Intro 0:03
Welcome to Maximal Being! A podcast devoted to ditching fad diets and using real science to get you healthy and feeling great. I'm Doc Mok, a GI and functional medicine doctor who harnesses the power of gut health to get you achieving your goals. And I'm Jacky P, a well-informed layman who challenges the experts and asks the questions that you want. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button or leave a comment. And now, onto the show.
Doc Mok 0:32
What's going on Maximal Beings, Doc Mok here with maximalbeing.com. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button. Leave us a comment, it does help us to get the word out. If you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected]. Enjoy the episode.
Jacky Homme 0:48
Hello, hello, hello, Maximal Beings. We're back. It's Doc Mok, Jacky P, your favorite co-host. I'm claiming it for 2023 and into 2024.
Doc Mok 1:03
They voted, they voted.
Jacky Homme 1:06
The people spoke.
Doc Mok 1:08
Top 20 microbiome podcast, Jacky P. I mean
Jacky Homme 1:11
That's how we do.
Doc Mok 1:12
Yeah, exactly.
Jacky Homme 1:13
Not a big deal.
Doc Mok 1:14
Take that other 19
Jacky Homme 1:17
Other 19
Doc Mok 1:18
Microbiome podcast
Jacky Homme 1:19
Or maybe or maybe like the other non top 20. I don't know how many podcasts? Probably thousands.
Doc Mok 1:26
There's probably 20. So there's probably 20 good ones.
Jacky Homme 1:28
There's like 21 podcasts and it doesn't matter. We still made it baby, it's good to be
Doc Mok 1:33
We're both one of them. We're both one of them
Jacky Homme 1:37
Well, Doc Mok, you literally look like the sun is shining on you, literally. How how are you today? How you doing?
Doc Mok 1:44
I'm doing great Jacky P. We're winding down to the holidays, can be a tough time as a physician. It brings out a lot of emotions and a lot of people stressors run high. But you know I've been seeking refuge outside as I lift heavy things. And I have a confession for you Jacky P and I hope this is this is a judgment free zone and I hope everyone of you out there in the metaverse
Jacky Homme 2:12
It's a safe. It's a safe space until I hear what you say. I'm just gonna put that out there.
Doc Mok 2:18
Yeah, so for those of you that don't know Jacky P is like very into music. He is very trendy. Despite the fact that he and I are both getting older always like introducing me to new music. My favorite workout music recently Jacky P has been the Miley Cyrus Christmas album.
Jacky Homme 2:36
Wow. Miley Cyrus Christmas album.
Doc Mok 2:41
I mean there's just something about her, I don't know that she just has a certain pizzazz when she's singing Rocking Around the Christmas tree. You know?
Jacky Homme 2:49
I'll be honest with you. I did not see that one coming. I, honestly I didn't have an expectation. But Miley Cyrus Chrismas, that gets you going lifting heavy things?
Doc Mok 3:01
Yes, I mean, Miley, if you're if you're listening, shoot us an email at [email protected] and leave us a review. It does help but maybe what I feel when I work out is your angst towards your dad and it comes through lifting a heavy thing so maybe that's where it comes from. I don't know, Jacky P.
Jacky Homme 3:19
Miley Cyrus is is this now, question, Is this a, is this a newer album? Is like an older album from like, a couple years ago?
Doc Mok 3:27
I mean, for me, it's still new-ish but like probably all the, you know, Gen, the Zoomers out there are like Miley Cyrus is so old school. I mean, but I feel like we're on brand here Jacky P, like I'm the dorky one. Let me, let me ask you like, what have you been listening?
Jacky Homme 3:47
What I'm listening to? All right. Well, I'm not gonna go entrepreneur bro on this podcast because I do like to listen to like podcasts while I work out if it's like, not heavy day, but today, I've been really getting into a lot of like Afro beats. So like house music. I looked at my Spotify unwrapped. You know how that's like, everyone talks about it. And basically, my tastes my musical tastes are if I'm from South Africa, basically because my favorite DJs are all from South Africa. So you know, I'm definitely not cool enough to like be part of that scene for sure. But
Doc Mok 4:29
That is not true. They're probably like, hey Jacky, you came into us, no I can't do that
Jacky Homme 4:37
Is that 1920s gangster? 1920s gangsters? Oh, wow.
Doc Mok 4:42
Sorry everybody out there. Sorry. I apologize in advance.
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Since the year is coming to a close you know we usually reflect a little bit on ourselves, on things that we've done right and wrong in podcasts and wellness. Are you okay if I lead it off with with I think something that I did wrong this year?
Jacky Homme 7:35
Oh, please take it away.
Doc Mok 7:37
We had a guest on, we aired an episode, and you know, I thought that I, we really vet all of our people that we produce content for well out to all of you. But this particular episode went so far out there and usually Jacky P and I can do a pretty good job of getting it back to the science. But it just was so crazy that I could not air it. So it would have been interesting for for some of you out there. But for our mission of promoting the science I just could not in good conscience
Jacky Homme 8:08
It's it's in the vault. It's in the vault
Doc Mok 8:11
Jacky P knows exactly the episode.
Jacky Homme 8:13
It's in the vault. That was I honestly a, I just remember, like seeing your eyes just get big every time this person just like would say a claim. I'm like where are we right now.
Doc Mok 8:26
Yeah, yes. And I appreciate people's like interpretation of the science but when the science just does not exist, or you read a rat study and think it applies to all people, like you just need to edit yourself, I think we've done a good job actually, on the other side of curating the rest of the content and a lot of our guests have done such an excellent job of just pulling it back. Even if they feel so excited about something, they really do a good job of just sticking with the science because they know what our mission is here.
