Get Your Weekly Digest

Receive the best podcast summaries and insights delivered to your inbox every week.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Insulin Doctor: This Is The First Sign Of Dementia! The Shocking Link Between Keto & Brain Decline!

with Dr. Annette Bosworth

Published November 24, 2025
Visit Podcast Website

About This Episode

Internal medicine physician and insulin-resistance specialist Dr. Annette Bosworth explains why she believes routinely generating ketones is central to preventing and reversing many chronic conditions. She discusses insulin's role in aging and disease, the practical steps of her "keto continuum" approach, measurement of glucose and ketones, and tools like sardine fasts and exogenous ketones to break through insulin resistance. She also shares case studies from her practice, the story of using a ketogenic diet alongside her mother's cancer care, and her own legal and political ordeal that tested her faith and resilience.

Topics Covered

Insulin resistance Ketogenic diet Fasting Brain health Cancer metabolism GLP-1 agonists PCOS Perimenopause and menopause Exogenous ketones Creatine supplementation

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Dr. Bosworth argues that routinely making ketones could reverse many of the chronic problems that bring people to internal medicine clinics, especially those related to brain function and aging.
  • Chronically elevated insulin from processed foods and late-night eating drives fat storage, inflammation, and "trash" accumulation in tissues, contributing to conditions from high blood pressure and cancer to brain fog and Parkinson's.
  • You cannot make ketones until stored glycogen is depleted, which in insulin‑resistant people can take many days of very low carbohydrate intake or extended fasting.
  • Simple physical signs such as abdominal fat, skin tags, velvety darkened skin on the neck or elbows, and loss of hair on toes and lower legs can indicate long‑standing high insulin.
  • A well‑formulated ketogenic state appears to improve focus, mood stability, exercise recovery, and, in some cases, cognitive function in neurodegenerative conditions, though evidence is still emerging.
  • Dr. Bosworth's "keto continuum" lays out progressively stricter steps from carb restriction to prolonged fasting to achieve and maintain consistent ketosis, with special considerations for women.
  • She uses sardine‑only periods and very high‑fat foods as practical tools to push stubbornly insulin‑resistant patients into strong ketosis and to reset their relationship with food.
  • Supplements like vitamin D, magnesium, methylene blue, and creatine are highlighted for their roles in cellular energy and brain function, with cautions about misinterpreting lab tests in creatine users.
  • GLP‑1 agonist drugs can powerfully suppress appetite but are compared to using chemotherapy to remove leg hair; Dr. Bosworth prefers raising GLP‑1 naturally via ketones and butyrate.
  • Her experience fighting Medicaid fraud accusations and later felony petition charges illustrates how she relied on purpose, relationships, and daily spiritual practice to withstand extreme stress.

Podcast Notes

Hook, sardine challenge, and ketogenic promise

Sardine challenge introduction

Host describes a three-day sardine-only challenge as a tool to get into a ketogenic state[1:01]
• He suggests trying to eat three cans of sardines per day for three days to accelerate ketosis
Claims about ketogenic state from sardine challenge[1:01]
• Host says being in a ketogenic state helps burn fat and preserve muscle mass
• He mentions having seen patients reverse gray hair and improve brain performance, concentration, and energy when in ketosis

Introduction of Dr. Annette Bosworth and core thesis

Dr. Annette Bosworth is introduced as an insulin resistance specialist with over two decades of experience[1:26]
She states the key to health is not more treatments but getting into a ketogenic state[1:33]
• She says most people have been making "buckets of insulin" without knowing it
Consequences of excess insulin[1:38]
• She claims excess insulin is a "chronic disease maker" that causes high blood pressure, cancer, and debris in the brain
• Brain debris is linked by her to depression, brain fog, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's
Her approach with patients[1:53]
• To reverse high insulin, she strongly pushes patients to do the ketogenic diet
• She says that within a year, what unfolds is "your best life ahead" and notes she believes she rescued her mother from the edge of death using this approach

Internal medicine, Medicine 2.0, and chronic disease framing

What an internist does

Definition and scope of internal medicine[3:34]
• She explains that an internist is an internal medicine doctor dealing with complex problems and chronic disease management
• She says, "if the internal medicine team can't figure it out, you're going to die," emphasizing the seriousness of cases they see
Perspective on Medicine 2.0[4:42]
• She references Peter Attia's term "Medicine 2.0" as the current model where doctors are masters of managing disease with prescriptions and follow-ups
• In this model, patients see the internist routinely to refill medications and monitor side effects, creating what she calls "a mill"

Missed rules of human health and "trash" metaphor

Signals of excess trash in the body[5:06]
• She calls issues like high blood pressure, extra abdominal fat, brain fog, and aging eyesight "little things" that are signals the body has made more trash than it cleaned up
Promise to listeners[5:12]
• She says listeners will hear her talk as she does to patients, teaching steps to reverse existing medical problems
• The end goal she offers is the freedom to be the kind of grandparent people dream of being but may have given up on

