Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

Today, I want to share some essential information on how to get rid of belly fat fast. Exercise contributes to about 15% of belly fat loss, and diet contributes about 85%. The first step to burning fat is to switch the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat. Whether you burn sugar or fat depends on one hormone: insulin. If your insulin goes up, you’ll burn sugar, and you won’t burn fat. If your insulin goes down, then you can burn fat. Fat calories don’t influence insulin to any significant degree. But that doesn’t mean you can just consume unlimited amounts of fat and lose weight. You also have to reduce your carbohydrates to force the body to burn fat. Once you start burning fat fuel, the body will develop a more available type of energy called ketones. Ketones are the byproduct of fat—energy your body can use as fuel. Eating also increases insulin. To get into fat-burning mode, you need to lower your insulin by reducing your carbohydrates and doing intermittent fasting. It’s also important to remember that even a little bit of carbs can stop you from burning fat. Consistency is key with this fat loss program. But, if you do this program 100 percent, your body will become an efficient fat-burning machine. Getting into a state of fat-burning can help reduce insulin resistance, which may help correct a slow metabolism and help you lose stubborn weight. With these problems out of the way, you’ll notice a lot of success when you add exercise. To help improve insulin resistance, try adding one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to your water and drink that two to three times a day using a straw. The best exercise to burn belly fat is walking. Walking can help you lose belly fat even more than doing high-intensity exercise. High-intensity interval training can help improve certain hormones and is essential for building muscle. But walking is better for losing fat. It’s essential to walk an hour or two hours a day. Try using a pedometer and working on increasing your steps to 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. The most beneficial thing to do is walking along with high-intensity interval training. However, you will get more benefits out of walking.

Let’s talk about Ozempic. Ozempic is an injectable drug that’s used to help people lose weight. Yes, it may work. But it’s expensive and has serious potential side effects. Ozempic increases a certain receptor that helps slow down digestion and decreases appetite and cravings. It also helps restore insulin levels and blood sugar levels. Potential side effects of Ozempic can include: • Nausea • Vomiting • Bloating • Abdominal pain • Headaches • Gas • Constipation • Diarrhea • Heartburn • Dizziness • Thyroid cancer • Suicidal thoughts • Pancreatitis • Kidney disease • Retinopathy • Muscle loss • Gastroparesis The question is, will Ozempic really solve your weight loss problem without giving you a different problem? How about an alternative? Thousands of natural chemicals in plants have therapeutic health benefits with rarely any side effects. The best natural remedies for weight loss: 1. Panax ginseng 2. Berberine These home remedies for weight loss are great to use in combination with changing your diet. The best diet plan for weight loss is the Healthy Keto® diet with intermittent fasting. Not only will the Healthy Keto diet and intermittent fasting help support weight loss, but they also help reduce hunger and cravings. This is a weight loss plan you can do long-term and at a fraction of the cost of Ozempic. The top benefits of the keto diet that go beyond weight loss include: • Improved cognitive function • Better mood • Enhanced liver function • Preserved muscles • Healthy digestion

Let’s talk about the #1 food for the brain. It’s a misconception that the brain can't regenerate—certain parts of the brain can regrow. The top foods to avoid to support a healthy brain are: 1. Omega-6 fatty acids (soy oil, corn oil, canola oil, and cottonseed oil) 2. Sugar 3. Refined carbs The best food to support brain health is wild-caught salmon. Wild-caught salmon can help enhance the brain in many ways, including supporting: • Memory • Focus • Thinking • Problem-solving • Learning It may also be beneficial for those with mood disorders or brain inflammation. Consuming more wild-caught salmon may even help reduce insulin resistance, which is at the core of many brain problems. The brain is the fattiest organ in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are the healthy fats your brain needs. They’re the building blocks of your brain. Wild-caught salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Wild-caught salmon is keto-friendly. It’s low-carb and has a good amount of protein and nutrients. But, to get these incredible benefits for the brain, be sure the salmon you choose is wild-caught and not farm-raised. Try having your salmon with a kale salad topped with olive oil and unfortified nutritional yeast to take your brain health to the next level.

