The Secret Nutrient Your Body Stops Making After 40... Catharine Arnston | DSH #1859

Summary

Digital Social Hour #1859: The Secret Nutrient Your Body Stops Making After 40…

Guest: Dr. Catharine Arnston
Host: Sean Kelly
Date: March 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Sean Kelly welcomes back Dr. Catharine Arnston, founder of Energy Bits and a passionate advocate for algae-based nutrition. Together, they dive deep into the unique health benefits of spirulina and chlorella, focusing especially on superoxide dismutase (SOD)—a critical antioxidant enzyme your body stops producing in significant amounts after age 40. Dr. Arnston breaks down the evolutionary lineage of mitochondria, the nutritional superiority of algae, and practical advice for using these remarkable foods to boost longevity, energy, detoxification, and more.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Mitochondrial Protection

• SOD: The Body’s Cell Guardian
  • SOD is a powerful antioxidant enzyme that protects mitochondria by converting harmful free radicals into water and oxygen.
  • Body naturally produces SOD from birth, but production drops sharply after age 40 (and begins declining as early as 30).
  • “SOD is the SOS for your mitochondria.” – Dr. Arnston [00:02]
  • After 40, the dramatic decline in SOD correlates with the rise in chronic diseases, brain fog, and fatigue.
• Why Algae?
  • Spirulina and chlorella are the only foods with concentrated, bioavailable SOD—if processed properly (i.e., never heated).
  • Most other foods lack SOD, and high-heat processing of commercial algae destroys this enzyme (as well as crucial pigments).

Algae as a Whole Food vs. Supplements

• Superior Nutrient Profile
  • Over 40 vitamins and minerals; highest plant-based protein, chlorophyll, and antioxidants.
  • “I take nothing. No medications, no supplements, because spirulina and chlorella each have over 40 vitamins and minerals.” – Dr. Arnston [01:34]
• Flexible Intake & Satiation
  • Spirulina tablets can be chewed, swallowed, or put in smoothies—acts as a meal substitute or supplement.
  • Highly satiating due to essential fatty acids and complete protein profile—“It kills your desire for whatever it is you’re eating, whether it’s sweet or salty.” – Dr. Arnston [22:35]
• Bioavailability
  • Spirulina is technically a cyanobacteria, so it lacks a cellulose cell wall—making nutrient absorption near-instant and near-complete (99% bioavailability).
  • Compare to animal protein: Only ~10% is absorbed as amino acids after digestion; spirulina’s protein is instantly available.

Mitochondria 101: Evolution & Function

• Evolutionary Biology of Mitochondria
  • Mitochondria originated from ancient cyanobacteria (like spirulina) via the endosymbiotic process—explaining why algae nutrients work synergistically.
  • “Mitochondria are the only cell in your body that have two membranes… this is why everything in algae… can get into the mitochondria because, as I like to say, they’re family.” – Dr. Arnston [07:44]
• Mitochondrial Concentration
  • Highest in brain cells (2 million/cell), then women’s eggs, heart, and muscle—why spirulina strongly supports brain performance, energy, and heart health.

Chlorella vs. Spirulina: Roles and When to Use

• Spirulina (“Energy Bits”):
  • Energy, brain health, morning use, pre-workout, nourishment and focus.
• Chlorella (“Recovery Bits”):
  • Detoxification (binds heavy metals, pesticides), gut health, stimulates peristalsis, supports repair and sleep at night.
  • “I really call spirulina brain health… chlorella is the gut health one.” – Dr. Arnston [17:02]

Diet, Fasting, and Appetite Control

• Caloric Flexibility
  • Dr. Arnston herself practices intermittent fasting, using spirulina to control hunger and maintain energy on a primarily one-meal-a-day schedule.
  • “I used to snack when bored or for emotional reasons. I don’t have any of that desire any longer.” – Dr. Arnston [22:34]
• Muscle Protection During Weight Loss
  • Spirulina recommended alongside fasting, caloric restriction, or use of drugs like Ozempic to prevent muscle wasting.

