Why You’re Probably Dying Faster Than You Think (And What To Do About It)
Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, a cardiologist, spends his days cutting open chests and saving hearts. (Okay, that was a little gruesome, but you understand that's what they do). And he’s pissed. Why? Because half the people having heart attacks today are under 65. Some are in their twenties. Dr. Pradip recalls a twenty-eight-year-old, obese, pre-diabetic, insulin-resistant, dropping in his ER. And it was not due to bad luck. It was self-sabotage.
A heart attack isn’t just a clogged pipe. It’s a zit in your artery that pops. The real problem isn’t the “pop.” It’s why you grew arterial acne in the first place. And spoiler: the answer is insulin.
The Sugar Lie Nobody Wants to Hear
Sugar isn’t just “bad for you.” It’s toxic. It glycates your proteins, screws up your hormones, and ages you like milk left in the sun. Your body’s defense system? Insulin. Insulin is the frantic janitor, shoving sugar into tissues so it doesn’t poison you.
But here’s the kicker: the more sugar you eat, the harder insulin has to work. Eventually, your body stops listening. Cue insulin resistance. Cue fatty liver. Cue inflammation everywhere. That belly sticking out? That’s not “dad bod.” That’s your pancreas begging for mercy.
The Forgotten Superpower: Fasting
Here’s the thing: humans evolved to fast. Feast, famine, repeat. But now? We only feast. Three meals, snacks, frappuccinos in between. No famine. And your body hates it.
Fasting isn’t calorie restriction. It’s a metabolic reset. First 12 hours: you burn stored glucose. After that? You torch visceral fat, the nasty fat that pumps out inflammatory chemicals and sits around your organs like a mobster collecting rent.
The menu:
- 12:12 if you’re new.
- 18:6 if you’re serious.
- 36-hour fasts monthly if you’re committed.
- And if you’re obese and diabetic? Strap in for 48 hours a week, or longer, under supervision.
Sounds extreme? Well, so is a heart attack at 28.
Ketones: Rocket Fuel for Humans
When your body runs out of glucose, it makes ketones. And ketones aren’t just fuel — they’re an upgrade:
- They make your brain sharper.
- They trigger stem cells to repair damage.
- They crank up growth hormones.
- They recycle old, broken cell parts (hello, autophagy).
Translation: you don’t just lose fat. You literally rebuild yourself.
Why Your Marathon Training is Making You Sick
Most people think cardio is the answer. But here’s the ugly truth: endless hours on a treadmill inflame your body. The better bet? Sprints, resistance training, short bursts of high intensity. Do it at the peak of your fast and you get muscle gains on steroids (without the steroids).
Your Gut is the Puppet Master
Bad breath? Sinus problems? Joint pain? That’s your gut screaming. A leaky gut leaks toxins into your liver, feeding fatty liver disease. Sugar fuels bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). And don’t even get me started on mold — 70% of homes are infected.
The fix? Real food. Fibre from 30–40 different plants a week. Fermented foods. Omega-3s. And for God’s sake, throw out your calcium supplements — they’re calcifying your arteries.
The Food Rules You Won’t Like
- White bread = poison.
- White rice? Only if soaked, cooked, and recooked (arsenic, anyone?).
- Fruit? Seasonal, small amounts. Too much fructose wrecks your liver.
- Oils: only extra virgin olive, ghee, butter, or coconut oil. Vegetable oils? Straight-up toxic.
- Breakfast? Optional. Dinner? Skippable. Constant eating? Fatal.
Your Nervous System is Fried
We live in permanent fight mode (sympathetic). That’s why palpitations, anxiety, and burnout are everywhere. The repair mode (parasympathetic) barely gets a chance.
Want to fix it? Breathe deep. Sing. Hum. Splash cold water on your neck. Laugh for no reason. Hack your vagus nerve and watch your body calm the hell down.
The Cholesterol Myth
LDL isn’t the devil. The small, dense, damaged LDL is. That’s the stuff inflamed by sugar, seed oils, and processed garbage. Statins lower LDL, sure, but they mess with your liver and memory in the process. Eggs are fine. Grass-finished meat is fine. Stop scapegoating cholesterol.
Sleep, Depression, and Presence
One night of crap sleep = one full day of insulin resistance. That brain fog, low mood, or “depression”? It might not be mental weakness. It might be inflammation.
And Dr. Jay’s biggest lesson? Life only happens right now. Not in your regrets about the past, not in your anxious planning for the future. Right. Now.
The Self-Check You Won’t Want to Do
- Got a belly?
- Bad breath?
- Skin issues?
- Joint pain?
- Foggy brain?
That’s inflammation waving at you. And if you’re over 30, get your coronary calcium score. It should be zero. Anything else means you’ve got work to do.
My Take
I’ll be blunt: I believe most of us are digging our own graves with our forks, coffee cups, and snack packs. We tell ourselves little lies — “I deserve a treat,” “I’ll exercise it off,” “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But biology doesn’t care about your excuses. It cares about what you put in your body, how often you give it a break, and whether you let it rest.
I don’t think the point is to live forever. It’s to not die stupidly. And frankly, keeling over from a preventable heart attack at 40 is stupid.
So, no, I’m not interested in six-pack abs or some Silicon Valley “biohacker” glow. I’m interested in staying sharp enough to write, think, love, and live without my body crapping out on me early. For me, that means fasting regularly, eating like an adult instead of a toddler in a candy shop, and taking sleep as seriously as work.
You don’t have to do it perfectly. But you do have to do it deliberately. Because if you don’t make time for your health now, your body will make time for disease later.
And that, my friends, is a shitty way to spend your best years.
Digested and regurgitated: 22 September 2025.
