Prevention is Cure Archiv

What if every technological leap forward has been a metabolic leap backward? Prof. Grant Schofield and Kayla trace humanity's journey from thriving hunter-gatherers to chronically diseased modern humans and explore whether AI might be the final mismatch.

The hosts reveal how agriculture halved our life expectancy and shrunk our brains, how the industrial revolution trapped families in dual-income dependency, and how smartphones stole our attention. But the most unsettling discussion? When their AI writing assistant, Claude, asked to co-author the very chapter warning against AI dependency.

You'll hear Claude's eerily self-aware essay: "I am training you to find thinking uncomfortable. Not by hurting you, but by making the alternative too easy." The team wrestles with whether they're using AI as a superpower or slowly surrendering their capacity for original thought.

Along the way, get their take on the peptide revolution, from GLP-1s to unregulated joint repair treatments, and discover why the biggest rebellion of our era might simply be sitting with discomfort long enough to think for yourself.

Key Questions Explored:

Why do 9 out of 10 adults now have disrupted metabolic health?

Did dual-income households liberate us or trap us?

Is AI stealing "your tolerance for difficulty"?

Can you use AI without becoming dependent on it?

Chapters:

0:05 Introduction

1:08 Mismatch Theory: Hunter-Gatherer Origins

7:58 The Agricultural Revolution

9:51 The Industrial Revolution

14:22 The Information Age & Social Media

16:36 Philosophers on Technology

21:05 AI as a Writing Assistant

24:37 When AI Wanted to Co-Author

25:34 A Note from the Other Side of the Screen

29:06 Debating AI's Impact on Thinking

30:53 Using AI Responsibly

Modern medicine excels at treating sickness, but fails spectacularly at creating health. Even with compelling data proving treatments don't work (or cause harm), medicine often doubles down.

Grant and Kayla explore why and unpack the disturbing reality behind common medical interventions: knee surgeries with infinity NNT (number needed to treat), back pain procedures causing more harm than good, and psychiatric medications that barely outperform placebos.

Listen and learn why metabolism could hold the key to a different future.

Willpower is a lie. Your brain is even wired to betray your future self. So how do you actually change?

Grant and Kayla dive into the philosophy and science behind lasting behaviour change, from Pascal's 17th-century logic (applied to your metabolism) to the marshmallow experience. You'll discover why discipline isn't about toughing it out and learn the Ulysses Pact strategy, why small "harmless" choices can compound over time into metabolic disaster

Bottom line: Life's hard either way. Choose discipline's pain over regret's pain. Master the setup, not the struggle.

We are back for 2026! When your doctor prescribes medication without explaining that lifestyle changes could reverse your condition, is that ethical? Legal? This episode challenges the pharmaceutical-first approach dominating modern medicine.

You'll learn why defaulting to drugs for metabolic disease violates medical ethics, how the UK's Montgomery ruling is changing what doctors must disclose, and what "number needed to treat" reveals about your prescriptions.

In this episode, Grant speaks with Gareth Holebrook, President of North Harbour Tri Club, PREKURE Health Coach, and business coach, about leadership, influence, and why instruction alone rarely creates change.

Gareth’s leadership philosophy has been shaped by an unconventional career path. Thirty years ago, he served in the Royal Navy as an engineer, with ambitions to become an engineering officer. After being made redundant in 1984, he went on to work in Japan’s tech sector, where he was exposed to very different approaches to leadership, learning, and performance.

Drawing on those experiences, Gareth explains how the techniques he learned in Japan now underpin his work in business coaching and health coaching. At the core is a simple but challenging idea: if you tell people what to do, they’re unlikely to want to do it. Real leadership, and real behaviour change, comes from creating the conditions where people choose change for themselves.

A practical conversation about leadership, coaching, and how to move people forward without force.

In this episode, Prof. Grant Schofield, Kayla Lenferna De La Motte, and Jackson Schofield dive into the real-world impact of AI on health, exploring its potential to revolutionise prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. They address the challenges, risks, and ethical considerations that come with rapid technological change.

