Keto Not Working? Hidden Genetic Factors & How to Fix It

When Fat Metabolism Goes Wrong: Why Keto Isn’t Right for Everyone

Fact is, many people have problems metabolizing and utilizing fat that aren’t related to clinical conditions or missing nutrients but instead are the result of variations in the genes that encode for fat metabolism.

If you have one of the following four genetic factors, you may not respond well to a high-fat or ketogenic diet. Indeed, you may not benefit from a constant state of ketosis at all (for more information on ketones and ketosis, you can check out this podcast with Dr. Latt Mansor)—especially one achieved not by fasting and sugar restriction but by high fat intake—and you may instead perform better on a low-fat diet or a primarily Mediterranean-style diet high in monounsaturated fats like olive oil.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

One relatively common condition affecting fat metabolism is familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which affects up to 10 percent of the world’s population. People with this condition tend to experience a metabolic firestorm when they follow a high-fat diet because their cholesterol and inflammatory biomarkers increase dramatically in response to foods like coconut oil, butter, fatty fish, red meat, and eggs. This condition is also associated with chest pain during physical activity; fatty deposits around the elbows, knees, and butt; cholesterol levels high enough to be a true cardiovascular risk factor; and cholesterol deposits around the eyelids.

While very high LDL cholesterol (typically above 300 mg/dL) is a sign you may have FH, you can more precisely determine your status by getting a salivary genetic test and then looking for risk markers such as (1) a TT polymorphism (genetic variation) on the CETP gene; (2) an AT polymorphism on the PCSK9 gene; or (3) an AA or AG polymorphism on the APOB gene. (For more insights on cholesterol levels, I recommend checking out this podcast with Dr. Darshan Shah.)

When I presented this conundrum of people with FH on a ketogenic diet to my friend Dr. Chris Masterjohn, one of the brightest guys I know when it comes to nutrition biochemistry (you can check out our podcasts together here, here, and here), he explained to me that the best way to deal with FH is to “take the one gene for the LDL receptor responsible for contributing to this condition and try to bring it up to the expression level that would be found in someone without FH.” He went on to explain that from a scientific standpoint, this can be accomplished by maximizing the biological activity of thyroid hormone and suppressing the activity of a gene called PCSK9, both of which can be achieved by increasing insulin signaling through, for example, frequent physical movement, the use of insulin-sensitizing herbs and spices, and moderation of processed sugar and starch intake.

Poor Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) Conversion 

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a short-chain omega-3 fatty acid found primarily in plant-based foods, such as flax seeds, walnuts, and other seeds and nuts. ALA is an essential fatty acid because, like essential amino acids, it cannot be produced in the body, so it must be obtained through food. (For more insights into ALA, you can check out this article.) Plant sources of ALA are popular among vegetarians and vegans because once in the body, ALA can be converted to DHA and EPA, critical fatty acids that enhance cognition and brain health and help stabilize a state of ketosis and that are found primarily in animal foods (especially fatty fish). 

But research suggests that only 2 to 10 percent of all ALA consumed is actually converted to DHA or EPA. In addition, the expression of ALA-converting genes, known as FADS, can vary widely. One variant of the FADS gene increases conversion, while another reduces conversion—so people with one variant are less able to convert ALA to DHA and EPA than those with another variant.

The FADS variant (you can discover more on this topic here) that improves ALA conversion is most common in African, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan populations. It is moderately common in European populations (although there is variation across European populations; the conversion-increasing variant is most common in southern Europe) and least common in Native Americans and indigenous Arctic populations. This variation is likely due to the relative availability of plant sources of omega-3s and genetic adaptations to that availability: The more an ancestral population relied on plant sources of fatty acids, the more the population adapted to convert ALA into usable DHA and EPA. Conversely, the more a population consumed DHA and EPA directly from animal and fish sources, the more the conversion-increasing variant was replaced by the conversion-decreasing variant.

So if you have, say, African or Southern Asian ancestry, you likely carry the conversion-increasing variant of the FADS gene and don’t need to consume as much DHA and EPA from animal or fish sources. It is important to note that this doesn’t mean you don’t need to consume animal or fish sources at all; it’s simply that you don’t need as many of them as people of other ancestral heritages do.

