https://holyhealthbook.com What we get into: Why "burnout in the name of God" is not holy, and the "devil's playbook" that quietly takes your health apart (distraction, disconnection, division, discouragement, depletion) The three things every cell needs to thrive: oxygen, detoxification, and nutrients Oxygen made simple: VO2 max, and how much zone 2 and zone 5 training you actually need each week Why sleep quality, not juice cleanses, is the real language of detox, plus the 3-2-1 rule for deeper sleep Why your "normal" blood work can look fine while your cells are starving, and what homocysteine and methylation reveal Heart rate variability as the body's language, and Justin's honest take on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic One line to remember: distraction is focusing on good things instead of God things. 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 Out of every superfood, supplement, and biohack Ben has studied in 18 years, one thing beats them all. And it's completely free. In this Freedom Friday episode, Ben Azadi and Alex break down "Vitamin G," gratitude, and why it might be the most underrated tool for your brain, your body, and your metabolism. This isn't woo woo. They get into the actual science of how gratitude rewires your brain, lowers cortisol, strengthens your immune system, and even shows up in your mitochondria. What we get into: Why gratitude is a feeling, not a checklist, and the small shift that changes everything The Harvard study on 49,275 nurses that tied gratitude to a 9% drop in all-cause mortality How gratitude lowers cortisol through oxytocin, and why that matters for belly fat and sleep The reticular activating system and the "red Audi" effect that trains your brain to see more good A simple 3-minute morning and night practice you can start tonight The Vitamin G movement, and the one text that could transform your relationships One line to remember: Gratitude is strength training for your soul. The more you take, the more you produce. 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 Why do we keep sabotaging the exact health, body, and life we say we want? In this Transformation Tuesday episode, Ben Azadi and Alex go deep on the real reason you keep going back to the same unhealthy habits, even when part of you knows better. It comes down to the software that was installed in you before you were seven years old, and a set of invisible chains you have never questioned. They break down how to actually rewrite that programming so the change finally sticks. What we get into: The "paradigm" running your life on autopilot, and why it was set before you turned seven The chained elephant story that explains why you stay stuck when you could easily break free How food and pharma companies engineered your cravings on purpose Why being wired for addiction is secretly a superpower once you learn to channel it The number one regret of the dying, and how to make sure it never becomes yours Why you can't outperform your own self-image, and the simple index card practice Ben used to rewire his How to stop reacting to your past and start creating from your future One line to remember: You can't escape a prison if you don't know you're in one. 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 Grab Bitten's book Sugar Bomb in Your Brain here → https://amzn.to/4wrHXpD What if the reason you can't stop at one cookie has nothing to do with willpower, and everything to do with your brain chemistry? In this episode, Ben Azadi sits down with addiction specialist Bitten Jonsson, who has spent nearly 40 years treating sugar and carb addiction. She breaks down how sugar acts like a psychoactive drug that hijacks your reward center, why some people are wired to be far more susceptible than others, and how three forces inside the body quietly drive the cycle of craving, bingeing, and shame. This might be the most eye-opening conversation we've had on why "just eat less" almost never works. What we get into: Why sugar, flour, and starches all act as psychoactive substances, not just the white powder The three types of eaters, and how to tell an addict from a harmful user The three forces driving overeating: the reward center, the reptilian brain, and the pancreas Why sensitivity to sugar is actually a survival superpower, not a weakness How real addiction hides behind labels like anorexia and binge eating disorder Why keto and carnivore can heal the system when moderation keeps failing The role of purpose, energy, and gratitude (vitamin G) in lasting recovery One line to remember: You are not addicted to food. You are addicted to the psychoactive substances hiding inside so many foods. Learn more about Bitten's work at https://bittensaddiction.com Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com

Get Ben's brand new book Keto Flex here → https://bit.ly/4wKG1sM What's the point of hitting every goal if you're too burned out, sick, or exhausted to actually enjoy it? In this episode, Ben Azadi and his business partner Alex Montalente get real about the true cost of "sleep when I'm dead" hustle culture, and why grinding harder is quietly wrecking your health, your relationships, and even the success you're chasing. Alex opens up about the night he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car into a cemetery, and Ben shares the panic attack that hit him right before a major launch after doing 65 podcast interviews in 60 days. Then they flip it and show you how to actually have it all: the health, the happiness, and the success. What we get into: A new definition of success that finally takes the pressure off The quiet warning signs your body sends before a full burnout How to work smarter, not harder, with the 3-day schedule high performers live by (performance, buffer, and free days) Why you actually get more done by doing less The Bob Proctor idea that rewires your whole relationship with work: you work for satisfaction, you provide services for money How to stop moving the goalpost so you finally feel like you're winning One line to remember: You get more done by doing less, and you earn more by chasing purpose instead of the paycheck. 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 Most people are aging their brain every single night without knowing it. In this Transformation Tuesday episode, Ben Azadi and Alex Montalenti break down the simple daily habits that keep your brain young, sharpen your focus, and add years to your life, starting with what you do in the hours before bed. What we get into: Why adults shouldn't snack and graze, and how constant eating speeds up cellular aging and pushes your cells toward becoming inflammatory "zombie" cells. The number one non negotiable habit: closing the kitchen at least 3 hours before bed. And what late night eating really does, from spiking the only hormone that stores fat, to raising your heart rate and body temperature, to wrecking your deep and REM sleep. Your brain's overnight dishwasher. How your brain physically flushes out toxins and plaques while you sleep through the glymphatic system, and how eating too late shuts that process down, a pattern linked to dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The protein target that kills nighttime cravings: one gram per pound of your ideal body weight. Ben's full morning routine: waking without a jarring alarm, no phone first thing, red light instead of white light, and gratitude done as a feeling, not a checklist. Why sleep is the Swiss army knife of health and the single biggest needle mover for your brain and longevity. One decision to protect your sleep gives you 6 to 7 hours of healing you could never get from a workout. The compound effect of habits, why motivation fades but inspiration lasts, and how to stack one small change a week into a full transformation. One line to remember: if you treat your health casually, you will end up a casualty. Find All The Ben Azadi Show Sponsorship Deals → https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals Ben's website → http://www.benazadi.com