Quality Matters: Processing and Sourcing Algae

• Most retail algae is heat-processed, destroying SOD and enzymes; Energy Bits uses raw, low-temp methods.
• “You’re getting less expensive algae, but you’re not getting all the benefits.” – Dr. Arnston [09:44]

Food Quality, Modern Agriculture, and Fruit Choices

• Dead Foods and Soil Depletion
  • Many raw fruits/veggies lack nutrition due to farming practices, transport, and pesticides.
  • Preference for peeled fruits (pineapple, banana, orange) to minimize pesticide residues.
• Surprising Side-Tip
  • Fresh pineapple (for bromelain) plus chlorella = powerful bowel movement and gut health support.

Practical Tips & Real-World Application

• Usage
  • Entry dose is 10 tablets/day (about $1/day), up to 30 for athletes, as meal replacement, or to address health conditions.
  • Suitable for all ages, diets, and even pets.
• Clinical Evidence & Testimonials
  • Dr. Arnston shares multiple anecdotes: Rapid improvement in elderly energy, Alzheimer’s patients, immune function.
  • “Within 24 hours of taking the spirulina, their brains were functioning again.” – Dr. Arnston [13:45]
• Playbook Analogy
  • “Spirulina is your offense playbook… chlorella is your defense playbook.” – Dr. Arnston [25:34]
• Importance of Personal Accountability
  • Food, not government or supplements, is your long-term health solution.
  • “It’s never too late to feel great… algae isn’t new; it’s just new to you. Four billion years — you can’t argue with that.” – Dr. Arnston [27:40]

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Memorable Quotes

• “SOD is the SOS for your mitochondria.” – Dr. Arnston [00:02]
• “I take nothing. No medications, no supplements, because spirulina and chlorella each have over 40 vitamins and minerals.” – Dr. Arnston [01:34]
• “Your mitochondria are what protect you, because they generate all the cellular energy.” – Dr. Arnston [01:54]
• “If you didn’t think you needed algae before, think again.” – Dr. Arnston [07:56]
• “You don’t need drugs, you just need spirulina.” – Dr. Arnston [08:33]
• “Most scientists… don’t know that [SOD] is in the highest concentration in spirulina if it has not been heated, and we never heat ours.” – Dr. Arnston [10:24]
• “Spirulina is your offense playbook because it gives you the energy to get you in the game of life. Chlorella is your defense playbook because it fills all those holes…” – Dr. Arnston [25:34]

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Section Timestamps

| Topic | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|----------------| | Introduction to Algae & SOD | 00:00 - 02:50 | | Blood Work & Disease Prevention | 02:58 - 04:35 | | Mitochondria & Evolutionary Science | 05:35 - 08:33 | | Importance of SOD in Algae | 09:44 - 10:53 | | Reviving Mitochondria (Analogies) | 11:52 - 13:12 | | Clinical Stories & Protein Absorption | 13:21 - 16:03 | | Gut Health: Spirulina vs. Chlorella | 17:02 - 19:23 | | Affordable Nutrition & Use Cases | 19:23 - 20:49 | | Fasting, Appetite, and Metabolic Tips | 20:51 - 22:58 | | Pineapple, Supplements, & Gut Health | 23:01 - 24:24 | | Dead Foods, Fruit Choices, Playbook | 24:29 - 26:02 | | Personal Accountability & Recipes | 26:11 - 27:28 | | Conclusion & Final Thoughts | 27:39 - 28:24 |

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Final Takeaway

Dr. Catharine Arnston’s insights make a powerful case for algae—especially spirulina and chlorella—as foundational foods for lifelong health, energy, and disease prevention, driven by their unique content of bioavailable superoxide dismutase and a nutrient density unmatched by common supplements or modern food sources. Her memorable analogies, clinical anecdotes, and evolutionary science perspective deliver a compelling argument: when it comes to the health of your mitochondria—and thus, your entire body—algae might just be the “missing link.”

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Try it out and experience “offense” and “defense” for your health, at any age.