If you have far northern European, Iberian, Native American, or Indigenous Arctic ancestry, you most likely can’t effectively convert ALA into usable DHA and EPA. Those of British and Northern European ancestry may have more effective conversion rates, but the conversion-increasing variant is not as common as in Tuscan and southern European populations. If your genetic heritage comes from these groups, you need to get your DHA and EPA directly from meat and fish.

Upregulated Elongation of Omega-6 Fatty Acids 

Omega-6 fatty acids are, like omega-3s, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and they are found most commonly in poultry, eggs, grains, seeds, nuts, and most vegetable oils (you can check out this article for additional insights). Omega-6s are precursors to molecules called eicosanoids, which, when derived from omega-6s, can be pro-inflammatory, especially when omega-6s are consumed in excess. Eicosanoids derived from omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are anti-inflammatory, but humans cannot efficiently convert omega-6s into omega-3s, so a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids without a proportionally high intake of omega-3s can lead to rampant cellular inflammation and weight gain.

But even if you do consume adequate omega-3 fatty acids (a balanced ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s is 1:1), you may not be able to handle omega-6s as well as other people. The process of converting omega-6s into inflammatory compounds is called elongation. The expression of the gene responsible for elongation varies from person to person, and some people have upregulated elongation, which results in more inflammatory compounds. If you have upregulated elongation, a significant amount of the linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) you consume in food like seeds and nuts will be converted into arachidonic acid, a precursor to inflammatory compounds. To avoid that inflammation, you will need to avoid common ketogenic fat sources high in linoleic acid, such as poultry, eggs, and nut butters, or, if you do consume them, you’ll need to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fatty cold-water fish like tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines. You can determine the status of your omega-6 elongation with an omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid index test, which tells you whether you have excess inflammatory arachidonic acid levels. These indexes are offered by companies such as Thorne, OmegaQuant, and Quest Diagnostics.

The Thrifty Gene Hypothesis: FTO and PPAR Variants 

The geneticist James Neel proposed the thrifty gene hypothesis in 1962 in an attempt to explain why certain populations are more susceptible to type 2 diabetes; it has also been used to explain why humans tend to accumulate body fat.

The hypothesis claims that in the past, “thrifty genes” allowed some people to quickly build fat reserves in times of plenty as a buffer against food scarcity in leaner times. As food became overabundant in the modern era in developed nations, these genes continued to allow people to build fat reserves, even though times of food scarcity were less common. In addition, the calorie-dense foods responsible for triggering the thrifty genes (think about dishes high in both sugar and fat, such as butter with potatoes, ice cream, and eggs with waffles) are consumed in much higher quantities today than they were in the past (you can click here to listen to my solosode that features this topic).

Granted, the thrifty gene hypothesis has received much criticism over the last few decades, and even Neel himself found some evidence that suggested the hypothesis might not be accurate. But there are indeed certain genes that cause some people to gain fat more easily than others, especially in response to high-fat foods. The most common nutrients associated with genetic obesity are fatty acids, and the two most notorious genes responsible for storing these fatty acids are the FTO and PPAR gamma genes.

The FTO gene (which codes a protein associated with fat mass and obesity) is responsible for regulating body fat and overall weight. Research suggests that the FTO gene is the primary genetic factor associated with weight gain and that diet is the primary environmental factor that triggers the FTO gene. A high saturated-fat intake is particularly associated with FTO-induced weight gain, so if you carry either one or two copies of the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism, you will likely do better on a diet low in saturated fat, particularly from dairy, butter, coconut oil, and fatty beef, lamb, and pork.

The PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) gene is also associated with weight gain following a high fat intake. The PPAR gamma polymorphism is responsible for regulating fatty acid storage, the uptake of fatty acids, and the growth of new fat cells. A variant of the PPAR gamma gene has shown significant increases in weight in response to dietary fat and monounsaturated fatty acid intake, suggesting that the PPAR gamma gene is one of the primary genes responsible for causing weight gain. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as the omega-6 arachidonic acid, also activate PPAR gamma, so if you have PPAR gamma (instead of, say, PPAR alpha), you will probably achieve greater dietary success by limiting your intake of fats. (You can check out this podcast with Dr. Lucy Mailing for more information on this eye-opening topic.)

