🎙️ NEW EPISODE DROP: Metabolic Wellbeing Without the BS | Episode 66
🧠💥 What do marathons, metabolism, kidney disease, and carb gels have in common?
They all feature in my latest conversation with Dr Karen Dwyer — Professor and Director of Nephrology & Kidney Care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, lifestyle medicine advocate, and one of Australia’s most inspiring clinician-scientists.
From performing the first hand transplant in Australia to helping patients reverse disease through lifestyle-first approaches, Karen brings unmatched insight and refreshing clarity.
🔎 In this episode:
🩺 Why metabolic health is the foundation of all health
💊 Why medications should support — not replace — lifestyle change
🧂 How ultra-processed foods, salt, and insulin resistance are connected
🏃♀️ The truth about carb-loading, fasting for performance & breaking the fast
❤️ Why kidney health is everyone's business
🗣️ The myth of saying: “You don’t have type 2 diabetes... yet.”
👩⚕️ Advice for healthcare practitioners: Be curious. Be holistic. Be human.
Dr Dwyer also shares what drives her: being a mum of four, a marathon runner, and a fierce advocate for gender equity and patient empowerment.
🎧 Whether you're a clinician, athlete, or someone navigating their own health journey — this is one episode not to miss.
👉 Listen now to Episode 66:
Who is Karen Dwyer
Karen was the lead physician in Australia’s first and only hand transplant procedure in 2011. Her clinical passion is partnering with patients to support self-management practices through holistic models of care.
Karen completed a PhD in xenotransplantation through St. Vincent’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne and a post-doc in Transplant Immunology at Harvard University Boston, MA, USA. Karen recently completed a Fellowship in Lifestyle Medicine. Karen has previously worked in the education sector as the Deputy Head and Acting Dean of the School of Medicine at Deakin University as well as Clinical Director at Kidney Health Australia.
Metabolic Wellbeing Without the BS is more than a podcast — it’s a growing global movement challenging outdated health narratives and empowering people to take control of their wellbeing.
Launched in March 2024, the podcast has now surpassed 80 episodes, achieved more than 8,000 downloads, reached listeners across 100+ countries and over 1,200 locations worldwide, and has proudly been nominated for the inaugural 2026 Scottish Podcast of the Year Awards.
Hosted with authenticity, curiosity, and a passion for meaningful change, each episode brings together world-leading experts, innovators, advocates, and everyday storytellers to explore why metabolic health truly matters. Blending real-life experiences with science-backed insights, the conversations challenge conventional thinking while inspiring listeners to ask better questions about health and longevity.
From insulin resistance and gut health to cancer conversations, migraines, mental clarity, sustainable weight management, and the future of preventative healthcare, Metabolic Wellbeing Without the BS creates a space for learning, questioning, and evolving — together.
Join the movement. Learn, listen, subscribe, and take action — because your health starts with YOU.
Sponsored by Unicity
