Dr Jackson took this chat in a direction I did not expect. But I’m convinced it’s the right approach. I’m doing it right now to keep inflammaging at bay. He also gives his top blood markers to test for chronic inflammation (hsCRP, ESR, ferritin, fibrinogen). And he shares his secret breakfast feast for the wise athlete in all of us.
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Some podcast notes
Lower inflammation
- gut health = healthy poops
- How to get a healthy gut?
- Don’t major in the minors. Focus on what matters. Highly processed food isn’t ideal but it won’t make a big difference if it is occasional. Mostly eat a whole food mostly plant based diet.
- Seed the biome with diversity and fertilize / feed the biome a diverse diet to provide food for the different elements of good bugs.
- Blood tests (hsCRP, ESR, ferritin, fibrinogen ) to see if you have an inflammatory problem.
- Get fiber up to 40-60g/d. Start with low FODMAP high fiber “overnight oats” plus berries and whey
- You will start pooping regularly
Here’s a link to the post for Dr Jackson’s breakfast
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Follow up to Dr Jackson’s advice on good poops…this paper explains why
“ Fiber-fermenting gut bacteria known as “strict anaerobes,” associated with good health thrived in the “Goldilocks zone” of one or two poops a day.”
“ It was eating more fruit and vegetables, that was the biggest signal we saw," said Gibbons, along with drinking plenty of water, regular physical activity, and eating a more plant-dominant diet.”
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Update
It took me 4 months but I finally got this working for me. Good GUT health = good health vis a via low chronic inflammation. Good gut health marker: regular healthy poops.
The increase in fiber was challenging. I was fighting constipation with every bullet I could think of: magnesium oxide, senna, etc but I was bouncing back and forth between too much and too little.
Here were the keys: visbiome probiotic (as recommended by Dr Jackson, which I didn’t do at first because I’m cheap) and MiroLAX (recommended by my doctor).
Good luck.
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I actually have Visbiome here for my cats! I guess I should steel some. Word on the street is it’s extremely high quality. My vet also recommends mirolax.
In your next life, maybe you’ll come back as my cat 
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meow meow (20 characters)
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Been waiting to post this shit. Thanks Joe. Finally an opportunity… pooping before you workout… no shit Sherlock. What doesn’t make sense about that… hahaha.
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Nice one. I never had an issue with a poop before a race. Stress is the great poop maker. My challenge was going regularly without stress and without coffee. Coffee makes the bowels move…but I have quit coffee for other reasons. (dammit).
But I’ve figured it out finally.
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Exactly… I do an expresso with creatine as a workout booster. Is this a good combo?
Link: Benefits and Risks of Mixing Creatine and Caffeine
For me yes.
Hit the toilet and onto the gym… taking a dump before going to the gym is a no brainer.
I realize for some this is more challenging. I have a very responsive gut to evacuation.
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Great podcast… i just might be making a new fiber laidened breakfast.
FYI - a way to check your inflammation is to check your glycans.
N-glycans have been shown to regulate important steps in lymphocyte biology, such as T and B cell activity and cell differentiation and proliferation. Moreover, N-glycans are of great importance for the fate and function of secreted antibodies in chronic inflammation.
Link: N-Glycosylation and Inflammation; the Not-So-Sweet Relation - PMC
I use GlycanAge… a bit pricey… but you know…
My inflammation is currently of a person 45 years… thats 22 years younger. My inflammation is non-existent. They tell me I am a fraction of a fraction in my inflammation level for my age. I credit this from 4.5 years of rapamycin.
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@Agetron Nice! The breakfast recommended by Dr Jackson is my everyday feast. I love it. I make a high and low protein version to suit my workout status. The high protein version has whey protein and Greek yogurt added.
