Quick Reference

Foods to Eat

  • Grass-fed beef, lamb, pork
  • Wild-caught fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
  • Pastured eggs
  • Non-starchy vegetables
  • Avocados
  • Nuts (macadamia, walnuts, almonds)
  • Full-fat dairy (if tolerated)
  • Olive oil, butter, ghee, coconut oil
  • Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi)

Foods to Avoid

  • Seed oils (canola, soybean, corn, sunflower)
  • Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
  • Grains (wheat, rice, oats, corn)
  • Processed foods
  • Most restaurant fried foods
  • Margarine and "vegetable" spreads
  • Fruit juice and soda
  • Low-fat products (often high sugar)

Key Metrics to Track

  • Fasting insulin (ideally <5)
  • HbA1c (ideally <5.4%)
  • Triglycerides (ideally <100)
  • HDL (ideally >60)
  • Trig/HDL ratio (ideally <1)
  • Waist circumference
  • Blood pressure
  • Fasting glucose

Recommended Reading

These books shaped my understanding of metabolic health and informed The Metabolic Equation.

Good Calories, Bad Calories

Gary Taubes

The definitive takedown of the "calories in, calories out" myth. Dense but essential reading for understanding how we got the science so wrong.

Why We Get Fat

Gary Taubes

A more accessible version of Good Calories, Bad Calories. Great starting point for understanding insulin's role in fat storage.

The Obesity Code

Dr. Jason Fung

Explains the hormonal basis of obesity and makes a compelling case for intermittent fasting as a therapeutic tool.

The Big Fat Surprise

Nina Teicholz

Investigative journalism at its best. Traces how the anti-saturated-fat crusade was built on flawed science and politics.

Deep Nutrition

Dr. Catherine Shanahan

Essential reading on seed oils and how industrial food processing damages our health at the cellular level.

Metabolical

Dr. Robert Lustig

Connects metabolic disease to processed food. Eye-opening on how the food industry has manipulated science and policy.

The Case Against Sugar

Gary Taubes

A thorough examination of sugar's role in chronic disease. Helps understand why simply reducing sugar isn't enough.

Wired to Eat

Robb Wolf

Practical guide to understanding your personal carbohydrate tolerance and optimizing your diet accordingly.

Key Research

Studies and papers that support the principles in this book.

Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Syndrome

  • Virta Health Type 2 Diabetes Reversal Study Diabetes Therapy, 2018

    Showed 60% of participants reversed their type 2 diabetes diagnosis through carbohydrate restriction, with sustained results at 2-year follow-up.

  • Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 2019

    The study finding that only 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy.

  • Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Diets Versus Low-Fat Diets Annals of Internal Medicine, 2014

    Low-carb outperformed low-fat for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors.

Seed Oils & Omega-6

  • The Sydney Diet Heart Study BMJ, 2013

    Re-analysis showed that replacing saturated fat with omega-6 linoleic acid increased risk of death.

  • Minnesota Coronary Experiment BMJ, 2016

    Recovered data showed vegetable oil lowered cholesterol but did not reduce mortality.

Intermittent Fasting

  • Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease New England Journal of Medicine, 2019

    Comprehensive review of fasting benefits including improved insulin sensitivity and cellular repair.

  • Time-Restricted Feeding and Metabolic Disease Cell Metabolism, 2018

    Benefits of time-restricted eating even without calorie reduction.

Cholesterol & Heart Disease

  • LDL-C Does Not Cause Cardiovascular Disease Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2018

    Critical review of the cholesterol hypothesis by 17 physicians and researchers.

  • Saturated Fat and Cardiovascular Disease Meta-Analysis Annals of Internal Medicine, 2014

    Found no significant association between saturated fat consumption and heart disease.

Tools & Apps

Useful tools for tracking your progress and optimizing your health.

Cronometer

Food Tracking

Most accurate food tracking app. Shows micronutrients, net carbs, and omega-3/omega-6 ratios.

Zero

Fasting Tracker

Simple, clean fasting timer with data tracking. Great for building the fasting habit.

Levels (CGM)

Glucose Monitoring

Continuous glucose monitor with insights. See exactly how foods affect your blood sugar.

InsideTracker

Blood Testing

Comprehensive blood testing with actionable recommendations. Track all key metabolic markers.

Oura Ring

Sleep & HRV

Best sleep tracker on the market. Also tracks heart rate variability for stress and recovery.

DEXA Scan

Body Composition

Most accurate way to measure body fat percentage and lean mass. Available at many clinics.

Podcasts & Videos

Learn more from leading voices in metabolic health.

The Drive

Dr. Peter Attia

Deep dives into longevity, metabolic health, and the science of living longer and better.

FoundMyFitness

Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Research-dense episodes on nutrition, fasting, and cellular health mechanisms.

Low Carb MD Podcast

Dr. Brian Lenzkes & Dr. Tro Kalayjian

Two physicians discuss the practical application of low-carb medicine.

The Huberman Lab

Dr. Andrew Huberman

Neuroscience-based insights on sleep, stress, and optimizing body and mind.

Diet Doctor Podcast

Dr. Bret Scher

Interviews with leading low-carb researchers and clinicians.

Fat Emperor

Ivor Cummins

Deep analysis of metabolic disease, insulin resistance, and root cause medicine.

Lab Tests to Request

Print this list and bring it to your doctor. These are the tests that actually matter.

Essential Tests

  • Fasting Insulin - Most important. Should be under 5 uIU/mL.
  • HbA1c - 90-day average blood sugar. Under 5.4% is optimal.
  • Fasting Glucose - Should be under 90 mg/dL.
  • Lipid Panel - Focus on triglycerides and HDL, not total cholesterol.
  • hsCRP - Inflammation marker. Should be under 1.0 mg/L.

Advanced Tests

  • NMR Lipoprofile - LDL particle count and size.
  • Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score - Actual heart disease risk.
  • HOMA-IR - Calculated measure of insulin resistance.
  • Omega-3 Index - Should be above 8%.
  • Vitamin D - Optimal range 40-60 ng/mL.
  • Ferritin - Iron storage. High levels increase risk.
  • Homocysteine - Cardiovascular and neurological marker.

How to Calculate Key Ratios

  • Trig/HDL Ratio = Triglycerides / HDL. Under 2 is good, under 1 is optimal.
  • HOMA-IR = (Fasting Insulin x Fasting Glucose) / 405. Under 1.0 is optimal.

Note: If your doctor refuses to order fasting insulin, you can order it yourself through services like Ulta Lab Tests, Life Extension, or Request A Test. This test typically costs $20-40.

Downloadable Resources