Let’s talk about conventional eggs vs. pasture-raised, organic eggs. There is a huge difference between the typical eggs at your grocery store and pasture-raised eggs. Conventional eggs aren’t highly regulated. Even the expiration date isn’t regulated, so they may sit on the shelf for months before you get them. However, one of the biggest issues we want to look at is what the chickens producing these eggs are fed. Chickens are meant to consume insects and worms. Instead, they’re fed GMO corn and soy. What’s really shocking is that there is another ingredient in common chicken feeds called animal byproducts or animal protein products. These animal protein products can include: • Feathers • Organs • Blood • Skin • Manure Even the vegetarian feeds are corn and soy—and it’s unnatural for chickens to consume grains alone. Many people think that the color of a yolk will tell you the health of an egg. However, synthetic dyes are sometimes used in chicken feeds to give the yolk a certain color. If a chicken eats what it should, the egg yolks will have a naturally vibrant golden color. In nature, it’s the antioxidants that give eggs this natural color. Eggs that have less of this natural color have fewer antioxidants. Conventional eggs are produced by chickens in cages that never see the light of day. These chickens are very crowded and stressed. Cage-free eggs are from chickens that are cage-free, but they’re still crowded in an enclosed space. Antibiotics can also be used on conventional and cage-free chickens. Free-range chickens have slightly more space than cage-free chickens, and they have limited outdoor access. However, pasture-raised chickens have far more space and the ability to forage for food. Pasture-raised eggs have higher amounts of fat-soluble vitamins and other essential nutrients. Organic, pasture-raised eggs are antibiotic-free, hormone-free, arsenic-free, and free of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. Not only that but organic, pasture-raised eggs are produced by chickens that aren’t fed poultry slaughter byproducts. You may have noticed omega-3-enriched eggs on the market. You don’t know the source of omega-3 fatty acids that are being used, and I think you’d be better off going with organic, pasture-raised eggs. Or, try raising your own chickens if possible!

Let’s talk about the signs you need to change your ketogenic diet and what to do if you experience side effects on keto. Top signs you need to change your keto plan: 1. Feeling tired or weak 2. Looking older 3. Heart palpitations 4. Hunger 5. Cravings 6. No weight loss 7. Kidney stones or inflammation The ketogenic diet plan is the reduction of carbohydrates. But, even though it may help prevent specific health concerns, reducing carbohydrates alone does not build your health. You must focus on what you’re replacing your carbs with and how those calories affect your health. The Healthy Keto diet takes the keto diet to the next level by focusing on consuming high-quality keto-friendly foods with positive health impacts. Top things to do to avoid keto-adaptation symptoms or keto flu symptoms and to make sure your keto plan goes smoothly: 1. Increase your B vitamins and electrolytes • Take unfortified nutritional yeast • Consume seven to ten cups of salad a day or take electrolyte powder • Consume plenty of sea salt 2. Consume nutrient-dense, organic foods • Pasture-raised eggs • Grass-fed, grass-finished beef and organ meats • Wild-caught fish • Wild-caught seafood *Important nutrients: • Zinc • Vitamin D • Iron • Iodine • Vitamin A 3. Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio (should be 1:1) • Avoid soy, corn, canola, and cottonseed oil • Consume more cod liver oil, wild-caught fatty fish, and grass-fed beef 4. Read ingredients, including in “keto-approved” foods, and avoid: • Gluten • Corn fiber • Dextrin • Maltodextrin • Sugar alcohols (especially maltitol) • Milk solids 5. Do intermittent fasting • Consume one to two meals a day without snacks • This is essential to support a healthy body and to see positive results 6. Avoid dirty keto, which can include conventional low-quality foods, such as: • Grain-fed animal products • GMO foods • Pesticides • Herbicides • Preservatives 7. Consume organic vegetables grown in soil (locally sourced if possible) • Avoid hydroponic fruits and vegetables 8. Switch to a carnivore diet if you experience bloating or gut inflammation after consuming raw vegetables • Consume different types of healthy, quality protein • Consume cooked vegetables • Consume fermented vegetables 9. If you’re prone to kidney stones, drink at least two and a half liters of fluid a day and avoid certain foods, including: • Spinach • Almonds and almond butter • Kiwi • Strawberries • Chocolate

Is it healthier to consume cooked vegetables or raw vegetables? That’s what we’re going to cover today. Vegetables have numerous health benefits. They are packed with important vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber. Vegetables are also loaded with phytonutrients, which are hard to get from other types of foods. Phytonutrients have a range of incredible health benefits, from protecting against inflammation to fighting cancer. Raw vegetables grown on soil even contain probiotics, which are friendly bacteria. Organic vegetables have a higher diversity of friendly microbes than non-organic vegetables. But keep in mind that the more you cook a vegetable, the more you’ll lessen the probiotic effects. It’s important to note that not everyone can tolerate high amounts of vegetables. If you are immune compromised or have any inflammatory condition in the gut, you may have difficulty consuming vegetables. If you consume raw vegetables and you feel worse, you may do better on the carnivore diet for a while. However, you could also try fermented vegetables or cooked vegetables. When you cook vegetables, you destroy many of the vitamins and enzymes in them. Heat also kills the microbes in vegetables. However, if you lightly steam or sauté your vegetables, you won’t lose minerals or as many vitamins. Steaming or sautéing vegetables may actually enhance the phytonutrients—but the data on this is inconsistent. As far as raw vegetables vs. cooked vegetables, I believe it’s best to consume a good portion of your vegetables raw. But, certain vegetables should be cooked, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. The worst thing you can do as far as preserving the nutrient content in your vegetables is to fry them. You can still consume fried vegetables but don’t think you’re getting a lot of nutrients from them.

