BCAAs have been implicated in obesity, insulin resistance, worsening heart failure and liver disease. Should we be cutting down on BCAAs? Are plant protein sources better for you? Why do I consider this topic a can of worms (which, incidentally, are a great source of protein and BCAAs!)? Check out this episode of vlmd rounds. 

Title: When ketones will kill you & when they'll protect you It's important to know when ketones are good for you and when they are bad for you. What do we know about heart function on chronic ketone body exposure? What do ketones have to do with mTORC1 and v-ATPases? How did amino acids sneak into this episode??? Check out Episode 30 of vlmd rounds.  For more info, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

We're looking at heart metabolism in this episode.  What fuels feed the heart? Do those substrates change in insulin resistance and if so, in what way? We'll explore the basics of cardiac metabolism in this episode. For more info, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

The Brain is only 2% of body mass and consumes over 20% of the body's glucose. How does it handle the glucose? Why is it that neurons take up 80-90% of the total energy in the brain but don't take up most of the glucose? How is the brain similar to muscle? Learn about Brain Metabolism and find out some of the brain's secrets in this episode of vlmd rounds. For more info, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

The assumption is that brain insulin resistance is the same as in the rest of the body. Before we dive into topics on neurodegenerative diseases, let's get clear on the differences between peripheral and CNS insulin. How does insulin get into the brain? What happens at the blood brain barrier? Brain insulin could surprise you! For more information visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMD.com.

This week we'll look at T lymphocytes and their training process (yes, they have to go to Thymus school and pass 2 very important exams!). What makes a T cells a helper cell? What makes it a killer cell? Get to the the T's on Episode 26 of vlmd rounds.  For more info, visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMd.com

We're breaking down the adaptive immune system in this episode by looking at B lymphocytes, how they make antibodies to diverse antigens, how they're activated and their interaction with other immune cells. We'll also look at the different classes of antibodies and their functions. For more information, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

PAMPs and DAMPs, complement proteins and MAC, macrophages, Natural Killers and Interferon, MHC molecules...come get acquainted with the players in your innate immune system.  For more information, visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMd.com

White fat, brown fat, brite/beige fat, pink fat--those are the shades of fat we possess. In this episode we'll focus on brown and brite fat and how to increase those fat depots to increase metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity. What supplements increase brown or brite fat? How long do those effects last? How does fasting affect beige fat? Find out on episode 23 of vlmd rounds For more info, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

Lipoproteins are a transport system for fats in the body. Certain classes of them have been implicated in atherosclerosis. We'll cover an overview on lipoproteins as they are commonly discussed in the medical world and also answer certain basic questions such as where small dense LDLs come from and what is oxidized in OxLDL? For more information visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

 Caveats on mTOR! Time to talk about cell growth, so let's bring out the "massTOR" cell growth system, mTOR! Yes, it's important if you want to build bigger muscles and yes, it would help if you took your leucine but there's more involved with mTOR than meets the eye. Here are some details that are often not discussed when talking about mTOR and if you stick with it to the end, I'll even throw in cholesterol and statins (why not?)   ***Note: when I say Rag ATPases, I mean Rag GTPases. I don't...

When red blood cells flow in a capillary they do not touch the sides of the blood vessel. This observation led to the discovery of the Glycocalyx which all cells need to survive. Find out the role of the Glycocalyx in cell health, in interactions with lipoproteins and how they contribute to atherosclerosis.  For more information, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

Mental health problems have been on the rise. Millennials are having strokes. Young-onset dementia is a global phenomenon. What's going on with the brains of homo sapiens in the 21st century? Discover America's health crisis on vlmd rounds. For more information, visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com.

Does light drinking improve heart health? Does it help you manage your blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance? What about using fructose to speed up alcohol metabolism in your body? Separate the facts from fiction in our episode on alcohol. https://www.vyvyanelohmd.com/ Enter Write to

Dig into the surprising past of Uric Acid in Episode 17 of vlmd rounds. Why do we make such a toxic substance in our bodies? Why do we keep hanging on to it instead of excreting all of it? What is its role in neurodegenerative diseases? Meet the intriguing Uric Acid and discover its secrets.

Are Artificial Sweeteners/non-nutritive sweeteners bad for you? What about studies that have shown that they can cause anxiety? How much can you consume per day? Get the scoop on this topic on Episode 16 of vlmd rounds.  For more info, visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMd.com

Chocolate lovers everywhere have been in mourning since Consumer Reports came out with a study showing that 20 popular chocolate brands contained high levels of lead and cadmium. Does this mean we should stop eating chocolate now? What can lead and cadmium do to your body? What other products may be contaminated? We'll discuss all this and ways you can decrease the lead and cadmium load to your body when eating cocoa products. For more information visit http://www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

What makes Fructose metabolically different from Glucose, and how does that difference affect your body? How does Fructose affect your brain, and what is its link to a mysterious kidney disease called Mesoamerican Nephropathy? Find out in Episode 14 of vlmd rounds.  For more information visit www.VyvyaneLohMD.com

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are proteins modified by sugars to become toxic chemicals. High blood sugar increases their formation in the body to cause damage to tissues. But could eating meat (which have minimal dietary sugars) cause these dangerous products as well? Find out in this episode of vlmd rounds. For more information visit www.vlmdrounds.com. Enter Write to

In this episode, we will talk about how sleep impacts your metabolic health. What is the architecture of sleep and how is sleep asymmetric? How can we improve our sleep hygiene? We'll discuss circadian rhythms and what to do if you have insomnia. For more information, go to www.vlmdrounds.com

Learn how muscles grow and the best way to train safely. We'll start with the basics of muscle hypertrophy and go on to learn some foundation moves with emphasis on body mechanics. We'll also discuss progressions from chair/wheelchair options to intermediate levels. Find out how to use Isometric and eccentric exercises to increase strength and muscle mass.  For more information, visit www.vlmdrounds.com

In this episode, we do an investigative dive into dietary fats, their structure, and their importance in our bodies. Think you know Fats? Check this out and see. For more information visit: www.vlmdrounds.com

In this episode, we discuss Hyperinsulinemia and Insulin Resistance and how Insulin has been protecting you! For more information, visit www.vlmdrounds.com

Learn about hyperglycemia and how it damages your body. We'll also discuss how your body regulates high blood sugar. 

This episode focuses on hypoglycemia and how your body regulates low blood sugar by making its own glucose. We'll also learn about the hormonal regulation of low blood sugar in your body. For more information, visit www.VyvyaneLoh.com