Dr. Jockers Functional Nutrition

In this episode, Dr. David Jockers sits down with Dr. Sara Pugh, who holds a PhD in molecular mechanisms and was the first board-certified quantum biologist, for a conversation about the health input almost nobody is optimizing: light. Quantum biology, as she explains it, is simply looking at health through light, water, and magnetism, with a heavy focus on the mitochondria and the electrons that carry our life force.
 
You will learn why the specific blend of red, blue, and violet light at sunrise sets your body clocks and switches on hormonal cascades in the pituitary gland, why glass blocks roughly half the red light and all of the grounding benefit, how UVA builds the serotonin you will convert to melatonin later, and when UVB is actually available to make vitamin D from cholesterol. Dr. Pugh and Dr. Jockers also dig into the sunscreen and sunglasses debate, the dietary strategies that build real sun tolerance, and why DHA is a quantum molecule that can turn light into electricity and back again.
 
From there the conversation turns to Dr. Pugh's nine-day water fast, why she ended it a day early when her leptin came back at 0.7, what refeeding after an extended fast actually requires, and how sauna, cold plunges, and other hormetic stressors build resilience when the dose is right.
 

In This Episode: 
00:00 Flying and Clot Risk
02:38 Meet Dr Sara Pugh
03:27 Quantum Biology Explained
04:49 Why She Got Into It
06:34 Sunrise and Body Clocks
08:29 Sunrise Indoors vs Outdoors
09:57 Morning Ritual and Awe
13:01 Sunset and Sleep Signals
15:07 Evening Light Hygiene Tips
17:24 UVA UVB and Vitamin D
20:44 Sunscreen and Sunglasses Debate
25:15 Dietary Sun Protection
26:38 Omega 3 DHA and EZ Water
29:54 Airplanes Dehydration and Flow
31:42 Structured Water and Fresh Fruit
34:46 Seasonal Eating and Summer Sun
35:22 Muscadines and Gut Fuel
36:23 Fasting Boosts Akkermansia
36:47 Nine Day Fast Experiment
39:30 Low Leptin Explained
44:02 Symptoms and Lab Testing
46:15 Refeeding After Long Fasts
51:30 Sauna for Autophagy
55:37 Cold Face Plunge Benefits
58:45 Hormesis and Cortisol Balance
01:01:37 Carbs Keto and Mitochondria
01:03:52 Wrap Up and Takeaways
 
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"Poor light exposure, something called malillumination, is to the body what malnutrition is to the body."
 
Subscribe to the podcast on:
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Resources: 
Visit paleovalley.com/jockers to get 15% off Paleovalley Turmeric Complex and other products

Visit boncharge.com and use promo code DRJOCKERS to get 15% off the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask, plus free shipping and a 12-month warranty

Visit myaquaomega.com/jockers and use code JOCKERS to get 20% off AquaOmega

Visit butcherbox.com/drjockers to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, New York strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year, and free shipping

 
 
Connect with Dr. Sara Pugh:
Website: https://busysuperhuman.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busy_superhuman/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@busysuperhuman

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thebusysuperhuman

Substack: https://drsarapugh.substack.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-quantum-based-podcast-with-dr-sara-pugh/id1787588995


 
Connect with Dr. Jockers:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

Facebook – https:/www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

Website – https://drjockers.com/

 

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/

In this episode, Dr. David Jockers breaks down the seven daily habits silently fueling the surge in Alzheimer's, dementia, and other neurodegenerative conditions, and lays out exactly how to reverse each one before symptoms ever appear.
 
You will learn why blood sugar dysregulation and insulin resistance have earned Alzheimer's the nickname "type 3 diabetes," which three nutrient deficiencies are quietly damaging brain cells, how everyday medications like statins and acid-reflux drugs contribute to cognitive decline, and why environmental toxins, inactivity, sun avoidance, and poor sleep round out the list of brain-degrading habits, plus the specific, actionable steps to reverse every one of them.
 