Overnight oats made with oat milk (see below)
Chia (ground)
Flaxseed (ground)
Cacao
Cinnamon
Muesli
Walnuts
Edit: I make overnight oats with Red Mill high protein rolled oats over which I pour boiling water (put in 16oz coffee mug) that I let sit for 10 minutes. This takes the edge off “raw”. Then I put the oats in a watertight container topped with oat milk in fridge over night. Makes 3 days worth of oats.
Yum.
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Great ideas here… I’ve just made it for trying tomorrow! Thanks Joe.
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I used to make the same version sans muesli all the time, but once I started wearing a cgm, I stopped dead in my tracks.
Thank you for posting this because it reminds me to try it again now that I have acarbose and Dapagliflozin. (I’d use almond milk, and even with a ton of fatty pb, it made no difference to my glucose spikes, but I’m an outlier)
I assume all of you know, but make sure you use Ceylon cinnamon and not the yummier Vietnamese cinnamon (at least if you are going to consume a lot of it).
Also, I use steel cut oats in my overnight oats. I’ve never heard of anyone else doing this whacky thing, but I love me some crunch!
I had not heard of high protein oats, so I will check them out! EDIT: Ok, I looked, it’s just one ingredient, but it’s 10g of protein in a serving size of 1/3 cup 48g vs 6g in a 1/4 cup 44g serving of steel cut.
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@Beth Thanks. Yes I use Ceylon cinnamon. I started using steel cut as that is what I had. I used to eat cooked steel cut oats everyday; I love it. But when I started soaking instead of cooking, my gut didn’t like it. Bloating. I tried for a month but no joy. The rolled oats with a brief cooking (pour boiling water onto oats…just enough to soak in) solved it. Also I no longer need to add salt for flavor (bonus).
I haven’t checked my glucose response to the Dr Jackson dish, but I never feel anything that makes me feel like I just ate a high/fast carb meal.
I hope it works for you.
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Oh, this one sounds great. Thank you Joseph!
I have been eating oats nearly everyday with rice or pea protein powder, flaxseeds or sunflower seeds and strawberries or blueberries and notice my bowels really love it. I’ve almost come to regard oats as a super food for me at this point. So much for plants are trying to kill us (hahaha)! I actually think they are trying to save me. 
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That was a fantastic interview!
I learned some valuable new information and also was happy to hear that some of the things I’d learned and been implementing from you @Joseph_Lavelle and the nutrition classes I started back in 2023 have me on the right path.
One simple thing I started doing back before I retired due to my busy schedule was putting most of my veggies and fruits o in a jar in the morning to help make sure I almost effortlessly get what I need throughout the day without a lot of hassle. I’m not claiming this is perfect or for everyone but it works well for me.
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Thank you! The jar is a great idea. I’m going to steal that one.
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It definitely makes things easier for me. I started it when I was taking a micronutrient class and trying to learn to get all my nutrients from real foods instead of supplements. My husband had the sudden impulse to drive 2 hours then spend all day on the water boating so I had to act fast and take enough nutritious food for the day. I had a solid breakfast, filled the jars and took some no added salt sardines and boiled eggs along and got my best nutrient score ever in cronometer. After that day of boating I felt so much better. In the past I would have inevitably eaten something convenient on the road laden with salt, highly processed, lacking micronutrients and felt crappy. I’ve kept it up ever since. It also came in really handy when I was still working 12 hours shifts. I hope you love it as much as I do!
PS Did Dr. Jackson say how his body building lifestyle destroyed his kidneys? I’m trying to build muscle but definitely don’t want to harm my kidneys!
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@blsm I didn’t ask but assumed it was steroids or other chemicals not used by sane people Resistance training does not injure kidneys, generally. High BP does injure kidneys, so perhaps he has high BP and exacerbated it with heavy lifting….i don’t know.
Kidneys — from a kidney dr on wise athletes
- don’t get dehydrated. If you eat a salty meal, drink water before or during
- keep BP in range
- salt is okay if you are healthy and hydrated. Once then kidney function starts to go, watch the salt (sodium).
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Thank you kindly. I should be fine then since I have good bp and eat a no added salt diet.
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