Jacky Homme 9:00
And we had, we've had a lot of great guests this year as well. We've got some like really fun cool people who just, you know, they found like what their thing is and they're very passionate about it and I really enjoy that. I like, I just like seeing people light up and they just you could tell if you just like sit and listen they can just they could just talk about it for hours and hours and that's really cool.
Doc Mok 9:23
Yeah, and and I will say that for all of you that send us emails, that send us reviews, that stopped me in the hallway at work about podcasts. You know, thank you for all the positive words that you say for both of us because you know we really do feel passionate about this project and I could not do this without Jacky P, I mean time and time again people say, you know Doc Mok you know, your stuff is good lahlahlah. But Jacky P, he's really funny. So yeah.
Jacky Homme 9:53
He's really funny.
Doc Mok 9:54
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 9:55
He's like the dummy, the dummy that talks
Doc Mok 10:01
You put it in in terms that that people understand. And I think that that means so, so much. So, you know, if you ever are looking for a specific topic that we have not covered yet, email us at [email protected]. And we're happy to entertain that, so
Jacky Homme 10:15
Absolutely. That's great. You know, speaking of like, reflecting this year, you know, I'll talk about this is maybe there's more personal but still related to nutrition and fitness. I would say, you know, earlier this year, I think everyone knows I had hip replacement back in February. And I think, you know, inertia, you know, like, I couldn't really work out well, I couldn't do stuff. And it took me a while to like, get myself back together much longer than I thought I should have, you know. And just looking back now that I'm back in the gym, and like being more consistent, and definitely not listening to Miley Cyrus, but hey, you know what? You know what, I'm actually gonna put it on, because my wife has been playing holiday music.
Doc Mok 11:00
Yeah
Jacky Homme 11:01
Since before Thanksgiving. And honestly, I would probably walk in like songs I haven't heard 20 times already, so
Doc Mok 11:08
It's a good thing. I gotta say, you know, Elton John, didn't do good, One C is got some good stuff anyway. But
Jacky Homme 11:14
Yeah.
Doc Mok 11:15
Probably showing my age again.
Jacky Homme 11:16
Yeah yeah, Elton John. Yeah, man, he's good. It's good music. That's what I call music right there. But yeah, but I think what what I feel that turned into an opportunity, because I looked, one day, I went to a checkup, it was actually my six month follow up appointment for my hip replacement. And it was back in middle of the summer. And I stepped on the scale. And I saw a number that I've never seen myself personally. And I'm not a big person now, I think we promote like, you know, it's not about weight, weight doesn't, you know, that number doesn't mean anything. But for me, I know that like, I had a some some inventory. I was like, you know what Jacky, you've been kind of using this injury as an excuse to like, just not do what you should be doing. And I'm a little bit of aggressive, and I'm over the top with the things I do. But I literally went, I got a lockbox for all the snacks in the house, I told my wife, listen, you lock it up. There's a code, I don't want to know it. Like when Quinn had Halloween candy, put it in there, any snacks, whatever, I don't even want the option. And, you know, I got myself together. And you know, as I started feeling like myself again, and working out and stuff. So the worst thing I feel, I feel like the biggest mistake of the year for me led to, like, really a good overcorrection. And I'm very happy with what I've been doing since
Doc Mok 12:45
I mean, Jacky P, you know, it's interesting that you use the word mistake, because I feel like, you know, this is that your need for a hip surgery isn't something that you did wrong. And it's very common for people to gain weight because you can't move right and, and that's what burns those calories. So, you know, you just happen to have this condition and your joints just have issues over time. I mean, that's just kind of the way that it goes. And I mean, kudos to you for being self motivated. I mean, when you and I first met, Cinnamon Toast Crunch was kind
Jacky Homme 13:19
Oh man I'm missing the toast crunch so much.
Doc Mok 13:22
And I mean, it's easy for, it's easier for me, somebody that has held you accountable in the past, then you hold me accountable too, to see that. And see the big difference from when I first met you to now where you are where within a few months from a major surgery, you're able to jump back in and get back to squatting which is amazing
Jacky Homme 13:46
Thank you. I appreciate that. And you know, thank you but also not thank you for educating me on how terrible Cinnamon Toast Crunch, well I guess I can still eat. But man, I miss them.
Doc Mok 13:59
We have nothing against them. They don't promote us. We're not you know
Jacky Homme 14:03
I just, it is still the best cereal ever, it is. But it's you know
Doc Mok 14:09
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 14:09
It's a sometimes. Very, very rare
Doc Mok 14:12
It's carrot-free
Jacky Homme 14:13
It's carrot-free, it's-carrot free.
Doc Mok 14:17
Philosophical carrots.
Jacky Homme 14:18
Philisophical carrots, yeah. Big carrot. They're still out there. So we gotta be careful
Doc Mok 14:22
Big carrot. You got to watch out ladies and gentlement. Coming back 2024.
Jacky Homme 14:25
So looking back over the year, Doc Mok. We've had some, I'd say interesting health, medical field, you know, I say breakthroughs, innovations. I thought it'd be fun to reflect on them and and talk about them a little bit. So I'm gonna say three things and then you choose which one, just like Sham or Gram, so I'm gonna say and you might know which what a mean when I say it, but this still be fun. So I'm gonna say Sudafed, Crisper, or Viking? Which one would you like to unpack first?