Transcript

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

You can get spirulina and chlorella at Trader Joe's. But here's the problem. The particular nutrient that protects the mitochondria called superoxide dismutase, also known as sod. And I say SOD is the SOS for your mitochondria. And why is that? Because it's the thing that converts free radicals into harmless water and oxygen. So it protects the mitochondria from free radicals. So it's an antioxidant. You can't find it in any other foods. Your body makes it for you from the moment you're born until the age of 40. And after the age of 40, your body is making virtually none. And this is exactly when chronic disease kicks in.

[Podcast Host]

Okay, guys, Dr. Katherine Arnsten here from Energy Bits back on the show. It's been some time, but still looking good.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Oh, thank you. And so are you.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I remember coming up to you at the booth, and you had the most energy at the whole conference.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

So apparently I'm like the Energizer Bunny Bunny.

[Podcast Host]

You never run out of energy?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

No, I do get my sleep, but that's thanks to chlorella. But we'll talk about that later on. It really is the secret, I feel, to great energy longevity. And I'm here talking to you and your community because I don't want it to be a secret anymore. It's almost 4 billion years old. It was the first life on Earth. It just needed someone to be the voice. So I'm proud to be the voice of algae. And I'm gonna share all the wonderful things that it does for people, because it's also a food and not a supplement. And it can replace most supplements, which people don't realize. Wow.

[Podcast Host]

So do you take any supplements outside of this?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

I do not. Nothing.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And I was on Dave Asprey's podcast recently, and, of course, Dave talks about how he has. He takes about 100 supplements, and Brian Johnson takes about 100 supplements. Well, I want to offer another option for people. I take nothing. No medications, no supplements, because spirulina and chlorella each have over 40 vitamins and minerals, the highest protein in the world, high highest chlorophyll in the world, highest concentration of certain antioxidants like superoxide dismutase, which most people don't know about, but it is the critical antioxidant for protecting your mitochondria. And your mitochondria are what protect you because they generate all the cellular energy. So I do take quite a Few. I mean, I take about at least 100 of them. They're all. They're very tiny. They're about the size of a baby aspirin. I eat mine, I chew them. A lot of people swallow them. About the size of. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're about the size of a baby aspirin, but they're a food. They can be lunch. If you're trying to lose weight, you want to have a great sports performance. That would be spirulina, because it puts nourishment in and energy in, which is why we call it energy bits. And then chlorella is a detoxing algae. We call ours recovery bits because it helps you recover from your day, recover from sports, recover from drinking. Yes. We're here in Las Vegas, party town

[Podcast Host]

and a lot of wine.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

One of the things that pulls out is. Is wine, beer, spirits. You will wake up fresh as a daisy. So you can get to your next party. I love it. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

How's your blood work looking? Have you measured your symptoms?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Great. In fact, I just did a blood test here at the show, so it'll take about a month to get my results.

[Podcast Host]

A month?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah, because it's all the DNA, it's lots of gum. But so far, I had some blood work back in June just as a part of my physical, and my inflammation level was so low it didn't even register. Didn't even register. So. So I'm on par for everything. Absolutely everything.

[Podcast Host]

Inflammation is the biggest cause of disease, right?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah. Yeah. And the inflammation is in the mitochondria, and it's caused by excess free radicals that spill out through this thing called the electron transport chain, which is how energy, which is called ATP, is produced. And so when it spills out, two things happen. The electron transport chain are like these molecules that pass electrons from one to the next. And at the end, you. You generate cellular energy. Well, when the mitochondria are damaged, they expand, so the molecules are further and further apart from one another, so they can't pass the electron. So a. You don't get any as much energy because the electron hasn't finished its pass. Like, what if Tom Brady couldn't make a pass? The other thing is those electrons that don't go the distance don't disappear. They leak out and become free radicals. And then the free radicals damage the mitochondria even more, which causes inflammation even more. And then the cycle goes down and you get chronic disease and brain fog and fatigue. And there are nutrients in both the spirulina and chlorella mostly the spirulina that. Intercept that and stop that.