You can find out if you possess either the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism or the PPAR gamma gene with a salivary genetic test and then search for these gene variants in your raw results. A growing body of websites, such as 23andMe, The DNA Company, SelfDecode, StrateGene, and Genetic Genie, can make digging through this data a bit easier. The new Precision Genetic Test from 10X Health will actually cut straight to the chase and even tell you if you’re a carb-burner or fat-burner, or a mix of the two—and what to eat and how to supplement based on those results. 

Oxidizer Status 

An easy, affordable hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) can provide insight into whether someone is a slow oxidizer or a fast oxidizer by analyzing key minerals and their ratios in hair. This information reflects metabolic tendencies linked to how the body processes carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Slow oxidizers tend to have sluggish adrenal and thyroid activity, leading to slower metabolic processes. They tend to burn carbohydrates inefficiently, leading to blood sugar imbalances and low energy. Fast oxidizers exhibit higher adrenal and thyroid activity, resulting in faster metabolic processing of nutrients. They can burn carbohydrates quickly and may experience energy dips without frequent refueling. To analyze your oxidation status, you can visit GoLifeNetwork.com or work with a practitioner like Matthew Coffman or my friend Dr. Leland Stillman.

Looking Beyond Keto

So if you have one of these genetic factors and can’t thrive on keto, what should you eat?

Much to the chagrin of ketogenic zealots, it all comes down to (drumroll please) eating a low-fat, fiber-rich, high-carbohydrate diet and replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat.

A good approach is to eat similarly to the ancestral protocol common among the inhabitants of the island of Kitava, who happen to possess the FH gene but do not experience heart disease. This diet is rich in fiber-dense carbohydrates, such as coconut meat, starchy tubers, and fresh fruit (notably, none of these are processed, refined carbohydrates).

How to Do Keto the Right Way

When you think about it, it may seem strange that some people don’t do well on keto. After all, our ancestors were often in a state of ketosis, as are many hunter-gatherer tribes today; so are many people in Blue Zones—parts of the world where people tend to live longer than average (you can explore more about these longevity-boosting places here).

But they all achieve ketosis via natural habits such as frequent fasting, low intake of processed sugary or starchy foods, high plant intake, and “drowning” real, whole foods with healthy fats such as extra-virgin olive oil.

This stands in stark contrast to the modern, somewhat bastardized version of ketosis, often called “dirty keto,” which involves buying ketone supplements that cost $15 a serving; eating ungodly amounts of butter, coconut oil, and other saturated fats; eating surprisingly sparse amounts of actual, real food; and spending many precious minutes each day hunched over a ketone monitor in a form of endless self-quantification.

As long as you don’t have one of the genetic factors listed earlier, a ketogenic diet can indeed be an effective method for enhancing focus, boosting physical and mental energy, and improving physical performance (this podcast with former endurance athlete Mark Sisson – with a second one coming soon – is an excellent example of how it works). But even if you respond well to a carbohydrate-restricted or fat-rich diet, it is easy to make mistakes that may prevent you from entering a state of ketosis, cause you to accumulate nutrient deficits, and give you low, sluggish energy (particularly during workouts) on a strict ketogenic diet.

In particular, two main issues often arise on a ketogenic diet.

The first problem, stemming from a tendency to focus on animal foods and avoid plant foods, is the loss of key nutrients, such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, and plant-based vitamins. For example, the phytochemicals contained in kale, spinach, blueberries, raspberries, collard greens, Swiss chard, and sweet potatoes are responsible for a phenomenon called xenohormesis (in which exposure to low doses of compounds that could be toxic or lethal in higher doses results in a beneficial effect, such as improved health, muscle growth, or longevity). Eliminating plants from your diet because they’re carbohydrate-based, as many do on keto, means eliminating these phytochemicals and the benefits they bring.

These same plants are also sources of antioxidants that are crucial for neutralizing free radicals, which can cause a host of physiological and neurological problems, including neurodegeneration and damage to muscle tissue. Vegetables and fruits are some of the densest sources of a full spectrum of antioxidants you can consume. They also—unlike butter, coconut oil, and hefty cuts of fat-streaked meat—include fiber. Fiber is important for satiety, maintaining healthy digestive function, and feeding robust populations of beneficial gut bacteria (although it’s worth noting that, paradoxically, in people with compromised guts, fiber can increase issues such as gas, bloating, and constipation). Finally, plants are potent sources of a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, potassium, and iron. While some vegetables, particularly starchy tubers like sweet potatoes and white potatoes and sweet fruits like bananas and apples, are too high in carbohydrates to be strictly keto-friendly, most vegetables, such as dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, are keto-friendly and can be consumed in relatively high quantities.

