Casey Means, MD: Good Energy Book Review 2024
About a week ago now, Dr. Casey Means finally released her book Good Energy and I’m not exaggerating when I say it is, and will be, a life-changing masterpiece.
I didn’t even think I’d be writing book reviews on this blog, but her book (co-authored with her brother Calley Means) is so good, so helpful and so informative that I truly feel compelled to spread the word about it in any way that I can.
It might even be the most important book I’ve ever read.
Here is the main reason why: I love living, I love my family, and I want to do whatever I can, say whatever I can and teach whatever I can to us all (myself included) to keep us alive and healthy for as long as possible.
So many scary diseases plague our society, plus loads and loads of chronic disease, and even just irritating symptoms that we don’t know how to solve.
Enter the Good Energy book, which explains how ALL OF IT IS CONNECTED. From migraines to acne to liver disease. From PMS to erectile dysfunction to respiratory issues. Things that seem completely unrelated are likely “branches of the same tree,” as Means puts it.
Whether you struggle with weight and arthritis or depression and anxiety. Worried about Alzheimers? Cancer? Diabetes? Whatever your symptoms, it’s time to see them as a whole picture. And this book plainly and simply shows you why.
Our Cells Are Struggling… And We Can Help Them!
The main thesis behind Means’ idea is that all symptoms and disease stem from metabolic dysfunction. When the 37 trillion cells in your body and the mitochondria inside of them aren’t given the proper nutrients they need, they malfunction. She explains exactly, in detail, the mechanisms behind their failure, but uses accessible language and examples, like a construction site.
It’s like our mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, are a construction team constantly building our body (they literally are). They have the blueprint ready to go, but are we supplying them with high-quality building materials, or shoddy ones that don’t quite match what they need?
I know I want myself and my loved ones to give our cells the right equipment. In an ideal world, if everyone had the right equipment, the world would be a much nicer, happier less. Less sadness, less mental illness, less violence, less preventable disease.
For the first time I’ve ever come across, someone has made this idealistic goal a reality by putting it in terms that everyone can understand.
The book is broken down into 4 parts:
Good Energy Book Part 1:
This section explains the root cause of disease in a way that you don’t have to be a doctor to get. We all have bodies, and we should all understand these basics about how they work (and probably close to zero of us do). Means also goes into detail about why your doctor has not explained this basic information to you, what medical schools are teaching doctors these days, and the big reasons why.
Honestly, she rips the curtain down hiding any mystery about what it’s like to be a doctor today, using eye-opening examples from her time as an ENT surgeon before she opened her own functional medicine practice.
This is not to say she attacks doctors at all, rather, she sheds light on the sad situation they face in wanting to help others and not truly having the tools do so. The medical industry, as she explains, is awesome at fixing acute, short-term, often urgent problems. Long-term issues and preventative medicine? Not so much.
Good Energy Book Part 2:
This section explains what to look for on a blood test, what the acronyms mean, what numbers you want to aim for, and how to get there.
If you’re not familiar with Means, after leaving the surgical room she opened her own functional medicine practice, and ultimately founded “Levels,” one of the first companies to provide the general public with continuous glucose monitors. As you read the book, you’ll understand why your levels are important, especially when it comes to glucose. This is something I’ve known for a long time, but every source that discusses insulin issues only brushes the surface compared to what Means helps you understand.
And don’t even begin to get the impression that she’s trying to sell her products. It is extremely clear (she barely mentions Levels) that there is a much bigger picture in her message. And she also provides lists of other ways to track your information, from other companies’ wearables, to cost-free ways like food journaling apps, and most importantly perhaps, she explains in *thorough detail* how to read your yearly bloodwork.
Understanding your bloodwork is definitely a core part of knowing where your health stands.
The rest of part two looks at health practices for your cells with loads of quality research behind them. Means explains what an ideal diet might consist of, but is very clear to avoid getting caught in diet dogma, like vegan vs. carnivore, for example. She leaves the reader with a clear understanding of why it simply doesn’t matter.
There are additional health pillars discussed in great detail from sleep and movement, to light and temperature, to fasting and toxic (and nontoxic) products. If you have any confusion about anything health-related from all the trends and fads out there, Good Energy will seriously clear it up for you and keep it very simple, doable, and free.
Good Energy Book Part 3:
This section outlines a plan for how to best achieve a healthy, well-balanced life. She even includes several quizzes to see where your health stands.
Good Energy Book Part 4:
The fun part! This section includes truly delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, sides and dessert. How do I know they’re delicious? I made a handful of them before even finishing the book! I feel absolutely amazing after eating these nourishing, balanced meals, and can’t believe how satisfying her black bean brownies are. So decadent, so indulgent, so chocolatey… it’s a dream. Not that I have a problem with beans (I love them), but you wouldn’t know they were in there at all.
We’ve also already made her cheesy broccoli biscuits (nondairy option available), pork fried cauliflower rice, fennel apple salad with wild smoked salmon and tofu masala with cucumber raita sauce. It is very obvious that Means dedicated some real time and effort to developing these recipes, because they are delicious, concocted with super healthy ingredients, and they work.
All in all, if anyone ever asks me for a book recommendation again, or about anything related to health, I am sending them to buy this Good Energy book. I have read A LOT of health books. Like, a lot. And nothing has ever come close to this level of articulation and completeness.
Finally, all my questions have been answered.
Please, for yourself and your loved ones, check out this book! Invest in your health! Follow the link!
As an Amazon affiliate I earn a small amount from qualifying commissions. AND I do not care where you get this book, I only care that you do.
If You’re Interested In Health…
You’ll enjoy this look at the top 5 ways to improve your health that are NOT related to food and diet. That’s right, there are powerful ways to feel your best that have nothing to do with your plate.
Interested In More Ways To Improve Your Health?
Check out this post on eating healthy, “What Is A Flexitarian Diet?” This relaxed way of eating ensures that you get all the plant-based, whole foods on your plate, without ever feeling deprived.