In This Episode: 
00:00 Drugs and Dementia Risk
00:28 Podcast Intro and Coaching
03:44 Alzheimers Slow Burn
04:37 Blood Sugar and Type 3
06:27 Nutrient Deficiencies
11:37 Medications and Mitochondria
12:41 Toxins, Movement, Sun, Sleep
15:16 Reverse It All Today
18:17 Final Thanks and Reviews
 

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"Alzheimer's doesn't just happen. It's a disease process that takes over 30 years of silent brain inflammation before you begin to notice the signs and symptoms." 
~ Dr. Jockers
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast on:
Apple Podcast
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Spotify
PodBean
TuneIn Radio
 
Resources:
Visit pureance.com and use code JOCKERS to save 35% on Pureance organic skincare products

Visit masterantioxidant.com/drj to get a buy one, get one free offer on Purality Health's Glutathione Spray

 
Connect with Dr. Jockers:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

Website – https://drjockers.com/




If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/

In this episode, Dr. David Jockers goes solo to break down the 10 everyday foods quietly wrecking your metabolism, and exactly what to swap them for. From table salt and seed oils to soy, processed meat, microwaved popcorn, non-organic produce, artificial sweeteners, margarine, canned tomatoes, and modern wheat, 
 
Dr. Jockers explains why each one drives inflammation, blood sugar spikes, and hormone disruption, plus the cleaner alternatives he uses in his own kitchen.



You'll also get three of Dr. Jockers' go-to fat-burning, anti-inflammatory meals, including a wild-caught salmon plate, a grass-fed beef and sweet potato dinner, and a protein-rich yogurt and collagen dessert, so you walk away with a full game plan, not just a list of foods to avoid.



In This Episode: 
00:00 Canned Tomatoes Warning
00:20 Podcast Welcome and Resources
02:59 10 Foods That Wreck Metabolism
03:30 Food 1 Table Salt Swap
04:08 Food 2 Toxic Seed Oils
05:59 Food 3 Most Soy Products
07:40 Food 4 Better Meat Choices
08:52 Food 5 Microwaved Popcorn
09:40 Food 6 Non-Organic Produce
10:58 Food 7 Artificial Sweeteners
13:45 Food 8 Margarine Myth
15:18 Food 9 Canned Tomatoes BPA
16:35 Food 10 Modern Wheat Problems
17:56 Fat Burning Meal Ideas
20:19 Dessert Yogurt Collagen Bowl
21:51 Final Swaps and Closing
 
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"Many restaurants cook with these and call them olive oil when they're really 50% or more corn or canola oil."

~ Dr. Jockers
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast on:
Apple Podcast
Stitcher
Spotify
PodBean
TuneIn Radio
 
 
Resources:
Visit everbella.com and use coupon code JOCKERS30 to save 30% off Everbella's Essential Growth Hair Serum

Visit manukora.com/doctorjockers to save up to 31% plus $75 worth of free gifts on Manukora Honey




Connect with Dr. Jockers:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

Facebook – https:/www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

Website – https://drjockers.com/
 
If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/

In this episode, Dr. David Jockers sits down with Vanessa Spina, sports nutrition specialist, bestselling author of Keto Essentials, creator of the Tone ketone breath analyzer, and host of the Optimal Protein Podcast, for a deep dive on a groundbreaking new study out of the University of Nottingham, published in Clinical Nutrition in August 2025.


You will learn why the old "you can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal" rule doesn't hold up, what really happens to protein you eat beyond that amount, and why the popular anabolic-window advice to slam a shake right after your workout is largely a myth. Dr. Jockers and Vanessa then break down a randomized, controlled fasting-mimicking diet study that overturns the long-held belief that high protein blocks autophagy, and explain why a high-protein, calorie-restricted approach can outperform a low-protein one for visceral fat loss, ketone production, and metabolic health. 

They close with a practical, hour-by-hour walkthrough of the protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF): what to eat, how much protein to target, how to structure refeed days, and how it compares to water fasting and Ozempic for appetite control.
 