Doc Mok 15:03
So just because we were talking about your journey, I think we should start with a marvelous revolution in the medical universe, which is this CRISPR technology. And that's without the E, if you're going to search it out there, you can find reputable websites that review this, including the FDA that is in the process of working on this technology. And Jacky P, for the for those people out there that haven't looked at the science, so this is a novel gene technology that works for sickle cell disease. And those of you that, so we've had a guest, Dr. Doug Beach, who's a Hematologist Oncologist at University of Pennsylvania very early on, he'll know what we're talking about. But sickle cell disease is a condition that originally developed as actually a advantageous evolutionary advantage in Africa, because of malaria, malaria lives in our red blood cells. And so people over time, this is the theory, developed sickle cell disease as a means where malaria cannot attach onto red blood cells, and therefore you cannot be infected with it and have all the tough consequences. However, these sickle cells are shaped differently than a traditional red blood cell, right? The main job of a red blood cell that looks like a life raft, is to fill up with oxygen, go to a tissue, dump all the oxygen off, say, hey, what garbage do you have put all the carbon dioxide and stuff and deliver it out of the body, and we exhale it out. That is the main job. And so when something is not life raft shaped, you can't pile as much oxygen or carbon dioxide on it. So oxygen exchange can be tough. And the sickle cells also don't fit as well through the blood vessels. So they can bunch stuff up and caused damage to different tissues. And Jacky P, I mean, I probably know less about this than you do. But, you know, I think that we don't have any treatments for this.
Jacky Homme 17:15
No, not really.
Doc Mok 17:18
No, like the treatments are fluids, pain medicine. And then there are a few other conditions that are severe that we do have treatments for, like acute chest syndrome and priapism and some of the other cardiovascular things that can happen. But it's all supportive care. It's not specific to sickle cell. And then there's also certain medicines that have effects kind of for sickle cell, but not really, like hydroxyurea, right?
Jacky Homme 17:44
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Doc Mok 17:45
Or getting your spleen removed, because they kind of gunk up in that area.
Jacky Homme 17:49
Yup.
Doc Mok 17:50
So this is a big deal.
Jacky Homme 17:52
It's major. It's a big deal. I mean, of course, it's like, there's much more to be done, right? Because the treatment is like, I forget 2.2 million dollars. And, you know, I would say I'm very grateful that I am what one would consider a milder case. And yes, I've had hip replacement. Yes, I've had all kinds of stuff. But I know folks that have a much more severe case of sickle cell and much more severe experience with it. And, you know, this, you know, this development is it means a lot, I mean, to me, as well, but to to a lot of those folks who are in the emergency room almost regularly, weekly, right? Or just have much more severe problems. So it's really cool. I think we have a long way to go. But I just think this is just a very good, hopeful, positive sign that, you know, we're just, we're getting closer to be having this being managed and having, you know, also, I think awareness is very big awareness and education is vital. Because there's, there's many times I've been out of town, I've gotten sick, I've gotten a crisis and folks at the ER, like, basically asking me what to do, because they've never really had to, you know, take care of someone with sickle cell. So really awesome. I'm very excited. So we'll see how that develops. Right. Yeah.
Doc Mok 19:25
Yeah. I mean, as of now, the data is compelling. I mean, I don't want people to think that this is like a pill you can just go out and get I mean, it is a big deal. It's similar to a bone marrow transplant, like
Jacky Homme 19:36
Yeah.
Doc Mok 19:39
And
Jacky Homme 19:39
Oh yeah it's, yeah, I didn't mean to cut you off Doc Mok. But you know, it's definitely oh, yeah. It's not like a shot or something. I mean, you gotta go on chemo for a few months. You're in the hospital for a long time. They take bone marrow from you, and then you get, you basically get bone marrow. So it's a very tough long procedure. You know, it's definitely not just like, hey, you take this pill every morning for a few weeks, so it's definitely but you know, it's still still, it's still a good thing, because there's some people that even going through that it's probably worth it, then, having the lifelong chronic issues of sickle cell.
Doc Mok 20:18
Yeah, and I mean, of the two major prospective trials, the success rates range anywhere from 88 to 93%, which is pretty good in terms of graft on graft, you know, adherence, the most common side effects or changes in your blood counts and some GI side effects. And one blackbox warning that they're creating is that there were a couple of cases of people that developed hematologic cancer, so blood cancers as a result of this therapy
Jacky Homme 20:48
Oh wow
Doc Mok 20:48
So it's not without risk, and we're still early on, but finally something and Jacky, not to get political, and I'm a white man. You know, this, this is a condition that affects people of African descent, and why there hasn't been advances in this? I don't know. But I just wanted to throw that out there to the audience as a thought provoking comment. Yeah.
Jacky Homme 21:13
Like I'll say, I'm a black man, I'll say, I think if this was, this affected more white spread populations, it would be more looked at, but guess what, we can't change that. You know, we can't change what the what's happened. But what we can do is just be hopeful about the future and spread awareness in education. And yeah, and also shout out to all the fellow sickle cell warriors out there who just secretly battling sickle cell and also just living day to day life and just function in society. Because it is, it is not, sometimes it's not as as fun as I make it sound out there.
Doc Mok 21:54
I mean
Jacky Homme 21:55
It sounds fun, but I made it sound pretty easy. Yeah.
Doc Mok 21:59
Yeah, it can be, it can be pretty brutal for sure.
Jacky Homme 22:04
All right. You got anything to add? I was gonna move on to the other two. You got something to,
Doc Mok 22:09
No, I
Jacky Homme 22:09
Okay.
Doc Mok 22:10
No, I'm, I think that this is really, really encouraging and amazing. And I would, if you're a hematologist listening out there I would love to hear your comments email us at [email protected]
Jacky Homme 22:22
Hit us up. Alright, so we've got Sudafed or Viking.
Doc Mok 22:28
I'm going to go Viking first
Jacky Homme 22:30
Viking.
Doc Mok 22:30
Okay, I'm a little Viking centric. I mean. I have some Viking blood in me, you know.
Jacky Homme 22:38
Nice.
Doc Mok 22:39
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 22:39
Are their calf muscles big?