Focus on brain performance behind chronic complaints

Underlying concern in her chronic disease patients[6:16]
• She says that behind most cases she sees is a focus on peak brain performance, even if patients do not explicitly think that way
• She gives the example of a 55-year-old with early signs of Parkinson's as a brain with too much trash accumulating
Importance of early detection[6:46]
• She notes her own record versus Parkinson's is zero wins, while Parkinson's has thousands of patients, emphasizing its difficulty
• She stresses that seeing the problem 10 years before it "should" appear is a gift, allowing her to show patients how to back away from the edge
Broader symptoms of not "taking out the trash"[7:16]
• She connects unremoved brain trash to arthritis, central weight gain, high blood pressure, and mental disengagement
• She describes a brain that no longer wants to engage or finds joy as one that has gone too long without clearing trash

Lifestyle patterns, insulin, and aging

Modern lifestyle and accumulating trash

Examples of accumulating damage[7:47]
• She cites repeated joint injuries that become easier to re-injure, growing abdominal fat, and shorter mental focus spans as signs of accumulating trash
Importance of frequent "trash removal"[7:56]
• She suggests people should not stop taking out the trash several times a year, and preferably several times a month
• Without such maintenance, she says people end up in metaphorical quicksand up to their waist, needing a lifeline

Critique of standard chronic care solutions

Typical insured-patient pathway[8:20]
• She describes how doctors with good insurance plans often play a matching game: list symptoms and match them with drugs that suppress each symptom
Limitations of symptom management over time[8:44]
• She asks listeners to "play it forward" five to ten years and notes that symptoms are often not gone, despite continued medications
• She says such care props up the body architecture without fixing underlying chemistry problems
Her contrast with typical aging at 54[9:25]
• She contrasts a 54‑year‑old with vitality, energy, full-night sleep, and minimal pain against peers with chronic joint pain and limited focus stamina

Insulin basics, late-night eating, and signs of insulin resistance

Timing of calories and aging

Shift calories earlier in the day as you age[9:53]
• She advises that by age 54, calories should be concentrated in the morning, not at night
• She states one bite of food after 6 p.m. is worth 10 bites before noon in terms of impact
• She calls late eating a strong stimulator of excessive insulin production

Host's eating pattern as example

Host describes his previous day's meals[10:49]
• He reports first eating at about 4 p.m. (a big salad), then a late dinner around 10-11 p.m. including cod, salad, and pasta
• He slept around 7-8 hours and woke at about 7:30 a.m.
Her interpretation of this pattern[10:45]
• She notes that about eight hours after a large late, carb-containing meal, insulin is still "churning"
• She labels this kind of late processed food intake as the beginning of chronic inflammatory churn that accelerates aging

Explaining insulin in simple terms

Insulin as "insulation" and fat storage[11:58]
• She tells him to think of insulin as something that "insulates" and makes you fluffy by putting fat on
Hormonal roles and glucose transport[12:08]
• She states insulin's primary job is to lift glucose from the bloodstream into cells
• If cells and liver glycogen stores are full, insulin turns excess sugar into fat and can also signal the body to make more fat-storing cells

Insulin, chronic disease, and hidden debris

More than just fat gain[14:05]
• She says the biggest consequence of high insulin is not just weight gain but growth of diseases and inflammation
• She reiterates that trash in tissues is not cleared until insulin is lower
How modern habits drive high insulin[15:17]
• She lists processed foods from boxes, barcodes, and bags, and consistently late eating, as behaviors that keep insulin elevated
• She emphasizes that most people never go two or three days without eating, so storage stays full and insulin stays high
Debris hidden by high insulin[15:25]
• She says high insulin hides debris production, tucking it between cells in the brain and skin so people are unaware of accumulating damage
• She calls excess insulin a driver of cancer, high blood pressure, and brain debris linked to depression, brain fog, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's

Practical signs of insulin resistance

Abdominal girth and hunger patterns[16:39]
• She names abdominal girth beyond "pinch an inch" as a first sign of fat storage from high insulin
• She also cites feeling that one must eat every 2-3 hours as a symptom of debris and unstable fuel supply
Skin tags and velvety skin[20:31]
• She explains skin tags as small cauliflower-like growths with a neck, often in armpits or groin, grown under the influence of high insulin
• She says they bleed when patients try to cut them off and claims they fall off when insulin is lowered
• She describes acanthosis nigricans as darker, thicker "velvety" skin on the back of the neck or elbow creases, common in teens with weight gain and high insulin
Hair loss on toes and lower legs[20:58]
• She states toes are supposed to have hair, and long-standing high insulin leads to loss of hair on toes, then ankles, then up to the knees
Anecdote about gray hair reversal[21:45]
• She reports having seen patients on a ketogenic diet reverse gray hair, which surprised her
• Her interpretation is simply that healthier cells are making the hair
Aging as two decades of brain trash[22:31]
• She tells the host he is two decades behind on taking out the trash in his brain, associating that with aging

