What Diet Soda and Artificial Sweeteners May Be Doing to Your Metabolism and Liver For decades, diet soda has been marketed as the healthier alternative. No sugar. No calories. No guilt. For people trying to lose weight, manage blood sugar, or improve metabolic health, artificially sweetened beverages often seem like a logical choice. But emerging research is painting a very different picture. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that diet soda and artificially sweetened products may contribute to metabolic dysfunction, gut microbiome disruption, and even non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In other words: removing sugar doesn’t necessarily make these beverages harmless. In some cases, they may introduce an entirely different set of metabolic problems. The Research: Diet Soda and Fatty Liver Disease A major review published in the journal Hepatology examined global data on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dietary patterns. Researchers observed a consistent association between consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and increased risk of fatty liver disease. One of the most interesting findings: The relationship appeared independent of body mass index (BMI). This means the risk was not simply explained by obesity. Even individuals who were not overweight showed increased risk if they regularly consumed artificially sweetened beverages. That finding challenges the long-held assumption that diet drinks are metabolically neutral. Instead, the evidence suggests they may interact with metabolic pathways in ways we are only beginning to understand. Why the Liver Matters The liver sits at the center of metabolic health. It regulates: • blood sugar • fat metabolism • detoxification • hormone balance • nutrient storage When the liver begins accumulating fat, metabolic dysfunction often follows. NAFLD is now considered one of the fastest growing chronic diseases worldwide, affecting roughly 25–30% of adults globally.

🧠 The APOE4 Gene Might Not Be the Problem The Modern Diet Might Be. Remember what I’ve always taught: God doesn’t make mistakes. Each gene variant serves a purpose. Genes may “load the gun,” as they say… But epigenetics pulls the trigger. What that really means is this: Your genes aren’t inherently good or bad. Your lifestyle, diet, and daily choices determine how those genes are expressed. And that means something powerful: You have the ability to influence your health at any moment. For decades, people with the APOE4 variant have been told something discouraging: “You are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s.” APOE4 carriers are estimated to have ~2.5× higher risk of developing dementia. (In some genetic combinations — such as **COMT variants alongside other SNPs — neurological vulnerability may also extend to conditions like schizophrenia.) And for years, the message from mainstream medicine was essentially: “There’s nothing you can do about it.” I’ve always disagreed with that view. But it’s what we’ve been teaching doctors and geneticists for decades. New Research Challenges That Narrative A new study published in JAMA Network Open looked at how diet interacts with APOE genetics. Researchers analyzed 2,157 adults and examined dietary patterns alongside APOE genotype. The findings were remarkable. Higher Meat Intake Eliminated the Elevated Dementia Risk Among APOE4 carriers: • Those with the highest intake of unprocessed meat had a 55% lower dementia risk • The typical 2.5× increased Alzheimer’s risk disappeared entirely • Cognitive performance improved +0.32 standard deviations over 10 years But there was an important distinction. Unprocessed meat was protective.Processed meat was harmful — regardless of genetics. The Bigger Insight This study suggests something fascinating. APOE4 may not be a “defective gene.” It may be a gene that evolved in a nutrient-dense, animal-based dietary environment. For most of human history, the brain was fueled by:

The Signals Our Biology Was Built For (And Why Modern Life Disrupts Them) After decades studying human health, one pattern becomes impossible to ignore: Most health advice focuses on what we put into the body. Food. Supplements. Medications. But biology runs on something deeper. Signals. Signals that shaped human physiology over millions of years of evolution. Your body didn’t evolve in a clinic. It evolved in nature. The Biological Signals Humans Evolved With For almost all of human history, these signals arrived automatically. ☀️ Light Sunrise set the circadian clock and regulated hormones. 🌙 Darkness Nightfall triggered melatonin and cellular repair. 🚶 Movement Daily life required constant physical activity. 🔥 Temperature variation Humans experienced heat, cold, and seasonal change. 🍖 Hunger cycles Food wasn’t constant. Periods of fasting were normal. 🌿 Nature exposure Humans lived outdoors in diverse environments. 👥 Tribal connection Strong social bonds regulated stress physiology. 💪 Muscle loading Hunting, gathering, carrying, and building demanded strength. 🥩 Real food Food came from the land, not factories. These signals regulated the systems that keep us alive: • metabolism • hormones • immune function • brain chemistry • cellular repair Your physiology expects these inputs. The Modern Mismatch Over the last 150 years, our environment changed faster than human biology could adapt. In evolutionary terms, it happened overnight. What replaced those ancient signals? Artificial environments. • Artificial light replaced sunlight • Screens replaced darkness • Chairs replaced movement • Processed food replaced hunger cycles • Climate control replaced temperature variation • Cities replaced nature • Isolation replaced tribe The body didn’t suddenly become fragile. It simply lost the signals it evolved to receive. When the Signals Disappear When biology stops receiving the environmental inputs it evolved with, systems begin to drift.

