Full show notes: BenGreenfieldLife.com/lowcarbhighcarb

In this episode, I'm re-airing the first debate ever held on the Boundless Life podcast, with repeat guest Jay Feldman and Duke obesity medicine physician Dr. Eric Westman going head to head on whether your cells run better on carbohydrates or fat. The carbs-are-good, carbs-are-bad argument has only gotten louder, and this is still the best version of it I've heard.

You'll hear Jay's case that burning fat creates more oxidative stress and drives up stress hormones like glucagon and cortisol over time, and Eric's case from decades of reversing type 2 diabetes in his clinic. We get into the KetoSAge study that pulled keto-adapted women out of ketosis, the KETO Trial on keto dieters with very high LDL cholesterol, what a failing heart actually burns, and why keto adaptation can take months.

We close on the membrane pacemaker theory of aging, survival versus thriving, how I scale my own carbs to training and travel, and the three carb levels Eric lays out inEnd Your Carb Confusion. Whether you eat keto, high-carb, or somewhere in between, this debate will sharpen how you think about fuel.

Episode Sponsors:

Forkful: Chef-cooked, ready-to-eat meals made with premium ingredients and zero seed oils, delivered fresh and ready in under 3 minutes. Visit ForkfulMeals.com and use code BEN50 for 50% off your first order.

Just Thrive: A spore-based probiotic with four strains designed to survive digestion and support a healthy gut. Start a 90-day probiotic subscription and get a free 90-day supply of their Digestive Bitters, a $90 value. Visit get.justthrivehealth.com/pages/ben to claim the offer.

Dr. Murray Natural Products – ThymoQuin®: A clinically researched black seed oil formulated to support healthy cortisol levels and resilience to everyday stress. Visit doctormurray.com/ben and use code BEN25 for 25% off all Dr. Murray Natural Products.

Tiny Health: An at-home microbiome test with personalized, evidence-based recommendations based on your results. Get $50 off your first at-home test kit at TinyHealth.com/BEN.

Xtendlife Prosta Support Advanced: A daily prostate support formula with saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, and botanicals. Visit bengreenfieldlife.com/xtendlife and use code GREENFIELD for 15% off your order.

Nuchido: Nuchido TIME+ supports NAD production, recycling, and preservation for healthy aging at the cellular level. Visit BenGreenfieldLife.com/Nuchido and use code BEN20 to save 20% on your order.

Full show notes:<a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com/lowcarbhighcarb"> BenGreenfieldLife.com/lowcarbhighcarb</a>
In this episode, I'm re-airing the first debate ever held on the Boundless Life podcast, with repeat guest<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jfwellness/"> Jay Feldman</a> and Duke obesity medicine physician<a href="https://www.instagram.com/drericwestman/?hl=en"> Dr. Eric Westman</a> going head to head on whether your cells run better on carbohydrates or fat. The carbs-are-good, carbs-are-bad argument has only gotten louder, and this is still the best version of it I've heard.
You'll hear Jay's case that burning fat creates more<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/oxidative-stress"> oxidative stress</a> and drives up stress hormones like glucagon and cortisol over time, and Eric's case from decades of reversing type 2 diabetes in his clinic. We get into the<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/21/15621"> KetoSAge study</a> that pulled keto-adapted women out of ketosis, the<a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.101109"> KETO Trial</a> on keto dieters with very high LDL cholesterol, what a failing heart actually burns, and why keto adaptation can take months.
We close on the membrane pacemaker theory of aging, survival versus thriving, how I scale my own carbs to training and travel, and the three carb levels Eric lays out in<a href="https://amzn.to/4854kYq"> End Your Carb Confusion</a>. Whether you eat keto, high-carb, or somewhere in between, this debate will sharpen how you think about fuel.
Episode Sponsors:
<a href="https://forkfulmeals.com">Forkful</a>: Chef-cooked, ready-to-eat meals made with premium ingredients and zero seed oils, delivered fresh and ready in under 3 minutes. Visit<a href="https://forkfulmeals.com"> ForkfulMeals.com</a> and use code BEN50 for 50% off your first order.
<a href="https://get.justthrivehealth.com/pages/ben">Just Thrive</a>: A spore-based probiotic with four strains designed to survive digestion and support a healthy gut. Start a 90-day probiotic subscription and get a free 90-day supply of their Digestive Bitters, a $90 value. Visit<a href="https://get.justthrivehealth.com/pages/ben"> get.justthrivehealth.com/pages/ben</a> to claim the offer.
<a href="https://doctormurray.com/ben">Dr. Murray Natural Products &ndash; ThymoQuin&reg;</a>: A clinically researched black seed oil formulated to support healthy cortisol levels and resilience to everyday stress. Visit<a href="https://doctormurray.com/ben"> doctormurray.com/ben</a> and use code BEN25 for 25% off all Dr. Murray Natural Products.
<a href="https://tinyhealth.com/BEN">Tiny Health</a>: An at-home microbiome test with personalized, evidence-based recommendations based on your results. Get $50 off your first at-home test kit at<a href="https://tinyhealth.com/BEN"> TinyHealth.com/BEN</a>.
<a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com/xtendlife">Xtendlife Prosta Support Advanced</a>: A daily prostate support formula with saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, and botanicals. Visit<a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com/xtendlife"> bengreenfieldlife.com/xtendlife</a> and use code GREENFIELD for 15% off your order.
<a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com/Nuchido">Nuchido</a>: Nuchido TIME+ supports NAD production, recycling, and preservation for healthy aging at the cellular level. Visit<a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com/Nuchido"> BenGreenfieldLife.com/Nuchido</a> and use code BEN20 to save 20% on your order.

Free fitness, nutrition, biohacking, fat loss, anti-aging and cutting-edge health advice from BenGreenfieldLife.com! Tune in to the latest research, interviews with exercise, diet and medical professionals, and an entertaining mash-up of ancestral wisdom and modern science, along with Q&A's and mind-body-spirit optimizing content from America's top personal trainer.