Defeating Anorexia and Schizophrenia with the CARNIVORE Diet | Valerie Smith - E399
Release Date: 06/09/2025
A Weight-Loss Story | Amy Faith Folger - E409
Low Carb MD Podcast
This is a story of faith, community, healing, and self-advocacy. Twenty years ago Amy Faith Folger discovered the keto diet. After reading Jason Fung’s book on intermittent fasting she lost 85 pounds in 3 MONTHS! Thanks to her community, her faith, and her relentless pursuit of weight-loss strategies that work, she has been able, so far, to drop 160 pounds. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, Amy, and Adele talk about… (00:00) Intro (08:47) Losing weight on carnivore with lipodemiao (15:08) What NOT to do if you are a doctor trying to help a patient with lipodemiao and obesity...
info_outline
Solving Addiction with Nutrition | Julia Ross - E408
Low Carb MD Podcast
Julia Ross is a pioneering psychotherapist and bestselling author who has spent over 30 years revolutionizing the treatment of mood disorders, food addiction, and binge eating. A leader in nutritional psychiatry, she’s helped thousands break free from cravings and compulsive eating by addressing the brain’s biochemical imbalances with targeted amino acids and real food. Her groundbreaking work has empowered people worldwide to restore their natural appetite control, emotional balance, and lasting freedom from unhealthy eating habits—without relying solely on willpower or medication. In...
info_outline
Un-Complicating Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease | Josh Wageman - E407
Low Carb MD Podcast
Josh Wageman is a board-certified Clinical Lipid Specialist dedicated to transforming the way we understand and treat heart disease. With a deep expertise in cholesterol, metabolic health, and cardiovascular risk, he helps patients cut through the noise and take control of their health using evidence-based, personalized strategies. Known for translating complex science into actionable steps, Josh is passionate about prevention and proving that heart disease doesn’t have to be inevitable. In this episode, Dr. Brian and Josh talk about… (00:00) Intro (00:32) Josh’s interesting and...
info_outline
The TOWARD Intervention: Beating Food Addiction | Dr. Shebani Sethi - E406
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Shebani Sethi is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and founder of the first academic Metabolic Psychiatry program. Board-certified in both Psychiatry and Obesity Medicine, she bridges the gap between mental health and metabolic health—an approach she calls Metabolic Psychiatry. Dr. Sethi trained at Stanford, Duke, and Johns Hopkins, with expertise in eating disorders, nutrition, and obesity. Her groundbreaking research explores ketogenic and metabolic interventions for serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A recipient of multiple national awards,...
info_outline
Feeding the Brain: Nutrition and Mental Health | Dr. Georgia Ede - E405
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Georgia Ede is an internationally recognized expert in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years as a college mental health specialist at Smith College and Harvard University, where she was the first psychiatrist to offer students nutrition-based approaches to mental health conditions. Dr. Ede co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for serious mental illness, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health, and is a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s...
info_outline
Shaping the Future of Metabolic Health: The 2025 San Diego Symposium | Doug Reynolds - E404
Low Carb MD Podcast
Doug Reynolds is the founder of LowCarbUSA®, a leading organization dedicated to promoting low-carb, ketogenic, and metabolic health through science-based education. A former endurance athlete and self-proclaimed “carb skeptic,” Doug turned his personal health journey into a mission to help others reclaim their lives through nutrition. One of his most impactful contributions to the fight for metabolic health is The LowCarbUSA® conference. Officially known as the Symposium for Metabolic Health, it is a premier scientific and clinical event hosted by LowCarbUSA® in collaboration with the...
info_outline
Critical Thinking in a Post-Truth World | Dr. Zoë Harcombe - E403
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Zoë Harcombe is an intellectual powerhouse—a Cambridge graduate with degrees in economics and mathematics, a long-standing member of Mensa, and a fearless truth-seeker. In this episode, she brings her sharp insight and deep curiosity to a wide-ranging conversation that spans nutrition, public health, and the increasingly complex issue of free speech. Before dedicating herself to the world of diet and health in 2008, Zoë built a high-flying career in the corporate world. She held international roles in management consulting, manufacturing, and marketing across major global...
info_outline
Homelessness, CrossFit, and the Search for Truth | Sevan Matossian - E402
Low Carb MD Podcast
Sevan Matossian is the son of Armenian immigrants. After spending two years homeless, he filmed movies in one hundred countries, seven continents, and forty-nine American states. As the Executive Director of CrossFit Media, he was a vital part of growing CrossFit from a movement with three-hundred gyms to an organization with fifteen-thousand gyms and an international footprint. During that time, he became educated on health in the United States and now believes that added sugar and refined carbohydrates are at the center of today’s health crisis. In this episode, Dr. Tro and Sevan talk...
