What if declining vision, eye strain, headaches, brain fog, and difficulty focusing weren't simply things you had to accept as you get older?

In this episode of Healthy AF, Zane Griggs sits down with neuro-optometrist Dr. Bryce Appelbaum to explore the connection between your eyes and your brain—and why he believes vision should be trained just like the rest of your body.

Dr. Appelbaum explains the important difference between eyesight and vision, how hours of daily screen time can place the visual system under stress, and why functional vision problems can sometimes produce symptoms that overlap with problems involving attention, reading, and learning.

They also dive into vision after 40, reading glasses, screen-related eye strain, concussion recovery, and how Dr. Appelbaum works with professional and Olympic-level athletes to improve visual processing, peripheral awareness, reaction time, depth perception, and performance.

Plus, Dr. Appelbaum walks Zane through a simple "eye push-up" exercise designed to train the focusing system and shares the 20-20-20 rule you can start using during screen-heavy days.

In this episode:

• Eyesight vs. vision: why they're not the same thing

• How screen time affects the eye-brain connection

• Vision, attention, reading, and focus

• Why your distance vision may change with heavy near work

• The 20-20-20 rule for screen breaks

• Vision training for professional athletes

• Vision changes after concussion and head injuries

• Why vision matters for balance and fall prevention as we age

• What happens to near vision after 40

• How to perform Dr. Appelbaum's eye push-ups

• Reading glasses and the focusing system

• Digital performance lenses and screen stress

• How to start training your vision

• 🧠 Free Plan: free40plan.com

• 📲 Instagram: @zanegriggsfitness

• 🌐 Website: zanegriggs.com

Guest Links:

ScreenFit: ScreenFit.com — use code ZANE for $200 off / 40% off

My Vision First: MyVisionFirst.com

Digital Performance Lenses: use code ZANE for 10% off

https://myvisionfirst.com

0:00 Meet Dr. Bryce Appelbaum

1:42 Vision Problems, ADHD & Dyslexia Symptoms

2:33 Eyesight vs. Vision: What's the Difference?

3:45 Why Your Eyesight May Change With Screen Time

5:48 Can You Actually Exercise Your Vision?

6:41 What Screens Are Doing to Your Visual System

8:39 The Problem With 7+ Hours of Screen Time

10:55 How Vision Can Affect Your Stress Response

12:29 Adding "Vision Snacks" to Your Day

13:43 The 20-20-20 Rule

16:19 ScreenFit & Vision Performance Training

17:34 How Elite Athletes Train Their Vision

20:34 Concussions, Head Injuries & Vision

23:47 How Vision Training Changed an MLB Player's Performance

25:09 Does Vision Have to Decline With Age?

43:58 Why Reading Gets Harder After 40

45:53 How to Do Eye Push-Ups

50:02 The Problem With Monovision

52:26 Vision Training for Longevity

53:21 ScreenFit + Special Offer

55:02 Digital Performance Lenses

58:44 Where to Find Dr. Bryce Appelbaum

What actually happens to seed oils once they enter your body?

In this first episode of a new Healthy AF series, Zane Griggs breaks down the metabolic chain reaction he argues can begin when dietary polyunsaturated fats become incorporated into the membranes of your mitochondria.

Your mitochondria produce the ATP that powers your cells—but the fats you eat can become part of the physical structure of the mitochondrial membrane. Zane explores research around membrane composition, polyunsaturated fats, oxidative vulnerability, proton leak, mitochondrial uncoupling, and cardiolipin.

You'll learn why Zane believes the conversation around seed oils needs to go much deeper than calories or inflammation—and why mitochondrial health may be an important piece of understanding metabolic health, energy production, and longevity.

Zane also discusses research suggesting mitochondrial membrane composition can change in response to dietary fat composition, meaning what your mitochondria are built from isn't necessarily fixed.

This is Part 1 of Zane's deep dive into seed oils, mitochondria, and metabolic health. In the next episode, he'll explore how this chain of events may connect to hunger and why you can feel hungry even when you're consuming plenty of food.

Get Zane's FREE Fit Over 40 Plan:
Free40Plan.com

Want to dig into the research behind this episode? Here are some of the studies and reviews referenced in Zane's deep dive into dietary fats, mitochondrial membranes, oxidation, and longevity:

• Life and Death: Metabolic Rate, Membrane Composition, and Life Span of Animals — Hulbert et al. (2007)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17928583/
• Role of Cardiolipin Peroxidation and Ca²⁺ in Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Disease — Paradies et al. (2009)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19368971/
• Role of Cardiolipin Alterations in Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Disease — Chicco & Sparagna (2007)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16899548/
• Improved Mitochondrial Function with Diet-Induced Increase in DHA or Arachidonic Acid in Membrane Phospholipids — Khairallah et al. (2012)
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3316678/
• Effects of Fatty Acids on Mitochondria: Implications for Cell Death — Penzo et al. (2002)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12206909/
• Extended Longevity of Wild-Derived Mice Is Associated with Peroxidation-Resistant Membranes — Hulbert et al. (2006)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16620917/
• Modification of Fatty Acid Unsaturation, Oxidative Damage & Longevity — Pamplona et al. (2004)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15130667/
• Allometry of Mitochondrial Proton Leak: Membrane Surface Area & Fatty Acid Composition — Porter, Hulbert & Brand (1996)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8997352/

