Good, Better, Best: Are You Managing Your Health or Actually Fixing It?
Most people set a health goal, reach it, and stop. Quit smoking, celebrate with a milkshake, call it done. Dr. Scott Saunders wrote an article arguing that "good" is not the finish line but the on-ramp, and in this episode he walks through his good, better, best framework for food, nutrients, protein, carbs, and exercise. Along the way he shares the story of a doctor who got out of a wheelchair by eating for nutrition, and the 1% method that turned a losing British cycling team into champions.
Plus, Dr. Saunders answers viewer questions on calcium and bone strength, berberine for insulin resistance, supplements that are hard on the kidneys, occult macular dystrophy, how long CinnaChroma takes to work, how to enjoy fasting, steroid shots and osteoporosis, preparing for cataract surgery, cholesterol numbers, ashwagandha, and the right way to test magnesium.
In this episode, Dr. Saunders covers:
- Why "good is the enemy of best," and why improvement should continue for life rather than stop in your 40s
- The surprising 20/80 split: diet, exercise, and supplements are about 20% of your health, and stress and happiness are the rest
- Food: eating healthy is good, cooking from scratch is better, and growing or sourcing your own food is best
- Nutrients: a multivitamin is good, targeted supplements based on testing are better, and getting nutrition from food (the Wahls Protocol story) is best
- Why Dr. Saunders went back on CinnaChroma after a lab test showed low chromium and rising blood sugar
- Protein: eating it is good, but making sure you digest and absorb it is better, especially if you take acid reducers
- Carbs: avoiding processed sugar is good, low carb is better, and never mixing fat with sugar is best
- Exercise: the London double-decker bus study, why regular movement beats one hard workout a week, and why "if you're not increasing, you're declining"
- The Dave Brailsford 1% method and the patient who went from the mailbox to a mile, one step at a time
Timestamps
- 0:00 — Why good or better is the on-ramp, not the finish line
- 2:07 — "Good is the enemy of best" and continuous improvement for life
- 5:10 — The 20/80 split: what you control vs. stress and happiness
- 6:57 — Food: eating healthy vs. cooking from scratch vs. growing your own
- 10:45 — Nutrients: multivitamin vs. targeted supplements based on testing
- 12:12 — Dr. Terry Wahls: out of a wheelchair by eating for nutrition
- 14:57 — "The supplement industry sold a seductive lie": where Barton products fit
- 18:32 — Protein: eating it vs. digesting and absorbing it (PPIs, stomach acid)
- 20:55 — Carbs: why processed sugar is toxic
- 23:34 — Best: never mix fat and sugar (ice cream, fries, donuts)
- 26:29 — Exercise: the London double-decker bus study
- 28:36 — "If you're not increasing, you're declining" and HIIT
- 30:58 — Dave Brailsford's 1% method and the mailbox patient
- 32:57 — Q&A: best calcium for bone strength (vitamin D, K, magnesium, protein)
- 36:06 — Q&A: does berberine help insulin resistance?
- 36:50 — Q&A: supplements that are hard on the kidneys
- 38:01 — Q&A: occult macular dystrophy
- 39:32 — Q&A: fasting glucose of 109, Trajenta, and CinnaChroma
- 40:55 — How long CinnaChroma takes to work
- 42:04 — Q&A: how to enjoy fasting
- 44:08 — Q&A: what chromium does
- 45:06 — Q&A: steroid shots and osteoporosis
- 46:54 — Q&A: supplements before and after cataract surgery
- 49:14 — Q&A: cholesterol of 175, should you take Repatha?
- 51:26 — Q&A: ashwagandha and taking breaks from herbs
- 53:27 — Q&A: the right magnesium test (RBC magnesium)
- 54:21 — Closing pep talk: never give in
Products mentioned in this episode — use code Saunders25 for 25% off:
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