Building Metabolic Flexibility with Ben Azadi

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diabetes is known as 'The Silent Killer' for a reason. It begins quietly and gradually worsens, resulting in complications such as stroke, high blood pressure, and nerve damage. Doctors have recommended many approaches to combat diabetes, but there are better and more effective ways to address the disease! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Ben Azadi builds on his expertise in metabolic flexibility and the science of keto. Ben also shares his fitness journey and how his mindset changed him from obesity to mental and physical six-pack abs. Ben also shares scientific-proven ways to possibly help improve cell health through the help of exogenous ketones, keto flexing, and others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to learn more about improving cell health for optimal keto results, this episode is for you!  </span></p> <h2><strong>Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:</strong></h2> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understand the importance of the cell membrane and how taking care of the cell can improve optimal health. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be inspired by Ben's fitness journey. Learn how you can start your fitness journey!</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn scientific-proven ways to help build the body's metabolic flexibility for optimised keto results. </span></li> </ol> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Episode Highlights</strong></h2> <h3><strong>[03:03] Ben's Fitness Story</strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben grew up following the standard 'sad, toxic, and process-filled American diet' alongside unhealthy behaviours linked to drugs, alcohol, and video games.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At 24, Ben started to read health books. Reading helped change his mindset and take ownership and responsibility for his life and decisions. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">He began exercising and eating better.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben went from 250 pounds at 34% body fat to 170 pounds at 6% body fat. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben continues to explore different diets and protocols and keeps up with the research. </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[07:16] The Deal with Type II Diabetes</strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben's father had Type II diabetes and died from it despite following his healthcare providers' instructions.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">His father's untimely death prompted Ben to question the 'conventional approach' to treating diabetes and why many people suffer from the chronic disease.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben considers this a significant turning point in his transformation journey. He believes that the pain pushed him from hobby to purpose.</span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[10:43] Ben's Book:</strong> <strong><em>Keto Flex</em></strong><strong> </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben has authored four books:</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto Flex, The Perfect Health Booklet, The Intermittent Fasting Cheat Sheet, and The Power of Sleep. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto Flex, his flagship book, was written to help people understand what ketosis is, how to apply it, and how to use it as one tool to achieve metabolic flexibility.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study conducted by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that only 12% of the American adult population is metabolically healthy. </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[14:47] Get Well, Fix the Cell</strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The human body has an innate intelligence that acts as the world's greatest physician, healer, doctor, chiropractor, and health coach from within.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cell membrane is where this intelligence lies; hence, this is the part that needs care.  </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben explains that removing interferences from bad nutrition, lifestyle, and behaviour, among other things, is one method to promote cell membrane health.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the full episode to learn about good and bad oils!</span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[25:21] Insulin Resistance </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben explains that the body's optimal amount of glucose is about one to two teaspoons or 80 milligrams per deciliter. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Insulin levels spike when the body takes in too much glucose, overworking your receptors.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The solution is to reduce carbohydrate intake, practice intermittent fasting, and drop glucose and insulin. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Measure, then double your waistline. If it's more than your height, you probably have metabolic dysregulation.</span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[31:52] Taking Responsibility for your Health</strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Insulin resistance leads to Type II diabetes, leading to many other problems — stroke, heart attack, infections, and kidney failures. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diabetes and insulin resistance are easy to reverse, but they involve time and effort.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding the process and science will make people much more likely to do the work.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Epigenetic changes take place over at least six to eight weeks or longer.  </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is no need to avoid carbs for years. Instead, try different avenues of healing to get optimal peak healthy states. </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[38:33] Counter Regulatory Hormones </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human bodies drop insulin in a fasted state. The body's counter-regulatory hormones increase as you lower insulin.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the body's innate intelligence to pump the body full of energy for daily functions. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the same time, when the body is dropping insulin, it burns body fat and produces ketones giving you another fuel source. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the episode to learn more about how keto works! </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[41:58] Metabolic Flexibility</strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think of intermittent fasting as a muscle that develops over time. It has to be trained to have metabolic flexibility .</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hypoglycemic people often feel awful during the fast; instead of burning fat and producing ketones, their brains panic and send intense signals for cravings for sugar and carbs. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exogenous ketones also help people transition through the phase. