My Doctor Gives My Keto Diet a Big Thumbs Up!

Do you know what’s a really cool thing when you are following a diet that people claim is a “fad” and even “crazy”?  Having a doctor that monitors your health progress and getting the thumbs up from her on what you’re accomplishing with your health!

I got very lucky when I googled “functional medicine MD in my area”.  The first name that popped up was one I was very familiar with.  She used to be my mom’s internist and my mom really liked her.  Then she was on staff at the hospital weight loss program I did a decade ago and I had the opportunity to have a few appointments with her.  Now she is part of the Integrative Medicine Clinic at my local hospital.

I didn’t hesitate to call for an appointment with her – she is very friendly, thorough, and a very compassionate doctor.  At my very first appointment she said to me “we are going to figure out what caused your obesity and I want you to know that this is not your fault”.  Do you know what that feels like to have a doctor say that to you?  After years of dreading each and every doctor appointment because I hated the “eat less, move more” lecture and shaming.  Helloooo…I had been trying that method for three decades!  But I digress.

Today I had my third visit with her.  She was very pleased to see that I’ve been maintaining my weight loss for 6 months now and am continuing with my way of eating to continue to heal my insulin resistance (it was ohhh, so close to the normal range on my last blood work).

The last time I visited her, she sent me home with a Gastrointestinal kit from Genova Diagnostics Lab.  The specific test I did tested for infection, inflammation, insufficiency, and imbalance in the gut.  When I looked at my results via “Dr. Google”, I thought I might have some issues with SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), but fortunately I do not because I have no yeast growth.

I do however have an inflamed and imbalanced gut – with malabsorption issues.  I still have work to do to balance my gut.  I was just happy that no infection (parasites – ewwww!) was discovered. Her recommendation was up the fiber.

Now fiber sounds like CARBS to my ears – and I told her “I’m afraid of carbs!” and she totally got that! So, we brainstormed a few things I could incorporate and stay within a carb limit that will keep me in ketosis. As I was telling her my normal lunch, I realized that my packed lunches are 99% of the time only 1 or 2 carbs with very little fiber.  My favorite lunch is bacon, Dubliner cheese, and olives.  I’m going to make an effort to get a little more fiber.

It’s an interesting test. If you’re doctor suggests it and you can afford the out of pocket portion (this one was $149), I would suggest doing it.  Especially if you have gut issues or if you are interested in how your metabolism is functioning.  I find the science of all this so fascinating!

At my first visit with her back in October, she ordered extensive micronutrient bloodwork through a lab called Spectracell. This was an excellent test and enabled my doctor to see where I am lacking so she could suggest the proper supplements.  Through this test I also learned about my malabsorption issues and that I have an intolerance to fructose (go figure!).  I definitely recommend this test, too.  Your doctor can draw the blood and send it off to the lab in Texas.

At each visit, I have been asking to track the following:

NMR Lipoprotein panel

Fasting Insulin & Glucose

HbA1c

C-Reactive Protein

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

Cortisol

Vitamin B12

Vitamin D

I have orders for these tests along with a detailed food sensitivity test that she suggested.  I’m really curious to find out which foods cause the inflammation.  All I can say is it better not be bacon!  Ha!  I will have the blood drawn next Wednesday. I did not do it today because I’ve had a pretty stressful week at work and haven’t been eating a normal schedule the past week.  Anyhow – I look forward to getting all those test results again.  I’m hoping my Triglycerides are down even more and that my HDLs continue to increase.

This is a resource I use a lot when I’m looking over my blood work.  Check it out and be prepared to ask your doctor to perform all these tests. Diagnosis Diet: Insulin Resistance Tests.

We had a really nice chat today about my genetics and gut issues that my extended family and daughter struggle with.  There is probably a genetic component, as bacteria is passed down to children and we have similar environmental upbringings – that’s all very interesting to me.

Overall, she gave me a big thumbs up on my progress and my commitment to my lifestyle and desire to heal my metabolic issues.  She also said that a Keto diet is a perfect fit for me and my specific health issues. Perfect!  I absolutely plan to “Keto On”!

I really recommend finding a doctor that will work with you and your goals.  If you don’t have someone local, I know that a doctor that I follow on-line, Dr. Ken Berry, is now doing e-visits with patients interested in the Keto, LCHF, and Intermittent Fasting lifestyle.  I just love his down to earth style.  Check him out.

I really would like to encourage you to take control of your health this way.  I didn’t find my doctor until I was 9 months into my Keto journey. She was quite impressed that I was able to find this lifestyle on my own and implement it with great success. Now I really appreciate having her to monitor and interpret the results and how that all applies to my continued health!  If you haven’t read about all the health markers that my Keto journey has healed – check it out on my About page!

So tell me – do you have a Keto or LCHF friendly doctor?  Or have you visited with a doctor that you had to educate on Keto or LCHF?  I’d love to hear your experiences, too!

(Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional.  I am writing about my personal experiences to encourage others to research a low-carb lifestyle.  You should always work closely with a health care professional to manage your health.  I work with three MDs to manage my health: functional medicine, cardiology, and sleep/pulmonology. They treat my metabolic dysfunctions along with monitoring my important blood markers routinely.  Keto or LCHF may not be an appropriate way of eating for your metabolic health or other health needs.  Please check with your personal health care professional before making any changes in your diet.)

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