 |
Brad Hook PodcastAuthor: Bradley Hook
Discover the Brad Hook Show: a place for the curious. Each episode offers deep dives with diverse guestsfrom academics demystifying theories to athletes discussing grit, authors revealing their thought processes, or storytellers enchanting with tales. It's a fusion of backgrounds and ideas, aiming to provide listeners with a kaleidoscope of inspiration, knowledge, and passion. Brad is the author of Start With Values (Penguin), founder of the Values Institute, and founder of Surfd.com, an action sports magazine. He is head of the Resilience Lab at Resilience Institute. Language: en Genres: Education, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Bioelectricity, Water, and Fulvic Acids: Rethinking the Foundations of Health — Dr. Elizabeth Wanek
Thursday, 5 February, 2026
In this episode, Brad sits down with Dr. Wanek, a former pediatric surgeon and foundational medicine practitioner, to explore a distinctive way of thinking about human health, energy, and resilience. Drawing on her background in surgery, biochemistry, and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Wanek shares how her own health journey led her beyond conventional and functional medicine toward what she calls the foundations of life in a physical body.The conversation begins with her early years in high-intensity training and clinical practice, and the moment she discovered what she describes as “biochemical eating.” She explains how balancing calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat transformed her own energy and appetite, and why she believes modern nutrition has shifted away from biochemistry as a science and toward rigid diet ideologies. From her perspective, nutrition is not a trend or a plan, but a physiological system governed by timing, balance, and energy demand.A central theme of the episode is inflammation as “being in flames.” Dr. Wanek describes how chronic excess — particularly excess calories and imbalanced fueling — can create constant internal heat, disrupt blood sugar regulation, and gradually drive breakdown. In contrast, she argues for “burning a low flame,” a steady and sustainable metabolic state that allows the body to recover, recycle, and regenerate rather than constantly overheat.The discussion then widens into water, energy, and electricity. Dr. Wanek shares her view that water is not simply hydration but a medium for electrical flow that supports enzyme function, cellular repair, and resilience. She explains why she believes many people are dehydrated at a cellular level and how modern water processing, while necessary for safety, may strip water of some of its dynamic properties.A significant portion of the conversation focuses on fulvic substances, complex carbon compounds formed in soil through ancient microbial processes. Dr. Wanek explains why she believes fulvic substances play a central role in redox reactions, electron transfer, and cellular energy, and how soil degradation has reduced their presence in the modern food and water supply. From her perspective, restoring these foundations supports metabolic efficiency, anti-inflammatory processes, and overall vitality.Brad and Dr. Wanek also explore popular nutrition trends, including ketogenic and low-protein diets, supplementation culture, and the pursuit of optimization. Dr. Wanek offers a critical view, suggesting that many people attempt to micromanage a system that is already dysregulated rather than repairing the underlying foundations of balance, water, enzyme function, and waste clearance. She emphasizes that supplements, in her view, can only be supportive once the core systems of the body are functioning well.Throughout the episode, the conversation moves between biochemistry, systems thinking, physiology, and metaphor, touching on soil health, metabolism, blood sugar stability, resilience, and the balance between activity and recovery. Some of the ideas discussed align with emerging and integrative perspectives, while others sit at the edges of mainstream medicine, and listeners are encouraged to approach the conversation with curiosity and discernment.To learn more about Dr. Wanek and her work, you can visit https://www.foundationalmedicine4life.com/about-dr-wanekFoundational medicine and fulvic substances: https://www.liveamanalife.comClinical practice and articles: https://www.wanekmedical.comYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZZ34SVFLE1we_thblSVJw