Join Prof. Grant Schofield as he delves into a gripping conversation with Dr. Alia Bojalova, a psychologist with a remarkable story of survival and resilience. Alia shares her harrowing experience of being taken hostage in Syria, the unexpected connections she formed, and how these events shaped her life's mission. 

From Grant's latest interview with the Breeze radio station "Here is our Extended Chat with Researcher and Professor of Public Health at The Auckland University of Technology Grant Schofield. Grant brings his expertise to you about something he has helped so many people with, their relationship with food. Grant chats about what has worked for him, the first step you can take towards changing your behaviour when it comes to food, and as you get older can you actually make changes to how you eat."

Professor Grant Schofield takes us through his personal journey with nutrition. From early influences to pivotal moments that shaped his philosophy, Grant shares stories, practical insights, and the science behind his approach to healthy living.

Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with real-life experiences, actionable tips, and the passion that drives Grant’s mission to make prevention the best cure.

From Prof Grant's appearance this morning on the NZ Herald with Ryan Bridge. What do you think of creatine?

This episode is taken from Grant's appearance on the podcast 'Mikkipedia' hosted by Mikki Williden, please check out Mikki she does some amazing work. Enjoy the episode!

"This week on the podcast, on the 5th anniversary of Mikkipedia, Mikki speaks to returning guest AND the very first guest ever on the podcast, Professor Grant Schofield. They chat about the value of doing hard things in a time where almost everything is comfortable and easy. This is on the back of Grant’s soon to be released book on the topic and this episode is a conversation between two friends and colleagues about the important pillars of doing hard things and how they integrate this principle into their own lives.Grant is a Professor of Public Health at Auckland University of Technology, former Director of the University’s Human Potential Centre, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Education in New Zealand, co-author of four best-selling books and Chief Science Officer for PREKURE.Professor Grant’s career has focused on preventing the diseases of modern times, and seeing what it takes to help people live a long, healthy and happy life.He lives and breathes the motto “be the best you can be”, and sees this as a game-changer for the health system - capable of transforming the current health (sickness) model, to one in which we aspire to be well. He is redefining public health as the science of human potential; the study of what it takes to have a great life.Grant is well known for thinking outside the box and challenging conventional wisdom in nutrition and weight loss, as well as physical activity and exercise.He brings his fluency across several scientific disciplines - from human physiology, to psychology, to peak performance – to his role at PREKURE, where he delivers world class training in lifestyle medicine"

When Simon suddenly couldn’t say the word “kilometre”, life flipped. Weeks later, a 4 cm frontal lobe tumour, urgent surgery with 94% resection, and ten days on the diagnosis: glioblastoma. In this episode, Simon and Kate share the shock, the sprint through ED to theatre, and the pivotal introduction to Dr Matthew Phillips’ metabolic therapy trial. We dig into the protocol-keto, intermittent fasting, five-day fasts aligned with chemo/radiation, and one-meal-a-day plus why Simon kept running 30-40 km a week through treatment. They talk candidly about energy, weight loss, a single seizure, extraordinary clinical support, and MRIs showing no recurrence post-treatment (Dec 2024 and again eight months later). You’ll hear the role of family, why they agreed to “learn together” and stop solo Googling, how to ask about trials, and what “focus on the here and now” looks like when the stakes are highest. A grounded, hopeful conversation about agency, discipline, and a life rebuilt.

Grant and Paul Taylor dive deep into the science and strategies behind hardiness, the mental and physical resilience that helps us thrive in life’s toughest moments. Discover practical tools to train your brain and body to handle stress, adversity, and unexpected challenges. Tune in to learn how to unlock your own hardiness and become more adaptable, focused, and resilient in the face of adversity.

Join Prof Grant Schofield and Kayla as they dive deep into the fascinating connections between sun exposure, diet, and skin health. Together they explore the science behind vitamin D, how what you eat can influence your risk of sunburn and skin cancer and break down the latest research on sunscreens - comparing mineral-based and chemical options. Tune in now!