Reversing Insulin Resistance: LowCarbUSA Boca 2023

LowCarbUSA Boca 2023

Symposium for Metabolic Health by LowCarbUSA Boca 2023

Suppose you want to meet your low-carb heroes. In that case, I recommend booking one or both of the LowCarb USA conferences organized by the Symposium for Metabolic Health Practitioners in Boca, Florida and San Diego, California. I went to Boca last weekend, and it did not disappoint. It was a fantastic weekend, filled with great memories, making friends, and learning about the newest science on keto, food addiction, and metabolic health.

Doug Reynolds and Pam Devine managed to gather the brightest minds from the scientific and low-carb community to advance the knowledge of metabolic health for everyone. If it weren't for these fine people, I'd still be trapped in a sick and obese body with no hope for the future.

Looking for replays?

For access to the complete replay and slides, click here to sign up. The signup also offers CMEs.

A few of my favourite quotes (some are paraphrased)

The line-up of speakers was impressive. And while I have been following this space for over three years (talk about sustainability), I am still learning new things.

"Alcohol abuse is as much a hydration problem as carbohydrate addiction is a nutrition problem."
Dr. Robert Cywes, MD, PhD

"Why did Big Tobacco purchase food processing companies? They saw the opportunity to create addiction. That's their business model."
Dr. Joan Ifland, PhD, MBA

"Everything gets better on keto. Except for LDL? You want your LDL to go up."
Dr. Eric Westman, MD, MHS

"If we remove the major causes of death, obviously, we are going to live longer."
Dr. Ben Bocchicchio, PhD, MHP

"Dopamine is like an itch in the brain. The more I feel it, the more I want it."
Nicole Avena, PhD

"Would you rather start on a lifelong medication or change your diet?"
Dr. David Unwin, FRCGP

"Why not be cautious and avoid Saturated fat? The cautious principle only applies to new inventions."
Nina Teicholz

Photos Presentations:

1 / 24

Introduction by Doug Reynolds, MHP

2 / 24

Joan Ifland, PhD, MBA: New Research and Best Practices in Treating Processed Food Addiction

3 / 24

Tro Kalayjian, DO: The Clinical Approach to Food Addiction

4 / 24

Robert Cywes, MD, PhD: Understanding the Root Cause of Carb Addiction

5 / 24

1st Addiction Panel with Joan Ifland, Tro Kalayjian, Robert Cywes

6 / 24

Nicole Avena, PhD: Are We All Addicted to Sugar?

7 / 24

Vera Tarman, MD: Clinical Variations of Food Addiction: A Chronic Progress Condition,
from Sugar Addiction to Food Addiction

8 / 24

2nd Addiction Panel with James Greenblatt, Vera Tarman, Nicole Avena

9 / 24

Jen Unwin. BSc, MSc, DPsy, C Psychol, FBPsS: Does a low carbohydrate real food plan
with support improve food addiction symptoms?

10 / 24

Annette Bosworth, MD (Dr. Boz): Stop Swelling Your Brain
The First Four Steps to Healing a Brain from Addiction

11 / 24

David Unwin, FRCGP: Food addiction: A practical approach

12 / 24

3rd Addiction Panel with Jen Unwin, Annette Bosworth, David Unwin

13 / 24

Ben Bocchicchio, PhD, MHP (Dr. Ben): Anti-Aging - The Ultimate Health Plan

14 / 24

Nina Teicholz: Saturated fats vs. vegetable oils: Where does the science stand?

15 / 24

Ben Bikman, PhD: The myths and misunderstandings of physiological insulin resistance

16 / 24

Mark Cucuzzella, MD, FAAFP: The Magic of Zone 2 training to Improve your Health and Your Life

17 / 24

Gurpreet Padda, MD, MBA: Metainflammation and the Metaverse

18 / 24

Michael Eades, MD: Weight Loss: Calories, Insulin, or a Third Alternative?

