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Fueling Mental Health

Perspectives on the science and practice of metabolic therapies for mental health.

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Our Perspective on MAHA Commission’s Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment

I was fortunate to be present yesterday at the White House as the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its first report: "Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment." President Trump gave brief comments, along with several Commission members, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Can Ketogenic Therapy Help with Schizophrenia?

Could a shift in brain metabolism unlock better outcomes for schizophrenia? Discover how ketogenic therapy is reshaping our understanding and treatment of serious mental illness.

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This Study Should Change The Way We Think About Brain Aging

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are among the most feared consequences of aging, impacting nearly 7 million adults in the U.S. today, a number expected to double…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Midlife Brain Aging: Why Your 40s are a Critical Window to Slow Brain Aging

How Ketosis, Metabolism, and Timing Could Shape Your Brain’s Future Right now, nearly 55 million people around the world are living with dementia. In the U.S., Alzheimer’s disease…

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Videos

Should You Add Intermittent Fasting to Your Keto Therapy?

Can intermittent fasting support ketosis and help treat serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety? Transcript: Can intermittent fasting help with ketosis or help with…

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Videos

Mitochondria: The Secret Engine Behind Your Health

Remember mitochondria: the “powerhouses of the cell”? It turns out, they’re not just high school biology trivia. Mitochondria are vital for transforming the energy your body needs, but…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Addressing the Misunderstandings of the Keto-CTA Trial with Dr. Matthew Budoff

Professor Matt Budoff responds to questions about the new study on Keto, Cholesterol and Plaque Progression There has been a lot of discussion about the new Keto-CTA study…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

What is Bipolar? Understanding the Condition & Symptoms

A Closer Look at a Common Yet Misunderstood Mental Health Condition — and the Emerging Therapies That Are Changing Lives Bipolar disorder is a complex mental health condition…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

A Cardiologist’s Dilemma: High LDL & ApoB Doesn’t Predict Plaque in This Group of People

A one-year prospective study found that very high cholesterol in 100 otherwise metabolically healthy individuals on a ketogenic diet for an average of 5 years did not correlate…

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Videos

LDL Doesn’t Predict Heart Disease? New Study

Is high LDL cholesterol always a red flag for heart disease? New research says… maybe not. Transcript: Keto is bad for the heart, right? Well, new research suggests…

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Videos

Early Heart Disease Detection? Why You May Consider a CIMT Test

Why should we rely on a blood test to assess heart disease risk when we can see the disease itself? Transcript: Introduction to Carotid Intima-Media Thickness test (CIMT).Have…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

World Bipolar Day: A New Treatment Approach Brings Hope

Each year on March 30th, World Bipolar Day brings together individuals, families, and professionals to raise awareness and foster understanding of bipolar disorder. This day is dedicated to…

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Radiant beast

A Metabolic Awakening: Reframing Psychosis from Breakdown to Breakthrough

Psychosis, like dreams, is an altered reality—vivid, surreal, and immersive. With metabolic healing, I process its lessons with clarity instead of fearing relapse. When I emerged from the…

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Videos

Harvard’s New Study on Butter – Fact or Fiction?

A “new” study once again claims butter is harmful. But does the data actually support this conclusion? And does the data apply to you? Transcript: Another study claims…

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Videos

10 Essential Keys to Using Ketogenic Therapy for Mental Health

Did you know that thousands of people are already using ketogenic therapy to treat serious mental illnesses and even put them into remission? Transcript: Can Ketogenic Therapy help…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Can You Eat Keto Long-Term? 7 Key Takeaways

Thinking about keto long-term? Research supports its safety and effectiveness, especially for mental and metabolic health, with no proven risks from ongoing ketosis. The safety and sustainability of…

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Videos

Coconut Oil: Superfood or Silent Killer?

Is coconut oil clogging your arteries, or could it actually reduce your risk of heart disease? Transcript: The controversy surrounding coconut oilIs coconut oil going to give you…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Ketogenic Diet Study Offers Hope for a New Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

A new paper has reported the clinical, neuroimaging and metabolic findings of an interventional trial that offers fresh insights into a ketogenic diet’s impact on serious mental illnesses…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

More Than Remission: How THINK+SMART Empowers Full Recovery and Transformation

Healing isn’t just about symptom relief—it’s about transformation. THINK+SMART offers a roadmap for recovery, helping individuals reclaim their lives. THINK+SMART, a practical and powerful framework grounded in metabolic…

