If you’ve been wondering about the ketogenic diet and want to know if it’s really worth your time, effort, and discomfort in letting certain foods go, this interview with Functional Medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole will help you sort through it all. Our host of The Broken Brain Podcast, Dhru, sat down recently in LA with Dr. Will to get to the bottom of why a plant-heavy keto diet works well for improving metabolism, weight loss, and overall good health.
Are you still frightened by saturated fat? Do you think it will cause a heart condition? Dr. Will talks about that myth and also provides an in-depth look into the Functional Medicine tests that will be the true litmus test to know if you should be concerned about a heart condition or impending stroke. Get your pencil and paper handy!
Dhru and Dr. Will also cover much more in this podcast including the challenge a lot of people have with grains and legumes, how to empower your kids to eat well, and if and how much alcohol is okay. Are you curious? Tune in to listen.
In this episode, we dive into:
- Basics of the ketogenic diet (1:44)
- “Ketotarian”—what’s that? (3:32)
- Dr. Will’s diet journey (6:12)
- Health benefits Dr. Will sees in his patients (12:10)
- Will too much saturated fat cause a heart attack? (17:07)
- Dr. Will’s Functional Medicine tests for heart health (19:20)
- Fat and its impact on your brain (22:17)
- Eating grains and legumes and their challenges (25:55)
- What is metabolic syndrome? (29:04)
- A day in the life of Dr. Will Cole (31:24)
- Encouraging kids to eat well (34:19)
- Testing for ketones: Should I do it regularly? (36:12)
- Are exogenous ketones helpful? (39:24)
- Tips to get back in alignment when you’ve gotten derailed (40:58)
- How long does it take to notice a difference on the ketotarian plan? (42:13)
- Will’s favorite keto recipes (43:47)
- The best keto sweetener options (45:34)
- Recommendations to help with gut repair (48:33)
- Yay or nay? Diet shortcuts and trends (53:50)
- What does “in moderation” really mean? (59:18)
- Where can I find Dr. Will Cole? (1:02:25)
I know you’ll love all the educational information from this episode of The Broken Brain Podcast as much as I did. You can find all of our past episodes right here, on our new podcast page.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
PS – Want to read Dr. Will’s new book Ketotarian? Get it here. You can also find him online here.
PPS – If you’d like to read about the new study published on alcohol that Dhru mentioned, read the NPR article here and the study from The Lancet here.