Most people think fatigue is a sleep problem.

But the truth is… sleep is often just a symptom.

In this episode, Zane breaks down why so many people—especially after 40—feel exhausted even when they're getting 7–8 hours of sleep.

The real issue often comes from under-fueling, chronic fasting, low carb diets, and excessive training, which drive up stress hormones like cortisol and disrupt recovery.

Zane shares the mistakes he made for years with fasted workouts, low-carb dieting, and overtraining, and explains how these habits can impact:

• Thyroid function
• Testosterone levels
• Sleep quality
• HRV and recovery
• Energy and mood

You'll also learn how to properly fuel your body for better energy, deeper sleep, and sustainable performance.

If you're tired all the time, this episode could completely change how you think about recovery.

Download Zane's Free Fit Over 40 Plan:
👉 https://free40plan.com

00:00 Why You're Still Tired
00:45 Sleep Is a Result of Your Day
02:10 The Hidden Cause of Poor Sleep
04:00 My Personal Low Carb & Fasting Mistake
05:40 Underfueling and Stress Hormones
07:10 Cortisol, Adrenaline, and Glucose Production
09:30 How Fasting Disrupts Sleep
11:30 Why You Wake Up at 2–3 AM
13:00 Fasted Workouts and Hormone Stress
15:10 Why Recovery Changes After 40
17:00 HRV, Heart Rate, and Recovery
18:40 The Mood and Energy Connection
20:10 Why Metabolic Stress Isn't Strength
22:00 Eat Less, Move More Is Wrong
23:40 How Much Protein You Actually Need
25:20 The Right Way to Eat Carbohydrates
27:30 Foods That Support Recovery
29:00 Training Smarter After 40
30:20 Managing Stress and Recovery
31:50 Why Sleep Starts When You Wake Up
33:10 Strategy Beats Extreme Discipline
35:20 Why Fatigue Is a Fuel Problem
36:00 Free Fit Over 40 Plan

Many people struggling with fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, or low libido may actually be dealing with thyroid dysfunction — and not even know it.

In this episode of Healthy AF, Zane explains how common lifestyle habits like low-carb dieting, intermittent fasting, overtraining, chronic stress, and sleep deprivation can quietly disrupt thyroid function and slow your metabolism.

You'll learn why markers like T3, reverse T3, and TSH matter more than most standard lab panels suggest, how the body adapts to low energy availability, and why many people with thyroid symptoms are often told their labs look "normal."

Zane also breaks down the role of insulin, leptin, liver glycogen, and carbohydrate intake in thyroid hormone conversion — and why reintroducing the right foods can often restore metabolic function.

If you've ever struggled with low energy, stubborn weight gain, cold intolerance, or declining performance despite dieting and training harder, this episode will help you understand what may really be happening inside your metabolism.

👇 Download Zane's Free Plan
https://free40plan.com/

Follow Zane
IG: https://www.instagram.com/zanegriggsfitness

Supportive research

Low carb diet increases incidence of REDs and low T3⁠
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40639795/%E2%81%A0
⁠
Low carb diet reduces T3 in athletes⁠
https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2023/08/14/a-bad-situation-made-worse-low-carbohydrate-intake-amplifies-low-energy-availability-hormonal-disturbances/⁠
⁠
Low carb diet induces low thyroid function⁠
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11558958/⁠
⁠
Keto diet reduces thyroid function⁠
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0269440⁠