Doc Mok 22:41
Yeah, maybe. My, we have this interesting. We have an interesting archeologic mutation, evolutionary mutation in us as with Viking blood is something called Dupuytren contracture. I don't have it, my fingers do this. But if you ever see somebody whose fingers are kind of stuck like this, that's called Dupuytren contracture. Number of people in my family have it, and it's a evolutionary advantage that people of Viking origin got for rowing the boats. So their hands would kind of form into these like hook like things so they can hold the oars a little bit better, so.
Jacky Homme 23:20
Holy, moly.
Doc Mok 23:22
Interesting
Jacky Homme 23:23
Man, Vikings. Just wild, you know, just like, I mean, we could talk about that forever. Viking, Viking dentistry. Let's talk about Viking dentistry.
Doc Mok 23:34
So this article just, I'm not a dentist. I know a lot of dentists. I don't have anything against dentists. I actually like going to the dentist. I've never had a cavity, Jacky P. My whole life.
Jacky Homme 23:45
Wow you're such a specimen. you are such a specimen. You should be studied Doc Mok.
Doc Mok 23:52
I mean, I'm just, this is all mom and dad. And I was a weird kid. I hated soda. You know, like, what kid do you know that doesn't want to just gobble sugar and soda.
Jacky Homme 24:02
Just peak, you're a peak human form, look at
Doc Mok 24:05
I don't know about that.
Jacky Homme 24:06
Your body just naturally rejects junk
Doc Mok 24:08
Yeah, I had I had something right. And I have so I have a good microbiome that, it's been shown that, yes, your diet impacts your microbiome in your mouth, which can cause cavities to form. But it's not just the sugar directly corroding on your dental enamel. So it's the changes in your microbiome. And some of that is what you're born with. But this article from PLOS ONE that was just published out of the University of Gothenburg, in which they archaeologically, discovered about 3000 teeth from about 171 individuals of Viking ancestry. And what they found in these skeletons was early evidence of Viking intervention for cavities, things like filling the cavity with certain materials that were made of metals, and also filing down teeth to get rid of the, you know, the dent within them, to get rid of the cavity. And so this is kind of an interesting discovery in the fact that dentistry is a relatively new invention in our country, but it seems like yeah, like all things in the world, there are really no original ideas and that the Vikings were doing them, so intriguing. I thought
Jacky Homme 25:31
That's pretty cool. Also, like, what?
Doc Mok 25:35
I know. I know. So if you're driving the car, don't stop and read this right now. If you're driving a car, I'm talking to you Floridians. But if you're sitting in your office giggling away at our silliness, you know, please pick up this article, it's an interesting read. Read at PLOS ONE, which is a great medical journal.
Jacky Homme 25:59
Just, I'm just baffled that like, I mean, the Vikings are a very interesting and unique culture in a lot of different ways. And I would say, probably a lot of it's probably media portrayal that like, there seem to be like barbaric, right? I'm gonna go and like rape and pillage, you know, everyone and like, but like, they're like, having dental procedures, you know, they have like good dental hygiene, you know,
Doc Mok 26:31
That's wild. And nobody thinks of that. They think of like them pillaging and plunging, like mentioned.
Jacky Homme 26:37
And no, and, and like, you know, no painkillers, right? They're not putting each other under. So there's just graiding each other's teeth down, wide awake. Without no numbing agents, no, Novocaine.
Doc Mok 26:52
On the face? Yeah. We talked a little bit about how the microbiome is, you know, some are inherited by your mother. And Jacky, this was just another article that I found that was interesting in the British Medical Journal of Biology, where they found, they actually discovered that not only does the birthing process impact the microbiome of babies, but a mother's microbiome, gut microbiome, and the things that she produces from that microbiome actually can positively or negatively impact the development of that fetus.
Jacky Homme 27:30
Woah
Doc Mok 27:32
Which is pretty interesting. I mean, stop me if I'm wrong, you know, universe out there. But this really has not been discussed previously. And this is a new article published in November of this year, outlining this principle, which has tremendous impact, right? Like, you know, we've had, we've talked about pregnancy on the show before with Stephanie Walker, and a few other experts. And sometimes the baby just overruns all of the stuff that you're going to eat for a long time. I know it did in our household. But what are the implications of that in a kid, you know, like, kids turn out fine most of the time, but, you know, you just wonder, like, maybe it's the fetus saying, like, hey, microbiome, like, I need some more of this stuff I need.
Jacky Homme 28:16
Yeah
Doc Mok 28:16
Whatever. So yeah, really interesting.
Jacky Homme 28:19
That is interesting, I tell you, you know, the microbiome is just wildly just, it's just, it's, it's, it's like everything. It's like the beginning and end of everything health, you know? It's like, oh, you're not sleeping. Well, it's like this, check your microbiome, like, what?
Doc Mok 28:39
I know. Yeah, totally. And when it's like, been around for trillions of years, Jacky, like, and we're just, we just now have the ability to study it. And it's just now getting the respect. Like when I was in medical school, it's kind of like, people can test it, but not really, and we don't really know much, but this one's bad. And that one's good.
Jacky Homme 29:00
Yeah.
Doc Mok 29:00
That's it. But we've made big strides.
Jacky Homme 29:03
Big strides. Shout out, shout out to the microbiome. Whoop whoop. So last one, SUDAFED. So basically, I don't remember how long ago this was, I want to say maybe early Fall September-ish. But basically the FDA came out and said Sudafed doesn't work or I guess I shouldn't say Sudafed, I don't want to say the brand, but basically, the main decongestant? I don't know how to pronounce this phen Phenylephrine? Phenylephrine. Phenylephrine?
Doc Mok 29:35
Phenylephrine. Yeah, you nailed it.
Jacky Homme 29:36
Phenylephrine. I'm so smart.
Doc Mok 29:39
So smart.
Jacky Homme 29:42
Wicked smart.
