← Home / Metabolic / Casey Means / Metabolic Health & Good Energy
MetabolicEnergyBeginner Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

Metabolic Health & Good Energy

Updated July 8, 2026

Casey Means' Good Energy protocol steadies blood sugar with simple habits: fiber and protein before carbs, a 10-minute walk after eating. These free, unglamorous habits also include training, sleep, and cutting ultra-processed food, since sharp glucose spikes drive energy dips and, over years, metabolic disease. A continuous glucose monitor and a few key blood markers can show your personal response.

📊
Physician · Levels
Not endorsed · Based on the published work of Casey Means
Daily time
Daily habit
Steps
7
Difficulty
Beginner
Sources
3
View the steps →
What it is

From Good Energy. Means frames most modern symptoms as downstream of metabolic and mitochondrial health. The practical core is unglamorous and mostly free: eat whole foods, put fibre, protein and fat before the carbs in a meal, walk for ten minutes after eating, train, sleep, and cut ultra-processed food. For people who want feedback, a continuous glucose monitor shows in real time how your meals and habits move your blood sugar. A short list of blood markers tells you where you stand.

Why it works
Sharp glucose spikes and crashes drive energy dips and, over years, metabolic disease. Eating fibre and protein first, and walking after meals, flattens the curve because working muscle pulls glucose out of the blood. Knowing a few markers (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL, HbA1c) at optimal rather than merely normal ranges tells you the real picture early.
The evidence
Sources
Published work by Casey Means, cited straight to the source: long-form episodes, clips, peer-reviewed papers and their own writing. Select any to view it here.
1
Dr. Casey Means: Transform Your Health by Improving Metabolism, Hormone & Blood Sugar Regulation (Huberman Lab)
Video
2
Good Energy (Dr. Casey Means): metabolic markers and the six principles of eating
Article
3
In 'Good Energy,' a doctor lays out how to measure and boost metabolic health (NPR review)
Article
Source viewer
Loading the first source…
The protocol
Clinical strong human trials Mixed some or emerging evidence Commercial weak or unproven, sold widely Equipment / Test not an evidence claim How we grade →
Each meal

Eat fibre and protein before carbs

Vegetables and protein first, starches and sugars last

Meal order meaningfully blunts the glucose spike.

Good Energy
For this step
No product needed
After meals

Walk for about 10 minutes

A short walk after eating, especially after the largest meal

Muscle contraction clears glucose from the blood without insulin.

Good Energy
For this step
No product needed
Daily

Build meals from whole foods

Minimise ultra-processed food; prioritise protein, fibre and healthy fats

Ultra-processed food is the main driver of the spikes and crashes.

Good Energy
For this step
No product needed
Foundation

Train, sleep and manage stress

Regular movement (including strength), consistent sleep, stress down-regulation

These move the same metabolic markers as food does.

Good Energy
For this step
No product needed
Supplement

Cover magnesium and the basics

Magnesium daily if intake is low; omega-3 and vitamin D as needed

Magnesium supports glucose transport and vitamin D processing; she frames supplements as gap-fillers, not the main event.

Casey Means · newsletter
For this stepClinical
Magnesium
Supports glucose handling, food first
Measure (optional)

Get the key metabolic blood markers

Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL, HbA1c; aim for optimal, not just normal

A cheap, periodic read on where your metabolic health actually is.

Good Energy
For this stepTest
Metabolic health blood panel
Insulin, glucose, A1c, lipids, hsCRP
Learn (optional)

Wear a CGM to map your responses

A continuous glucose monitor for 2 to 4 weeks to learn your personal triggers

Turns abstract advice into your own data; optional and not cheap.

Levels
For this stepTest
Continuous glucose monitor
CGM plus app, optional, see cautions
Is this for you?
Good fit if
  • Energy crashers
  • People with pre-diabetes risk or family history
  • Data-driven learners
  • Anyone who wants free habits before any gadget
Cautions
  • Means co-founded Levels and has a commercial interest in the CGM and testing recommended here. Continuous glucose monitoring is optional and, for people without diabetes, evidence of clear benefit is limited
  • History of disordered eating: continuous glucose tracking can tip into food anxiety and obsessive monitoring; this protocol may not be appropriate, and the habits above work without any device
  • Diabetics: coordinate any change and any CGM use with your doctor
  • The CGM subscription is expensive and entirely optional; the meal-order and post-meal-walk habits are free and carry most of the benefit
  • Educational only, not medical advice
Related protocols
Update history
  • July 3, 2026 Protocol published.
Get the next protocol first

New expert protocols and evidence updates, cited to the source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol.ai is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Casey Means and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Casey Means or Physician · Levels.

Metabolic Health & Good Energy
Follow the steps
View steps