Born Paula Casey Means on September 24, 1987, in Washington, D.C., Casey Means entered the world as the first daughter of Grady Means, a former assistant to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and Gayle Means. Raised in a politically connected household, young Casey was exposed early to the corridors of power, yet her path would veer toward the human body rather than the body politic. She later legally dropped “Paula” from her name after medical school, honoring a personal evolution inspired by biblical roots—named after Paul the Apostle, she sought a moniker that felt more authentically her own.
Means’ academic journey was nothing short of stellar. She earned a BA in biology with honors from Stanford University, where her fascination with the intricate mechanisms of the human body took root. This led her to Stanford University School of Medicine, from which she graduated with an MD in 2014, serving as class president—a testament to her leadership and peer respect. Her early research spanned prestigious institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), New York University (NYU), and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), focusing on surgical outcomes, inflammation, and autoimmune conditions. Before medicine, Means even dabbled in classical vocal performance, gracing stages with symphony orchestras, but her calling to heal won out.
A Surgical Awakening and Bold Pivot
Means’ entry into clinical practice was marked by ambition: she began a surgical residency at OHSU, poised to become a master of the scalpel. Yet, what she encountered in the operating room shattered her illusions. “It’s profitable to keep people sick and then drug them, cut them and bill them,” she would later reflect in a viral clip that underscored her disillusionment with a healthcare system more attuned to crisis than prevention. Witnessing patients cycle through surgeries without addressing root causes—often tied to poor metabolic health—prompted a seismic shift. In a move that stunned colleagues, Means dropped out of her residency to embrace functional medicine, a holistic approach emphasizing lifestyle, nutrition, and root-cause resolution over symptom suppression.
This pivot wasn’t born of failure but of fierce conviction. Her mother’s untimely death from pancreatic cancer in 2021—a disease linked to metabolic dysfunction—crystallized her mission. Teaming up with her brother Calley Means, an entrepreneur and founder of TrueMed (a platform for tax-free health spending on preventive measures), she channeled grief into action. Their shared mantra: heal the body to heal the world.
Entrepreneurial Fire: Levels Health and Beyond
Undeterred by the medical establishment’s silos, Means turned innovator. In 2019, she co-founded Levels Health, a metabolic health company that empowers users with real-time glucose monitoring via wearable tech. As Chief Medical Officer, she oversees a platform valued at $300 million as of 2025, serving thousands by demystifying blood sugar spikes and crashes—key culprits in fatigue, brain fog, and chronic ills like diabetes and heart disease. Levels isn’t just an app; it’s a rebellion against reactive medicine, arming individuals with data to make “smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices.”
Mean’s entrepreneurial ethos extends further. She’s an Associate Editor at the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, advocating for evidence-based reversals of lifestyle-driven diseases. Recognized by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, her work bridges tech and wellness, making her a sought-after speaker and podcaster. Interviews with luminaries like David Perlmutter on uric acid, Robert Lustig on metabolic testing, and Gabrielle Lyon on exercise populate her digital footprint, amassing a following of over 229,000 on X (formerly Twitter) under @CaseyMeansMD.
The Bestseller That Lit a Fire: Good Energy
If Levels was Means’ tech manifesto, her 2024 book Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health—co-authored with Calley—is her philosophical North Star. A #1 New York Times bestseller, it sold out launches and sparked a movement, blending memoir, science, and strategy into a clarion call. At its core: the idea that “good energy” (optimal mitochondrial function) is the linchpin of vitality, while “bad energy” (metabolic chaos from ultra-processed foods, toxins, and stress) fuels 90% of chronic diseases.
The book dissects how modern life—seed oils, sedentary screens, disrupted sleep—starves our cells of efficient energy production, leading to everything from anxiety to autoimmunity. Means offers a roadmap: a four-week plan with recipes, bloodwork guides (e.g., optimal fasting glucose under 90 mg/dL), and mindset shifts like embracing nature and boundary-setting. Reviewers hail it as “a breath of fresh air,” with Sara Gottfried praising its “cellular-to-spiritual” scope and Jillian Michaels calling it “timeless metabolic principles anyone can implement.” Critics note occasional forays into subjective territory, like grain elimination, but its evidence-based punch—drawing on mitochondrial biology and soil health—resonates widely. Free resources on caseymeans.com, including an “Ultimate Food List” and lab interpretation guides, extend its reach.
From Influencer to Surgeon General: MAHA’s Rising Star
Means’ ascent peaked in May 2025 when President Donald Trump nominated her as U.S. Surgeon General, succeeding Dr. Janette Nesheiwat amid credential scrutiny. “Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials,” Trump declared on Truth Social, tying her to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a nod to her brother’s White House advisory role. At 37, Means embodies MAHA’s ethos: dismantling Big Food and Big Pharma’s grip, prioritizing prevention over profit.
Her confirmation hearing faced delays—ironically, as she went into labor—but endorsements poured in. Senator Rand Paul called her “very pleased” pick; Rob Schneider dubbed it his “happiest” news since fatherhood; Dr. Marty Makary lauded her as a “genius physician.” On X, Means radiated gratitude: “THANK YOU, DR. MAKARY!” to supporters, her feed was a whirlwind of awe-inspired posts on health sovereignty.
As of November 2025, Means serves in the role; her inactive MD license (since 2019) is no barrier to her influence. She’s already pushing for soil regeneration, toxin bans, and metabolic screening in schools, aligning with Kennedy’s chronic disease crusade. Her net worth, pegged at $5 million, stems from Levels’ success and book royalties, but Means measures wealth in “awe for the miracle of existence.”
A Vision for Limitless Health
Casey Means isn’t just a doctor or entrepreneur—she’s a steward of human potential. From surgical scrubs to Surgeon General’s uniform, her arc traces a rebellion against a sick-care paradigm. In an era of epidemics, she reminds us: health isn’t a privilege; it’s a birthright, forged in the quiet alchemy of our cells. As she gardens regeneratively and newsletters weekly on “unfiltered takes,” Means invites us all to cultivate good energy—not for survival, but for thriving. In her words, it’s time to “feel limitless, healthy, and positive,” stewards of a planet as vital as our veins. The revolution starts within.