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Videos

Can Ketogenic Therapy Beat Ozempic? Study Shows Affordable, Sustainable Weight Loss

Is a ketogenic diet an effective, affordable, and sustainable solution for long-term metabolic health? Transcript: Introduction to Dr. Tro’s new paper on GLP1’s vs ketogenic diet.Real world data…

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Videos

How to Actually Predict a Heart Attack (Beyond Cholesterol)

Have you been told you have high cholesterol and need to start a statin to prevent a heart attack? You're not alone. Every year, millions receive this news from their doctors—often with a sense of fear and urgency. But it turns out that cholesterol isn’t the best way to determine your risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Beyond LDL: Exploring Calcium Scores and CTAs for Better Cardiac Insights

Have you wondered if there is a better way to predict the risk for heart disease than using LDL cholesterol? It turns out, there is. Discover why coronary…

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THINK + SMART

Keto for Mental Health: Metabolic Mind’s free THINK+SMART Tool

THINK+SMART is a community-inspired resource that provides a framework for ketogenic and metabolic strategies like those that have helped our son and so many others recover mental wellness.

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THINK + SMART

The Beginner’s Guide to Starting Ketogenic Therapy: 10 Essential Steps

Embark on your ketogenic therapy journey with confidence! This guide shares 10 essential steps for safe and effective implementation to improve mental and metabolic health. Ketogenic therapy offers…

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Videos

Should You Try Ketogenic Therapy? Inspiration for the Keto Curious

How do you convince someone to try ketogenic therapy? Transcript: Should You Try Ketogenic Therapy? Inspiration for the Keto CuriousI’ve been asked many times how to convince someone…

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Videos

Experts Agree: Low Carb Should Be An Option For Type 1 Diabetes

Over 2 million people in the U.S. are living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Despite advancements in care, only 21% are estimated to have an A1C below the…

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Radiant beast

A Path Out of the Hell of Mental Illness: Three Practical Tools for Finding Your Way in the Darkness

From the depths of psychosis to the light of recovery, this article explores how envisioning a better future can transform despair into hope. Being diagnosed with bipolar I…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

USDA’s Latest Dietary Advice Ignores Science, Continues Harmful Status Quo

Current USDA dietary advice fuels chronic diseases, ignoring evidence on ultra-processed foods and metabolic health. My mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was five years old….

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Videos

Stop Losing Muscle: A Smarter Approach to Weight Loss

For someone with overweight or obesity, losing weight can significantly improve health and longevity, but what matters even more is your body composition—the balance between fat and lean…

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Videos

Plant vs. Animal Protein: How Healthy User Bias Misleads Nutrition Science

Did you know that being healthy can actually skew the results of scientific studies? It’s called “healthy user bias,” and it plays a major role in how we…

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THINK + SMART

Fueling Joy Together: Holiday Keto Inspiration from Our Community

Enjoy this holiday season with empowering keto tips from our community. Discover practical strategies, emotional insights, and how to cultivate a no-compromise mentality. The holidays can be a…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Hope for PTSD: The Potential of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapies

Emerging research highlights the potential of ketogenic therapy to address PTSD’s metabolic roots, offering hope for better treatments and outcomes. What if a dietary intervention could transform the…

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Videos

Is a Vegan Diet The Best For Alzheimer’s? A Closer Look at the Ornish Study

Recent headlines talk about Dr. Dean Ornish’s study, which suggests that a whole-food, plant-based diet might help treat Alzheimer’s dementia. This idea sounds hopeful since current treatments have…

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Videos

Beyond LDL: New Insights into Metabolic Health and Heart Disease

In this video, board-certified cardiologist (and Metabolic Mind’s Medical Director) Dr. Bret Scher dives into the latest science of triglyceride-rich particles and their impact on metabolic health. Learn…

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Radiant beast

Life on the Edge of Death: A Journey of Rebirth through Hospice and Metabolic Healing

From end-of-life care to personal rebirth: reflections on life, death, and the profound impact of healing through metabolic therapies for mental and neurological health. Death Doula Wisdom In…

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Videos

U.S. Dietary Guidelines: Should We Really Eat Less Red Meat?

