Adnan Alkhalili

I wasn't fortunate to have a clinical team that oversaw my metabolic progress. My CBT therapist did not speak a lick about this, so it was really a long search on my end to find the answer. Also, I took no medication.

I completed testing on different things, including my A1C, my insulin, and my thyroid health. Besides the lab testing that I had done on my own, I used a CGM and a glucose monitor to test the levels of glucose in my blood. One realizes how much they're messing with their biology when they can see it mapped out, and we're fortunate that such tools exist.

I took quite a few supplements. I took magnesium glycinate every night, coupled with Vitamin D in the mornings and fish oil. Somewhere along the line came Alpha Lipoic Acid, and then I ended up with too many vitamins to count.

I started with a diet that wasn't necessarily keto; just eat meat and vegetables. It eventually became keto when I realized I was also avoiding fruit. One does not need to balance adherence with flexibility once they realize that taking small steps towards your health will eventually make you want to cut out flexibility anyways. Your biology knows better than you, and your cravings aren't you.

I would do intermittent fasting. Eating at 12 pm and 5 pm. This helped because it made me not snack at night, and kept me very strict on a schedule.

I didn't track macronutrients for the most part. I just did what I felt like. I limited nothing, counted no calories, and until I was full.

I used a Keto Mojo. Just prick the finger and see your ketones and glucose levels. I'd usually be around 2-3 mmol/L, but sometimes it would rise to 5-6 mmol/L. I'd test daily.

I'd try to get 8 hours of sleep every night. I'd close devices around 2 hours before bed and look for a book or less dopamine stimulating activity. Unfortunately, we all fall sometimes, and it's important to realize that trying something beneficial for you 1/10 times is better than 0/10 times.

I walked a bunch. Just get up, get outside, and walk. Studying? Walk. Working? Walk. We're humans, and meant to move, and the easiest is to walk. That's exercise, it's good for you, and it's what I did.

Strength training also; I'd try to lift three times a week.

I began with avoiding certain processed foods. I eventually started to focus on limiting social media, especially at night.

What mainly rebuilt my long-term well-being was constantly reminding myself of the 'why'. Seeing what I don't want to become (sickly, dementia ridden, and frail at old age), and instead, recognizing that I can be strong and powerful as long as I constantly seek out good.

I used a Whoop to track my sleep but sometimes got a little obsessive over it. Really what I aimed to do was focus on how I felt. We don't need to be so aware of what's going on in our body all the time. It will bring anxiety to some (and cost a lot). Instead, if you feel and look good, or feel terribly and don't like your looks... sit with that.

Adnan's Story

Therapeutic

Integration

Nutritional

Ketosis

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