When we first started learning about keto, we looked to the āexpertsā for information and advice. At that time, we were just looking to change things up. And, we decided it was way too much for us. Weāll just eat healthier and exercise more. Yeah, right. Like that worked for the 20+ years we struggled with our weight. Then, Bill got sick, and we got the news that we had to do this or he would be on medication that would mean a kidney transplant in 10-15 years. So, we went back to researching with the keto experts. These were the main people we turned to in books, on YouTube, and in documentaries.
The Keto Experts Who Are Doctors
By doctors, I mean medical doctors. Not that people who have a doctorate arenāt important or intelligent, but these are medical doctors who practice. So, first on our list is Dr. Jason Fung. He studied to be a kidney specialist and is an advocate for intermittent fasting and low carb to treat conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes. He is a Canadian and a member of the Diet Doctors website. His goal is to make a low carb diet and IF easy to understand so people start it and then continue it in the long term.
Dr. Eric Westman is an associate professor of medicine at Duke University. Yep, heās the real deal. He has been an advocate for keto for over 20 years. No matter what you read or what documentaries you watch, Dr. Westman will be in there.
Dr. Ken Berry is a practicing medical doctor in the States. He prides himself on āplain talkā which means people either love him or hate him. Iāve watched a lot of videos on his YouTube channel and he was really helpful with starting keto. Heās also helpful if I have questions. Iāve moved away a bit from his videos, because now that I know a bit more, I find his āin-your-faceā approach a bit distracting for me. But, heās certainly one of the foundation blocks to the world of keto!
The āOtherā Doctors
Like I said, I have all the respect in the world for those who have a masters or PhD in anything! These doctors are no less important than the medical ones I listed above. Dr. Eric Berg is a chiropractor. He is famous for his YouTube videos and his information was essential in helping me navigate my way through starting keto. He advocates for keto and IF for the long term – not as a quick way to lose weight.
Dr. Ryan Lowery is the author of one of the first keto books I read – The Ketogenic Bible. He is also CEO of the website ketogenic.com. His education is a Masters in Science in exercise and nutrition science. Dr. Lowery became popular with his āsmall town guyā approach and says in his biography that he is ājust like you.ā Well, maybe not just like me. I think he probably has more in his bank account than I doā¦
Dr. Josh Axe is also a chiropractor. He is a certified doctor in natural medicine, and in case that wasnāt enough, he is a clinical nutritionist as well! I’ve read several of his books such as a thirty day keto diet plan and a keto cookbook. He has a wealth of information on how keto affects athletics, as many of his clients are professional athletes.
Not Doctors But Still Keto Experts
Thomas DeLauer is not my personal favourite, but he is very popular on YouTube. He is a nutrition and business coach and certainly does know his stuff. His focus is on IF and low carb diets. I find it a bit too exercise-focused for me because, well, Iām 50 and far from athletic.
Gary Taubes is probably my favourite expert on keto. Why? Because he focuses on the evils of sugar. He is certainly no slouch with his credentials as a science and health journalist. Gary graduated from Harvard and Stanford where he studied applied physics and aerospace engineering. He then went and got himself a masters degree in journalism at Columbia University. So, heās a pretty smart guy. But his videos are easy to follow and show the correlation between our demonizing of fat, our increased appetite for carbs (particularly sugar) and our obesity epidemic. Heās easy to follow and presents the facts, but then lets you decide for yourself.
My Top Two Keto Experts
Dr. Tim Noakes has to be one of my favourites because he literally put his career on the line for his beliefs. Dr. Noakes has a PhD in science and specialized in sports science. He is an advocate for the low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet who battled for 4 years in a hearing with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa. From 2014 to 2017, he defended himself in these hearings and stood by his research findings. In 2017, they cleared him of misconduct and then the Council appealed the ruling. The Council lost their appeal in 2018, and he was finally vindicated. I learned about it in a documentary, and then watched YouTube to learn more.
My top keto expert is Jackie Eberstein. I heard her on a podcast, and I was immediately drawn to her. She is an RN and was an assistant to Dr. Atkins from 1974. What makes her an expert? She has 50 years of experience and has been doing a low carb, high fat diet since shortly after she met Dr. Atkins. It has helped her health issues, and shows that people can do it long-term. Her no-nonsense approach based in what she saw with Dr. Atkins and her own direct experience. Her presentations are captivating!
A Final Thought
Of course, I could egotistically shove Bill and I into this top 10 list, but we pale in comparison. We have 3 years of experience and we know what works for us. One of the reasons we started this blog was because it took a while for us to find these experts and get all the information we needed to succeed with keto. We want to help others by making the information as accessible as possible. I hope what we share helps you too!
Wendy
