Low-carb, ketogenic, and carnivore diets have helped a lot of people — myself included — at different stages of their health journey. But what happens when a strategy meant to heal is followed too long without reassessment?

In this episode of Healthy AF, I sit down with Dr. Rachel Brown, a psychiatrist and functional medicine practitioner who shares her deeply personal experience after 10 years of ketogenic eating — six of those strictly carnivore.

Dr. Brown opens up about the symptoms she believes were connected to long-term carbohydrate restriction, with gut dysbiosis and thyroid dysfunction becoming the most prominent issues. Coming from both a psychiatric and functional medicine background, she brings a rare perspective — one that bridges mental health, metabolism, and digestive health.

We explore how restrictive diets can alter the gut microbiome over time, why a lack of fermentable carbohydrates may compromise microbial diversity, and how chronic stress physiology can quietly impact thyroid signaling. Dr. Brown also explains how symptoms can be missed or rationalized in high-discipline health communities, where feeling unwell is often reframed as "adaptation."

This is not an anti-keto or anti-carnivore conversation. It's an anti-dogma conversation.

We talk about the importance of metabolic flexibility, ongoing self-assessment, and the willingness to evolve as your body's needs change. Dr. Brown emphasizes that healing isn't about ideology — it's about listening to physiology, respecting individual variability, and understanding that no approach should be considered permanent by default.

If you've ever wondered whether a diet that once helped you might now be holding you back, this episode offers clarity, nuance, and reassurance that changing course isn't failure — it's growth.

• Keto and carnivore can be powerful tools, but may not be lifelong solutions
• Gut dysbiosis can develop when microbial diversity is chronically reduced
• Thyroid function is highly sensitive to long-term energy and carb availability
• Mental health, digestion, and metabolism are deeply interconnected
• Symptoms are often rationalized in high-discipline diet cultures
• Metabolic flexibility and reassessment are key to long-term health
• Health strategies should evolve as physiology changes

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Introduction: Dr. Rachel Brown's background
• 03:00 — Why keto initially worked
• 06:30 — Transitioning into long-term carnivore
• 10:30 — Early warning signs that were easy to dismiss
• 14:00 — Gut dysbiosis explained
• 18:00 — Thyroid dysfunction and restrictive diets
• 22:30 — Mental health implications of chronic restriction
• 27:00 — When discipline becomes self-harm
• 31:30 — Reintroducing carbs and gut-supportive foods
• 36:00 — Metabolic flexibility vs diet identity
• 41:00 — Lessons learned after 10 years
• 45:00 — Final thoughts: evolving without shame

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com
• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness
• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

Guest Links:

• IG: @‌drrachelsarahbrown
• https://drrachelsbrown.com
  
  
  

For years, the health and fitness space has rewarded extremes — more restriction, more protocols, more supplements, more "hacks." But what happens when chasing optimization starts to quietly dismantle your health instead of improving it?

In this episode of Healthy AF, Zane sits down with Dylan Gemelli for one of the most honest, wide-ranging conversations the show has had. Dylan's journey doesn't begin with illness — it begins with pushing the limits of health itself. From elite athletics to bodybuilding, from underground supplementation to biohacking and cellular health, Dylan has lived on both sides of the extreme.

Dylan opens up about his early life, disordered eating patterns, overtraining, and the mentality that "more is always better." He shares how chasing leanness, control, and aesthetics eventually led to mental exhaustion, physical pain, and metabolic stress — even while appearing outwardly "healthy." This episode pulls back the curtain on how easily discipline can turn into self-abuse when intention is lost.

The conversation then shifts into Dylan's transformation. After years of ultra-low fat, ultra-low calorie dieting, relentless cardio, and rigid food rules, he finally reached a breaking point. Adding fats back in. Eating whole eggs instead of only egg whites. Introducing real carbohydrates. Cooking with butter. Allowing flexibility. What surprised him most wasn't weight gain — it was improved energy, recovery, mood, body composition, and freedom.

Zane and Dylan also dig into the biohacking world — what's helpful, what's misunderstood, and what's being misused. They discuss why piling on peptides, supplements, and therapies without addressing nutrition, stress, sleep, and foundations often leads to worse outcomes, not better ones. Dylan explains why many "biohackers" actually show poorer mitochondrial health when measured — not because the tools are bad, but because balance is missing.

At its core, this episode is about accountability, intentionality, and purpose. Dylan shares how prison, adversity, and personal responsibility reshaped his outlook — and why he now sees health as a long game, not a shortcut. This is a conversation for anyone who's burned out from extremes, confused by conflicting health advice, or ready to rebuild their body and life with clarity instead of chaos.