[Podcast Host]

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[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yes. You can't get any further into the root cause than mitochondria and. And mitochondria. I don't know if I mentioned this on my original podcast. Evolved directly from algae, from cyanobacteria, like spirulina.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And it's all documented in history. It's evolutionary biology. A woman, an MIT professor by the name of, I think her first name was Linda Margolis, she discovered that. So a billion. Four billion years ago, Earth was just gas and water. Nothing lived. Okay. Nobody knows why this single cell anaerobic cell started growing. It was a cyanobacteria, like spirulina. It started growing and it generated ATP. A byproduct is oxygen. So after a billion years, there was now oxygen on Earth. So aerobic cells could grow, which were larger, but they didn't generate ATP as well. So I can imagine the conversation going like this. The big cell, says the little cell, and hey, little guy, I see you're struggling now because you're an anaerobic cell and now you spilled out all that oxygen on Earth, like, what were you thinking? But you're not doing very well, and we don't generate ATP very well. How about we join forces? Not sure if the conversation happened that way, but the small anaerobic cell cyanobacteria, which was the original cell, got absorbed by the bigger cell, which was aerobic and became our mitochondria. It's absolutely proven in science, and it's called endosymbiotic theory. That's why mitochondria are the only cell in your body that have two membranes. Every cell, including mitochondria, have what's called a lipid membrane. And these lipid membranes are. It's a fancy way of saying fats allow nutrients in and antioxidants in. But the mitochondria have a second inner membrane. And most antioxidants, drugs, most things can't get into that inner membrane. And that inner membrane is left over when it was a single cell organism, because when it got absorbed, the original membrane didn't disappear, it just got covered with a second one.

[Podcast Host]

Interesting.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And this is why everything that's in algae, chlorophyll, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, can get into the mitochondria because, as I like to say, they're family.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Crazy, right? And it's all documented in pubmed evolutionary theory. I invite people to look into it. It's called endosymbiot, discovered in the 60s. Lynn Margolis was the MIT professor who discovered it. And so if you didn't think you needed algae before, think again, because it's pretty much the only thing that I know that contains all the nutrients that can get into the inner membrane of the mitochondria. Drugs can't even get in there. Pharmaceuticals are spending billions of dollars trying to find ways to protect and revive the mitochondria. You don't need drugs, you just need spirulina.

[Podcast Host]

Just some algae.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah, let's just get some algae in there.

[Podcast Host]

Do they sell just straight up algae in grocery stores or is it hard to.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Well, yes, you can get spirulina and chlorella at Trader Joe's and hope. But here's the problem. The particular nutrient that protects the mitochondria, it's a long word, most people have never heard of it, called superoxide dismutase, also known as sod. And I say sod is the SOS for your mitochondria. And why is that? Because it's the thing that converts free radicals into harmless water and oxygen. So it protects the mitochondria from free radicals. But here's the thing. So it's an antioxidant. You can't find it in any other foods. Your body makes it for you from the moment you're born until the age of 40. Even starts decreasing at the age of 30, just like melatonin decrease for women, our estrogen decreases. And after the age of 40, your body is making virtually none. And this is exactly when chronic disease kicks in. And I think it's because this is exactly when you don't have the protection that you used to have of this superoxide dismutase. Now it's also not just an antioxidant, it's an enzyme. So the problem is all the less expensive algae that try to get to market quickly, they need to cut corners. And one of the corners they use cut is they use high heat to dry their algae, which deactivates enzymes. And this thing called sod is also an enzyme. It also deactivates pigments like the blue one. So you're getting less expensive algae, but you're not getting all the benefits.

[Podcast Host]

Got it?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And there really is no other place to get this sod. And if anyone had any doubt about the value of this stuff called superoxide Dismutase, there are 25,000 studies in in PubMed, which is an online medical library documenting how superoxide dismutase is the most important way to reduce or stop inflammation, prevent heart disease, prevent Alzheimer's, prevent dementia. It's irrefutable, the value of this stuff called sod. The problem is most scientists, most people don't know that it's in the highest concentration in spirulina if it has not been heated, and we never heat ours. So it's alive and well. Or you can get raw or fresh spirulina.

[Podcast Host]

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[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

So we can revive mitochondria, we can repopulate them because they are the. They're like the light bulbs in a building. You can't do any work if you don't have any light. So if you have a power outage in your building or your light bulbs go out, you're kind of stuck until the maintenance people come back.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

In your body. Those light bulbs and the power source are the mitochondria. Trouble is, we don't have any maintenance people. So superoxide dismutase is the maintenance people, but they go on strike after the age of 40 and they don't come back.

