Best keto ever

Drop 15 pounds in 14 days

Duke M.D.: A lifetime of sugary sweets leaves women lacking in nutrients that make it hard to lose on keto.

The solution? An easy protein swap restores nutrients to speed weight loss, end cravings & reverse diabetes

Chances are, you’ve tried (or at least considered!) the most searched-for, talked-about diet of the past few years: the keto diet. And there’s an equally good chance keto hasn’t worked for you. Maybe it was too complicated, too timeconsuming or too expensive. Even the experts acknowledge how intimidating this way of eating can seem—and how frustrating it can be when you don’t see results. That’s why Eric Westman, M.D., founder of Duke University’s Keto Medicine Clinic, committed to creating a plan that would solve the problems with keto while still delivering results. “This is keto for people in the real world, with busy lives and budget constraints,” says Dr. Westman. “And it doesn’t require a total life overhaul to accommodate grocery shopping and meal prep.”

The secret to Dr. Westman’s keto plan: Replace the sugary, high-carb foods in your diet with protein, not fat. “There is

—Eric Westman,

M.D.

a lot of emphasis on eating fat when you’re following a keto diet, but protein is even more important,”

Dr. Westman asserts. That’s because protein replaces nutrients that sugar steals from the body. “To break down the food you eat and convert it into energy, your body uses vitamins and minerals,” he explains, “but sugar brings none of these to the party.”

When you eat sugar and processed carbs, your body has to draw on nutrients from its own reserves. Over time, this leaves you deficient in vitamins and minerals. Without these nutrients, the body thinks food is scarce, so it begins hoarding fat. To wit: Researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute found that micronutrient-deficient women are 81% more likely to be overweight. And considering how much sugar is in the standard American diet, Dr. Westman says most of us are likely micronutrient deficient.

A protein-focused keto plan replaces depleted vitamins and minerals to release stored fat. The cornerstones of Dr. Westman’s plan are nutrient-dense foods like red meat and seafood that counteract the damage done to the body by years of eating sugar and carbs. “These foods are loaded with B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium and other critical vitamins and minerals,” he adds. “You can get these nutrients from other foods, but red meat and seafood provide them in exceptionally high amounts and in forms the body can absorb easily.” Once the body has these nutrients, it releases that stubborn stored fat.

Replacing sugar with protein also lowers insulin levels, which further fires up fat burn. “Insulin is like a policeman that keeps body fat locked in fat cells,” explains Dr. Westman. “When you lower your insulin levels, your body can start burning its own fat for fuel—which is what it’s there for!—and you’ll see your belly, thighs and other spots where you tend to store fat start to shrink.”

Even better, Dr. Westman’s twist on keto ends hunger. “When cells are being fed by stored fat, you have less need for fuel coming from the outside,” explains Dr. Westman. Research at the U.K.’s University of Surrey backs this up: In their study, people who ate plenty of protein saw a 68% increase in two key appetitesuppressing hormones. What’s more, you’ll stop dreaming about highcarb sweets. Low-carb expert Gary Taubes, author of The Case for Keto, adds, “When you switch to burning fat for fuel rather than carbs, your tastes will literally change.”

Pounds fall off quickly. “I’ve helped patients lose more than 250 pounds,” reports Dr. Westman. One of them, 67-year-old Trish Parella, dropped 15 pounds in the first month and raves about the results. “Now I wear a size 2—and I feel 47, not 67!”

And the benefits don’t stop at weight loss: Women Dr. Westman has worked with report fewer aches, clearer skin and the reversal of chronic conditions like acid reflux and gout. In fact, 98% of the patients who come to Dr. Westman with type 2 diabetes are cured by his take on the keto diet. Ready to start? Read on.

“Your belly, thighs and other spots where fat is stored start

to shrink”