Doc Mok 29:43
Wicked smart.
Jacky Homme 29:45
So, yeah, what's that all about? Sudafed? Like, I guess it's an active ingredient in Sudafed, Tylenol and Nyquil. And it's innefective when taken orally.
Doc Mok 29:57
Yeah, it's interesting that you know, so, it's interesting that science, the way that people behave with scientific literature is that they often will forget things in the past and latch on to things that are new. That happened in my world with treating GI bleeding. People all of a sudden starting to think that just giving a pill form acid blocker twice a day will stop a catastrophic bleed. Well, turns out all of the data before, this garbage paper that came out a few years ago showed that that don't work. So it doesn't work. And a lot of the data that the FDA base their rulings on I mean, you know, I'm looking at a paper right now for that from the annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology that was from 2009. And what they did is they combined the data from a lot of these studies, and they analyze them. So they look at the things that are good, the things that are bad. And these studies are all randomized, placebo controlled, three way crossover trials, what does that mean in English, so people enter a trial, and they're randomly assigned. So a number generator, a computer spits out, you're in this group, and you get the pill, the Phenylephrine, this pill and you get a sugar pill. And the person giving it, the physician or healthcare provider doesn't know which group they're in, and the patient doesn't know what group they're in. And the person physically handing it to them doesn't know. And then they look at the outcomes. But this researchers know. And so they get the data, they don't know which patient is which. But they know that in this group, you know, these are the outcomes. And then this group, these are the outcomes. And what this does is it eliminates you saying I got the pill. So it's working, there's a certain percentage of sugar pills that will have some effect. And that's in fact, what these randomized trials showed, is that during the time period that was studied, they are no different than sugar pills, alleviating symptoms of, you know, allergy, nasal congestion, etc. Which is just wild.
Jacky Homme 32:12
Yeah. Well.
Doc Mok 32:14
Pretty with some side effects. I mean, it's an amphetamine, Jacky P, Amphetamine is a drug that people use, like you can have heart problems, there are sleep issues, like it's a big deal.
Jacky Homme 32:28
Yeah. It's just, you know, I don't know, it just, and also, by the way on, I haven't paid that close attention. I was assuming that I was going to see like, nothing on the walls in CVS and Walgreens and Rite Aid. And like, they're still all there. Like they're still selling it.
Doc Mok 32:49
So first, the first hit I got when I was preparing for this is an advertisement from a pharmacy about the medicine
Jacky Homme 33:00
You want some overpriced sugar pills?
Doc Mok 33:03
I know. Oh boy. God bless America.
Jacky Homme 33:07
Yeah. And everyone in it. And everyone in it. That's great. Well, you know, I can't wait to see what we're, what's gonna discover next year, right. I don't know if anyone knows this. I don't know if you know this, Dr. Mok. But my favorite holiday is actually New Year's. It's my favorite.
Doc Mok 33:24
Oh really? I didn't know that. Why?
Jacky Homme 33:26
Yeah. It's just, so a myriad of reasons. Great question, Doc. One, I think it's the most neutral celebration across all cultures. It may not be the same day across all cultures.
Doc Mok 33:37
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 33:38
But everyone can really get around the feeling of renewal, rejuvenation, and like resetting. And some folks need that externally. Right and I really like it there's like this hopefulness about it. So yeah, so it's always been like my favorite holiday. So I think we should talk about goals right? The end of the year, the people plan for the beginning of the year. And it's one of those things, right everyone always, I forget what the statistic is but there's like a 40% of people who drop their their their New Year's or their New Year's resolutions by like the third week of January. I don't know what those numbers are correct. I'm just making it up but basically, it's very, very fast. So as we get into the holiday season, I mean, we, you know Hanukkah just, it's we're, by the time you hear this Hanukkah will be over. Yeah, so we're gonna post on the last night of Hanukkah, but we're still gonna be in holiday season. You know, I was thinking Doc Mok, we could break down some tips for folks who are just trying to navigate the whole holiday season and also setting up the loose goals for 2024.
Doc Mok 34:49
Yeah
Jacky Homme 34:50
So for you right, Hanukkah right? Last night of Hanukkah, happy Hanukkah. Right.
Doc Mok 34:56
Thank you. Happy Hanukkah everybody.
Jacky Homme 34:58
Folks out there that celebrate. So like, what do you do personally, Doc, that, you know, it's holiday season, there's going to be eggnog. I love eggnog. There's eggnog everywhere, cookies, treats, you can't go anywhere without a bowl of candy out. So, I mean, besides you're just peak human form, and just being able to turn off the button and just say no, not for me. But what would a normal person, a layman do, you know, to really, one enjoy themselves, but also not go too far into the dark zone of Cookie Monster, like I've done sometimes.
Doc Mok 35:30
Yeah, Jacky P, I think I've had this discussion ten times today with different patients that I saw. Because a lot of them, you know, come and see me for for specific reasons, right. They, they want they want the Doc Mok prescription of wellness and health, most of the people that I see. Or they're in some dire medical condition that you know, and then we're just trying to fix that. But for the people that I counsel on, I saw a number of them today. And they were telling me, I'm doing this, I'm doing that, and I'm doing this. But it's the holiday and I got chocolate for a gift. And at the end of the night, I just want to have some chocolate. Is that okay? And I was like, oh my God, of course, it's okay. Like, and so I think very early on with RN Graham, we talked about that, like 80-20 rule that all of you that have gone through any sort of diet program, or, you know, like, major dietary change, know that having the cheat day, or the cheat meal is really beneficial to your success, long term. And so I think first and foremost, is just give yourself a break during the holiday. Just be nice to yourself. Don't dig such a deep hole. You know, don't drink 12 beers a day, and only eat cookies for every meal. But do that 80-20. Be on during the work week before the holiday and then just enjoy the holiday with your family and pick back up and keep it moving. Because psychologically it works. The science says that that approach works. And personally it has always worked for me. Thoughts about that Jacky P?