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben recommends adding ketones in the mix and electrolytes during keto to help transition into the ketosis state. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It gives the body the needed ketones, especially for people who have never experienced a deficit of calories or glucose. </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[48:08] Keto Diets  </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto is not a diet. It is a metabolic process.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ketosis is our natural fat-burning state. It has always been around for as long as humans have existed. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dieting is not the only path to health — there are other tools to use.</span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[51:22] Focus on Cellular Health, Not Just Losing Weight </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do it from a lens of cellular health, not just losing weight. Do not lose weight to get healthy. As you get healthy, you will lose weight.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">View health in cycles, just like in circadian rhythm.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the full episode to learn about the four pillars of keto flexing! </span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>[59:35] Thyroid Epidemic </strong></h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Insulin resistant bodies create more cellular inflammation, including membrane and receptor sites in the thyroid, making it more difficult for the thyroid to do its job. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Long term ketosis usually causes a thyroid epidemic. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elevated insulin and chronically low insulin levels affect the body, particularly the thyroid. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Balance is always important. </span></li> </ul> <p><strong>7 Powerful Quotes</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'When I took ownership and responsibility, I immediately became the victor of my future [and] stopped becoming the victim of my history.'</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'When I went through my transformation, it was more of a hobby that I was treating health and teaching it. When I lost my dad, it went from a hobby to pain to purpose. And that's what lights me up every day to get the message out there.'</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to get well, you got to fix the cell.'</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'These are lifestyle interventions and dietary changes. And nobody can make money out of that. So nobody's going to be pushing you to do that. And it is hard.'</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'If you treat your health casually, you end up a casualty.'</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'...There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something you accept. No excuses, only results.' </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">'So I love to kind of change the paradigm when it comes to keto. Teach people that keto is not a diet, keto is a metabolic process.'</span></p> <h2><strong>Resources</strong></h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gain exclusive access and bonuses to Pushing the Limits Podcast by becoming a</span> <a href="https://patron.lisatamati.com/patron1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">patron</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">! </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Track your blood glucose in real-time with</span> <a href="https://www.levelshealth.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Levels Health</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cortisol Effects on Body by Dr Ben Bickman. Watch the Keto Camp episode</span> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msa9NsDZNI0"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.benazadi.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto Kamp</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grab a copy of Ben's latest book,</span> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YFM83DD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=keto+flex&amp;qid=1615322012&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto Flex: The 4 Secrets to Reduce Inflammation, Burn Fat & Reboot Your Metabolism</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the</span> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-keto-kamp-podcast-with-ben-azadi/id1470779784"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Keto Kamp Podcast</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Connect with Ben:</span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thebenazadi/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">|</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/THEBENAZADI"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitter</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">|</span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-azadi-b7122323/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">|</span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instagram</span></a></li> </ul> <h2><strong>About Ben</strong></h2> <p><strong>Ben Azadi, FDN-P,</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is a certified functional health coach and the founder of Keto Camp, a global brand that aims to bring awareness to ancient healing strategies such as the keto diet and fasting. He is also the host of The Keto Kamp Podcast. Ben is also the author of four best-selling books: Keto Flex, The Perfect Health Booklet, The Intermittent Fasting Cheat Sheet, and The Power of Sleep. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to Keto Camp, Ben also owned several fitness facilities, including Shredfat Inc, Live Free Zone Training, and Live Free Crossfit. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn more about Ben's work on his</span> <a href="https://www.benazadi.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can also connect with him on</span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thebenazadi/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/THEBENAZADI"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-azadi-b7122323/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and</span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p> </p> <p class="p-font"><strong>Personalised Health Optimisation Consulting with Lisa Tamati</strong></p> <p class="p-font">Lisa offers solution focused coaching sessions to help you find the right answers to your challenges.</p> <p class="p-font"><br /> <br /></p> <p class="p-font">Topics Lisa can help with: </p> <p class="p-font">Lisa is a Genetics Practitioner, Health Optimisation Coach, High Performance and Mindset Coach.</p> <p class="p-font">She is a qualified Ph360 Epigenetics coach and a clinician with The DNA Company and has done years of research into brain rehabilitation, neurodegenerative diseases and biohacking.</p> <p class="p-font">She has extensive knowledge on such therapies as hyperbaric oxygen,  intravenous vitamin C, sports performance, functional genomics, Thyroid, Hormones, Cancer and much more. 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