Ketones, glycogen depletion, and benefits of ketone fuel

Measuring carbs and starting keto medically

Initial carb tracking[23:00]
• She has new patients recall a meal and estimate its carb content, teaching that apples can be around 15-20 grams of carbs
• For the first six weeks she asks them to bring carb intake down to less than 20 total grams per day
Distinguishing medical-grade keto from casual keto[23:23]
• She distinguishes people who "play" with keto from those trying to reverse medical problems, and says the latter cannot be "lazy keto"
• She insists on using data together with patients to reverse problems

Glycogen stores and timing for ketosis

Glycogen as packaged sugar[24:26]
• She describes glycogen as a fancy string of stored glucose that can be easily unlocked when needed
• She says high insulin continuously fills glycogen stores and then turns extra into fat
Need to empty glycogen before burning fat[24:18]
• She says you cannot make a ketone or burn fat until the glycogen tank is empty
• She has overweight patients on 20 grams of total carbs per day who take 15 days before they make a ketone

Advantages of ketones over glucose as fuel

Cleaner fuel and less trash[24:48]
• She asserts that burning ketones produces less trash than burning glucose, particularly with aging
• She equates burning ketones to being in an antioxidant state at the cellular level
Blood-brain barrier and brain fuel[25:19]
• She says ketones cross the blood-brain barrier and can fuel an insulin-resistant brain, bypassing the struggle to get glucose into brain cells
• She frames ketones as a "hack" for brain performance, improving focus, discipline, and reducing impulsivity when the brain is fueled by ketones

Subjective and clinical experiences with ketosis

Her personal brain and clinical experiences

Her own experience as a doctor on keto[26:12]
• She has been on a ketogenic diet since 2015, with messy beginnings but long-term consistency
• She says on non-ketogenic days, seeing 25 patients leaves the last five with a "sluggish brain" regardless of coffee, whereas ketosis sustains concentration and mood
Host's and other podcasters' observations[27:16]
• Host notes that his and others' ability to speak, think, and converse for hours is "night and day" better when fasted or ketogenic compared to higher-carb diets

Group teaching of intense keto and testimonials

Three-week extreme ketogenic class[27:48]
• Dr. Bosworth describes teaching 200 people at once to do an intense, three-week medical-grade ketogenic diet
• Participants checked numbers daily and compared them with classmates, creating peer accountability
Reported benefits by week three[28:08]
• She says by the end of three weeks, participants reported unbelievable improvements and some metaphorically "naming babies" after her
• She summarizes their reactions as thinking they were "too old" for that level of energy before experiencing it

Her early struggle to get into ketosis

Post-pregnancy insulin resistance[29:06]
• She notes any person who has had a baby must be insulin resistant to hold that baby for nine months
• After three pregnancies, she remained about 60 pounds heavier than she is now, indicating insulin resistance at over 40 years old
Months of failed attempts to make ketones[29:38]
• She tried for about nine months to pee a ketone, progressively cutting carbs from 50 to 30 to near zero but not maintaining ketosis long enough
• She doubted the science because she, as a doctor, could not get into ketosis despite normal sugars and hemoglobin A1c
22-mile hike as turning point[29:53]
• She fasted, then walked 22 miles with her kids on Memorial Day and used that as a test: if she couldn't pee a ketone afterwards, she would dismiss the diet
• That effort finally produced a ketone, confirming how high her insulin and stored glycogen had been for at least a decade

Re-entering ketosis now and sustainability

Time to flip back into ketosis now[30:57]
• Currently she estimates she can return to ketosis within about 12 hours after a high-carb episode
Living long-term in ketosis[31:07]
• She reports knowing thousands of patients who have been in ketosis for years
• When they leave keto, she says joint pain, visual fog, irritability, and depressive tendencies quickly return, often within a week or two
• She likens the brain in ketosis to being wrung out of inflammation, becoming crisp and functioning well, and then swelling again when sugar and insulin return

Keto, exercise performance, and neurodegeneration

Muscle soreness, recovery, and aging

Inflammation and repair after lifting[32:23]
• She asks the host to rate soreness after hard lifting and explains that in older adults, inflammation overshoots and delays repair
• She suggests a ketogenic state lowers inflammation and speeds repair after inevitable small tears from heavy lifting

Military performance study on keto

Initial adaptation period[33:23]
• She describes a study of soldiers put on a ketogenic diet while meeting physical standards
• At one month, they had lost weight but power and time metrics were not significantly improved
Longer-term power gains[33:40]
• By around six months, she says they had lost more weight and showed about 20% more power than counterparts
• At about 18 months, she reports their power was almost 50% more than counterparts
Explanation: muscle fuel choice[34:27]
• She explains muscles initially use glucose but can be trained to use fat, which she calls a longer, better fuel with less inflammation
• She warns that starting keto three to four weeks before a marathon is a bad idea because the adaptation period makes performance feel worse

Keto and Alzheimer's, dementia, and "type 3 diabetes"