Jacky Homme 37:22
Doc Mok you're just so eloquent. You know, just ah, man, I love it.
Doc Mok 37:27
I get it from you. I take notes like Jacky P did that
Jacky Homme 37:31
You know, I think that's like a really great way to put it. Because it's true. We're today day alone. Between just, I mean, my house was full of stuff. Quinn been baking cupcakes and cookies and all that stuff. And then in the lobby of my building, they're having breakfast style, or continental breakfast was all donuts and treats and coffee and all this stuff. And yeah, I sometimes I say hey, you know, I try to say no, as much as I can.
Doc Mok 38:02
Yep
Jacky Homme 38:03
But when I say yes, I'm okay with it.
Doc Mok 38:06
Yep.
Jacky Homme 38:07
So I said, I kind of held it together all day, pretty much but then my business partner bought these like these frosted gingerbread cookies, and I love me some gingerbread. And I was like, you know what,
Doc Mok 38:24
Delicious and you can build with it. How cool is that
Jacky Homme 38:28
It's so good, so good. And you know, I have my little coffee, my little black coffee. So like the bitterness and the sweetness. I had myself a moment Im'ma be honest, I had a moment and I was very happy that I held my note, I held out long enough that when I got to the gingerbread cookies, I felt guilt free because I was like I didn't have the you know the muffins and cookies and stuff that were in the house and I didn't have the free donuts and cookies that were in the lobby. But then I got that because like oh like this is something I don't see all the time and this is really good because you know all the other stuff are run of the mill, so giving yourself grace I think really goes a long way as well.
Doc Mok 39:08
Yes.
Jacky Homme 39:08
Yeah.
Doc Mok 39:10
I think if I add another tip Jacky P, it's that be strategic about the way that your plate looks when you do indulge and what I mean by that is you know have your roast goose or whatever. I don't know who cooks goose anymore
Jacky Homme 39:29
It's a rich smoky meat
Doc Mok 39:31
It's apparently really hard to cook too. It's like
Jacky Homme 39:33
Really?
Doc Mok 39:34
Yeah, apparently it takes it takes forever the fat content is where, I've never tried to cook one but apparently it's very difficult. But so have your roast goose. Have your, you know whatever mac and cheese or whatever you're gonna do and then just be aware like make half your plate vegetables. Just fill it up with vegetables and then you're balancing the bad with the good even on your plate. You're getting that 80-20 on your plate, too.
Jacky Homme 40:03
These are great, great, great, great, great, great tips.
Doc Mok 40:06
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Jacky Homme 41:57
Alright, let's talk about goal setting.
Doc Mok 41:59
Yeah
Jacky Homme 41:59
Right. So, of course, the most common goal is always losing weight or get in shape. If you're me, every year it's, I call it super sexy summer. And like I got my super sexy summer body. So you know, I have my brain have a couple common pitfalls just for my own history. But like, what are you seeing with the folks you speak with? And I know you do a lot of you know, plans for folks. So how would you caution folks when they do sit down and they put their goals off for 2024? You know, what would you kind of think people should be doing out there?
Doc Mok 42:41
Yes, I think personalize your approach. And whoever you're getting your approach from, they should be really aware of how to personalize that based on, you know, your ancestry, your genetics, your individual biochemistry, your comorbid health conditions, and then just what fits into your life, if you can't have dairy, you can't eat big blocks of cheese and a keto diet all the time. You know, so I think that individualizing your dietary approach is very important for success. And I also think it's important to meet yourself where you are. So if all you drink is soda, and all you do is drop the soda, that is very powerful. And you will see the change. But then when you get to Jacky P level, and you got to dial it in, it gets it hard, you know, but the initial big jumps are just about the small changes. And really, once you do those small, easy changes, you may come to a point that you feel happier about
Jacky Homme 43:59
That's that's a great point. About the happiness part.
Doc Mok 44:03
I also, Jacky P, obesity is not one size fits all. There is obesity that occurs from metabolic conditions like insulin resistance or diabetes. There are hormonal obesities and having your doctor or you or your coach or whoever do biometric testing or measurements or impedance monitoring for fat percentage and being able to use that data to figure out which of those sub boxes you fit into, may get you a better bang for your buck out of your wellness. So Jacky P, I'll give you an example of my own journey. I was doing really well. And then that last little percentage I just had some resistant fat tissue. And so in my reading I thought maybe there's something toxin related because toxins, environmental toxins, can live in fat cells and can make fat cells resistant to the fat breakdown signals. And so unless you get rid of those toxins, and I'm not talking about some wacky woowoo, like green juice, then you won't have any advancements in your fat loss. And so what I did was a detoxification protocol that is based on science and nothing too crazy and very safe. And I saw a lot of improvements.
Jacky Homme 45:39
Wow. That's awesome.
Doc Mok 45:42
And, and it's weird, Jacky, that you feel when when you're releasing these, they're pops. They're like persistent organic pollutants or the terminology. When you release them from fat cells, you feel it almost like you feel a certain, like dizziness or wooziness when that's occurring at that time.
Jacky Homme 46:02
Whoa.
Doc Mok 46:03
And it can last for a few days while you're burning those fat cells. But you know that that's kind of a sign that you're doing it.
Jacky Homme 46:10
That's incredible. Well, I mean, of course, because you're wicked smart with that big old brain of yours, you can figure it out. You know, that's, that's, that's something new to me. I didn't even know that was something that folks should be, you know, I don't how widespread that is. If that's something that's common or not, but that's very, very interesting.
