The Habit Healers

Chef Martin Oswald put onions and carrots into a dry pan, let them begin to brown, then added just enough water to lift the browned bits from the bottom.He let that water cook away and did it again.That was the first useful surprise in this week’s live. A basic lentil soup does not have to begin with oil, and it does not have to taste flat. The flavor comes from what happens in the pan, and the rest of the soup is a series of small choices.It also gave us the perfect first look at something Martin and I have been working on together. We are developing a new book about cooking with blood sugar and heart health in mind. The book is still in progress. This bowl showed exactly why we want to make it.Build flavor in two passesMartin began with a dry pan, chopped onions, and carrots. He added a small splash of water, let it evaporate, and allowed the vegetables to brown again. Then he repeated the process. Each pass deepened the flavor without covering the vegetables in liquid.If you want to use garlic or spices, Martin suggested adding them during a later pass. Thin pieces of garlic can burn if they stay in the dry pan too long. Whole spices such as fennel seeds need only a brief moment in the hot pan before the liquid goes in.Then he added a light vegetable stock, whole sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, and soaked yellow lentils. He normally uses brown lentils for this soup, but his larger point was more useful than a rigid ingredient list. Use the lentils and vegetables you have, then adjust the cooking time to match them.The whole thyme sprigs were another small chef’s trick. The leaves came away as the soup cooked, while the stems were easy to pull out before serving.Let tenderness set the timingDifferent lentils soften at different rates. Martin did not ask the clock to make the final decision. He tasted the lentils and looked for the texture he wanted.For this soup, he wanted them completely tender. Only then did he add vinegar and make the final seasoning adjustments. That gave him control over the brightness after the broth had reduced and the lentils had softened.The zucchini had to wait too. Martin added soft vegetables such as zucchini near the end so they could warm through without losing their color and texture. I translated his warning for everyone. These vegetables deserve gentle care. Do not abuse the vegetables.That timing gives you freedom to use what is already in the refrigerator. Celery, leek, squash, or another sturdy vegetable can help build the soup. Zucchini, asparagus, or tender greens can join during the final few minutes.Choose the texture at the endOnce the lentils were tender, Martin changed the soup with an immersion blender. You can leave it brothy, blend part of it for a thicker base, or keep blending until it is as smooth as you like. If you do not have an immersion blender, a regular blender works. Martin also suggested a potato masher when you want a more rustic texture.Then came the finishing layers. Coarsely cracked pepper created an occasional burst of heat instead of making every spoonful taste exactly the same. A small spoonful of lemon cashew butter added a cool, creamy finish.I told Martin that two teaspoons for the whole pot did not sound very generous. He stood his ground.Martin published the measured soup and lemon cashew butter recipes in his companion article. It also explains the larger idea behind the book we are creating together.One method can become many soupsThe useful lesson was not one perfect lentil soup. It was the sequence.Build flavor with the onions and carrots. Add the lentils, broth, and sturdy herbs. Let the lentils become tender before you finish the seasoning. Add delicate vegetables near the end. Then decide whether you want the soup brothy, chunky, or creamy.From there, you can change the personality of the pot. Smoked paprika and caraway can take it in one direction. Cumin, rosemary, sage, or a Moroccan spice blend can take it somewhere else. The basic method stays familiar while the flavor changes.That is what excites me about the book. We do not want to leave you with a list of foods and no idea what to do at the stove. We want to connect the health question with the kitchen decision that comes next. We are still working on it, and we will share more when it is ready.PS. If you want more science translated into practical habits, join Chef Martin and me inside The Habit Healers on Skool.References:* Martin Oswald. The measured lentil soup and lemon cashew butter recipes Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe

Why is my cholesterol still high after changing my diet? If you’ve cut saturated fat, eaten more plants, and your LDL cholesterol barely moved, this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast is for you.I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and today I’m walking you through what your cholesterol number is really measuring. Your body makes most of its own cholesterol, and your LDL comes down to a balance between what your liver sends out and how many LDL receptors are pulling it back in. Saturated fat, thyroid function, menopause, your genes, and even rapid weight loss can all shift that balance. Once you see it this way, a stubborn lab result stops feeling like a failure and starts making sense. Then we get practical: the foods and fiber with the strongest evidence for lowering cholesterol naturally, the supplements I’m cautious about, and when it’s time to talk with your doctor about your real heart disease risk.What you’ll learn:* Why saturated fat matters more than dietary cholesterol for most people’s LDL* How LDL receptors in your liver set your cholesterol number* How thyroid issues, menopause, and familial hypercholesterolemia raise LDL cholesterol* Why rapid weight loss can temporarily raise cholesterol, and how to read that result* The tests worth asking about: apoB, lipoprotein(a), and TSH with free T4* How to lower LDL naturally with soluble fiber, nuts, soy, and ground flaxseed, plus my honest take on berberine and red yeast riceDr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/why-is-your-cholesterol-still-highCheck out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe