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines Committee’s latest recommendations call for a reduction in red meat consumption, promoting more plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, and peas. In this video, we…

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THINK + SMART

10 Things to Know About Carb Cycling on Keto

An overview of carb cycling on keto: potential benefits, considerations, and guidance for those interested in flexible ketosis. 1. What is Carb Cycling? Carb cycling involves planned increases…

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Videos

Government Policy, Food Choices, and Health Outcomes with Dr. Bret Scher

In this video, Dr. Bret Scher discusses the current metabolic health crisis and how nutrition guidelines and government policies in the United States have failed to prevent poor…

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Videos

The Impact of Ketosis on Cortisol Levels and Adrenal Function

In this video, we delve into a hotly debated topic: Does a ketogenic diet impact cortisol levels and adrenal health? While some claim that sustained ketosis could lead…

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THINK + SMART

2024 Fresh Start Awardees Announced: Celebrating Success with Ketogenic Therapy in Treating Mental Illness

Ten Awardees have received a $10,000 prize to help them pursue future goals. The Fresh Start Award, created by Metabolic Mind, honors the courage, resilience, and strength of…

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Videos

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mental Health: Are GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Suicidal Thoughts?

In this video, we explore the rising use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which were initially developed for managing conditions such as type 2 diabetes. These…

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Radiant beast

Is Serious Mental Illness a Life Sentence?: Suicidal Ideation, Euthanasia, and the Dire Need for Mental Health Care Innovation

Have you ever woken up and felt like you were no longer yourself? As though overnight, your identity slipped through your fingers, leaving behind a person you didn’t…

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Radiant beast

Missing Mania? Reflections on Finding Balance in Bipolar Disorder

Through metabolic therapies, I’ve discovered that the positives I once believed were tied to my bipolar illness—like creativity and philosophical thinking—can be retained in recovery. I’ve learned that…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

6 Key Takeaways on Protein Intake for Ketogenic Therapy

Understanding how to balance protein intake while on a ketogenic diet can be essential for those using this dietary approach to treat a psychiatric condition. Here are six…

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Radiant beast

3 Ways to Leverage Hedonic Adaptation: Lessons from Serious Mental Illness & Recovery

Have you ever wondered why the thrill of a new purchase fades so quickly or how we bounce back from life’s setbacks with surprising resilience? The answer lies…

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THINK + SMART

3 Tips for a Healthy & Happy Keto-friendly Summer

Summertime brings a sense of excitement and vibrancy—fireworks, fireflies, lounging by the pool, and grilling delicious food. It’s a perfect time to enjoy family, friends, fun, and nature….

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Why Did the Maryland Health Department Halt a Critical Schizophrenia Study? A Conversation with Dr. Deanna Kelly

This blog is from an interview conducted by Metabolic Mind’s Dr. Bret Scher with Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School…

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Radiant beast

How To Meet Your Future Self On New Year’s Eve: Part 2

Mid-Year Hack: My Future Self Has Better Cells “Discipline is remembering what you want.” – David Campbell In my article, How To Meet Your Future Self on New…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Does the Brain Need Carbs? Debunking 4 Myths About a Ketogenic Diet

Ketogenic therapy has emerged as a cutting-edge, effective treatment for various psychiatric conditions, including severe depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. It also has demonstrated efficacy in treating and…

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THINK + SMART

How Can You Inspire Someone to Try Ketogenic Therapy

Often when I share my story of using metabolic treatments, including ketogenic therapy, to put bipolar 1 disorder into remission, people ask me how to convince someone to…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Can patients do ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition without the help of a metabolic psychiatrist?

We recommend working with trained clinicians when implementing a medical keto diet, but what are the options if a patient cannot access metabolic psychiatry care? Metabolic psychiatry, a…

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Radiant beast

A Place for Anger in Healing: Positive, Purposeful & Pissed

There was a day about a year after I sent my bipolar 1 illness into remission using ketogenic and other metabolic therapies, when I began to get angry:…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

World Bipolar Day 2024: Celebrating A New Form of Treatment that Offers Hope & Healing

Ketogenic therapy has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of bipolar disorder. Rigorous research is investigating mechanisms, but some patients may not want to wait. I first met…

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THINK + SMART

Is Vegetarian or Vegan Ketogenic Therapy Possible?

Can vegetarians and vegans use ketogenic therapy as a cutting-edge treatment for psychiatric disorders? People are often surprised to learn that I put bipolar 1 disorder into remission…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Can a Keto Diet Help People Suffering from Depression?

Research indicates that following a keto diet can be an effective form of metabolic treatment for depression, particularly atypical and treatment-resistant forms. Dr. Erin Bellamy has seen ketogenic…

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Radiant beast

Pioneering, compassionate and liberated people are changing the Way We Talk about Mental Illness.