Doc Mok 46:28
Environmental toxins do, I think a lot more than we think. And it's often like detox protocols are like very money making, like, sort of things for people in the health world with really with like, no research behind them. But if you look, if you test, that we use a urine test in my practice, and then institute the protocol, and then just do certain things like, make sure stuff is getting out of your body, right? Don't put bad stuff in, get the bad stuff out, right? So sweat, urinate, and make sure you're pooping, and stimulate those things and then the other inherent pathways, you'll have success. But yeah, a lot of people don't think about that, Jacky P.
Jacky Homme 47:12
That's, that's, that's good. Keep, what are they called pops?
Doc Mok 47:16
Pops, yeah, persistent organic pollutants.
Jacky Homme 47:20
Wow.
Doc Mok 47:20
Living fat cells. Yeah.
Jacky Homme 47:22
Learn something new every day. I mean, with you, I learn something new every five minutes, but
Doc Mok 47:26
I mean, I feel the same Jacky P
Jacky Homme 47:30
Yeah. And for me, I think from just from a goal setting perspective, right? Not even when it comes to your health and nutrition goals. One thing I learned, so I read a book last year, called Atomic Habits, if you haven't read it, it's a fantastic book, by James Clear, and basically, like, the, if you boil it down to like, one sentence was like making your goals habits, right. So instead of saying, yeah, I want to like, workout and like, get really strong, like, make your goals like, oh, yeah, I just want to make sure like, I'm moving my body three or four times a week, right? I want to make sure that I'm going to the gym, right? Or, like, for me, personally, I wanted to read more. And instead of saying, hey, I'm gonna read a book a month, it was like, yeah, I'm just gonna read 10 pages a day, and the math adds up. And no big deal. I'm way ahead of that. But it's, it's like, the, the, the habit itself is what ended up really put it in those those good, just, you know, hitting those goals in someone. And I would say, you know, back to what I mentioned early on, earlier on this podcast about like, weight and choosing pounds and, you know, the pounds don't really mean anything, you know, because even when I started getting myself together, and you know, the, the weight started going down, but then I felt like it started to plateau. And I started to get a little bit frustrated, but then like, I took some more inventory. And I looked down, I was like, my legs are like solid steel. Okay, you know, I felt great. I, Quinn is 52 pounds, I throw him around like a rag doll. I was like, like, I felt I feel and I felt much, much better than I did when I stepped on that scale many months prior. So, you know, focus on like, how you feel and then focus on setting goals to be hey, I want to feel better. I want to feel more energy. And I want to sleep better right guys? I don't know why. I don't know what people have against sleep. I don't know what it is
Doc Mok 49:38
Nobody is sleeping.
Jacky Homme 49:40
Sleep is awesome. It feels so great.
Doc Mok 49:44
I mean, it's so important.
Jacky Homme 49:45
Yeah
Doc Mok 49:46
Like there's no point in going to the gym if you're not sleeping well. It is really, there's just no point.
Jacky Homme 49:51
Yeah, yeah. Sleep, hydrate. eat good food. Whole Foods. You know. Laugh a little
Doc Mok 50:01
I, I had kind of an epiphany while you're talking. And I think it's our philosophy, but just putting it like succinctly. Like, I believe when you're starting off to drop some of the standard metrics that people use to judge success with fat loss or weight loss. So drop the weight, don't look at the scale, be nice to yourself there and just use that like Jacky P, like, I feel really good. You know. And, as like the barometer, and when you re-challenge yourself with garbage food, that's when you're really going to feel the difference. Like if you go from eating clean, to eating garbage, you will feel the difference. And just think in that moment. I used to feel this way every single day, and I didn't know it. But on the other side, Jacky P, I think when you're getting used to meal program, or meal prepping or making food in advance for yourself, I do think that being more objective, at least for a little bit, will help and that could involve tracking, it can be weighing and measuring. And I think you know, Jacky P, you're at the point now where you can probably eyeball like, a big pile of Turkey and know how many pounds of turkey that is right? Or how many cups it is. And so it just trains your brain to be able to judge the food and eventually you'll be able to drop that habit. But in the beginning, it's just like any skill. You just need to dial it in for a little bit. Train your brain, and then you can let it go.
Jacky Homme 51:36
Yeah. Oh, also, I forgot to mention this. I totally cut my caffeine intake by like a fraction.
Doc Mok 51:43
Wow.
Jacky Homme 51:44
Like really? And I'm, I don't want to brag. I'm a great sleeper. But I was just drinking too much coffee because I really enjoy coffee.
Doc Mok 51:54
Me too. I love coffee.
Jacky Homme 51:56
It just I like the taste of it, like coffee flavored things, I started liking as well.
Doc Mok 52:00
So good. Yeah.
Jacky Homme 52:02
I literally just switch my morning coffee in the house to decaf.
Doc Mok 52:06
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 52:06
And then like, it doesn't change my day. And I know decaf has caffeine in it. But,
Doc Mok 52:11
Yeah but less
Jacky Homme 52:12
I still get like, yeah, a little bit less. I just, I just like that. Because it's the only thing I drink outside of water. So.
Doc Mok 52:18
Yup. Try half calf.
Jacky Homme 52:21
Ooh, half calf. Nicoe I should look into that
Doc Mok 52:24
Yep.
Jacky Homme 52:25
Yeah.
Doc Mok 52:26
No, that's great. That's a that's a big change. That's really excellent for your your vessels there. Your cardiovascular
Jacky Homme 52:32
Thank you. Thank you
Doc Mok 52:33
But but two cups coffee a day does have some cancer prevention properties. I mean, it's not quality data. It's like anecdotal, but it's interesting. nonetheless. It certainly is delicious.
