Behind the Scenes with Summer Helene

Questions redacted from Behind the Scenes with Summer Helene with featured guest, Dr. Kenneth Russ.

Listener from Tuscon, AZ

"Does following a ketogenic diet actually work to burn fat?"

Diets are difficult to study reliably but there was one good study of a ketogenic diet done at an isolated nuclear facility in Israel where people existed and ate a totally carb-free diet for months. They experienced significant weight loss. Once the study ended however, most participants regained that weight quickly. so ketogenic diets do work in certain instances, we see many people losing weight on the Atkins Diet but you must understand that these are deprivation diets that sooner or later are bound to fail.

The Palm Springs Diet and other paleo diets do not eliminate all carbs (only the starches) and work by eliminating the insulin spike that comes from fat storage.

Listener from Newport, OR

"If I lose weight on a diet, will I always have to diet to maintain my weight loss? And how do I get more energy? My diet has made me very tired."

You need to be healthy through exercise, adequate rest, and proper eating. These are the three good things you can do for your health. In this way your weight will find it's natural level and you will have energy to burn. See The Palm Springs Diet for a guide to healthy eating.

Listener from Las Vegas, NV

"I was injured on the job forcing me to retire and now I am overweight. How can I naturally increase my libido before my girlfriend leaves me?"

I hope your girlfriend can be patient with you because your journey towards better health may take some time. If you lose weight by eating healthy, exercise, and getting enough rest your weight will come down and your testosterone will increase as will your libido.

I would say to all three of the listeners that medical assisted therapy can sometimes help accelerate weight loss. Medication that reduces the appetite or increases the metabolic rate can be prescribed under doctor supervision.