Recovery from psychosis is a long, grueling process. The last time I had a manic episode was in the spring of 2021. I was a marketing and development…

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Radiant beast

Angels on Water Skis: My Descent into Mania & How I Regained & Maintain My Sanity

In the summer of 2021, while listening to podcasts about spiritual transformation, I spent countless hours painting my kitchen cabinets teal and stenciling them with ornate golden designs….

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Radiant beast

How To Meet Your Future Self On New Year’s Eve: Part 1 Of 2

The Power of Metabolic Therapies: A Shortcut to a Better Future Self Time to connect with your Future Self! This article explores how the “science of Future Self”…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

The Connection Between Metabolic And Mental Health

We at Metabolic Mind believe that there’s a strong connection between mental and metabolic health. But where did this belief come from? In this article, we’ll answer this…

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THINK + SMART

3 Neurogastronomy Tips For Happy, Healthy Holidays In Ketosis

I started ketogenic therapy in the summer of 2021 to treat neurometabolic dysfunction, and am now in remission from bipolar 1 disorder.This year marks my third holiday season…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Does Keto Cause Heart Attacks?

Sensational headlines about health topics are everywhere these days. For example, one recent headline claimed that the keto diet will increase your risk of heart attack. Is this…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Researcher with Bipolar Shatters Stigma

It’s estimated that 4% of adults in the United States will experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lifetime. It’s most common in the 18-29 age group,…

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THINK + SMART

How To Talk to Your Doctor About Keto for Mental Health

If you’re considering using ketogenic therapy to treat serious mental illness, you want to do it with your physician and not by yourself. But what if your physician…

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Radiant beast

Please Don’t Call Ketogenic Therapy A “Diet”

Embracing a body-positive approach to metabolic mental health. When you look at pictures of me at the beginning of my ketogenic therapy versus today, more than two years…

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THINK + SMART

Does Erythritol Cause Heart Attacks?

A recent study published in Nature Medicine showed that there is a connection between higher blood levels of erythritol and a higher risk of stroke and heart attacks….

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Ketogenic Therapy For Mental Health Conditions

When countless people are suffering and lives are at stake, why invest time and money in Randomized Controlled Trials? During a question and answer session with panelists at…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Can Nutrition Treat Mental Disorders?

What you eat can directly impact your metabolic health and your mental health. Adopting a therapeutic nutritional ketosis diet shifts the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Metabolic Mind: A nonprofit exploring the intersection between metabolic and mental health

What can you expect from the Metabolic Mind blog? At Metabolic Mind, we’re helping change the treatment of mental illness by discussing the role of metabolic and ketogenic…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Do You Have Insulin Resistance? Test, Don’t Guess.

Read this article to learn what insulin resistance is and how to test for it. Insulin resistance has long been associated with metabolic health conditions, including type-2 diabetes,…

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THINK + SMART

Breaking News: Ice Cream Is Healthy! (Or Is It…?)

Is ice cream healthy? Or has nutritional epidemiology misled us again? Have you heard the good news? Scientists have “proven” that ice cream is good for your cardiovascular…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Does Keto Cause Heart Attacks? A Look At The Evidence

There’s a common belief that ketogenic therapy increases your risk of developing heart disease. But the reality is there is no such evidence. Does adherence to ketogenic therapy…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

What Are Metabolism And Metabolic Health, And How Do They Impact Mental Health?

Disrupted metabolism, so-called metabolic dysfunction, is a dangerous condition that has been associated with numerous medical conditions, including mental illness, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more. What…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Is Ketosis Safe? Breaking Down The Myths

Emerging evidence indicates that ketogenic therapy can help treat mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anorexia, and others. But some may question whether it is safe….

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THINK + SMART

Keto For Brain Health: A Dramatic Personal Journey

An inspiring story of how one family used a ketogenic diet to get their daughter and their lives back from the cognitive decline that comes with Down Syndrome….

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Tapering Psychiatric Medications On Keto: Interviews With Matt Baszucki And Dr. Georgia Ede

When starting a ketogenic diet or initiating therapeutic nutritional ketosis for treating a psychiatric illness, careful management of your medications is critical. It’s important to work closely with…

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Radiant beast

Five Reasons I No Longer Label Myself Bipolar

Though I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder more than ten years ago, I no longer use this diagnostic label to refer to my illness. Instead, I have…

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Frontiers in Metabolic Mental Health

Jan Ellison Baszucki: Doctors said my son’s bipolar disorder couldn’t be healed by diet. They were wrong.

This piece was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle on May 23, 2023. At 4 a.m. the Friday before Christmas, I lay curled up and crying on…

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