Jacky Homme 52:44
Yeah. And then also, coffee like just regular coffee. Like I put a splash of 2% milk in there. I'm not having these mocha latte, sugar, you know, you know, a splash of coffee with your sugar. So, they're not talking about those stuff, guys. They're talking more about hey, just straight up black coffee made a little bit of cream or milk and or whatever you take or, you know, soy milk. But yeah,
Doc Mok 53:09
I drink it black. I think it's like, you just love the taste. You taste the coffee more. But I use the other end of the spectrum as like my barometer for sugar intake when I'm talking to people that one Frappuccino equals two days worth of sugar.
Jacky Homme 53:26
Yeah.
Doc Mok 53:27
I mean, and people are just let me get the next one. You know like
Jacky Homme 53:31
It's the first thing they have in the morning.
Doc Mok 53:34
Yeah, I mean
Jacky Homme 53:35
It's the first thing you have in the morning,
Doc Mok 53:37
That's a tough, tough hole to dig out of. So I do a lot of just coffee management. And also the holidays are a big time for GI conditions to flare up. Because all these stuff, you're yelling at your parents because they didn't get your kid the right Christmas present or whatever. Or they didn't bring the right goose stuffing.
Jacky Homme 54:00
Yeah. Goose stuffing.
Doc Mok 54:04
And so, you know, sometimes it's just a matter of skipping that peppermint mocha, to make your GI conditions and actually I did find another study that, this is in the Boston area, where they found that of the people that were queried that had traveled in or outside of town during the holidays, they found that over 64% of the people studied develop some sort of Gi symptom that was not there before just during the holiday time. You know, I think for those of you that are calling me when I'm on call for you know Christmas this year, just be aware that you're probably you know, probably not my patients but but some of you may be doing this to your GI doctor by eating all that stuff. So just be be aware, be nice to your doctor.
Jacky Homme 54:53
And yeah be nicer for sure. But I want to talk about the goose thing again, because you keep saying goose, it keeps reminding me of something. And now I remembered. I just looked up the episode of The Office when Dwight brings a goose into the office. He's, that is what I'm trying to remember, he was like it's a rich smoky meat and you save yourself a trip to the store for groceries.
Doc Mok 55:19
You need a break from from the holiday woes, just go watch The Office for a little bit. And for you Zoomers, it's this old show that they're gonna remake. You know, they're remaking it. Did you know?
Jacky Homme 55:30
No really?
Doc Mok 55:31
They're remaking it. Their, so they're gonna remake it soon. And but the old one is very, very good. The English one not as good as the American one.
Jacky Homme 55:41
Yeah, I definitely think
Doc Mok 55:42
Sorry for our listeners in the UK. I know theres a lot of you out there.
Jacky Homme 55:47
Listen, I gave them credit because they they set up the blueprint. They laid the foundation and it was a good show. I enjoyed it, too, until the remake happened. And I guess our reaction was what everyone's reaction when they thought they were making a remake. And but now, I don't know in 2023 2024 world I can't imagine remake being better because that show definitely would not have survived in today's environment.
Doc Mok 56:16
No. Yeah, Diversity Day, episode two, I think?
Jacky Homme 56:20
Yeah the second episode, it would have been done.
Doc Mok 56:22
Cancelled. Immediately canceled.
Jacky Homme 56:24
Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, Doc Mok
Doc Mok 56:29
It's great. It's always great to chat with you.
Jacky Homme 56:32
You're you're just the best, never change. Yeah.
Doc Mok 56:35
I know Santa's going to be good to you this year.
Jacky Homme 56:37
I hope so. I hope so.
Doc Mok 56:39
And I believe, I believe.
Jacky Homme 56:41
Yeah I believe
Doc Mok 56:42
No call for for Jacky P this year.
Jacky Homme 56:44
Thank you. Thank you. I'm hoping, I'm hoping that. We don't have a fireplace so he's probably just had to come, coming through our roof deck, which is cool. We don't usually keep that door locked anyway because on the roof so, just walk in
Doc Mok 56:58
2023 was a really good year for for Jacky P's family. I mean, you know, Jacky P is an entrepreneur, his wife wrote a book this year. I mean, just amazing things coming from that power couples. So
Jacky Homme 57:12
Appreciate it.
Doc Mok 57:12
Sending, sending love and enjoy to all of you and Jacky P and your family and all of you out there listening. Really appreciate you listening to the show.
Jacky Homme 57:24
Yes, thank you all for listening to us laugh at our own jokes. Thank you for another year of listening to you know, Doc Mok just like blackout and go straight nerd for like two minutes straight. It's great. And we appreciate you all have a wonderful holiday.
Doc Mok 57:42
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 57:42
Have a wonderful new year.
Doc Mok 57:44
Yeah.
Jacky Homme 57:44
And yeah, we'll see you 2024.
Doc Mok 57:47
That's right. For those of you who have not done so already, go ahead and leave us a comment and subscribe. We created a mini course on our website that you can sign up for for free. And there are all kinds of holiday goodies that are being given out as you're receiving these little nuggets of gut health truth for me, including something very special at the end. And I've worked very hard to curate this content to be digestible for you, pun intended. So check it out and sign up for it. It's free.
Jacky Homme 58:21
Nice
Doc Mok 58:21
We appreciate you all. And as always, I'm Doc Mok, here with Jacky P, and we are here to maximize your health.
The content included is not intended to be used as medical advice and viewers should consult their physician or health care provider should they have additional questions. The viewers should not rely on information contained in these presentation for immediate or urgent medical needs. Additionally, if you think you have a medical emergency, call your physician or go to the emergency department or call 911 immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or rely on seeking medical care or delay medical care due to information contained in this presentation. What's going on Maximal Beings, Doc Mok here. If you haven't done so already, leave us a comment and hit the subscribe button. Let your friends and family know that way we can get the word out and continue to bash the bro science.
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