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Olive oil also has incredible effects on certain parts of the body, including: • The cardiovascular system • The nerves and brain • The skin • The eyes Olive oil is a good source of healthy fats and contains vitamins E and K1. However, the real benefits of olive oil occur because of a group of plant chemicals called polyphenols. Polyphenols produce many amazing effects on the body, like helping to prevent complications from chronic disease and oxidative stress. It’s crucial to get real olive oil that’s organic. This is because glyphosate (an herbicide) blocks a plant’s ability to produce amino acids and polyphenols. Glyphosate can also lead to a myriad of other health concerns. Keep in mind that salads contain polyphenols and other phytonutrients. Plus, adding olive oil to salads helps increase the absorption of phytonutrients.

Today let’s talk about what foods to avoid for healthy, vibrant skin and the best ways to handle skin problems. Altered hormones or an issue with your biochemistry can lead to all kinds of skin issues. It’s crucial to focus on what you're putting in your body to get rid of acne and other skin problems. The worst foods for your skin: 1. Low-fat foods 2. Sugary foods 3. Grains and alcohol 4. Vegetable oils 5. Processed protein 6. Milk and whey protein powder 7. Low-antioxidant foods 8. Foods that destroy the gut flora The best diet tips for healthy skin: • Consume higher amounts of fat • Avoid sugar and carbs • Consume nutrient-dense foods • Consume foods high in phytonutrients • Consume a variety of plants • Consume high-quality protein sources Other ways to support skin health: • Do fasting • Get out in the sun (don’t get burned) • Take cod liver oil • Reduce stress • Exercise • Avoid smoking • Avoid alcohol DATA: https://www.prevention.com/health/a20... https://titanbiotechltd.com/blogs/hyd... https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...

Today I want to answer some important questions about probiotics. Probiotics are microbes. Microbes are a crucial part of our world. They convert carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur into forms that living things can use. We have ten times more microbes living on and inside our bodies than we have cells. Microbes have many functions and help us in various ways, including: • Helping to make nutrients available • Providing immune protection • Protecting against pathogens • Supporting detoxification • Improving digestion • Helping to make vitamins Strong hydrochloric acid in the stomach can kill a good portion of microbes. Bile salts also affect the microbiome. But, some microbes are resilient and can even live without oxygen. How to support the survival of probiotics in the stomach: 1. Take a probiotic supplement or consume probiotic foods at the end of your meal 2. Consume probiotics earlier in the day 3. If fasting, drink more water with your probiotics 4. Don’t take probiotics with lemon water or apple cider vinegar water 5. Consume raw plants grown in soil DATA: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/E... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

Today I want to cover nine signs you’re in ketosis. Testing your ketones when you first start the keto diet can be helpful. But, the problem with testing your ketones long-term is that once you start to burn ketones efficiently, the tests aren’t very accurate. Thankfully, there are nine clear signs that can tell you if you're in ketosis or not. Top signs of ketosis: 1. No keto transitioning symptoms (keto flu, keto fatigue, keto rash) 2. Weight loss (initial water weight) 3. Loose clothes around the waist 4. An increase in energy 5. A boost in cognitive function 6. Less inflammation and pain 7. Feeling satisfied after eating 8. Better mood 9. No appetite

Today I want to cover the best foods for kidney disease. The top causes of kidney problems are diabetes, insulin resistance, and high-sugar, high-carb diets. Consuming a low-carb diet, like the Healthy Keto® diet, and doing intermittent fasting are two of the best things you can do to help prevent kidney disease. But, if you have stage 3A through stage 5 kidney disease, you may want to consider making some adjustments to your keto plan. If you have a kidney problem, it’s important to work with your doctor to make sure certain nutrients aren’t out of range. These nutrients include potassium, sodium, and phosphorus. Protein levels can also become too high if someone has a kidney problem. The best diet tips for kidney disease: • Consume lower amounts of high-quality protein (pasture-raised organic eggs, wild-caught fish, seafood, and grass-fed, grass-finished beef) • Consume lower amounts of sodium (2,300 mg of sodium per day) • Avoid processed foods and junk foods • Avoid high-potassium foods and consume low-potassium foods • Avoid soda • Avoid foods high in phosphorus • Take the natural form of certain vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D3) • Get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids (take cod liver oil)