In This Episode: 
00:00 Protein Absorption Myth
00:14 Episode Intro and Study Teaser
05:29 Meet Vanessa and Study Setup
07:35 100g Protein Study Breakdown
12:17 Protein Timing and Real Life
17:48 Protein First for Satiety
23:55 Ketones and High Protein Keto
28:10 Stress Hormones and Growth Hormone
31:58 Autophagy Study Lead In
33:12 Why Human Trials Matter
34:52 Autophagy Headlines vs Reality
35:54 High Protein FMD Study Setup
39:01 Autophagy Still Upregulated
40:53 Visceral Fat and Metabolic Wins
44:12 PSMF One Day Weekly
44:58 Vanessa PSMF Results
47:22 Meals Macros and Refeeds
51:21 Ketones Hunger and Ozempic
55:27 Weekly Schedule and Whoosh
58:26 PSMF Meal Ideas and Tips
01:04:06 Water Fast vs PSMF
01:05:54 Wrap Up and Where to Find
01:06:56 Final Listener Outro
 
This podcast is sponsored by Paleo Valley's Turmeric Complex, a whole-food organic turmeric formula (not just isolated curcumin) blended with coconut oil and black pepper for absorption, plus ginger, rosemary, and cloves for extra anti-inflammatory and brain-support benefits. Go to paleovalley.com/jockers for 15% off your order.
 
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"Optimizing your protein acts just as well, if not better, than taking a semaglutide medication — without those side effects and a fraction of the cost."
 
Subscribe to the podcast on:
Apple Podcast
Stitcher
Spotify
PodBean
 TuneIn Radio

 
Resources: 
Visit paleovalley.com/jockers to get 15% off Paleo Valley's Turmeric Complex and other products

Visit iRestore.com and use code DRJOCKERS for Labor Day savings on the iRestore Elite and Illumina face mask bundle

Visit superpower.com and use code JOCKERS to get $20 off your SuperPower Health membership

Visit masterclass.com/drjockers to get at least 15% off any annual MasterClass membership

Study referenced: The effects of a short-term (1-week) very low-calorie diet comparing low and normal protein content on cardiometabolic outcomes, glucose metabolism and autophagy — University of Nottingham (Clinical Nutrition, August 2025)

 
 
Connect with Vanessa Spina:
Website: ketogenicgirl.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ketogenicgirl/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1344681226


 
Connect with Dr. Jockers:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

Facebook – https:/www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

Website – https://drjockers.com/

 

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/

In this episode, Dr. David Jockers breaks down fasting as the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory tool available, walking through a detailed hour-by-hour timeline of what happens inside your body, from the first 12-hour gut and liver reset all the way out to the deep cellular healing of a 3-to-5-day fast.


You will learn exactly what your body is doing at each checkpoint of a fast, from the metabolic switch into fat burning at 14 hours, through the onset of autophagy and BDNF-driven mental clarity, to the dramatic rise in human growth hormone at 24 hours, the gut microbiome shift at 36 hours, and the full immune system rejuvenation that unfolds between 48 and 72 hours. Dr. Jockers also lays out a practical, step-by-step way to build up to longer fasts safely.
 
In This Episode: 
00:00 Gut Healing Teaser

00:18 Podcast Welcome and Support

03:55 Why Fasting Beats Inflammation

05:09 12 to 14 Hour Kickoff

07:01 16 to 24 Hour Deep Repair

14:20 24 to 36 Hour Youth and Gut Reset

16:02 36 to 72 Hour Ketosis and Immunity

18:31 3 to 5 Day Max Healing

19:27 How to Start Fasting Safely

22:16 Wrap Up and Next Steps

23:17 Podcast Closing and Reviews

 

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"Autophagy is triggered by the absence of food, not by the presence of something. You can't supplement your way into autophagy." 
~ Dr. Jockers
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast on:
Apple Podcast
Stitcher
Spotify
PodBean
TuneIn Radio
 
 
Resources:
Visit https://purehealthresearch.com and use coupon code JOCKERS to get 35% off Pure Health Research supplements, backed by a 365-day money-back guarantee

Visit https://branchbasics.com and use code DRJOCKERS to get 15% off the Branch Basics premium starter kit

 
 
Connect with Dr. Jockers:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

Website – https://drjockers.com/




If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/