Reflections on CoSci 2025: The Sweet Trap and the Power of Connection by Roxana Soetebeer, MHP, NNP, PHC, PFC
Reflections on CoSci 2025: The Sweet Trap and the Power of Connection
Walking into the CoSci - Collaborative Science Conference 2025 felt like stepping into a big, nerdy family reunion—the kind where everyone is obsessed with health, science, and changing the world. I was there to give my talk, The Sweet Trap: Sugar Addiction, A Personal Perspective, but what I got in return was so much more.
Getting up there to speak was surreal. The energy in the room was electric, literally electric. Just before going to the green room, I tapped Ken Berry on the shoulder to tell him that I was up next. He is usually surrounded by a crowd asking him questions. Well, that tap gave him a big jolt ⚡. So yes, we felt the energy.
My talk wasn't just about science—it was personal, and it hit home for a lot of people. By the time I stepped off the stage, people were coming up to me with tears in their eyes, telling me how much they resonated with what I shared, my journey. And then came the ultimate compliment—one of the big influencers told me I had great stage presence. In a comment on my FB post I was called "effervescent" (yes, I had to look up the word). I soaked up every moment of it.
One of the highlights of the conference was the premiere of The Cholesterol Code on the first night. Being part of such a small audience felt like the biggest validation—like a nod that I was truly a part of this movement.
Throughout the weekend, I sat in on incredible presentations—some reinforcing what I already knew, while others flipped my perspective.
Peter Ballerstedt dropped this gem: There is a difference between maintaining metabolic health and restoring metabolic health. Simple but profound. Because yes, eating fruit or potatoes is not unhealthy—it didn't cause me to develop diabetes or become super obese. And, by the way, “super obese” is a new category because “morbidly obese” couldn't keep up with the skyrocketing obesity crisis. So, yes, high-carb fruit or veggies didn't make us sick, but they can certainly keep us from getting better, from restoring our health.
He also had the best reality check for anyone who blindly trusts statistics: The average human has one breast and one testicle. But you don't see many of them around. I burst out laughing—it's the perfect way to remind people that statistics can be misleading if you can't see past the numbers.
Nina Teicholz, as always, was on fire. She called MyPlate "the kindergarten version of the food pyramid"—a perfect analogy for how dumbed down and useless mainstream nutrition advice has become. She also pointed out how every federal program has to follow these guidelines, making them the default “truth” for health organizations and medical providers.
The broader picture? These guidelines are followed in schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, the military, prisons, and government food assistance programs. That means vast portions of the population are being force-fed (literally) bad dietary advice. And the impact? Devastating. Chronic disease, metabolic dysfunction, and preventable suffering—all because we're following guidelines that benefit industry more than health.
Dr. Eric Westman was his usual no-nonsense self. One of my favourite takeaways from him: We do not have to know who did it to exonerate the criminal. Meaning, we don't have to prove the exact cause of atherosclerosis before we stop blaming LDL. We don't need to have every answer before we start challenging bad science. And, of course, his classic: To lose weight, just don't eat carbs. Simple, effective, and completely at odds with conventional dietary wisdom.
Beyond the talks, the best part of CoSci was the people. The hallway conversations, the coffee-fueled debates, the spontaneous nerdy conversations about metabolic pathways—it was all magic. Full disclosure: for some of them, I completely spaced out.
I shared a room with my friend Terry, and our late-night discussions about everything from science to life itself were beyond special. We laughed, we shared, we connected. Those hours spent talking weren't just conversations—they were moments of deep friendship, understanding, and soul-level bonding. It's rare to meet people who just get you, and I left the conference knowing I had a true friend for life.
Being in Vegas, I visited the Sphere before my flight home and watched a robot say hi to Dr. Ken Berry. If I didn't get a picture or video, did it even happen? Well, here you go—both in English and German.
As I sit back and reflect, I feel incredibly grateful. I loved every single second of this conference—the learning, the connections, the laughter, the inspiration, being with my people. Events like CoSci remind me why I do this. The mainstream health narrative is shifting, but real change happens when passionate people come together and push the conversation forward.
I'm already counting down to next year. Until then, I'll be carrying these memories, these insights, and this renewed sense of purpose forward.
To everyone who was there—thank you. You are the reason this movement keeps growing.
CoSci, short for the Collaborative Science Conference, isn't just another health and nutrition event—it's about real science, real discussions, and real solutions. More importantly, it's a fundraising event for the Citizen Science Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting independent research. This isn't pharma-sponsored science; it's fund-raised science by and for those who seek the truth. The event brings together some of the brightest minds in health, nutrition, and metabolic research, all united by one goal: to challenge outdated paradigms and explore new frontiers in scientific understanding.
If you don't know Dave's story, it's pretty incredible. A software engineer by trade, he stumbled into the world of cholesterol research after seeing his LDL skyrocket on a ketogenic diet. Instead of panicking, he did what any good engineer would do—he started testing. And what he found has been turning the medical world on its head.
Dave's Lipid Energy Model challenges the conventional wisdom that high LDL cholesterol automatically means you're doomed. His research suggests that in certain metabolic states—like being on a low-carb, high-fat diet—high LDL may be a physiological response and not harmful at all. This concept has been shaking up the field of lipidology and forcing experts to take a second look at the way we think about cholesterol and cardiovascular risk. His meticulous self-experiments, detailed data analysis, and commitment to transparency have made him one of the most respected voices in this space. And his research is yielding promising results. All this doesn't mean that high LDL doesn't matter. It depends on the context.
His work is more than just theory—it has real-world implications for how we diagnose and treat metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The best part? He's not done yet.
Many people in Vegas approached me saying they couldn't attend the Zoom calls I do on Thursdays in the PHD (Proper Human Diet) community due to scheduling conflicts. Some even said they'd pay me to host additional sessions. So, I created a Patreon just for that!
For as little as $5 per month, Patreon members get access to four to five exclusive Zoom meetings per month, each one hour long, held on Tuesdays. This is a space where we discuss metabolic health, low-carb living, and real-life strategies for success.
If you'd like to join our growing community, you can sign up here: https://patreon.com/reversing_insulin_resistance.
We just started, and I'd love to have you there!
The mainstream health narrative is shifting. Dave's research is groundbreaking and could be Nobel-worthy. Whether that happens or not, one thing is clear: he's changing the game. And I feel incredibly lucky to know him and witness this firsthand.
Written by Roxana Soetebeer, MHP, NNP, PHC, PFC
Published February 22nd, 2025
Couldn't make it to CoSci 2025? Attended but missed some key insights? Want to rewatch the presentations that made an impact?
For a $100 donation, you'll get exclusive access to the full CoSci 2025 video recordings for the next three months. Not only will you gain valuable insights from world-class experts, but you'll also be directly supporting independent research that challenges outdated paradigms.
The recordings are available for purchase until February 23.
💥Couldn't make it to #CoSci25?👀Attended but missed some sessions?💡Attended and want to rewatch? The fundraising continues, and for a $100 donation you can access the video recordings for the next 3 months.📽️On sale until Feb 23.🗓️ One final push for #CoSci! Link in comments. pic.twitter.com/HEHqz4p0p0
— Citizen Science Foundation (@realCSF) February 13, 2025
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