www.free40plan.com

00:00 – Introduction: Thyroid Health and Metabolism
00:40 – Remembering Charlie
02:00 – Common Symptoms of Low Thyroid
03:30 – How Thyroid Affects Metabolism and Energy
04:30 – Hormonal and Cardiovascular Effects of Thyroid Dysfunction
05:30 – Why Thyroid Issues Often Go Undiagnosed
06:30 – Stress, Overtraining, and Aggressive Dieting
08:00 – How Thyroid Hormones Work (T4, T3, Reverse T3)
09:40 – What Low-Carb Diets Do to Thyroid Function
11:00 – Low Energy Availability in Athletes
12:30 – Why Your Body Interprets Low Carb as Scarcity
14:00 – The Impact of Fasting on Thyroid Hormones
15:30 – Liver Glycogen and Overnight Stress Hormones
17:00 – Why High Performers Are Vulnerable
18:30 – Insulin, Leptin, and Thyroid Signaling
20:00 – Optimal Thyroid Lab Ranges Explained
22:30 – Why Symptoms Matter More Than "Normal" Lab Ranges
24:30 – How Thyroid Issues Affect Testosterone in Men
26:00 – Insulin Signaling and Thyroid Conversion
28:00 – Low Carb vs Insulin Resistance: Different Labs, Same Symptoms
31:00 – Why Leptin Is the Missing Link
33:00 – Reintroducing Carbs to Restore Thyroid Function
35:00 – LDL Changes After Increasing Carbohydrates
36:30 – Body Temperature and Metabolic Rate
37:30 – Training, Recovery, and Sleep
38:30 – Best Carbohydrate Sources for Thyroid Health
41:00 – How Much Carbohydrate You Actually Need
43:00 – Macro Ratios for Fat Loss vs Performance
45:00 – What Indigenous Diets Teach Us About Metabolic Health
47:00 – How Ultra-Processed Foods Disrupt Energy Production
49:00 – The Real Cause of Fat Gain and Metabolic Dysfunction
51:00 – Why "Calories In Calories Out" Misses the Real Problem
53:00 – Fixing Metabolism Through Food Quality and Energy Availability

Most men focus on body weight, workouts, or body fat… but those numbers don't tell the full story.

In this episode of Healthy AF, Zane breaks down the five blood markers every man over 40 should be tracking if they want to stay strong, energized, and metabolically healthy for decades to come.

These biomarkers can reveal problems years before symptoms appear and help you catch issues related to metabolic dysfunction, heart disease, inflammation, testosterone decline, and prostate health early.

You'll learn why markers like fasting insulin and fasting glucose often reveal metabolic issues long before diabetes develops, how free testosterone reflects metabolic stress, and why inflammation markers like hs-CRP matter for long-term health.

Zane also explains how lifestyle factors such as poor sleep, chronic stress, excessive fasting, overtraining, and ultra-processed foods can quietly push these numbers in the wrong direction.

If you're over 40 and serious about longevity, performance, and metabolic health, these are the numbers you need to know.

👇 Download Zane's Free Plan
https://free40plan.com/

Follow Zane
IG: https://www.instagram.com/zanegriggsfitness/

00:00 – 5 Blood Markers Every Man Over 40 Should Know
00:55 – Why Body Weight and Workouts Aren't Enough
01:40 – Marker #1: Fasting Insulin (Earliest Warning Sign)
02:50 – Ideal Fasting Insulin Range
04:00 – What Causes Insulin Resistance
05:05 – Marker #2: Fasting Glucose
06:00 – Why Chronically High Glucose Damages Blood Vessels
07:20 – Low-Carb, Fasting, and Elevated Blood Sugar
08:25 – Ideal Blood Sugar Range
09:15 – Stress Hormones and the "Dawn Effect"
11:00 – Marker #3: Free Testosterone
12:00 – Stress, Fasting, and Testosterone Suppression
13:20 – Ideal Free Testosterone Range
14:10 – Marker #4: hs-CRP (Inflammation Marker)
15:00 – What Drives Chronic Inflammation
15:40 – Visceral Fat, Diet, and Alcohol Effects
16:00 – Marker #5: PSA (Prostate Health)
17:00 – Testosterone and Prostate Cancer Myths
18:20 – Why You Should Start Tracking These Markers Early
19:10 – Why "Normal" Lab Ranges Aren't Optimal

I recommended low-carb and intermittent fasting for nearly 20 years.

Then my labs started telling a different story.