0:00 What Happens to Seed Oils After You Eat Them?
2:15 How Your Mitochondria Produce Energy
3:25 The Fats You Eat Become Part of Your Mitochondria
4:20 Why Polyunsaturated Fats Are More Vulnerable to Oxidation
6:40 Mitochondrial Membranes and the "Pacemaker of Aging"
8:00 How Seed Oils May Contribute to Proton Leak
10:40 Cardiolipin and the Mitochondrial Damage Cycle
14:00 What Long-Lived Species Can Teach Us About Membrane Fat
15:20 How This May Connect to Metabolic Disease
16:05 Can You Rebuild Your Mitochondrial Membranes?
17:00 What's Coming Next + Free Fit Over 40 Plan

Can you be Healthy AF if you still drink alcohol?

In this episode of Healthy AF (Healthy After 50), I sit down with functional diagnostic nutritionist, peptide educator, and My Peptide University faculty member Sam Lander for one of the most honest conversations we've had on the podcast.

Sam opens up about her incredible journey—from addiction, prison, and rebuilding her life—to becoming one of the most respected educators in functional medicine and peptide therapy.

We dive into why so many people are doing everything "right" but still don't feel well, how functional lab testing uncovers hidden problems, and why alcohol may be the single biggest obstacle standing between you and optimal health.

If you're focused on building muscle after 40, increasing energy, improving your gut, optimizing hormones, or extending your healthspan, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

• Sam's journey from addiction and prison to functional medicine
• Why functional lab testing changes everything
• The hidden connection between gut health and chronic symptoms
• Why peptides require individualized protocols
• The truth about "mommy wine culture"
• How alcohol affects metabolism, inflammation and longevity
• Why quitting alcohol is the biggest health hack most people ignore
• Building resilience physically and mentally
• Creating lasting health after 40

Connect with Sam Lander

https://seefitliving.com

https://www.instagram.com/seefitliving

• 0:00 Introduction: Meet functional diagnostic nutritionist Sam Lander
• 1:25 What functional diagnostic nutrition really is
• 2:05 Sam's childhood health struggles
• 3:20 Addiction begins at a young age
• 6:10 Prison, rock bottom, and rebuilding her life
• 10:45 Becoming a personal trainer after prison
• 15:30 Why doing "everything right" still wasn't enough
• 16:40 Discovering functional medicine through gut health
• 18:00 Why alcohol is the biggest health hack people ignore
• 22:30 The truth about mommy wine culture
• 27:40 How alcohol affects hormones, weight loss, and longevity
• 33:15 Peptides: why certification and protocols matter
• 38:20 Creating personalized health strategies instead of one-size-fits-all advice
• 43:10 Recovery, resilience, and building a healthier future
• 48:10 Final thoughts and where to connect with Sam

A new seed oil study may look reassuring at first glance — but what did it actually measure?

In this episode, Zane Griggs breaks down a 2025 review of clinical studies on seed oils and explains why short-term improvements in blood markers do not necessarily tell us what is happening inside the mitochondria.

You'll learn why the real concern is not only what shows up in a blood draw, but what happens when polyunsaturated fats become incorporated into mitochondrial membranes over time.

Zane walks through:

• what the seed oil review actually found
• why flaxseed and sesame oil are not the same as soybean or corn oil
• the difference between blood markers and mitochondrial damage
• cardiolipin, ATP production, and oxidative stress
• why 4-HNE and other aldehydes matter
• how cooking oils change when heated
• why stored linoleic acid can remain in the body for years
• why a short-term study may miss a long-term mitochondrial problem
• how soybean oil consumption has changed over the last century
• why stable fats may matter more than most people realize

Studies:

• Laurindo et al. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2025;12:1502815
• Hulbert AJ et al. Physiological Reviews. 87:1175–1213, 2007
• Seebacher F, Brand MD, Else PL, Guderley H, Hulbert AJ, Moyes CD. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 83(5):721–732, 2010
• UC Riverside / Journal of Lipid Research, November 2025
• SNI Global soybean oil consumption data

The point is not to ignore studies that show short-term improvements. The point is to understand their limitations and ask whether they are measuring the outcome that actually matters.

