Good Energy: What Most People Get Wrong About Metabolism

Honestly, the medical system is kinda rigged. Not in a "conspiracy theory" way, but in a "we only care if you’re already falling apart" way. Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained surgeon who actually quit her surgical career because she realized she was just "mop-up crew" for preventable diseases, finally put her manifesto into the world. It’s called Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health.

You've probably seen it on every bestseller list since it dropped in 2024. But here’s the thing: most people think it’s just another "how to lose weight" book. It isn't.

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Basically, Means argues that nearly every modern ailment—from the crushing fatigue you feel at 3 PM to depression, infertility, and even Alzheimer’s—is actually just one single problem wearing different masks. That problem? Metabolic dysfunction. Your cells are literally struggling to create energy. When your mitochondria (the "powerhouses" we all learned about in 6th grade) stop working right, your body starts breaking down.

Why Everything You Know About "Normal" Health Is Probably Wrong

We’ve been taught that if our lab results are "within normal range," we’re fine. Dr. Means calls BS on that. She points out that the "normal" range is often just an average of an increasingly sick population.

Take fasting glucose, for example. Your doctor might say 99 mg/dL is "normal." But in the world of Good Energy, that’s already a red flag. Dr. Means and her brother, Calley Means (who co-authored the book), argue that we’ve normalized being "sub-clinically" sick. They cite a staggering statistic: about 93% of American adults are metabolically unhealthy. That means only 7% of us have our basic cellular machinery running smoothly.

The book isn't just a rant against "Big Pharma" or "Big Food," though there is plenty of that. It’s a roadmap. It’s about moving from "reactive" medicine—where we wait for a tumor or a heart attack—to "proactive" health.

The Five Biomarkers You Actually Need to Watch

If you want to know if you have Good Energy, you can't just look in the mirror. You have to look at the data. Dr. Means highlights five key markers that determine your metabolic health. If you hit the "optimal" (not just "normal") range in all five, you’re in that elite 7% club.

1. Waist Circumference: It’s a crude but effective proxy for visceral fat—the nasty stuff around your organs. For men, you want under 40 inches; for women, under 35.
2. Fasting Glucose: The goal here is under 100 mg/dL, but ideally closer to 70–85 mg/dL.
3. Triglycerides: You want these low. Like, under 150 mg/dL low (ideally under 100).
4. HDL Cholesterol: This is the "good" stuff. You want it over 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women.
5. Blood Pressure: Ideally 120/80 or lower without medication.

The "aha!" moment for many readers is the Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio. Dr. Means suggests that if you divide your triglycerides by your HDL and the number is over 1.5 or 2.0, you might be insulin resistant, even if your other labs look "okay."

The Six Pillars of "Good Energy" Eating

Diet culture is exhausting. Vegan, keto, carnivore—everyone’s yelling at each other. Dr. Means skips the tribalism and focuses on what the cells actually need. She has six principles that work regardless of whether you eat meat or not.

• Fiber is everything. It’s not just for "regularity." It feeds your microbiome, which then sends signals to your brain to stop being hungry.
• Omega-3s over Omega-6s. Most of us are drowning in industrial seed oils (canola, soybean, corn) that cause cellular inflammation. We need more wild fish, walnuts, and chia seeds.
• Protein is non-negotiable. You need it to build the muscle that acts as a "glucose sink" for your body.
• Probiotics and Antioxidants. Think fermented foods and colorful plants. They’re basically "information" for your DNA.
• Ditch the "Ultra-Processed" junk. If it comes in a crinkly bag and has 30 ingredients, your mitochondria won't know what to do with it.

Is It Too Simple? (The Critics' View)

Now, look. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Some scientists, like those at Red Pen Reviews, gave the book a 75% for scientific accuracy. Why? Because the book tends to oversimplify.

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It claims that metabolic health is the root of depression. While there is a massive link (the brain uses 20% of your body's energy, so if your metabolism is broken, your brain is "hungry"), it’s a bit of a stretch to say it’s the only cause. Life trauma, genetics, and environment matter too. But Dr. Means’ point is that we usually ignore the metabolic side entirely, which is a huge mistake.

She also talks a lot about Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs). Since she co-founded Levels (a CGM company), some people find this a bit "salesy." However, the logic is sound: if you don't know how a bowl of "healthy" oatmeal affects your specific blood sugar, you’re flying blind. Some people spike on grapes; others spike on potatoes. Bio-individuality is real.

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Steps to Reclaim Your Energy Right Now

You don't need to buy a $300 gadget to start. The book is big on "replenishing what modernity took away." Our ancestors didn't have 24/7 blue light, constant snacks, or temperature-controlled houses.

• Walk after meals. Even a 10-minute stroll tells your muscles to soak up the sugar you just ate.
• Watch the light. Get sunlight in your eyes within 30 minutes of waking up. It sets your circadian clock, which controls your metabolism.
• Cold and Heat. Take a cold shower or hit the sauna. These "hormetic stressors" make your mitochondria tougher.
• Stop snacking. Give your cells a break. Constant eating means constant insulin, and constant insulin means your body never learns to burn fat for fuel.

Good Energy is essentially a plea to stop treating the body like a collection of separate parts (heart, lungs, brain) and start treating it like a single, energy-producing system. If the "power plant" is working, the "city" thrives.

Your Good Energy Checklist

1. Request a Full Metabolic Panel: Ask your doctor for fasting insulin and uric acid, not just the standard "Big 5" markers.
2. Clean Your Pantry: Toss anything containing "refined grains," "added sugars," or "industrial seed oils" (canola, corn, soybean, safflower).
3. The "Post-Meal 10": Commit to a 10-minute walk after every dinner this week to blunt your glucose spike.
4. Morning Sun: Spend 5–10 minutes outside without sunglasses immediately after waking to sync your metabolic hormones.
5. Eat "Whole" Only: For the next 7 days, try to eat only foods that look like they did when they came out of the ground or off the animal.