What if the reason hiking feels harder after 50 has nothing to do with age? Lori Balue is a functional diagnostic nutrition and metabolic restoration practitioner in Southern California who spent 25 years answering that question — on herself. She lost 100 pounds in her 50s, reversed asthma her doctor told her would never go away, and went from barely surviving the steps at Vernal Falls to completing rim-to-rims in the Grand Canyon, running half marathons, and training for Mount Whitney at 63.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Doc and Lori dig into what metabolic dysfunction actually is, why hiking feels brutal when your body isn't properly fueled, and how the Hiking Poll's most sanity-adjacent guest ever scored an 82. Plus: why Lori thinks a Garmin watch is the one piece of gear she doesn't have but absolutely should, and why she is genuinely the right person in the room to tell you that age is just a number — because she has the labs, the miles, and the summit photos to back it up. (This is Part I. Be sure to listen to Part II.)

Show Notes

About the Guest


Lori Balue is a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and metabolic restoration practitioner based in Southern California. After a 25-year journey through chronic asthma, pre-diabetes, PCOS, food addiction, and 100 pounds of weight she couldn't keep off, Lori solved her own metabolism and then built a practice helping others over 50 do the same. She is a half-marathon finisher, multi-time Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hiker, and summit regular in the San Gabriels and Sierra Nevada. At 63, she is currently training for Mount Whitney.

What's Covered in Part 1


What Is Metabolic Restoration?

Lori breaks down what a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner actually does — finding the root cause of metabolic dysfunction and filling in the cracks. Her go-to analogy: Humpty Dumpty. Put the body back together again, one piece at a time, in three to six months.


The Trailblazer's Toolkit — Garmin Watch


Lori's dream piece of gear: a Garmin GPS watch, so she can track trail maps from her wrist without stopping to pull out her phone. Currently uses AllTrails. Training for Mount Whitney, so the timing for an upgrade is right. Doc weighs in on his own Garmin Instinct and the particular personality type of the person who obsessively logs every activity — including for tax purposes.


The Hiking Poll — Score: 82


Lori becomes the highest-scoring guest in Hiking Poll history, earning an 82 on the sanity scale — and the distinction of being the first guest not to lose automatic points before the poll even starts. Highlights from the poll: her first hike that proved her body was built for this (Zion half marathon, 2020, after losing significant weight and completing it pain-free for the first time); the biggest trail nutrition mistake hikers make (too much sugar, not enough fat and protein); and the one superfood always in her pack (the keto brick). One-word description of sprinting at 63: joy.


Why Hiking Gets Harder After 50


It's not age. It's mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, and chronically underfueling with protein. Lori explains the Pac-Man model of mitochondrial energy production and why fat fuels the body's energy system far more effectively than sugar — and why most hikers are carrying the wrong food for the miles they're asking of themselves.


The GLP-1 Question


Doc asks about GLP-1 agonist weight loss medications — the injection-based drugs that have become widely used for rapid weight loss. Lori's position: they work, but at a significant cost. Up to 50% of the weight lost is lean muscle mass and bone density. You regain the fat when you stop — but not the muscle or bone. Her approach achieves the same outcome through low-carb nutrition that naturally stimulates GLP-1 production while preserving and building muscle. Six months versus a lifetime of injections.


Origin Story


Lori grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, the only one of seven siblings to struggle with weight. Her mother put her on Atkins as a teenager — it worked, and her depression lifted with it. But processed food addiction, wheat and dairy sensitivities she didn't yet know she had, and two decades of yo-yo dieting brought her to 225 pounds in her mid-30s. The wake-up call: coming home from an outing with her eight-year-old son and hearing her husband ask, without looking up from the couch, when she was going to lose the weight. She got a book. Then another book. Twenty-five years of books later, she had her answer.


Links & Resources



  • Lori Balue — Website: https://www.loribalue.com

  • Dr. William Davis — The Wheat Belly, Gut Solution books, and the Defiant Health podcast. Cardiologist turned functional nutrition advocate. Lori's top recommendation for anyone over 50 concerned about cholesterol, heart health, or metabolic dysfunction.

  • Gary Taubes — Why We Get Fat. One of the books that helped Lori understand the science behind low-carb nutrition.

  • Garage Grown Gear — Ultralight backpacking gear. Sponsors this episode. Free shipping on orders over $40.

  • Six Moon Designs — Ultralight backpacking gear. Sponsors the Trailblazer's Toolkit segment.

  • Triple Crown Coffee — Fine coffee supporting national scenic trail preservation. $1 per pound donated to trail nonprofits.


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