Of course, one wrench thrown into this equation is the potential for other hormetic stressors—such as exercise, cold thermogenesis, sauna, sunlight radiation, and even the heterocyclic amines and other charred compounds formed during the cooking of meat—to allow for adequate hormesis even in the absence of high plant intake, a theory proposed by Dr. Paul Saladino the first of our four carnivore diet podcast episodes (which you can find here, here, here, and here ). However, there is very little long-term research comparing the hormetic effects of a plant-based diet to those of a carnivore diet.

The second problem that can accompany a low-carb, ketogenic diet is a cluster of symptoms known collectively as the “keto flu,” also referred to as carbohydrate withdrawal (you can discover more about this problem and other hidden dangers of this particular diet here).

Keto flu can manifest as any or all of the following symptoms:

• Brain fog
• Headaches
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Muscle soreness
• Nausea
• Poor focus
• Stomach pains
• Sugar cravings

Keto flu typically begins twenty-four to forty-eight hours into a ketogenic diet and can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. The flu is caused by three changes that can occur as your body shifts from glucose metabolism to fatty acid metabolism. First, as you cut out carbohydrates, your insulin levels drop. This signals your kidneys to flush sodium out of your body, which can result in losing up to 10 pounds of water weight in just a few days. The accompanying loss of muscle glycogen and minerals, along with low insulin levels, can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramping, diarrhea, and constipation.

Second, there are diet-induced changes to thyroid hormones. The hormones T3 and T4 are produced by the thyroid gland and regulate body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate. Thyroid function relies heavily upon adequate carbohydrate intake, so as you cut back on carbohydrates, levels of T3 and T4 may fall, resulting in brain fog and fatigue.

Third, at the same time as your T3 and T4 hormone levels fall, your cortisol levels can rise. This is because extreme carbohydrate restriction signals to your body that glucose is a precious commodity, and your body responds by attempting to increase glucose levels via increased levels of stress hormones like cortisol. This can result in irritability and insomnia (for more insights on hacks to improve your thyroid function, you can check out this podcast).

So how can you beat these nutritional deficiencies and carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms? The following are three tactics for getting the most out of a low-carb, ketogenic diet without experiencing significant reductions in physical or cognitive performance.

1. Consume Veggies and Take Supplements

Most vegetables are keto-friendly.

There is no reason you can’t liberally consume kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, and Swiss chard and moderately consume low-glycemic-index fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can also supplement the phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber you get from these whole-food sources via prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants like GSH (glutathione) and turmeric extract (curcumin), along with a quality multivitamin.

Microgreens, which are the shoots of leafy greens such as arugula, Swiss chard, and mustard picked just after the first leaves have developed, can help modulate cholesterol levels and lower inflammation. Microgreens are simple to grow at home in a sunny window or under an LED grow light. Sprouts can work similarly (to get started with sprouting, you can check out this helpful podcast). For a shortcut to getting more from vegetables with fewer starches, look into powdered vegetable extracts and greens powders, such as Dr. Thomas Cowan’s or Organifi. 

In addition to eating more vegetables and microgreens, you should consider consuming the following supplements:

• Choline, which helps your liver process fat and prevents nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Magnesium, which improves bone health, immune system function, and nerve and muscle function. It also helps minimize muscle cramps, dizziness, and fatigue.
• Potassium, which is necessary for proper cellular function. It also minimizes cramps, constipation, and muscle weakness.
• Sodium, which, as mentioned above, is dumped by your kidneys as insulin levels drop. If you are performing heavy training sessions, you need to maintain sodium levels because you lose a lot of sodium through sweat. Sodium also reduces fatigue, headaches, and thirst.
• Creatine, which will allow you to perform high-volume, high-intensity workouts without relying on high levels of muscle glycogen (since these stores will be depleted as you restrict carbohydrate intake). This is known as a carbohydrate-sparing effect.