High blood pressure may be the most overlooked risk factor for dementia, and it’s the one you can actually check at home. In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I walk you through what the research shows about blood pressure and brain health, and why the first step toward memory loss prevention isn’t a puzzle or a supplement.I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and I start with a remarkable study of nearly 700 Catholic sisters who agreed to yearly memory testing and donated their brains after death. What the pathologists found surprised almost everyone: many women carried a heavy load of Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles yet still ran their own lives. The difference often came down to small, deep strokes, the kind driven by years of uncontrolled hypertension. Dementia showed up when more than one kind of brain damage stacked together. Then I take you through two large trials that lowered blood pressure on purpose, including one across 326 villages where dementia was 15% less common in the treated group. And because so many people have white coat hypertension or masked hypertension, I explain exactly how to check blood pressure at home so you get numbers you can trust. If your pressure is already where it belongs, we talk about what comes next: hearing loss and dementia risk, physical activity and cognitive decline, and why a popular memory supplement fell flat in a six-year trial.What you’ll learn:* Why Alzheimer’s damage alone doesn’t always cause dementia, and what small strokes have to do with it* How high blood pressure damages the small arteries deep in the brain* What two large blood pressure trials found about dementia and mild cognitive impairment* How to do a seven-day home blood pressure monitoring record the right way* What your average reading means and what to ask your doctor* Where hearing aids, exercise, and diet fit into a brain health planDr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/what-should-you-change-first-to-protectCheck out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe

If heart disease runs in your family, does changing what you eat even matter? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I share my own family history of early heart attacks and walk through what the research says about genetics, LDL cholesterol, and lifestyle, including a 2026 diet trial in people with familial hypercholesterolemia and a study of more than 51,000 adults.I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, a lifestyle medicine physician, and this question is personal for me. My father had his first heart attack at 38, and my grandfather died of one at 46. So I take you back to the Dallas laboratory where two physicians discovered the LDL receptor and explained why inherited high cholesterol can start damaging arteries in childhood. Then we look at what happened when adults with a confirmed genetic cholesterol disorder switched to a plant-rich diet, why their results were encouraging and still not enough, and what that means if you already eat well or take medication. I’ll give you the single food swap that does the most to lower LDL cholesterol naturally, a realistic way to fit movement into your day, and the questions to ask your clinician about lipoprotein(a), a coronary calcium score, and heart attack prevention when your family history is the reason you’re worried.What you’ll learn:* How the discovery of the LDL receptor explains why familial hypercholesterolemia raises risk so early* What a plant-based diet did to LDL cholesterol in adults with an inherited cholesterol disorder, and why an 18% drop still needed treatment* Why a favorable lifestyle was linked to 46% fewer coronary events even in the highest genetic risk group* The fat swap and fiber changes that help lower cholesterol naturally* When to ask about lipoprotein(a) testing, a coronary calcium scan, and an LDL of 190 or higher* How to use the Family Heart Health Worksheet to prepare for your next visitDr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/if-heart-disease-runs-in-your-familyCheck out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe

Is a blood sugar spike above 140 after eating actually a problem if you don’t have diabetes? If you wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and feel a little sting every time the line climbs, this episode is for you.Welcome to The Habit Healers Podcast. I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, and today I’m untangling one of the most misunderstood numbers in metabolic health. The 140 mg/dL cutoff comes from the oral glucose tolerance test, a very specific lab test with very specific conditions. It was never meant to grade your CGM reading forty minutes after lunch. I walk you through what a normal blood sugar range for non-diabetics really looks like, including a study where healthy people without diabetes or obesity still spent about half an hour a day above 140. We talk about why a single post-meal glucose reading can’t tell you whether sugar just arrived or has been sitting there for hours, using an airport baggage carousel to make it click. Then we get into what does matter: repeated elevations, your fasting blood sugar, your A1C, and a newer study linking more time above 140 with later diagnoses like prediabetes and high blood fats. Finally, I explain why blood sugar targets for people with diabetes are different, and why “just stay under the number” misses the danger of going too low.What you’ll learn:* Where the 140 blood sugar rule actually comes from, and why it doesn’t apply to every CGM reading* What normal blood sugar spikes after eating look like in healthy people without diabetes* Why a single glucose reading can’t show insulin resistance or metabolic health on its own* The lab categories for fasting glucose, A1C, and the glucose tolerance test, and what they mean* When repeated high glucose readings deserve attention and a conversation with your clinician* How blood sugar targets differ if you have diabetes or are pregnantDr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/does-your-blood-sugar-really-needCheck out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe