Diet Doctor Podcast

For decades the medical world has seen type 2 diabetes as a chronic condition that we can only hope to manage with medications to delay inevitable complications. Dr. Hallberg and her colleagues at Virta Health have completely changed that paradigm by showing us that we can reverse type 2 diabetes and we can allow patients to safely stop most if not all of their medications. How have they done this? With a ketogenic diet combined with high touch and high tech. Could this approach work for the millions of people suffering with type 2 diabetes? Dr. Hallberg certainly thinks so, and in this interview explains why.

LDL cholesterol is one of the most controversial topics in the low carb world. On the one hand, conventional teaching is that elevated LDL is dangerous and needs to be lowered. On the other hand, otherwise healthy individuals following a low carb lifestyle have not been represented in our available data. How do we reconcile what to do? Dr. Ron Krauss helps us understand the nuances beyond LDL-C and how we can use all the available data to help us better understand what we know and do not know about cholesterol, including LDL, HDL, triglycerides and Lp(a).

Dave Feldman has done more to call into question the lipid hypothesis of heart disease than practically anyone over the past few decades. His self experimentation and his theories on an energy model for lipids question the foundation of the theory that LDL is "bad" and we should all strive for a low level. He recently had his model "stress tested" on the Peter Attia podcast which for some created more questions than answers. In this episode, we review his energy model and inversion pattern, and we explore what this means for low carb individuals with elevated LDL levels. Since there are no clear answers, it helps to explore the possibilities so that we can try to make sense of this unique and unstudied area of lipidology. DISLCAIMER: Every episode of The Diet Doctor Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The information in this episode should not be used as a substitute for working with your own physician. Please enjoy this episode, and take what you learn to your doctor to have a more detailed and more informed discussion.

Humans have practiced fasting for centuries as part of religious rituals, but the medical community has shunned it as risky and dangerous. Megan Ramos, along with her co-founder Dr. Jason Fung, have embarked on a mission to change all that. At IDMProgram.com, Megan and Jason counsel patients how to use fasting safely to help with weight loss, diabetes, management, and overall health promotion. They recently published a case series showing how they can help people get off their insulin in as few as five days! But fasting can be a double edged sword with significant potential risks of hypoglycemia, loss of lean muscle mass, and feeling awful. Megan helps us understand how to overcome those concerns so that we can benefit from fasting in a safe and sustainable manner.

Alcohol and low carb simply don’t mix, right? Not so fast. As Todd White, founder of Dry Farm Wines explains, it depends on the product. If a zero sugar, low carb, no additive product sounds too good to be true, then you have to listen to this podcast. But Todd isn’t only a wine expert, he is also a self-described biohacker. Through the years Todd has become an expert on maintaining a keto lifestyle, prioritizing exercise and maintaining a regular meditative practice despite his rigorous international travel schedule. He lives his life with integrity and healthy principles, and promotes these concepts as a main focus of his business culture. I was amazed to hear they start each work day with an hour-long group meditation. That is a company culture I can support! Todd's knowledge base goes well beyond alcohol, and he provides essential pearls we can all learn from.

Dr. Michael Arata, founder and lead physician at Arata Medical, is the most unique radiologist I have ever met. He specializes in limb-salvage interventional procedures, and as such, is the last resort to prevent a patient from having an amputation. Luckily, he realized that he could potentially have an even bigger impact by taking a functional medicine approach to prevention, rather than last minute heroics. That’s when he teamed up with his star health coach Stephanie Kennedy to teach people how to use plant-based ketogenic diets and a wholistic approach to their health to prevent the chronic disease that plague our society. Their upcoming book, Keto with Plants, is an accumulation of their experience and their attempt to help thousands of patients with their message. I love their patient care philosophy, and it was quickly evident that they are experts in helping their clients practically implement lifestyle changes that will help them today and for the long haul. You are sure to learn some valuable tips in this interview!

Could fasting be the true fountain of youth? Looking at the science, it may just be. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Antoun walks us through the science and practical implications of using five-day intermittent fasts as a means for stem cell regeneration, autophagy, and longevity. As CEO of L-Nutra, Joseph is on the cutting edge of bringing the best of longevity research to the masses. Fasting may not be right for everyone, but after listening to Dr. Joseph Antoun you will come away with solid practical tips on how to make it work for you, and how to maximize your health benefits.

Dr. Jeffry Gerber and Ivor Cummins may just be the Batman and Robin of the low carb world. They have been teaching the benefits of low carb living for years and they recently co-authored the book Eat Rich Live Long, a must read for the low-carb enthusiast. They really do make the perfect team. Dr. Jeff has over a decade of clinical experience helping his patients reverse insulin resistance, diabetes and other chronic diseases using low-carb diets, and Ivor exemplifies the growing group of engineers-turned-health advocates who’s command of medical literature is unparalleled by most PhD’s. Together they present a scientific and practical approach to making a low carb lifestyle work for you. This was a fun and engaging interview that I know you will enjoy!

Starting as a cancer surgeon and researcher, Dr. Peter Attia would never have predicted where his professional career would lead. Between long work days and grueling swimming workouts, Peter became an incredibly fit endurance athlete somehow on the brink of diabetes. That turned out to be a benefit for the rest of us because what followed was a self-described obsession with health and longevity.

Over the last two decades, investigative science journalist Gary Taubes has repeatedly put his tenacious, meticulous research and persuasive writing skills towards debunking the bad science and prevailing dogmas in nutrition. He’s one of the most influential people in the nutrition world, and almost without equal when it comes to low carb. So it makes sense that he is our first guest on the Diet Doctor podcast.