Get ready for another great show with Ben Azadi, author of the new book KetoFlex. Ben has an incredible story—after struggling with obesity and depression in his early 20s, he lost 80 pounds and completely transformed his health.

Today he's helping people better understand metabolism, fasting, and the ketogenic diet by simplifying complex science and turning it into practical, actionable habits that don't feel overwhelming.

We talk about why eating too close to bedtime can interfere with your body's biggest fat-burning window of the day, why Ben believes in making just one "tweak a week" instead of overhauling your life overnight, and why he says, "You don't lose weight to get healthy—you get healthy to lose weight."

We also discuss metabolic flexibility, the role of hyperinsulinemia and seed oils in today's obesity epidemic, why keto isn't meant to be a forever diet, and the simple mindset shifts that make lasting change possible—including Ben's memorable reminder: "If you treat your health casually, you'll end up a casualty." Ben also shares the productivity habits that have helped him write multiple bestselling books while staying focused on his mission of helping others reclaim their health.

Ben Azadi is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and functional diagnostic nutritionist known as "The Health Detective." After struggling with obesity and depression in his early 20s, he transformed his health by losing 80 pounds and reducing his body fat to 6%—an experience that inspired his mission to help others improve their metabolic health.  Today, Ben is the founder of Keto Kamp, where he educates people on intermittent fasting, the ketogenic diet, and metabolic flexibility. He is also the host of the award-winning Metabolic Freedom podcast, which was named Keto Podcast of the Year at the 2022 Metabolic Health Summit.

TIMESTAMPS:

Ben Azadi explains in this podcast some complex scientific insights about sleep, about metabolic health, about how the body's supposed to burn fat while we sleep, about what's going on during the day and how to manage this global obesity epidemic. [01:05]

Ben's story of being a very unhealthy depressed young man involves an 80-pound weight loss he experienced. This started his journey toward better health. He will explain the basics of the ketogenic diet. [04:55]

If you treat your health casually, you'll end up a casualty. If you are 23 years old or 63 years old, your body will respond when you change the signals you're giving it. [10:10]

What does it take to get motivated and inspired to take on the responsibility of managing your own health? [16:31]

When you eat too close to bedtime, you're missing out on the most important window within a 24-hour period for fat loss and fat burning. [18:14]

If you eat the same meal in the morning and evening with exactly the same calories and micronutrients, the insulin response is different. [22:44]

When you are most insulin sensitive in the morning, is that a good time to fast? [28:40]

If you put rules and guidelines into your life, that is a really nice method of succeeding. [32:34]

Start with whole foods, start with good sleep, start with movement and then build from there. [37:33]

Keto Flex is a spin on metabolic flexibility. It's do keto but don't do it forever. [38:22]

When you're in ketosis, it signals to your body that you're going through kind of like a famine. It's a stressor to the body. [43:13]

How did Ben lose 80 pounds in nine months? You don't lose weight to get healthy, you get healthy to lose weight. [48:54]

Are seed oils promoting hyperinsulinemia or are there other things at play here that's interfering with our ability to burn stored body fat? [52:33]

The definition of whole food is that it is a single ingredient food. [58:11]

What kind of application does the consumption of exogenous ketones have? [58:42]

Ben explains his KetoFlex plan here. [01:01:04]

Ben shares some of his secrets of managing his busy life, writing books, teaching, podcasting and keeping that 80 pounds off. [01:06:16]

LINKS:

• Brad Kearns.com
• Brad Nutrition.com
• Brad’s Shopping Page
• BornToWalkBook.com˜
• B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
• Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
• Keto Flex
• Metabolic Freedom
• Burn
• ketoflex.com

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