[Podcast Host]

Got it.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

So we need to get those lights back on in your body and in your brain. And the way to do it is with this stuff called superoxide dismutase. You don't need nad. You don't need all these other things, things that do help. But algae, you know the 80, 20 rule that you get 80% of the benefits from you, maybe 20% of your effort. Spirulina is the 80%. All the other things are great. Red light. I'm a big proponent of red light and cold plunges and saunas. But they're going to give you the 20% and the spirulina will uplevel all of those things. But you don't really need those things. Like, you will get the bigger bang for your buck.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, it's clearly working for you.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And even Sony's, hey, I just got my PhD last year, so. So the lights in my head are working.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, last year you got it.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Just got it last year. Yeah, yeah. So I self taught, I called myself a citizen scientist until last year and September last year I got it. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Well, you've been selling these for a while, so I'm sure you're getting 15 years. 15 years.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

16, actually.

[Podcast Host]

16. So you're probably getting some great feedback and testimonials at this point.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah, individuals also, we've done some small clinical trials. People come up to us and tell us how in their clinics, how much it's helped people, whether it's families so grateful that they don't have to fight with their kids to make them eat vegetables. They just give them a few tablets. Now. People who've had Alzheimer's or dementia couldn't figure out how to get home, what their address was. Within 24 hours of taking the spirulina, their brains were functioning again. We've had people with cancer given two weeks to live, sent us their markers showing how bad the cancer diagnosis was they started pounding back both the two algae. Turn the numbers around instantly. People have got zero energy. This one woman, she was 87, she couldn't sleep, she didn't have any energy. She was incontinent. After a week of taking spirulina and chlorella, she says, I now get up at three o' clock in the morning. I do a three mile walk. I visit my great grandson at school, I visit my friends in the nursing home. Yesterday I cleaned my garage, I started painting my kitchen. Oh, and then at five o' clock I had dinner because I wasn't hungry until then. And she says my grocery bill has plummeted because she's not hungry. That's the other thing. It's so satisfying because of the essential fatty acids. Highest protein in the world. I didn't mention that. Three times the amount of protein as steak.

[Podcast Host]

I was just going to ask.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And it's a complete protein, has 18 of the 20Aminos. Now when you look at the pouch of 30, it says 5 grams of protein, you think, well, that's not very much. But here's the thing. When you eat animal protein, your body needs to convert it into amino acids to be absorbed. Now it can take up to two or three days for that process to occur. And if you have compromised digestion or compromised immune system, you may often end up only absorbing 10% as Aminos. And most people do have compromised digestion these days. So let's say you add 50 grams of chicken, which is about the size of a fist, you may end up with 5 grams of aminos. When you eat 5 grams of protein from spirulina, you get 5 grams of aminos. So it's like having 50 grams of chicken.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Because it's bioavailable instantly you absorb 99% of it. If you chew it like you did, it got into your system within seconds. Because spirulina is not even a plant, it's a bacteria. It's that cyanobacteria, which was the first life on earth. So there's no cellulous wall for your body to break down to get access to everything. Nothing to get access to the aminos, nothing to get access to the superoxide dismutase, the essential fatty acids. It's, it's a, it's pretty incredible.

[Podcast Host]

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[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Well, chlorella is the gut health one. This we really, I really call spirulina brain health. Yeah, because it does so much for your mitochondria and your m. Your brain has the most mitochondria. It has 2 million mitochondria per cell.

[Podcast Host]

Geez.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Geez.