Early vs late intervention for brain[35:40]
• She says when patients report getting lost while driving, they are about 15 years too late, with a decade and a half of brain trash built up
• She notes her strong clinical experience that patients on keto become much better, though long-term reversal research is lacking
Down syndrome Alzheimer's case study[36:30]
• A 40‑year‑old woman with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's had lost 100 pounds but saw no brain improvement on standard weight loss
• The mother and daughter both started a strict, blood-monitored ketogenic diet, and both quickly produced high ketone levels around 3.0
• Within weeks, the mother reported her daughter resuming small tasks and later using a three-syllable word for the first time in her life by saying "I understand"
• The mother said her daughter had never previously made a three-syllable word, only two-syllable words, marking a striking cognitive improvement
• On keto, the patient also lost 15-20 additional pounds and no longer met criteria for Alzheimer's according to the story
Host's summary of research on keto and dementia[38:31]
• Host reads that in dementia and Alzheimer's, brains struggle to use glucose efficiently and ketones provide an alternative fuel
• He lists reported benefits: boosted mitochondrial function, lower systemic inflammation, potential neuronal protection, and promotion of new neural connections
• He notes Alzheimer's has been called "type 3 diabetes" and keto may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce this risk
• He adds that small studies show temporary cognitive improvements in mild impairment or early Alzheimer's, but evidence is early, long-term adherence is hard, and diet is not suitable for everyone

Measuring blood glucose and ketones: Dr. Bob's ratio

Home finger-prick testing setup

Devices and strips[39:36]
• They demonstrate a finger-prick device that uses separate strips to measure glucose (brown) and ketones (blue) from the same blood drop
• She estimates kits with about 50 strips for both glucose and ketones cost around $60-$70

Host's measurements and interpretation

Host's glucose and ketone values[40:41]
• His glucose measures 86 mg/dL and ketones 0.9 mmol/L
Dr. Bob's ratio concept[41:21]
• She divides 86 by 0.9 and calls it roughly 95 as his "Dr. Bob's ratio"
• She says a non-triple-digit glucose is good, and ketones above 0.5 are good, concluding he is burning fat at that moment
• For cancer, autoimmune, or brain injury patients she wants a better (lower) Dr. Bob's ratio than his

Her own measurements and routine

Her values and eating schedule[43:03]
• Her glucose reads 83 mg/dL and ketones 1.7 mmol/L
• She explains she typically eats high-fat, high-protein meals in the morning and stops eating around 3 p.m.
• She says at her age she "cannot" eat at 10:30 p.m. if she wants to avoid debris accumulation

Third team member's readings as cautionary example

Low ketones despite decent glucose[45:27]
• A team member's glucose is 88 mg/dL and ketones are 0.1 mmol/L
• She calculates the Dr. Bob's ratio as very high (about 880), calling it "a lot of trash being made" with no trash going out
• She says such a ratio indicates insulin resistance if seen consistently in morning readings over several days

Cortisol, dawn glucose, and circadian timing

Why late-night food lingers metabolically

Eight-hour processing window[44:09]
• She states that after a large evening meal it takes about eight hours to process storage and convert remaining fuel to fat and return insulin to baseline
Morning cortisol and endogenous glucose[44:33]
• She explains that when the sun rises, cortisol rises even in solitary confinement where you cannot see the sun
• Cortisol signals the liver to release stored glycogen as glucose, creating an "uneaten meal" of glucose in the morning
• She says how high that glucose goes depends on how insulin resistant a person is

Keto continuum: structured path to consistent ketosis

Overview of the 12-step keto continuum

Concept of "consistently keto for life"[48:34]
• She describes the keto continuum as a 12-step process aiming for "consistently keto" where trash is constantly being taken out
• She says you never fall all the way off; the first step is not keto but reflects where most people land when they relapse

Beginner stages: carbs and first ketones

Step 1: frequent eating[48:38]
• Step 1 is eating every 2-3 hours with no carb limit, which is where many start or land after falling off
Step 2: cut carbs to 20 grams[49:10]
• Step 2 asks patients to cut carbs to 20 grams total, measured carefully
• They use urine ketone strips to detect early ketone production as fat-based hormones begin to "resurrect" their functions
Typical timeline for new keto beginners[50:10]
• For a typical person, she expects them to be peeing ketones by the end of the first week at 20 grams of carbs
• She says most will spontaneously skip a meal by around day 10 as satiety improves
Severely insulin-resistant beginners[51:10]
• She notes severely insulin-resistant people may need two weeks at 20 grams of carbs before peeing a ketone and may use additional steps

Time-restricted eating phases

Step 5: 16:8 fasting[51:47]
• Around stage 5, they use a 16:8 time-restricted eating pattern, with 16 hours of fasting and an 8‑hour eating window
• She emphasizes learning the "nothing burger" concept: eating nothing during fasting hours
Gradual narrowing to 23:1[52:09]
• She clarifies that patients do not jump directly from 16 hours fasting to 23; they slide eating windows earlier by about an hour at a time
• Eventually they reach patterns like 23:1 (23 hours fasting, 1‑hour eating window), often moving food toward sunrise and away from late night

