By Dara Mormile

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With all of the fitness fads out there - and social media influencers going viral with health trends that may not suit everyone’s lifestyle - Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is changing how we transform our bodies from the inside out.

   Preferred Health Magazine spoke to Dr. Lyon, board-certified, fellowship-trained physician and founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine® . She’s also a New York Times bestselling author of “FOREVER STRONG: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well” and her latest instant best-seller: “The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK” which is being released on January 27, 2026.
   Dr. Lyon shared how her unique Muscle-Centric Medicine® program is truly different from other methods of redefining health and how her book’s six-week plan is packed with ground-breaking science, muscle-building exercises, informative graphics, and easy-to-follow, protein-forward recipes.
   “For years the medical establishment focused on obesity as the root of various diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and diabetes as conditions originating in fat,” Dr. Lyon said.  “In clinical practice, I saw a consistent pattern: people were quietly losing muscle and drifting toward metabolic dysfunction, receiving the wrong solutions to fix it.”
   According to the prestigious doctor, living in an information-rich era also means most individuals are “more confused and less healthy" than ever before. “Most nutrition and fitness programs focus on quick fixes or surface-level changes,” she told PHM.  “They rely on trends, generalized advice, or short-term calorie strategies that ignore the physiology driving long-term health.”

Dr. Lyon realized that skeletal muscle is the most powerful organ system for creating lasting health. When she founded Muscle-Centric Medicine®, she also realized that skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ that releases myokines; signaling molecules that communicate with many other organs and influence metabolism, inflammation and even brain health. 
   It is also the body’s largest site of glucose disposal, making it central to metabolic regulation. More healthy muscle equates to better metabolic health, increased insulin sensitivity, and greater resilience throughout life.
  Getting down to the science of fitness is a game-changer - and that’s what makes her plans so unique.
  “This approach shifts the focus away from weight loss as the singular starting point,” she clarified. “Instead, it begins with building and protecting muscle through protein-forward nutrition, resistance training, and high-quality recovery. 
  When you improve muscle health, body composition, insulin sensitivity and even mood improve as a consequence. You get stronger, metabolically healthier, and more resilient.”

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“The strategies inside ‘The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK’ come from decades of clinical work, research, and experience helping people reorient their health around muscle,” Dr. Lyon said. “Tactically, the program uses protein-forward nutrition to support muscle health and body composition. I pair this with resistance training built on principles that give the body a clear signal to adapt, grow stronger, and build resilience. I also emphasize recovery practices: sleep, circadian alignment, breathwork, and stress management, all of which influence the hormonal and molecular environment that supports muscle health and adaptation.”
   But, she said, tactics alone aren’t enough. People rarely change based on information; they change when their identity and values shift. “That’s why I wrote the entire book through the lens of the ‘Forever Strong Ethos.’ It teaches you to anchor your decisions in clear intention, personal responsibility, and a willingness to be different from the norm. I’ve lived this myself doing exercise breaks during medical shifts, carrying protein-forward meals, and refusing to accept the low standards of mainstream wellness culture,” she said. 

No matter which book you pick to start improving your health, both have the same inspiring mission: to change the way people understand their health by putting muscle at the center of the conversation.
   Her first book “Forever Strong” laid out the science behind muscle as the organ of longevity and introduced the philosophy of Muscle-Centric Medicine®. After it debuted, she said, readers wanted more than science; they wanted step-by-step application. They wanted the “how.”
   “These books were years in the making, and each was shaped by clinical experience, scientific mentorship, and the thousands of patient stories that taught me what actually works in real life,” she noted.
 

Dr. Lyon also shared why she thinks diets and fads typically fail.

“Most people lack clarity,” she admitted. “They’re consistently told to chase fat loss, prioritize cardio and to follow restrictive diets without understanding the biology that underpins metabolism and long-term resilience. The result is confusion, frustration, and a lack of meaningful progress. The core issue is not obesity; it is a lack of healthy skeletal muscle. We’re not overfat, we’re under-muscled. I learned this early in my career during my geriatric fellowship.”

     As her career transformed, she’s kept her goals on point - but not without stellar inspiration.

“My parents shaped my earliest relationship with movement. Physical activity wasn’t something we added later; it was part of life and it’s helped me maintain good habits as an adult,” she proudly said. “That foundation became the roots of what I now call being forever strong.”
   She also gives credit to her husband Shane Kronstedt, a continual source of motivation. “His grit, service, lack of self-narrative, and grounded strength have been examples I look to constantly. He embodies discipline, resilience, and purpose,” she said.

    If you’re looking for lasting change, Dr. Lyon has the methods to help you accomplish your long-term transformation.  “Lasting change depends on mindset, something many people have never been guided to develop,” she said. 
   “It involves elevating your personal standards, learning to lean into challenge and discomfort, and committing to long-term progress rather than short-term solutions. The aim is not transient improvement. The aim is durable strength that carries you through every stage of life.”

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Dr. Gabrielle Lyon works with and trains elite athletes, military operatives, and public figures. She's equally focused on building strength and resilience at home, raising two young children while actively living her philosophy with her husband, a retired Navy SEAL. 
  Her educational and research background includes dual clinical fellowships in geriatrics and nutritional sciences at Washington University, along with undergraduate training in nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois. A highly sought-after educator and consultant, she is an authority in the practical application of protein types and levels for health, performance, aging, and disease prevention.

Website: https://drgabriellelyon.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGabrielleLyon
FOREVER STRONG:
https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/
THE FOREVER STRONG PLAYBOOK: 
https://drgabriellelyon.com/playbook/