[Podcast Host]

That's crazy.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

The second highest are women's ocellites, their eggs. The third highest is your heart and the fourth are muscles. Mitochondria are concentrated where great energy needs are. It takes a lot of energy to think, to make a baby, to make your heart grow, you know pound work properly. We work with a lot of heart surgeons on that note. Now, chlorella does have protein, 60% protein, but it takes longer to be absorbed because it is a plant. And it has a very hard cell wall that attaches to heavy metals, glyphosate, pesticides. So it's a detoxing algae. And it heals your gut because it has high chlorophyll, which kills bacteria. It has fiber that feeds the gut biome. Your gut biome needs fiber and it has all the, the nutrients your immune system need. So it stimulates what's known as peristalsis, which is fancy word for saying bowel movement. Not only are people having compromised digestion these days, most people are constipated. They don't like to talk about it, but it's true. Whether you're traveling, eating too much dairy, you're too stressed, not exercising, not getting enough water, all these things lead to constipation. And chlorella is proven to, to alleviate that. It moves the bowels. Peristalsis is the wave motion that moves things through your bowels. So this really helps with that. Also it has the highest concentration of something called tryptophan, which is a precursor to melatonin. And as you get older, people find it difficult to sleep. If you've had alcohol, it's difficult to sleep. So this helps you sleep. And your body goes through a repair cycle and detox cycle when you're sleeping. So this is very much a evening algae. Whereas you want energy and focus during the morning. So I think of spirulina as nourishment and energy in in the morning and chlorella is your detox sleep repair algae in the evening.

[Podcast Host]

Am, PM also, I love how affordable. I remember the first time you came on. I think it was a dollar a day. Is it still?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yes. And we have subscription programs. We have a discount code we'll share with your community that will give them, if we sell them in large bag, thousand tablets. And if you took ten a day, which is kind of your entry point, and I know people go 10, oh my God. But they're size of a baby aspirin, I ate 10. So they go down really quickly. You can add them to a smoothie, add them to a trail mix, swallow them, I chew them. But if you took 10 a day, a large bag of a thousand tablets would last you three months and cost you a dollar a day. I'd say your health is worth a dollar a day. Now, if you're trying to correct health condition or if you're an athlete and you want a great workout or you just. Or you want them for lunch, 30 is what we would recommend.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Olympians used to take spirulina, right?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yes. Yeah. Before competing triathletes, ultra marathoners, because it does not upset their stomach. This is great to take on an empty stomach in a fasted situation because there's no sugar, no chemicals, no carbs. So if you're ketogenic, no carbs. If you're fasting, it does not interfere with your fast. So lots of runners would take just this and water for their marathon for their ultra race and it would propel them. They would take a few extra. Take a full pouch at the start and another 15 every hour or so. So it's really great pre workout.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So is this the main thing you're eating these days?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

I do eat. I intermittent fast most of the day and then I have one meal.

[Podcast Host]

One meal a day.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Generally, you know, it doesn't help very much with social life because I like to eat like around 4 o' clock or I'm here in Vegas so I'll have a big breakfast and that may be the only meal I'll have for the day. So no, I eat whole foods and my body is so cleaned out after eating this for so long. If I eat anything with seed oils or that's packaged or that's used high heat, I get stomach pain and I suffer sugar too.

[Podcast Host]

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[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

I'm probably fat adapted for sure.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And I have no desire. I used to eat like a lot of us, snack when you're bored or snack for emotional reasons and I don't have any of that desire any longer. And if anyone is trying to correct their eating habits and they find themselves in that cycle where they're eating too much and they can't put the stop on it, chew a couple of spirulina or chlorella. That will kill your desire for whatever it is you're eating, whether it's sweet or salty.

[Podcast Host]

Who needs Ozempic when you got a bag of this?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Well in fact, if anyone is taking Ozempic, we urge them to take spirulina because we don't want them to have muscle wasting because they're not eating enough protein. And on that note, on the bowel movements, which seems to be my favorite topic these days, somebody recommended fresh pineapple to me for another reason and I started taking it. Omg. If anyone is having any digestive issues or any bowel movements in addition to taking chlorella slam dunk, get yourself some Fresh pineapple. I now travel with little. I go to Whole Foods and I get the buckets. They're all pre cut. The bromelain that's in fresh pineapple is full of enzymes. It helps your digestion, helps with bowel movements. I think fresh pineapple is the. Is the new.

[Podcast Host]

I've never heard that.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

The new. Wow. Yeah. Well. And I, I want you to go out and try it.