In this episode, I break down why I stopped fasting, increased carbohydrates, lowered fat intake, and how that shift improved my fasting glucose, thyroid markers, LDL, sleep, and recovery.

This isn't anti-keto/carnivore. It's anti-dogma.

If you care about metabolic health, ATP production, thyroid function, or insulin sensitivity, this conversation will challenge what you think you know.

Chapters below 👇

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Why I Needed to Address This Publicly
• 01:30 — The Hard Realization I Was Wrong
• 03:00 — 20 Years of Low-Carb & Fasting
• 05:00 — Carnivore Experiment & What It Felt Like
• 08:30 — My Blood Markers That Didn't Make Sense
• 11:30 — Thyroid, SHBG & Sleep Disruptions
• 13:30 — Over-Leveraging Metabolic Stress
• 14:00 — Ending Intermittent Fasting
• 15:00 — Increasing Carbs to 300g
• 17:00 — Improved Bloodwork Results
• 19:00 — Lower LDL Without Medication
• 20:00 — Phase Two: High-Carb, Low-Fat Experiment
• 23:00 — Adjusting Protein & Fat Down
• 27:00 — Blood Sugar Dropped to 80
• 28:00 — Visceral Fat & DEXA Results
• 29:00 — Doctor's Reaction
• 30:00 — Thyroid & Cholesterol Mechanisms Explained
• 32:00 — Gluconeogenesis & Starvation Signaling
• 35:00 — My Wife's Results
• 36:00 — Cellular Energy & ATP Explained
• 38:00 — What I Eat in a Day
• 44:00 — Night Waking & Liver Glycogen
• 45:00 — How I Lean Out Now
• 48:00 — Who Should Increase Fat vs Lower Fat
• 50:00 — Free Fit Over 40 Plan
• 52:00 — Why ATP Production Is the Real Focus

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com

• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness

• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

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

Most of us don't realize how deep our relationship with food runs until we try to change it.

In this Healthy AF episode, I sit down with Meghann Hempel, who shares her powerful journey from battling food addiction, emotional eating, and self-sabotage to finding complete freedom through mindset, community, and real nourishment.

For years, Meghann found herself stuck in the cycle so many of us know too well — using food for comfort, trying every new plan, and blaming herself when nothing worked. But everything changed when she stopped chasing perfection and started addressing the root causes: stress, trauma, and a dysregulated metabolism.

We talk about the real, unfiltered side of healing — the emotional work behind breaking addiction, rebuilding trust with your body, and learning to eat without guilt or obsession. Meghann also shares how she helps others now, teaching them how to build a relationship with food that's grounded in awareness, balance, and self-respect.

This episode isn't just about what you eat. It's about what's eating at you — and how to finally take your power back.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Food addiction isn't a lack of willpower — it's a sign of imbalance and disconnection.
• Stress and shame are two of the biggest drivers behind emotional eating.
• Healing starts when you shift from punishment to nourishment and awareness.
• Community and accountability are key in breaking cycles of addiction.
• Hormones, mindset, and blood sugar all play a role in cravings and energy.
• The goal isn't perfection — it's freedom.

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Intro: Meghann's story and the roots of food addiction
• 06:30 — The emotional connection between food and identity
• 13:00 — From dieting to healing: why restriction makes things worse
• 19:00 — Breaking cycles of shame and guilt
• 25:00 — The role of stress, trauma, and environment in cravings
• 32:00 — Rebuilding trust with your body through awareness
• 39:00 — Hormones, blood sugar, and emotional balance
• 46:00 — How Meghann found freedom and peace around food
• 52:00 — Coaching others through the same transformation
• 59:00 — Final thoughts: food freedom as a lifelong practice

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com

• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness

• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

Guest Links:

Meghann's links:

https://join.brainbodyandbeyondllc.com/home-2636

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WrqWIExmHshHL9pUk5Xsi?si=3JFTuIM9SAq1ioBtof5I_g

https://www.instagram.com/meghann.alice?igsh=MTVkbnc0Z2RtMTJ4eA==