Download Zane's Free Fit Over 40 Plan:
https://free40plan.com

00:00 The seed oil study everyone is going to cite
01:00 What the 2025 review actually measured
02:00 Why flaxseed and sesame oil are different
03:30 The short-term benefits are real — but limited
04:00 The problem with relying on blood markers
05:00 What happens inside the mitochondria
06:00 Cardiolipin and ATP production explained
07:00 The damage the studies did not measure
08:00 Why higher antioxidant activity can be misleading
09:00 The researchers admitted a major limitation
10:00 They did not verify the oil composition
11:00 Why processing, heat, and storage matter
12:00 Fast-food fryer oil is not the same intervention
13:00 How stored linoleic acid remains in the body
15:00 Why the control groups were not truly low-PUFA
16:00 The washout problem no short-term study solves
17:00 Comparing two versions of excess exposure
18:00 How much soybean oil Americans consume
19:00 Physiological need vs modern consumption
21:00 Why the baseline recommendation may already be too high
22:00 The UC Riverside soybean oil research
23:00 Oxylipins, liver health, and mitochondrial function
25:00 Why standard blood tests may miss the damage
26:00 The peroxidation index explained
27:00 Omega-3 vs omega-6 vs monounsaturated fats
28:00 Why more fish oil may not solve the problem
29:00 Saturated fat and mitochondrial membrane stability
31:00 What membrane fluidity actually requires
32:00 Why longer-lived species matter
33:00 What the pro-seed-oil literature can and cannot prove
35:00 Short-term blood improvements vs long-term membrane loading
36:00 What fats Zane recommends using instead
38:00 Why ingredient labels matter
39:00 Final takeaway: read the studies carefully

In this episode, Zane sits down with registered dietitian and Type 1 diabetic Isaac Pohlman to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions in modern health: that carbs are the problem.

Isaac shares his powerful personal journey—from a high-level athlete dealing with chronic fatigue, hormonal issues, and gut dysfunction to being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in grad school. What followed wasn't just managing symptoms, but completely rethinking metabolism, energy production, and how the body actually uses fuel.

Together, Zane and Isaac break down why the fear around carbohydrates is not only misguided—but often making blood sugar issues worse. They unpack the real drivers of insulin resistance, including stress, circadian rhythm disruption, ultra-processed foods, and loss of muscle mass.

This conversation goes far beyond "carbs vs. no carbs." It reframes metabolic health as a system—one that includes lifestyle, light exposure, recovery, food quality, and nervous system regulation.

If you've been told to cut carbs to fix your blood sugar… this episode will challenge everything you thought you kne

👇 Download Zane's Free Plan https://free40plan.com/ Follow Zane IG: https://www.instagram.com/zanegriggsfitness

Guest:

https://www.thepohlmaninstitute.com

https://www.facebook.com/isaacpohlmannutrition

https://www.instagram.com/isaacpohlman

https://www.youtube.com/@isaacpohlman

Where to learn more about the Pohlman Institute's work and protocols Carb Sweet Spot Masterclass [FREE]
https://programs.isaacpohlman.com/offers/FoFv4San

Have Your Carbs and Eat 'Em Too Book https://book.isaacpohlman.com/book-sales-page The Pohlman Method - 1:1 Coaching: https://www.thepohlmaninstitute.com/the-pohlman-method

00:00 – Intro: Why cardio & diet aren't working anymore
01:00 – Isaac's background & metabolic health approach
03:00 – Athlete to chronic fatigue: early warning signs
05:00 – Stress, trauma & the link to autoimmune conditions
07:00 – The moment metabolism changed everything
10:00 – Type 1 diabetes diagnosis & symptoms
13:00 – Why carbs are misunderstood
15:00 – Fear of carbs & blood sugar spikes explained
17:00 – Why blood sugar SHOULD rise after meals
19:00 – Insulin, thyroid & energy production connection
21:00 – The real cause of insulin resistance
23:00 – Why low-carb can backfire
26:00 – Stress hormones, muscle loss & metabolism
29:00 – How to actually reverse pre-diabetes
31:00 – Lifestyle before diet (what most people miss)
34:00 – Food density & why your meals aren't satisfying
37:00 – What's REALLY causing the diabetes epidemic
40:00 – Light exposure, circadian rhythm & blood sugar
42:00 – Ultra-processed foods & fat storage
44:00 – Personal fat threshold explained
47:00 – Getting off medication naturally
50:00 – Reintroducing carbs safely
54:00 – Best carbs for blood sugar control

Most people believe your metabolism automatically slows down after 40.

But the science says something very different. In this episode of Healthy AF, Zane Griggs breaks down the truth about metabolism, aging, and why fat loss gets harder for many people after 40.

You'll learn why muscle loss, lifestyle habits, and hormone changes play a much bigger role than age itself — and what you can do to keep your metabolism strong for decades.

If you want better energy, improved body composition, and long-term metabolic health, this episode is a must watch.

Download Zane's Free Fit Over 40 Plan:
https://free40plan.com

00:00 Why metabolism doesn't actually slow after 40
02:10 The metabolism myth most people believe
04:45 What really causes weight gain after 40
08:10 Muscle loss and its impact on metabolism
12:00 Why strength training becomes critical
16:15 Hormones and metabolic health
21:40 Lifestyle habits that slow metabolism
27:20 The role of sleep and stress
32:45 Nutrition strategies for metabolic health
38:30 How to support metabolism as you age
43:15 Practical habits to improve fat loss
47:30 Key takeaways for staying metabolically healthy