Chronic disease has become so common that many people mistake it for inevitable. Weight gain with age. Digestive issues. Autoimmune conditions. Cognitive decline. The quiet assumption is that these are just part of modern life.
But common does not mean normal.
Brian Sanders—founder of Food Lies and creator of the Sapien framework—joins the Gut Check Podcast to discuss how many of today’s health problems stem from food regimens and narratives that were never designed for human health in the first place.
Bottom Line Up Front
The rise in chronic disease isn’t a mystery—it’s a mismatch between human biology and modern food systems.
When ultra-processed foods are removed and real foods return, the body often does what it was designed to do: heal, regulate, and thrive.
Below are key highlights and takeaways.
📺 Watch the full Gut Check Podcast Episode 31 with Brian Sanders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2_wwYOsOI4
How Red Meat Became the Scapegoat
For most of human history, animal foods were prized—not feared. Red meat, organs, eggs, and seafood were symbols of nourishment and resilience. Yet today, red meat is often blamed for inflammation, heart disease, and cancer.
That shift didn’t happen by accident.
Highly processed foods are among the most profitable products in the modern food system. Fresh meat is not. When chronic disease rates rose alongside ultra-processed foods, it became convenient to redirect blame toward whole foods that couldn’t be industrialized at scale.
Red meat became an easy target.
The result? A narrative that discourages nutrient-dense foods while leaving the real driver—refined sugars, seed oils, and processed carbohydrates—largely untouched.
The Sapien Framework: Not a Diet, a Return to First Principles
Rather than promoting another rigid diet, the Sapien framework offers a filter for decision-making:
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Eat real, whole foods
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Prioritize animal foods for nutrient density
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Avoid ultra-processed foods
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Adjust ratios based on individual needs
Across cultures and throughout history, healthy populations shared these same foundations. They varied in plant intake, carbohydrates, and preparation—but they all ate whole foods, included animal products, and avoided refined industrial foods.
That consistency matters.
Why Satiety Is the Missing Link
One of the most overlooked benefits of animal foods is satiety.
When the body receives adequate protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, appetite naturally regulates. Hunger quiets. Snacking decreases. Cravings fade.
In contrast, ultra-processed foods deliver energy without nourishment, driving overeating and metabolic dysfunction. This pattern contributes to insulin resistance, visceral fat accumulation, and systemic inflammation—key drivers of chronic disease.
The issue isn’t calories alone. It’s nutrient density versus empty energy.
Organ Meats: Forgotten Superfoods
Organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense foods available, yet they’ve all but disappeared from modern diets.
Liver, heart, kidney, bone marrow, and oysters provide:
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B vitamins (especially B12)
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Iron and copper
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Zinc and selenium
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Choline for brain and hormone health
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Fat-soluble vitamins critical for immunity and fertility
Traditional cultures prioritized these foods, particularly for pregnancy, growth, and healing. Their removal from modern diets coincides with widespread deficiencies—especially among women.
Reintroducing even small amounts can have an outsized impact.
Gut Health Is the Starting Point
Many modern symptoms—eczema, IBS, autoimmune conditions, anxiety—trace back to gut dysfunction.
Ultra-processed foods damage the gut lining and microbiome. In contrast, traditional foods like bone broth, collagen-rich cuts, fermented foods, and organs support gut repair and resilience.
When the gut heals, inflammation decreases. Hormone signaling improves. Mental clarity often follows.
The gut-brain connection is not theoretical—it’s foundational.
Brain Health, Insulin Resistance, and Alzheimer’s Risk
Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly understood as a metabolic condition rooted in insulin resistance in the brain.
Highly processed diets impair glucose metabolism, starving the brain of usable energy. Over time, this contributes to neurodegeneration.
Real food diets—rich in animal nutrients, healthy fats, and micronutrients—support metabolic flexibility and brain energy use. Genetics may influence risk, but lifestyle determines expression.
Genes load the gun. Environment pulls the trigger.
Why Women Are Hit Harder
Women experience autoimmune conditions at significantly higher rates. Chronic calorie restriction, fear of fat, avoidance of red meat, and decades of dieting play a role.
Nutrients like choline, iron, zinc, omega-3s, and cholesterol are essential for hormone production and detoxification. When these are missing, symptoms emerge.
Many women who reintroduce red meat, eggs, and real fats report:
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Improved digestion
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Fewer autoimmune flares
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More stable energy
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Reduced anxiety around food
Nourishment—not restriction—is hormone support.
Lifestyle Still Matters
Food sets the foundation, but lifestyle amplifies results.
Key non-negotiables include:
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Consistent movement, especially after meals
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Prioritizing sleep and circadian rhythm
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Daily sunlight for vitamin D and hormonal signaling
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Strength training and walking as sustainable habits
Health isn’t built in extremes—it’s built in repetition.
Final Thought
The rise in chronic disease isn’t a mystery—it’s a mismatch between human biology and modern food systems.
When ultra-processed foods are removed and real foods return, the body often does what it was designed to do: heal, regulate, and thrive.
📺 Watch the full Gut Check Podcast Episode 31 with Brian Sanders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2_wwYOsOI4
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