If you've ever felt trapped by rigid protocols, afraid to eat, or overwhelmed by "doing everything right," this episode will hit home.

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Intro: Why extremes dominate the health space
• 02:10 — Dylan's early years: athletics, body image, and control
• 05:30 — Disordered eating, overtraining, and chasing leanness
• 09:00 — Consequences of "discipline without intention"
• 12:30 — Prison, accountability, and rebuilding identity
• 16:00 — Bodybuilding, supplements, and extreme protocols
• 19:40 — When optimization turns into self-destruction
• 23:00 — Enter biohacking: curiosity vs obsession
• 26:30 — The breaking point: hunger, fatigue, and burnout
• 30:00 — Adding fats and carbs back in (and what changed fast)
• 33:40 — Energy, recovery, mood, and metabolic freedom
• 36:40 — Why foundations beat advanced protocols every time
• 39:40 — Biohacking done wrong: too many tools, no alignment
• 43:00 — Purpose, responsibility, and long-term health
• 46:00 — Final reflections: balance, curiosity, and growth

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com
• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness
• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

Guest Links:

• https://dylangemelli.com
• https://www.instagram.com/dylangemelli/
• http://www.youtube.com/@DylanGemelliBiohacking

We talk a lot about fitness, metabolism, and hormones on this show — but if your gut's not right, none of it works properly.

In this week's episode of Healthy AF, I sit down with Dr. Vincent Pedre, board-certified internist, functional medicine pioneer, and author of the bestselling book Happy Gut. Dr. Pedre has spent over two decades helping people repair their gut health, rebalance their microbiome, and understand how the gut affects every system in the body — from mood and memory to metabolism and sleep.

We dive deep into the gut-brain connection — how your gut literally talks to your brain through the vagus nerve, and why 95% of serotonin is produced in your gut (not your head). Dr. Pedre breaks down how stress, alcohol, and common over-the-counter meds disrupt digestion and even rewire your mood.

He also explains how gut dysfunction can lead to metabolic disease, chronic fatigue, and hormone imbalance, and what to do about it. From fermented foods and fiber to liver detox and real-world habits, this conversation connects the dots between gut health, mental health, and longevity.

We also talk about Dr. Pedre's new product, Happy Gut Coffee — a low-acid, toxin-free roast tested for mold, glyphosate, and pesticides — and why something as simple as your morning coffee might be holding back your health goals.

If you've ever struggled with brain fog, bloating, or burnout — this episode will help you understand why your gut might be the first place to start healing.

• The gut microbiome influences mood, metabolism, and immune health.
• 95% of serotonin is made in the gut, not the brain.
• The vagus nerve connects your emotions, digestion, and sleep quality.
• Alcohol, NSAIDs, and stress are major microbiome disruptors.
• Fermented foods lower inflammation and improve brain health.
• Gut inflammation can lead to insulin resistance and metabolic disease.
• Fiber + fermented foods = powerful combination for reducing stress and inflammation.
• Regular, effortless bowel movements are essential for detox and hormone balance.
• Your liver and gut work together to remove toxins and regulate estrogen.
• Even your coffee can support (or sabotage) your gut health.

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Intro: Meet Dr. Vincent Pedre, gut health and functional medicine expert
• 03:00 — The missing piece: what doctors never learned about the gut microbiome
• 06:00 — The gut-brain connection explained
• 08:00 — How serotonin is made in the gut (and why it matters)
• 12:00 — Stress, the vagus nerve, and sleep quality
• 15:00 — Alcohol: short-term calm, long-term chaos
• 18:00 — Why mindset and emotion drive gut-related habits
• 22:00 — Stomach acid, digestion, and feeling full
• 27:00 — Fermented foods vs. fiber: which one lowers inflammation
• 29:00 — The psychobiotic diet and its effect on stress levels
• 33:00 — Endotoxin, leaky gut, and how inflammation starts
• 37:00 — Gut health and detoxification: liver, estrogen, and weight loss
• 40:00 — Why bowel regularity matters for hormones
• 43:00 — Creating Happy Gut Coffee: how Dr. Pedre cleaned up caffeine
• 47:00 — Why your coffee could be sabotaging your health goals
• 49:00 — Where to learn more and connect with Dr. Pedre

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com
• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness
• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

Guest Links:

• https://pedremd.com
• https://happygutlife.com
• IG: @‌drpedre