When Science Confirms Scripture Something fascinating is happening in modern research. Many of the practices science now recognizes as powerful for health were written about thousands of years ago. Not in medical journals. Not in neuroscience textbooks. In Scripture. Consider a few examples: 📖 Gratitude “A grateful heart is good medicine.” — Proverbs 17 🧠 Research now shows gratitude practices can reduce depression, improve emotional resilience, and shift the nervous system toward parasympathetic regulation. 📖 Peace vs Chronic Anger “A heart at peace gives life to the body…” 🧠 Chronic anger and hostility are now strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and inflammatory signaling. 📖 Music & Worship “Sing and make music from your heart…” — Ephesians 5:19 🧠 Neuroscience shows music increases dopamine, lowers cortisol, and regulates the nervous system. 📖 Fasting “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” — Matthew 17:21 🧠 Modern metabolic research shows fasting improves insulin sensitivity and activates cellular repair pathways like autophagy. 📖 Renewing the Mind “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2 🧠 Neuroplasticity confirms that repeated thoughts literally reshape neural pathways. Why this matters for health At Bedrock we talk about the 7 Pillars of Health: • Food • Supplements / Micronutrients • Hydration • Sleep • Movement • Stress Regulation • Environment What’s remarkable is how closely these pillars align with biblical practices that have guided human flourishing for thousands of years. Faith disciplines often activate the same biological pathways we now measure through science. Gratitude reduces inflammation. Peace regulates cortisol. Music regulates the nervous system. Fasting activates cellular repair. Renewed thinking reshapes the brain. Science isn’t contradicting Scripture. In many ways, it’s simply explaining the mechanisms. Check out the video on YouTube until I figure out why it’s not loading here. (Update - video is working below!)

How to Set Your Metabolism for the Entire Day Most people wake up and immediately do two things: ☕ Coffee 📱 Screens But the first hour after waking is one of the most powerful metabolic windows of the day. Your body is already shifting from the night repair state into the daytime energy state. When you align with that biology, everything works better: • energy • blood sugar • mental clarity • hormones • inflammation When you ignore it, your metabolism spends the day trying to catch up. This is why how you start your morning matters far more than people realize. The Biology Behind a Morning Reset When you wake up, your body is primed for several key metabolic signals: Light exposure → synchronizes circadian rhythm → regulates cortisol and melatonin Movement in a fasted state → activates fat oxidation → stimulates mitochondrial activity Short bursts of effort → activates AMPK (a key longevity pathway) Protein intake → stabilizes blood sugar → supports muscle preservation These signals tell your body: “It’s daytime. Turn on energy production.” What Happens When You Skip These Signals When mornings start with screens, caffeine, and sitting, several things often happen: • circadian rhythm stays misaligned • insulin sensitivity decreases • cortisol becomes dysregulated • energy crashes appear mid-afternoon • inflammation signals increase That foggy, sluggish morning feeling many people blame on age is often just metabolic signaling out of sync. A Simple 10-Minute Morning Reset You don’t need complicated biohacks. You just need the right sequence of signals. 1️⃣ Light First Within 30 minutes of waking: Get outside for 5–10 minutes of natural light. Even cloudy daylight is powerful. This helps anchor your circadian clock for the entire day. 2️⃣ Move Your Body 3–5 minutes of movement before eating: • brisk walk • air squats • pushups • jumping jacks This signals the body to burn fuel efficiently and activates mitochondrial function. 3️⃣ Cold Signal (Optional but Powerful)