The Real Root of Weight Gain, Brain Fog, and Burnout – It’s Not What You Think | Ben Azadi

In this episode, I’m joined by Ben Azadi - author, educator, and founder of Keto Kamp - to talk about how metabolic health is the foundation of everything. Ben shares his incredible journey from obesity and suicidal thoughts to optimal health, and how changing his mindset was just as important as changing his food. We dive into what’s really behind the metabolic crisis in America, why insulin resistance goes undetected for years, and how short-term tools like Ozempic may backfire if you don’t address the root cause. Ben also walks us through his 90-day carnivore experiment, the surprising changes to his gut microbiome, and why being metabolically flexible is the goal - not dogmatic about any one diet. I hope this conversation leaves you feeling empowered, educated, and ready to take ownership of your health.

In 2008, Ben Azadi was an obese man who went through a personal health transformation of releasing 80 pounds of extra weight, and getting metabolically healthy. Ever since, Ben Azadi, FDN-P, has been on a mission to help 1 billion people live a healthier lifestyle. Ben has a 10 year mission to help over 1 million people naturally reverse their diabetes.

Ben, the founder of Keto Kamp, has over 17 years of experience in the health industry, and he's the author of four best-selling books, including his latest Keto Flex. Ben is the author of the upcoming book Metabolic Freedom, published with Hay House. Ben has been the go-to source for intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet since 2013.

He is known as 'The Health Detective' because he investigates dysfunction, and he educates, not medicates, to bring the body back to normal function. Ben is the founder of Keto Kamp; a global brand bringing awareness to ancient healing strategies such as the keto diet and fasting. 

Ben is the host of a top 15 podcast, The Metabolic Freedom Podcast which won Keto Podcast of The Year (2022) by The Metabolic Health Summit. Ben has the fast growing Ben Azadi YouTube channel with over 400,000 subscribers and 25 million video views, and TikTok channel with over 330,000 subscribers and over 50 million video views.

Ben is a keynote speaker who delivered a keynote lecture for Ketocon 2022, 2023, and Hack Your Health 2024; and he's been featured in Forbes, Tampa’s NBC WFLA, LA Weekly, Disrupt Magazine, NY Times Mag, LA Entertainment Weekly and other publications.

A few of my favorite things we cover in this episode: 

•  Ben’s personal transformation from obesity, depression, and suicidal ideation to optimal health
• How Wayne Dyer’s teachings sparked a complete mental and physical reset
• The dark side of GLP-1s like Ozempic - muscle loss, metabolic risk, and long-term concerns
• How insulin resistance can develop silently over a decade without elevated glucose
• Why fasting insulin, triglycerides, and HDL are more important than total cholesterol
• The problem with high-fat, high-carb diets and why meal composition matters
• What Ben’s 90-day carnivore experiment revealed about gut diversity and cholesterol
• The power of metabolic flexibility and how to implement a cyclical carb approach
• The impact of mindset, gratitude, and self-image on long-term wellness success
• Why vitamin G (gratitude) and minerals may be the most underrated “supplements”

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Happy listening and we hope you learned a little bit more on the art of being well!

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In Health,

Dr. Will Cole