Prolonged fasting for high insulin states

Steps 9-12: 36-72-hour fasts[53:14]
• She says people with 15-20 years of high insulin often need 36‑hour "nothing burger" fasts to deeply reset metabolism
• She pushes back against broad rules like "women over 50 should never do that," arguing they sometimes must to reduce chronic insulin

Sex differences and hormones

Female fat retention and Alone show analogy[54:25]
• She references the reality show Alone, noting men lose fat faster than women under starvation, suggesting women are designed to hold fat
High insulin and female hormone issues[55:27]
• She lists signs in women of high insulin: low vitamin D, low estrogen, hair loss on the scalp, widespread skin tags, and PCOS
• She argues women seeking to have, carry, and recover from pregnancy, and to navigate menopause, need regular ketone production
Keto and menstrual cycle regulation[58:53]
• Host notes women in his life report more synchronized menstrual cycles on low-carb diets
• She says when insulin is high, it dictates not only sugar but all hormones; lowering insulin mobilizes fat and releases stored hormones like estrogen and vitamin D
• She maintains that with lower insulin, hormones can "hear each other" again, supporting more regulated cycles
Long-term ketosis and menopause[59:34]
• She says she has been ketogenic for about 15 years and now, at 55 and post-menopause, her brain and energy do not work right without ketones
• She contrasts walking women through menopause with and without insulin resistance, saying the latter is much more difficult

Sardine challenge, satiety, and gut microbiome

Why sardines as a keto tool

Nutrient profile and practicality[55:38]
• She calls sardines high in fat, high in quality fats, high in protein, whole food, and affordable
• She acknowledges their smell is bad but says the taste is not the worst compared to other fish
Three-day sardine-only phase in her course[56:57]
• On day six of her 21‑day advanced keto course, she has participants eat only sardines for the next three days
• There is no time-restricted eating window during these days; they can eat as many sardines as they want
• Her goals are to provide a simple, nutrient-dense menu and to let people feel true satiety

High fat intake and overcoming insulin blocks

Why some fail to reach ketosis despite low carbs[58:33]
• She recounts his experience of a week without carbs but minimal ketone rise, attributing this to excess insulin locking body fat away
• She says swallowing fat allows fat to be turned into ketones even when body fat is locked by insulin
Using very high-fat foods like butter[59:23]
• For patients who refuse sardines and struggle to make ketones, she has sometimes told them to "eat butter for a day" because it is 100% fat
• She says people often learn what satiety feels like when they do this

Fiber skepticism and microbiome viewpoint

Fiber and slime layer[1:04:14]
• She defines the gut microbiome as a squishy slime layer lining the gut where critters live
• She claims plants and fiber can tear down that slime layer, making it more aqueous or "moth eaten"
• She says fiber can feed bugs that produce butyrate but argues that is just one way to build a microbiome
Carnivore-style diets and gut symptoms[1:05:02]
• She notes humans have not always been fiber eaters
• She says many of her carnivore patients, especially those including small fish, see reversal of irritable bowel, chronic diarrhea, and bloody ulcers
Butyrate as key molecule[1:06:55]
• She defines butyrate as a two-carbon fat produced when certain gut bugs consume fiber, and equates beta-hydroxybutyrate (the ketone) in blood to that family
• She connects butyrate to stimulation of GLP-1 and other gut hormones important for brain and metabolic health

Supplements: vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, exogenous ketones, methylene blue, and creatine

Vitamin D as a hormone linked to insulin and fat

Vitamin D's broad cellular role[1:08:34]
• She calls vitamin D a hormone, not just a vitamin, that goes to cell nuclei and tells each cell type to be its best version
• She says this explains why vitamin D seems to do "everything" in studies
Fat-soluble and trapped by insulin[1:09:18]
• Vitamin D is made of fat, and with high insulin it gets stuck in fat cells instead of reaching target tissues
Jane's vitamin D change on sardines[1:17:55]
• She recounts that Jane, who had vitamin D levels in the 30-40 range while supplementing, stopped supplements and ate only sardines for 100 days
• By the end, Jane's vitamin D rose to about 105-108, which Dr. Bosworth attributes to lower insulin allowing fat-soluble hormones to circulate

Magnesium deficiency and floats

Importance of magnesium[1:18:26]
• She claims the whole world is low in magnesium, which acts like a spark plug for ATP recycling and many enzymes
Topical magnesium via floats[1:18:26]
• She describes magnesium float tanks with high salinity, likening them to the Dead Sea, and says people feel much better after soaking
• She says magnesium can be absorbed through the skin and float sessions are like renting time in a tanning bed, but for magnesium