19 / 24

Dominic D’Agostino, PhD: Metabolic-Based Neuroprotective Strategies

20 / 24

Michael Hoffman, MD: Brain Failure And The Low Carbohydrate Diet Imperative

21 / 24

Eric Westman, MD, MHS:An Evidence-based Summary of 20 years of Keto Medicine

22 / 24

David Unwin, FRCGP: What predicts drug-free remission and how best to maintain it in clinical practice?
Also, what happens to those who don’t achieve remission

23 / 24

Annette Bosworth, MD (Dr. Boz): Average Blood Sugar Matters Most

24 / 24

Final Panel with Ben Bikman, Mike Eades, Dominic D'Agostino, Rob Cywes,
Mark Cucuzzella and Michael Hoffman

❮ ❯

Selfies, an unforgettable experience:

1 / 37

Joan Ifland, Tro Kalayjian, Rob Cywes

2 / 37

JoAnn McManamy

3 / 37

Tia Birchler Reid

44 / 37

Robert Collins

5 / 37

Rob Cywes

6 / 37

Buz Smith

7 / 37

Bruce Schnaak and Buz Smith

8 / 37

Pam Devine

9 / 37

Chris Cornell and Brian Wiley

10 / 37

Robert Sigler

11 / 37

Eric Westman and Peter Ballerstedt

12 / 37

David Unwin, Annette Bosworth (Dr. Boz), Jen Unwin

13 / 37

Annette Bosworth (Dr. Boz)

14 / 37

Vic Basmadjian

15 / 37

Adda Ramos

16 / 37

John Clary

17 / 37

Ben Bocchicchio

18 / 37

David Robinson

19 / 37

Vic Basmadjian and Antonio Martinez

20 / 37

Nina Teicholz

21 / 37

Ben Bikman

22 / 37

Tro Kalayjian

23 / 37

Joan Ifland

24 / 37

Mark Cucuzzella

25 / 37

Vera Tarman

26 / 37

Eric Westman

27 / 37

Michael Eades

28 / 37

Michael and Mary Dan Eades

29 / 37

Peter Ballerstedt

30 / 37

Amy Eiges and Tro Kalayjian

31 / 37

Rosetta and Tro Kalayjian

32 / 37

Amy Eiges

33 / 37

Peter Ballerstedt, Eric Westman, Ben Bikman and Dominic D'Agostino

34 / 37

Chris Cornell

35 / 37

Michael Hoffman

36 / 37

Nina Teicholz, Michael and Mary Dan Eades, Peter Ballerstedt

37 / 37

Tia Birchler Reid and Rob Cywes

❮ ❯

My experience:

Like in LowCarb San Diego, this was a fully immersive experience. All the speakers were mingling with us, the mere mortals. I chatted with Ben Bikman about the dawn phenomenon, Dominic D'Agostino about exogenous ketones and their use in autoimmune diseases, Joan Ifland about food addiction, and Robert Cywes about the advantages of medications to kickstart IR improvements in combination with clean keto. I loved chatting with the Unwins, whom I have been following on Twitter. I am in awe of their success in their private clinic. All these people were genuinely friendly, interested in what I had to say, and provided excellent advice.

Stepping up to the mic to ask questions is always fun. Thanks, Tia, for taking the picture.

During the conference, I only checked my fasting glucose once. 5.4 mmol is equivalent to 97 mg/dL. This reading may appear high, but considering I was on insulin three years ago with an A1c of 8.5, I am pretty happy with this result. No diabetes meds, just clean keto and daily intermittent fasting.

First selfie with my besties Tia Birchler Reid and JoAnn McManamy

Delicious meals and good times

I highly recommend LowCarbUSA. Founded in 2016 with a drive for "Turning consensus on its head," it quickly evolved into an invaluable wealth of knowledge with an extensive library of educational videos, an ever-growing database of practitioners, nutritionists and sports trainers that support keto, low-carb and the carb-restrictive way of eating, as well as a searchable database for papers and articles supporting carb restriction for metabolic health.

Goodbye, Boca 2023 ... until next year