[Podcast Host]

I'll test it.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And it's sweet. And it's actually not even that high in calories. You think it's so sweet. You know, it's probably 500 calories. No, a cup is about 98 calories.

[Podcast Host]

That's nothing.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

So it tastes good. It tastes delicious. And it's so much better than supplements. I'm not a big fan of supplements because they often use high heat, which deactivates a lot of the nutrients and enzymes. So when you're eating fresh, you're getting everything that's fresh. That's why we're a raw food. When you eat raw food, you get all the enzymes, you get all the phytonutrients in their purest form, and they will go to work for you.

[Podcast Host]

Is it true a lot of raw vegetables and fruits these days are considered dead foods?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Well, right now our soils are so damaged that even when you are eating organic, they're often grown so far away that they're harvested before the nutrients and the enzymes get into the fruit or the leaves. And if you're eating things that have a skin on them, there's pesticides, even if you wash them. So here's another great thing about pineapple. It's got that hard core on the outside. I'd like to see some pesticides make their way into that inner core of the pineapple. I tend to eat things that need to be peeled.

[Podcast Host]

Banana, orange.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Oranges, bananas.

[Podcast Host]

I used to love apples, but there's so many.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah, I don't eat apples anymore for the same reason. So you have to be very selective. You have to play. It's almost like in sports. They have an offense playbook and a defense playbook. And so that's how you have to. We have to live our lives. It's just the way it is. And on that note, so I say consider spirulina as part of your offense playbook because it gives you the energy to get you in the game of life. And then chlorella is your defense playbook because it fills all those holes in a defense. You want to be sure nobody can break through. You want your Cells not to have toxins sitting on their receptor cells. This gets rid of the. The toxins so the nourishment can get in. This gets all the stuff, the junk in your trunk, as I call it, that's in your colon, out through a bowel movement. So this is your defense playbook. Spirulina is your offense playbook. And in life these days, we have to take charge and be very calculating about how we're protecting our own bodies because it's not going to be done for us by anybody else.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, people want to think, like, I'm hopeful too, but people want to use the government as a source of health inspiration with the MAHA movement.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

And it's definitely, definitely helping. And I'm a big supporter of maha.

[Podcast Host]

So am I. But I think you still need to take accountability.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Yeah. And so the way I describe it is, you know, whether it's a playbook or, in my case, a recipe, I don't cook very much. I have two sisters who are whizzes in the kitchen. They don't need a recipe. I need a recipe because I don't cook very much. So if I'm going to cook something, I look at the recipe and I see all the ingredients and. And then I buy them and then I use them and then I cook whatever I need and it turns out really well. Well, for your health, you need a recipe. You need to know what your body needs. It'd be helpful if you knew how your body works and therefore you would know what it needs. And things like protein and iron and movement and sunlight and in this case, superoxide dismutase. So I put spirulina and chlorella on everybody's recipe for health. It's food. It's good for every age group. Children, pregnant moms, breastfeeding, teenagers, adults, octogenarians, pets, and any food group. Keto, carnivore, paleo, vegan. It's the thing that works with everything. And there's not much that. No drug interactions. So it's kind of everybody's best friend. I hope it will be.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Check the link in the description.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Your best food friend.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Code DSH, I think, right? Yes, DSH. If you want to try it out.

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Little discount, 20% [e-mail].

[Podcast Host]

anything else you want to know?

[Dr. Katherine Arnsten]

Well, I just want. I know your listener community is younger and these issues that go on at the cellular level often start way earlier than you think. There's just no symptoms. And so I'm so thrilled to see younger people taking charge going out to events that are focusing on wellness. Cold plunges instead of drinking alcohol. But try to add these, because then you can prevent all the illnesses that probably your parents are suffering. It's never too late to feel great. So if you're also older, it's never too late to add these. It's never too early, never too late. And the other only thing I would say is algae isn't new. It's just new to you. Four billion years. You can't argue with that. So give it a try.

[Podcast Host]

Give it a try, guys. Check them out. Check out the link. Check out the code. Peace. Thanks for watching. All the way to the end. Guys, please hit like and subscribe. It helps us grow the show and helps us get bigger guests. Thank you so much.