Exogenous ketones as a tool

Definition and forms[1:18:42]
• She uses the term "exogenous" to mean ketones consumed from outside the body via drinks or salts
Jumpstarting ketone production[1:17:46]
• She says when people fall off keto or are very insulin resistant, giving them exogenous ketones puts ketones into circulation
• According to her, circulating ketones signal the liver to make more ketones, so "ketones beget ketones"
• She often has patients take exogenous ketones for about three days after falling off, then go back to relying on their own production
• For cancer patients facing imminent chemotherapy, she uses exogenous ketones to rapidly raise antioxidant levels when they cannot fast 48 hours

Methylene blue for brain mitochondria

History and mechanism[1:20:42]
• She describes methylene blue as an old dye used for malaria treatment and compliance monitoring by turning urine blue
• Autopsies of treated patients showed blue brains and hearts, indicating tissue penetration
• She says methylene blue acts as a bridge to help mitochondria move fuel along and supercharge brain energy
Her personal trial and use[1:20:59]
• After reading the literature, she tried methylene blue for a couple of weeks and found the effect "amazing" and "floored" her
• She now puts methylene blue into her morning coffee and notes that although it's invisible in the coffee, it makes urine blue

Creatine for brain and performance

Creatine benefits and dosage[1:25:38]
• She calls creatine a "brain supplement" and says she takes it daily, two scoops every morning
• She cites studies showing creatine helps with brain function, ADHD focus, jet lag, and sleep reset, including in sleep-deprived Navy SEALs
Kidney lab test confusion[1:26:36]
• The host says his doctor suggested he might be taking too much creatine based on a kidney scan or labs
• She explains kidney function is often evaluated via blood and urine creatinine, which is elevated by creatine supplementation, leading to false concerns
• She says she frequently reassures patients that elevated creatinine from supplements does not necessarily indicate kidney damage and that other tests can be used

GLP-1 agonists, natural appetite control, and cravings

GLP-1 agonist drugs vs natural approaches

Power of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss[1:28:23]
• She acknowledges GLP-1 agonists are powerful hormones that can hijack people into a weight-loss state
Chemotherapy analogy[1:28:56]
• She compares using GLP-1 drugs for vanity weight loss to using chemotherapy to remove leg hair, rather than simply shaving

Raising GLP-1 naturally

Weight loss and hormone levels[1:28:35]
• She says being overweight strongly suppresses GLP-1, so losing weight naturally raises it
Allulose, butyrate, and ketones[1:29:52]
• She mentions allulose and butyrate as substances that can increase GLP-1
• She reiterates that a ketogenic state raises GLP-1 and suppresses appetite
Host's experience of reduced cravings on keto[1:30:09]
• He reports that on a ketogenic diet, his cravings for foods like carrot cake and cinnamon rolls vanish
• She notes GLP-1 shots produce similar appetite suppression, but emphasizes making GLP-1 naturally avoids addiction concerns

Using GLP-1 drugs sparingly with patients

Crisis, ownership, and small doses[1:32:16]
• She says patients usually arrive after a crisis, and she can get them motivated short term
• She sometimes uses the smallest doses of GLP-1 drugs to lift patients when they are struggling, but wants them in a ketogenic state first so she can use less
• She stresses that patients must own the process, rather than having her do all the work with prescriptions

Motivation, "why", and behavior change

Finding deep motivation beyond crisis

From crisis to long-term adherence[1:31:39]
• She distinguishes the initial motivation from a crisis (a diagnosis, death, injury) from the deeper motivation needed to stay the course
Identifying core insecurity as fuel[1:33:12]
• She urges patients to identify their deepest insecurity and reframe it as a source of power that keeps them going when others quit
• She shares that being a "third-grade stinky girl" farm kid, not the smartest or best, still fuels her drive to work hard

Jane's repeated courses and emotional work

Jane's 21-day repeats and journaling[1:33:37]
• She describes Jane as a coach in her 21-day course who did a strong ketogenic diet twice a year for years
• In an exercise to describe the best and worst days of life, Jane eventually wrote that she did not think she had ever had the best day of her life
• After 100 days of sardines and confronting her reasons for overeating, Jane finally stated she was looking for the best day of her life and felt free to pursue it

Her mother's cancer, ketogenic therapy, and COVID

Diagnosis and decision against more chemotherapy

Mother's return of cancer[1:15:30]
• In 2015, her mother returned to her clinic gray, zombie-like, with large neck lymph nodes after a decade of care
• Oncologist recommended chemotherapy again, but her mother feared cognitive side effects she had experienced during previous rounds
Choosing keto instead of chemo[1:16:51]
• Her mother asked, "If it was you, what would you do?"-a question Dr. Bosworth finds emotionally heavy
• After reading about keto for brain injuries and some cancer cases, she asked her mother if she trusted her and proposed skipping chemo
• They walked out of the hospital, drove to the family farm, threw out all carbohydrates, and started a strict ketogenic diet

Six-week lab results without chemotherapy

Cancer marker changes[1:18:00]
• At six weeks, chemotherapy would have been expected to lower her cancer marker numbers by 30%
• Without chemo, but on keto, her mother's numbers dropped by 70%, which the oncologist said no drug could do
Visual transformation[1:18:42]
• She describes her mother walking into the hospital as if the Holy Spirit were rising out of her, looking dramatically healthier than six weeks before