Tinnitus is ringing in the ears, and it can drive a person crazy. Today I want to cover some tips to get rid of tinnitus naturally. Tinnitus is a little bit mysterious and hasn’t been fully figured out. Typical treatments for tinnitus are medications called Gabapentin and Klonopin. These two medications both have a mechanism to increase GABA in the brain. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and slows down the central nervous system. An interesting study shows that people with tinnitus may have lowered GABA and upregulated glutamate. Glutamate stimulates the brain. The problem with GABA supplements is that they don’t cross the blood-brain barrier. This means they will have a difficult time penetrating into the brain to create any effect. However, an amino acid called taurine turns into GABA and can pass the blood-brain barrier. Just be sure to take taurine on an empty stomach. In addition to increasing GABA, it’s essential to inhibit glutamate. MSG and aspartame are high in glutamate, so it’s important to avoid foods containing these ingredients. Other sources of glutamate to avoid: • Hydrolyzed protein • Calcium caseinate • Yeast extract • Textured protein • Whey protein • Soy protein isolates • Soy sauce DATA: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... https://www.tinnitusformula.com/libra... https://www.truthinlabeling.org/names... https://www.lifeextension.com/magazin...

Let’s talk about what would happen if you cut out caffeine for 30 days. Over 85% of adults in the US consume caffeine, and children also consume a tremendous amount of caffeine. Some studies show that caffeine consumption can increase conceptual memory, reasoning, reaction speed, and spatial memory. It can also affect your mood. However, many people experience symptoms associated with consuming caffeine, including: • Anxiety • High blood pressure • High pulse rate • Arrhythmias • Loss of fluid • Digestive problems Caffeine also increases adrenaline and stimulates the adrenals, which can lead to all kinds of health concerns. There can be high levels of two different types of mold found in overly processed coffees and decaf coffees. These types of mold can lead to allergies and irritation in the liver. Coffee can also deplete vitamin B1. If you’re going to drink coffee, it’s important to consume high-quality organic coffee and keep it at one cup a day. Potential benefits of not consuming caffeine for 30 days: 1. Less anxiety and a higher sense of calm 2. Better sleep and more energy throughout the day 3. Lowered blood pressure and pulse rate 4. No more arrhythmias 5. Healthier teeth 6. Healthier liver function 7. Healthier adrenal function The best ways to come off caffeine: • Switch from coffee to tea • Try herbal coffee substitutes • Take vitamin B1 and vitamin B12 • Take adaptogens like ashwagandha and lemon balm tea

Today we’re going to talk about the best things to prevent premature graying of your hair. It’s natural for your hair to turn gray with age. However, many people are getting gray hair way too early. Even though you may have genes that give you the propensity to get gray hair, there are still things you can do to help prevent your hair from graying prematurely. The pigment in your hair and the enzymes that allow the pigment to occur are both dependent on copper. You could be deficient in copper from not consuming foods high in copper. High levels of stress can also cause a copper deficiency. It’s important to do whatever you can to decrease stress and increase copper to prevent gray hair. It may be best to get the copper you need from foods rich in copper rather than a supplement. As you age, you accumulate hydrogen peroxide in the hair shaft. Hydrogen peroxide can cause a bleaching effect on the hair. To slow this accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, you can try consuming foods rich in catalase. Foods high in copper: • Seafood (especially oysters) • Mushrooms • Organic, grass-fed beef liver • Spirulina Foods high in catalase: • Organic, grass-fed beef liver • Vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables) • Sprouts or microgreens Things to avoid: • Alcohol • Smoking • Junk foods • Sugar • Refined carbs • Low-fat diets

Let’s talk about how to reduce stress using ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is an herb that has been around for a very long time and has minimal side effects. Potential benefits of ashwagandha: • It’s an incredible adaptogen (it helps you cope with stress and depression) • It may help increase exercise performance • It may help decrease cortisol • It may help reduce fibroids • It has anti-inflammatory properties • It may help improve the immune system • It supports cognitive function • It may help lower blood sugar levels It seems like natural alternatives are always attacked. Recently, there has been some fear around ashwagandha because, like other natural remedies, it’s not FDA-approved. The committees that approve drugs have a lot of conflicts of interest. Many medications that are FDA-approved have a massive number of side effects, but people take them without hesitation. You may find it beneficial to try ashwagandha and come off of it for a while to see how you feel. Ashwagandha is powerful for stress, but you may not need it after you change your lifestyle and get rid of stress. Natural remedies are great tools but aren’t meant to be taken for the rest of your life. DATA: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25199... https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/f... https://www.nuplazid.com/ https://ebm.bmj.com/content/25/4/145