ABOUT THIS EPISODE

The Be Well by Kelly podcast is hosted by Kelly Leveque, a holistic nutritionist, wellness expert, and celebrity health coach from Los Angeles. The Be Well podcast grew out of Kelly’s passion for the science of nutrition, and she stays at the leading edge in the latest research and discoveries about maintaining a healthy body. In this episode of Be Well, Kelly interviews Dr. David Minkoff on the topic of finding the perfect protein.

This episode covers:

• 3:00 – Dr. Minkoff discusses his life journey and the various influences that brought him to where he is today as a marathon runner and Iron Man competitor. He speaks about how he suffered side effects from enzyme therapy, leading to his interest in how amino acids work to produce protein.
• 9:14 –A discussion about how he discovered he had a protein and amino acid deficiency that was affecting his athletic performance and speed of healing. He explains how a special amino acid blend dramatically improved his overall health condition. He began prescribing amino acid tablets after testing his patients, including athletes and those suffering from chronic health conditions, with about 90 percent testing as deficient in amino acid levels.
• 13:15 – Dr. Minkoff speaks on how vegans and vegetarians need to monitor their iron levels, omega 3 fat levels, and their intake of amino acids. He covers how vegans and vegetarians, over the years, typically become deficient in protein due to a lack of specific amino acids in most plant-based foods.
• 15:04 – A discussion about the symptoms of protein deficiency often experienced by vegans and vegetarians, including fatigue, hormone imbalances, and generally feeling tired and unwell. He talks about the restored energy and renewal of health they experience once this deficiency is corrected. He goes into depth on gut health and how the combination of low-quality food, damaged intestines, exposure to parasites, bacteria, and fungus, along with leaky gut leads to a range of symptoms that include exhaustion and depression. Patients he has seen in volume for GERD who are on medication have tested as deficient in tryptophan, an essential amino acid.
• 22:14 – An explanation of how Dr. Minkoff treated these patients by stopping the acid-blocking medication and giving them extra tryptophan along with a blend of amino acids. He discusses tryptophan and how it aids in energy production and sleep, acting as a neurotransmitter. If low in amino acids, the person may suffer a range of symptoms, including depression, lack of energy, and inability to sleep. Once the tryptophan and amino acids are replenished, these conditions typically resolve. He covers how if a patient went to a doctor about these symptoms, they would likely be prescribed an antidepressant, amphetamine, or sleep medication, all of which cause damage to the body and do not treat the underlying deficiency.
• 24:42 – Dr. Minkoff covers how he tests his patients and how most who are over 40 need digestive enzymes.   He describes how his first program is a gut program to resolve bad bacteria, yeast overgrowth, parasites, and to improve overall gut health. As he shifts them to organic food, they see bloating, heartburn, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and bulging stomach disappear. He covers how amino acid supplementation allows your body to produce the proteins to restore the gut lining.
• 30:01 – A discussion about how the science of protein is not generally taught, but yet it is critical to understand how amino acids combine to produce proteins. Dr. Minkoff explains that eight of the twenty-two amino acids are “essential,” vital for your body and are not produced naturally by the body, and that muscle protein is a long chain of amino acids, about 5,600 per fiber.
• 34:23 – An explanation of how the intestines absorb the chains of amino acids in meat by breaking them down into single amino acids that can travel through the digestive system, into the bloodstream, and into the cells. Dr. Minkoff further explains how each of the main protein types, including eggs, fish, and meat, has about 16 percent utilization in the body. 
• 51:14 – Dr. Minkoff speaks about thyroid health and amino acids, describing how the thyroid manufactures hormones, and to do so correctly, requires various vitamins and compounds. He discusses iodine testing and how virtually everyone in the USA is deficient in iodine. He talks about specific amino acids and how an amino acid deficiency can trigger a thyroid deficiency. He further explains more accurate methodologies for diagnosing and treating thyroid deficiencies using advanced testing and supplementation.
• 59:42 – Dr. Minkoff speaks to how people can change their lives by correcting their health and treating the root causes of their troubles. The restoration of good health can be simple, and it can significantly improve your quality of life.