Life after keto and eventual death from COVID

Return to active life[1:19:28]
• She says her mother, from a small town of 800, resumed all her community roles and "lived her best life" after recovery
COVID infection and T-cell failure[1:20:09]
• During the pandemic, her mother volunteered at a thrift store, contracted COVID, and died
• Her mother's cancer was of the T-cells, which are a first line of defense against infections like COVID, and those T-cells failed

Host's summary of keto and cancer research

Warburg effect and theoretical benefits[1:20:20]
• Host reads that many cancer cells rely heavily on glucose (Warburg effect), while healthy cells can use ketones, so keto may starve tumors while supporting normal tissue
• He cites animal studies where keto slowed tumor growth, especially in brain cancers, and enhanced response to radiation or chemotherapy in some models
• He notes potential reductions in insulin and IGF-1, possible maintenance of muscle and energy, and improved quality of life alongside standard treatments
Risks and nuanced conclusion[1:19:55]
• He also lists potential risks: malnutrition, fatigue, and worsened treatment tolerance
• He summarizes that keto may help by lowering glucose and insulin, reducing inflammation, and supporting metabolism, but can be risky depending on the situation

Dr. Bosworth's framing for cancer patients

Trash removal as main goal[1:21:50]
• She says many callers ask if keto will help their cancer, and she focuses on the amount of trash they've not been taking out
• She asserts keto greatly helped her mother's cancer, but emphasizes it took about a year and a half to reach her best health, not just three weeks
• She tells current patients keto likely will not reverse cancer alone, but will help them handle treatment much better, preserving muscle and stabilizing mood

Her legal and political ordeal in South Dakota

Leaving corporate medicine and Medicaid fraud investigation

Work with homeless and low-income patients[1:36:05]
• After leaving corporate medicine and during a two-year non-compete, she was allowed to see homeless and Medicaid patients
• She cared for Native American teens in shelters with extreme malnutrition, including eating kitty litter and toilet paper, and extremely low iron
• She treated them with IV iron, which she says was relatively inexpensive but unusual in that setting
Accusation of Medicaid fraud[1:37:55]
• The state viewed her use of IV iron as "Cadillac medicine" and she received a sticky note from the capitol telling her to stop
• She says the government accused her of Medicaid fraud for wasting funds, but she contends she did not bill for the iron and personally paid for it
• She states the government lost that case, but she was then on their radar
Financial collapse during investigation[1:38:57]
• While under Medicaid fraud investigation, all income stopped, preventing her from paying payroll and mortgages for about nine and a half months or longer
• She and her husband sold a lake cabin, boats, an extra car, and their house, and moved with three children into a donated RV in South Dakota winter
• They even pawned their wedding rings to make the last paycheck, yet chose to keep fighting the case

Senate campaign and petition controversy

Running for U.S. Senate[1:39:47]
• She was asked to run for U.S. Senate during the Obamacare era, presenting herself as a doctor serving the poor and running her own company
• She raised about $780,000 with an average donation of $45, compared to an opponent with around 70 donors giving roughly $10,000 each
Petition signatures and charges[1:40:41]
• To qualify for the ballot she needed 2,000 signatures and submitted 6,000, some collected while she was on a mission trip in the Philippines
• Petitions included a witness line stating "I bear witness"; she signed after returning, vouching for people she knew though she had not literally witnessed their signatures
• She says she became the first person in U.S. history to be investigated, tried, and found guilty for not personally witnessing petition signatures

Felony conviction and sentencing

Number of felonies and potential sentence[1:42:39]
• She was charged with 12 felonies-six petition mistakes counted as two felonies each-and faced 24 years in prison
• She describes being declared guilty of 12 felonies and told "24 years in prison" while her children sat behind her in court
Probation and community service[1:43:21]
• The judge then probated (suspended) the sentence and instead ordered 500 hours of community service, the highest number in state history, serving the poorest patients
• She thought, "you don't know who I am," because that was already the kind of work she had been doing

Appeal, Supreme Court ruling, and aftermath

Supreme Court findings[1:44:26]
• She appealed to the state Supreme Court, which found the attorney general had abused his power for at least six of the charges
• The judge subsequently erased all 12 felonies based on her work
Impact on family and public image[1:45:26]
• She was the top news story in the state for about three years, and her parents were ashamed while her children defended her character
• Her children told teachers that this was the woman who took them on mission trips, likening her to "Mother Teresa" despite the headlines

Interpreting the ordeal through faith and purpose

Framing as a test[1:45:45]
• She views the ordeal as a test from God of whether she could stay true to her calling
• She notes most marriages would not survive that pressure, but she and her husband did, and she chose to frame the experience differently
Focus on relationships and purpose[1:47:28]
• She emphasizes caring for close relationships and maintaining a one-track focus on the work she feels designed to do
• She encourages listeners to nurture core relationships and seek the purpose they were designed for, taking those relationships along