2. Consume More Fats, Especially MCT Oil

Consuming more of the right types of fat may accelerate your adaptation to a ketogenic diet.

MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil, which is derived from coconut oil, is particularly potent (but remember, everything in moderation—this article explains why you don’t want to put it in *everything*). Most fatty acids must travel through your lymphatic system to your heart, muscles, and adipose tissue before entering the liver to be metabolized. But MCT oil goes straight to the liver to be immediately metabolized into energy, and just adding MCT oil to your diet may allow you to avoid the keto flu altogether.

You can also add coconut oil to your morning coffee and eat more foods rich in healthy fats, such as grass-fed beef, fatty cold-water fish, and eggs. Extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and MCT oil can also be drizzled liberally on almost any dish. Just remember to include plants, too, as these can eliminate the potential for a high intake of oils (particularly saturated fats) to become inflammatory.

Is It Healthy to Put Fat in Your Coffee?

You are no doubt familiar with the current craze of dumping butter, coconut oil, MCT oil, or ghee into what your grandparents would have consumed as a no-frills, plain ole cup of coffee.

There is definitely something to this trendy practice. When blended with fats, cognitive-enhancing cholesterols found in the mighty coffee bean, including cafestol and kahweol, can cross the blood-brain barrier, increasing coffee’s cognitive benefits and extending the mental boost to a level beyond that which caffeine can provide.

In addition, adding fats to coffee can keep you satiated for long periods of time, boost ketone production if you use MCT or coconut oil, provide anti-inflammatory effects and feed beneficial bacteria in the gut if you use butter, and even provide a slight elevation in metabolic rate if you use MCT oil (due to the thermogenic effect of combining caffeine and MCT oil).

So I am certainly a fan of blending fat into your coffee. But you also can’t consume oodles of saturated fat in large doses without taking some steps to mitigate the potential damage. For example, the long-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil can cause a rise in inflammatory T cells that, if left unchecked, can lead to and exacerbate autoimmune diseases or gut discomfort. The short-chain fatty acids found in vegetables can reverse this damage, so if you do add concentrated amounts of fat to your coffee, make sure to consume several servings of vegetables throughout the day, especially antioxidant-rich greens, herbs, and spices. In other words, don’t have fatty coffee for breakfast, sardines and an avocado for lunch, and a rib-eye steak and mashed potatoes for dinner and expect your cholesterol, inflammation, and other biomarkers to respond favorably. A better scenario would be a fatty coffee for breakfast, a giant salad for lunch, and boatloads of roasted vegetables with dinner.

Keep in mind, too, that you are often drinking many, many calories in a fatty coffee beverage—remember, fat has twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates—so it counts as a full meal and isn’t best consumed along with, say, a big plate of bacon and eggs, assuming you care about the size of your waistline. And finally, if intermittent fasting is your thing, be aware that a cup of high-calorie fatty coffee will definitely take you out of a fasted state, although because it is unlikely to spike glucose or insulin levels, it is one of the better choices for staying “semi-fasted.”

Now don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with a big black cup o’ joe, but occasionally it’s fun to spin the brain’s dials with inventive deliciousness. So here are three of my favorite fatty coffee recipes to get your creative wheels churning: two hot, for those chilly fall or winter days or when you crave the comfort of a hot brew, and one cold, for a pre-or post-workout pick-me-up or a cognition-enhancing treat on a warm summer day.

Pro tip: For all these recipes, I pretty much only use a smaller NutriBullet blender. A big countertop blender is unnecessary, unwieldy, and leaves too much of your coffee goodness stuck to the sides of the blender jar.

1. Coffee-Cacao Sipper 

Prepare yourself for an intense chocolate experience with a hint of java. The Ceylon cinnamon helps control blood sugar, and though the collagen is optional, I recommend it for active individuals. The cardamom or rosemary is also optional but will enhance the coffee’s antioxidant properties.

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute, until smooth and oh-so-frothy. Oh, and be careful when you open the lid: this stuff can get a bit fizzy under pressure. Just ask my wife, who has—perhaps more than once—had to help me clean a coffee explosion off the kitchen walls.

