Good Energy Vibes Powers Long Lives
Cultivate your cellular foundation for optimal health
The other day, I met up with a good friend at a cafe down the block, and she mentioned that one of our mutual “mom friends” at school was recently diagnosed with uterine cancer. Oh, good golly. While she caught it early as part of the treatment plan, she will undergo a total hysterectomy, which obviously is worthwhile in the short term but not without its challenges in the long run. Mind you, this is a young woman. Maybe early 40s. With two young children. Sadly, she is the fourth mom at our school in recent years diagnosed with cancer—very heavy sigh.
Our conversation brought to mind several recent clips of Stanford-trained Dr. Casey Means who has been featured on various podcasts promoting her new book—Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. In these particular clips, she was warning about the hard-to-fathom astronomical rates of cancer projected in the coming decades, such as over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022. Written with her brother, fellow Stanford-grad and health advocate Calley Means, the book boldly outlines an attainable vision in which everyone can take charge and optimize their health.
Casey began her medical career as a clinical researcher specializing in head and neck surgery. With a wall full of awards and honors, she was well on her way until she had an epiphany in 2018 that caused her to change course: despite the medical industry's tremendous wherewithal, patients generally weren’t getting better. She left her lucrative burgeoning career to embark on a quest to “understand the real reasons people get sick and help patients restore and sustain their health.”
Then a personal tragedy in 2021 confirmed her life’s trajectory. Casey and Calley’s seventy-one year old mom—who was frequently complimented by her doctors as being healthy for her age—was informed that she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was already in liver failure. Overnight, they became involuntary witnesses to a broken healthcare system that called their beloved mother’s cancer “unlucky” and soon discovered it didn’t have her best interest at heart.
As Casey waded through the sea of procedures and surgeries that had, at best, a 33% of chance of extending her mother’s life by a few months, and taking into account her mother’s wishes to minimize pain and nausea in her final days, she arrived at a conclusion that caused her to do the unthinkable as a physician: she advised her mother to forgo intensive and invasive procedures and go home to be in peace surrounded by her family. Casey recalls those were the most important and cherished 13 days of her life. (Yes, from diagnosis to death was a mere 13 days.)
Connecting the dots of the decade leading up to her mom’s cancer diagnoses and sudden death, Casey discovered her mother had five siloed doctors who had her on five disparate medications, and yet she was being touted as “healthy.” How could this be? Although Casey had already left conventional medicine and started a natural, holistic practice, that painful experience reinforced her belief that within the medical community, there is a fundamental lack of understanding about the root cause of disease. It is now her mission to provide the knowledge and tools to patients for enduring good health.
Ground zero
The principles outlined in Good Energy proffer the notion that most ailments people experience share a root cause of metabolic function—how well our cells create and use energy. Our cells are ground zero. Life begins in our cells, and good health emanates from our cells.
Optimally functioning cells produce good energy that powers our body and fends of illness. However, damaged cells create bad energy that wreaks havoc and manifests in chronic ailments, chronic pain, chronic inflammation and disease, such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, infertility, migraines, and respiratory disease…all of which medicine can treat but can’t fix.
And therein lies the rub. Modern medicine can seemingly magically manage symptoms and make them tolerable for years, maybe decades; but treating chronic issues only serves to mask mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction. And in Casey’s mom’s case, all of those managed ailments were symptoms, warning signs of something more dangerous brewing.
So what damages cells? Unfortunately, our modern-day life exposes us to toxins in all different forms: highly processed foods, sugar, trans fat, microplastics, and the myriad of synthetic chemicals in our environment are at the tip of the toxic iceberg. Poor sleep and a sedentary lifestyle also negatively impact cellular function. Let’s not forget all the electromagnetic fields from phones, wearables, appliances, and towers that are bombarding our cells with unnatural forces all day—and for many people all night—long.
Healthy cellular choices
The good news is we can avoid and possibly reverse cellular damage with wise choices and discipline. My approach is to make choices based on this simple question: What will this do to my cells? Starting with diet and lifestyle, which are the foundation of good cellular energy, I use this reframe, and the choice is easy.
For instance, Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is made with conventionally grown coffee, full of pesticides and mold, and packed with a whopping 65 grams of cell-damaging sugar. It is served in a forever chemicals plastic cup. I also can easily go without the adorable raccoon cake pop, which squeezes in another 14 grams of sugar and is made from non-organic flour that is loaded with cancer-causing glyphosate. Framed that way, it doesn’t sound too appetizing.
We can choose to eat simple, unprocessed, whole food. Eat less and within a restricted time-frame. We can opt for nutrient dense foods over empty calories. Select organic produce, grass finished meats and dairy without antibiotics. Basically shop the perimeter of the supermarket with restraint.
At home, we can swap synthetic chemically laden and heavily fragranced cleaners for all natural alternatives such as my favorite, white vinegar or baking soda. Replace the plastic food storage containers with glass. Cook and bake with cast iron, ceramic or stainless steel. Use personal care products with minimal, natural ingredients instead of the over 1,100 substances that are banned in Europe. Even wearing natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool instead of technical and synthetic fabrics makes a difference.
We can choose to walk after meals and get 10 minutes of morning sun to help set our natural circadian rhythms. Lift heavy objects and move throughout the day. Put our cell phones down and away from our bodies. Limit the number of wireless devices in our homes. Filter our drinking water. And get at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted, restful sleep.
Skimming the surface
When I started writing Ageosophy a year and half ago, I believed with every fiber of my being that aging well is a choice. Today, with every book, article, and study I read, my conviction grows stronger. Casey’s story, invaluable insights, and roadmap for avoiding disease has bolstered it even more.
Granted, this is a very simplified 30,000-foot view of the deep well of researched information and accessible, practical, actionable steps that is packed into Good Energy. The overarching message is to take charge of your health, recognize your body’s warning symptoms when they pop up, and reverse course. I share Casey’s belief that prioritizing our cells and optimizing metabolic function is the foundation that will lead to living well, aging great.