Spiritual practice and closing reflections

Daily devotion for inner peace

Her daily spiritual routine[1:48:20]
• In response to a question about finding inner peace when emotionally triggered, she says she does a daily devotion every morning
• She describes it as a scripture reading paired with a prayer, following a format used in her church's devotional material
Practicing on good days to prepare for bad days[1:48:42]
• She stresses the importance of practicing devotion on good days so the foundation is there when hard days come
• She notes that generations before have modeled how to get through difficult times using scripture, and she chooses to follow those rules

Host's appreciation and summary of her work

Acknowledgement of her content and books[1:50:01]
• The host praises her engaging personality and her extensive educational content on topics such as ketogenic diet, creatine, cancer, autophagy, and fasting
• He references her books "The Keto Continuum" and "Any Way You Can: A Beginner's Guide to Ketones for Life", as well as a practical Keto Continuum workbook she uses with patients
Closing encouragement[1:50:51]
• He notes she has had a very rough ride with legal issues but has risen "like a phoenix" and helped many people, encouraging her to keep going

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Chronically elevated insulin quietly drives many forms of physical and cognitive decline, so deliberately lowering insulin through diet timing and composition is a strategic way to slow aging and disease.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What eating patterns in my life-especially late-night meals or frequent snacks-are most likely keeping my insulin elevated for long stretches?
  • • How could I experiment with moving more of my calories earlier in the day over the next two weeks and observe how my sleep, focus, and energy respond?
  • • What is one concrete change I can make this week (for example, cutting processed carbs after 6 p.m.) to begin reducing my overall insulin exposure?
2

You cannot manage what you don't measure; using simple data like blood glucose, blood ketones, and clear thresholds (such as a ratio) turns metabolic health from guesswork into an actionable feedback loop.

Reflection Questions:

  • • How am I currently gauging my metabolic health, and where am I relying more on feelings or assumptions than on measurable data?
  • • In what ways might regularly tracking one or two simple metrics (like fasting glucose or ketones) change my day-to-day decisions about food and lifestyle?
  • • What is a low-friction way I could start collecting one relevant health metric this month and reviewing it at a fixed time each week?
3

Metabolic flexibility and consistent ketone production are built gradually through structured steps-like the keto continuum-not through extreme, short-lived efforts.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in my life do I tend to jump from zero to extreme changes instead of progressing through manageable stages?
  • • How could I design a 4-8 week "continuum" for one health habit-such as fasting duration or carb intake-so that each step is challenging but sustainable?
  • • What small progression (for example, extending my overnight fast by one hour) could I commit to over the next two weeks to build metabolic flexibility?
4

Quick fixes and powerful drugs can sometimes help, but long-term resilience comes from understanding your underlying biology and using natural levers-food, fasting, sleep, and movement-to create a better internal environment.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where am I currently relying on a quick fix (medication, stimulant, or shortcut) instead of addressing the underlying habits causing the problem?
  • • How might my energy, mood, or weight change if I treated food timing and composition as first-line tools rather than afterthoughts?
  • • What is one area of my health where I could first try a structured lifestyle intervention before escalating to more aggressive medical options?
5

Deep, durable behavior change depends on connecting your actions to a personal "why"-often rooted in your deepest insecurities or aspirations-rather than to fear or short-term crises.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What recurring health or performance goal have I struggled to maintain once the initial fear or urgency faded, and what might that say about my underlying motivation?
  • • How could I reframe a painful insecurity or past label into a source of fuel that keeps me engaged when progress feels slow or uncomfortable?
  • • What practical reminder (journal entry, note, or ritual) could I create to reconnect with my deeper "why" before I make daily choices about food and lifestyle?
6

Building metabolic health before crisis hits-like serious infection or cancer-gives your body and brain a far better chance of withstanding and recovering from inevitable shocks.

Reflection Questions:

  • • If I were to face a major illness in the next few years, what aspects of my current health would I most regret not having strengthened sooner?
  • • How might treating my current health efforts as preparation for future stressors change my sense of urgency around diet, sleep, and exercise?
  • • What is one preemptive investment I can make this month (for example, improving my metabolic markers or fitness baseline) to increase my resilience to future health challenges?
7

Purpose, close relationships, and consistent spiritual or reflective practices can turn even extreme external adversity into a test you can endure rather than a story that defines or breaks you.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When I look back at my hardest periods, what practices or relationships actually helped me stay grounded, and which coping mechanisms made things worse?
  • • How could I strengthen a daily or weekly practice (such as reflection, journaling, or prayer) now, so it is already in place when the next major challenge arrives?
  • • Which key relationships in my life would I want around me in a crisis, and what can I do this week to invest in and deepen those connections?

Episode Summary - Notes by Reagan

Insulin Doctor: This Is The First Sign Of Dementia! The Shocking Link Between Keto & Brain Decline!
0:00 0:00