2. Crunchy Coffee Frosty 

This drink is like a milkshake-coffee combo with a bit of a superfood crunch at the end. I’ll occasionally break off a few chunks of a nice, very dark chocolate bar and stir that in instead of the cacao nibs.

Place all the ingredients except the toppings in a blender and puree until smooth, adding water and ice to achieve your desired texture. After blending, top with or stir in the cacao nibs and unsweetened coconut flakes. 

3. Ghee-Coconut-Cacao Coffee 

This wonderful morning brew keeps me satiated for hours, and the cacao offers a nice boost of dopamine too. I occasionally use two packets of Four Sigmatic mushroom extract instead of coffee.

• 8 ounces brewed coffee, hot
• 2 tablespoons cacao tea (I recommend the MiCacao brand, which is a delicious mix of cacao shells and nibs)
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter or coconut manna
• 1 tablespoon ghee (optional, but if you don’t use it, I’d double up on the coconut butter or coconut manna)
• Drop of butterscotch toffee–flavored or vanilla-flavored liquid stevia (I prefer Omica Organics)

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend for 60 to 90 seconds, until well combined and smooth. If you dig these recipes, you can check out Boundless Cookbook and Boundless Kitchen for plenty more. 

3. Implement a Cyclic Ketogenic Approach

Unless you’re using a ketogenic diet to treat a health condition such as epilepsy or Alzheimer’s (you can discover more about this here), you don’t necessarily need to stay in ketosis indefinitely.

Occasional and even regular dips into ketosis via strategies like fasting, occasional carbohydrate refeeds, and carb cycling are sufficient for providing the benefits of a ketogenic diet without requiring you to eliminate carbs for months at a time.

While you can, especially if you aren’t a hard-charging athlete, certainly remain in a state of ketosis for years at a time without experiencing any adverse effects (assuming you eat a healthy ketogenic diet that includes plant foods), you can also get the same benefits from brief, frequent forays into ketosis.

For example, you can consume all of your carbohydrates at the end of the day, especially if you have a hard exercise session in the late afternoon or early evening. This exercise session ensures you are highly sensitive to glucose, so that the glucose you do eat is stored as muscle glycogen. If you fast for twelve to sixteen hours after this meal, you will still be able to enjoy the fat-burning and brain-boosting benefits of ketosis without depleting your energy. Many of my athletic clients perform evening carb refeeds of up to 200 g of carbohydrates every day and spend most of their time in ketosis. Most of my other clients perform at least a weekly carb refeed, typically on their most physically active day of the week to reduce any excess glucose response.

For more insights into ketosis and ketones, you can check out:

Summary

Many people start keto with great intentions, only to end up frustrated with fatigue, brain fog, or slow progress.

The good news is that if you’re not genetically predisposed to experience issues with the ketogenic diet, you can experiment with the key strategies I covered in this article to optimize your approach and overcome the obstacles holding you back.

If you’re not getting the results you want or you feel “off” while you’re on the ketogenic diet, it’s a good idea to reassess and make adjustments. That could mean tweaking your macronutrient ratios, adding more nutrient-dense foods, or taking breaks from strict ketosis. Your body may thrive with a more flexible, cyclical approach to keto, or it may need more plant-based foods to provide the antioxidants and fiber it craves. It’s about finding the balance that works best for you, not just following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Ultimately, the key is tuning into your body’s feedback and adjusting your diet to align with your unique needs. By paying attention to your own bio-individuality, you can make your diet (no matter which one it is) work for you in a way that supports your energy, focus, and overall well-being so you can finally achieve the results you’re looking for and feel your best.

If you’re looking for more insights into your health and wellness, you’ll be happy to hear that I just finished updating and editing my best-selling book, Boundless. The brand new version of Boundless covers everything you could possibly want to know about optimizing your health and longevity, including how to boost your mitochondrial function, reboot your circadian rhythm, increase your libido, manage chronic conditions, enhance your mind using new smart drugs and peptides, reverse aging, improve sleep, burn fat, maintain health routines at home and while traveling, and much more!

Ready to uncover a treasure trove of the latest science-backed strategies for improving every aspect of your mind, body, and spirit? You can click this link to pre-order your new updated copy of Boundless.

Additionally, if you have any questions, comments, or feedback, you can drop me a line in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to respond!