info_outline
Hypothyroidism, Rheumatism, and the Carnivore Diet | Beatriz E Valenzuela - E401
Low Carb MD Podcast
Beatriz E Valenzuela has struggled with rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism since she was twenty-three years old. She has had both knees replaced and, after the birth of her first son, she struggled from joint inflammation and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. Today, thanks to her discovery of the keto and carnivore diets, she is thriving and helping others to reclaim their health the same way she did. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro and Beatriz talk about… (00:00) Intro (07:24) How life stress and trauma can lead to the onset of autoimmune disease (10:49) How Beatriz...
info_outline
Ketogenic Diets and Psychiatric Disorders | Dr. Erin Bellamy - E400
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr Erin Louise Bellamy founded Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies which uses principles of Metabolic Psychiatry to provide remote, highly personalized 1:1 Metabolic Therapy for both psychiatric conditions and overall metabolic health. Dr. Erin Bellamy has a PhD in Psychology, specializing in Ketogenic Diets & Depression from the University of East London. She also has an MSc in Psychiatric Research from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London. She is a , an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and an accredited member of the Society of...
info_outlineValerie Anne Smith’s journey is a testament to resilience, transformation, and the power of dietary change in overcoming severe health challenges. Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at 14, Valerie endured a harrowing 40-year battle with multiple mental health diagnoses, including schizoaffective disorder, clinical depression, anxiety, OCD, and body dysmorphia, compounded by extreme physical health issues. Despite numerous interventions, including inpatient treatment, psychiatric medications, and dietetic guidance that focused on high-carb, low-fat diets, her mental and physical health continued to deteriorate, reaching a critical point with a BMI of 11 and a weight under 80 lbs for most of her adult life.
In 2018, at the brink of despair and after decades of suffering, Valerie’s relentless pursuit of knowledge led her to explore the healing potential of a carnivore diet, focusing on nutrient-dense foods like beef, salt, and water. This radical dietary shift, initially met with personal resistance due to years of conditioned fear and restrictive eating habits, gradually quieted the debilitating mental turmoil and reversed her numerous physical ailments. Six years into her carnivore journey, Valerie has not only achieved complete remission from her mental and physical disorders but has also embraced a fulfilling life as a wife, mother, and health advocate.
In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro and Valerie talk about…
- (00:00) Intro
- (03:14) Valerie’s history of struggling with mental illness, anorexia, and metabolic dysfunction
- (08:26) The horrible nutrition standards in eating disorder clinics and the nutrition lies plaguing our society in general
- (10:19) Valerie’s upbringing and medical history
- (11:52) Valerie’s frustrating experience with doctors trying to treat her many issues with meds
- (16:01) Body dysmorphia and the differences between fasting and starving
- (20:06) The horrible nutrition prescribed by hospitals and served to their patients
- (23:36) The incredible and heartbreaking story of how Valerie finally discovered the link between diet and mental health
- (37:36) The evolution of Valerie’s diet as she began transitioning to carnivore and how her doctors reacted
- (45:45) Valerie’s blood markers when she ate no meat and how she started to rebuild her body
- (51:03) How Valerie’s family reacted to her new diet and lifestyle
- (53:08) The many health benefits that Valerie has experienced since becoming carnivore
- (57:05) Advice for those struggling with anorexia and mental disorders
- (01:01:31) Factors other than diet that have been HUGE for Valerie
For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!
Links:
Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.lowcarbmd.com/
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
- The Anorexia Case Study that Valerie Participated In: https://journalofmetabolichealth.org/index.php/jmh/article/view/84/254#:~:text=Contribution%3A%20This%20case%20series%20is,nature%20of%20the%20disease%20itself
Valerie Smith:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerieanne1970/
- X: https://x.com/valerieanne1970
- Links: https://linktr.ee/valerieanne1970
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559029245657
Dr. Brian Lenzkes:
- Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Dr. Tro Kalayjian:
- Website: https://www.doctortro.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/
Toward Health App
Join a growing community of individuals who are improving their metabolic health; together.
Get started at your own pace with a self-guided curriculum developed by Dr. Tro and his care team, community chat, weekly meetings, courses, challenges, message boards and more.
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doctor-tro/id1588693888
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.disciplemedia.doctortro&hl=en_US&gl=US
Learn more: https://doctortro.com/community/