Out of Pocket
You're here because you're in the healthcare gap.
You're already doing the basics of exercise and eating healthy.
But you're also not so sick you need the care of a doctor.
You want answers that help you live your best life proactively.
If you’re burned out on diets, confused by your symptoms, and tired of being told “everything looks normal,” this show is for you.
Hosted by functional nutritionists Andrew Hayes and Kat Best, we cover the health issues most people struggle with but rarely talk about. Gut problems. Hormone chaos. Fatigue. Cravings. Mood swings. The difference between sustainable fat loss and trendy weight loss. Irregular poops. (Yes, we said it.)
Each week, we give you the tools to actually feel better - without crash diets, supplements you don’t need, or 4AM workouts.
No shame. No perfection. Just more clarity, not more effort.
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Out of Pocket
Why Your LDL Is High Even If You’re Eating Healthy l Ep 73
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You get your labs back, LDL is high, and suddenly it feels like you’re supposed to fear every egg, every steak, and every meal that used to feel normal. But high LDL is not just a food issue, and treating it like one misses a lot of the bigger picture.
In this episode, Kat and Andrew break down why LDL can rise even when your diet has not changed, and why markers like thyroid function, estrogen, stress, and even dieting itself can influence what shows up on your lab work. This is especially important for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who are doing many things right but still watching their numbers move in the wrong direction.
They also talk about why fat loss phases and low carb dieting can temporarily raise LDL, why that can be so confusing when you are seeing progress elsewhere, and why looking at one marker in isolation often creates more fear than clarity. If you have ever been told to just cut red meat and eggs without any deeper explanation, this episode will help you understand what else may actually be going on.
The goal here is not to ignore LDL. It is to put it in the right context so you can look at your labs more clearly, ask better questions, and make decisions based on the full picture instead of one number.
(00:00) Why LDL is not just a food marker
(06:45) How thyroid, stress, and chronic dieting can raise LDL
(10:30) Why estrogen decline and perimenopause change cholesterol
(13:45) Why fat loss and low carb phases can temporarily spike LDL
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