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Ketobiography
Keto, Multiple Sclerosis & Deaf Community: Reclaiming Health
đ Pam Groth grew up signing, but she never expected multiple sclerosis to take both her hearing and her mobilityâand then prednisone to add type 2 diabetes on top. In this Ketobiography episode, host Robyn Dobbins listens as Pam shares how discovering keto in a Deaf diabetes support group helped her drop her A1C from 9, reduce insulin, and calm debilitating neuropathy pain. She also reveals how journaling food, lowering dairy, and honoring a 20-gram carb limit let her manage MS, diabetes, and fatigue while coaching Deaf clients in American Sign Language. This shorter, technology-challenged conversation still delivers a hopeful, practical look at food as medicine, advocacy in the exam room, and why accessible health education in ASL can literally change lives.
#keto #multiplesclerosis #deafcommunity #type2diabetes
âł Chapters
0:00 - Tech hiccups, captions, and why this episode is shorter
0:52 - Robynâs intro: MS, prednisone, type 2 diabetes & keto
3:20 - Diagnosed with MS at 28 and years on prednisone
5:49 - Learning nutrition and discovering how carbs trigger pain
6:41 - Deaf diabetes support group, discovering keto & losing 41 lbs
8:09 - A1C of 9, starting insulin, and reducing doses with keto
10:00 - Adapting keto for MS, cutting dairy & staying on plan
11:28 - Coaching a 428âlb client to 228 lbs and teaching realâfood keto
15:37 - What MS is, how she became deaf, and ketoâs impact on neuropathy
23:07 - Deaf advocacy, doctor visits, and why food is the foundation
đĄ What youâll Learn in this Episode
- How long-term prednisone for MS contributed to Pamâs type 2 diabetes and severe neuropathy.
- Why switching to keto, lowering dairy, and tracking macros helped her reduce insulin and steady blood sugars.
- How carbs specifically flare her MS and diabetes-related nerve pain, sleep, and fatigue.
- What itâs like to navigate medical visits as a Deaf patient, and why interpreters and patient portals matter.
- How Pam coaches Deaf clients in ASL to lower A1C, rethink buffet culture, and understand protein, carbs, and real-food keto.
đ Key Insight
âIâm a strong believer that your gut controls your immune system, and everything you put in your mouth goes into your gutâif itâs not healthy, youâre not going to be healthy.â -Pam Groth
đ Connect with Pam
đ§ New episodes drop every Thursday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
đ± Know someone with a keto success story? Nominate them to be featured:Â ketobiography@gmail.com
đ Subscribe, follow, and leave a review â it helps more people find the show.
đ„ Connect with Robyn:
 https://www.robyndobbins.comÂ
https://linktr.ee/robyn.r.dobbins
đŹ Robyn is featured in The Cholesterol Code â Watch it on Amazon.
More episodes
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50. Ketones for Mental Health, Brain Injury & Inflammation | KetoneAid Founder
01:11:16||Ep. 50đ DescriptionWhat are exogenous ketones, and who actually needs them? Frank Llosa, founder and CEO of KetoneAid and Hard Ketones, breaks down the real science behind ketone esters, ketone salts, and MCT oil â cutting through the marketing noise to explain what works, what doesn't, and why. From brain fog and traumatic brain injury to sleep, alcohol alternatives, and mental health, this conversation goes deep on how ketones can fill the "brain energy gap" â and when the ketogenic diet alone is the better answer.âł Chapters0:00 â Welcome & Frank's Origin Story7:03 â Exogenous Ketones Explained: MCT, Salts & Esters21:11 â Who Actually Benefits from Ketone Esters?32:42 â Ketones for Traumatic Brain Injury & Neuroprotection39:39 â Mental Health, the Brain Energy Gap & Glucose Impairment50:43 â Ketosis vs. Fat Burning: The Big Misconception54:43 â Hard Ketones: A Real Alcohol Alternative1:04:50 â Sweeteners, Taste & Product Details1:08:59 â Where to Find Frank & KetoneAidđĄ What You'll Learn in This Episode-The critical differences between ketone esters, ketone salts, MCT oil, and ketone "dials" â and why the molecule matters more than the marketing-Why high blood ketone numbers don't tell the whole story, and what the "brain energy gap" really means for mental and neurological health-How exogenous ketones may support recovery from traumatic brain injury, and why Frank says TBI patients should default to a ketogenic diet-Why Hard Ketones work as an alcohol alternative â and the surprising biochemistry behind why people crave alcohol in the first place-The one best reason to try a ketone ester (hint: it depends entirely on your biggest deficit)đ Key Insight"The more that it works, the more that sugar is the problem." â Frank Llosađ Connect with FrankKetoneAidHard KetonesCheck the website for current discount codes and subscription savingsKetoneAid Facebook Community Group (troubleshooting & real user experiences)#KetoneAid #ExogenousKetones #KetoForBrainHealth #KetogenicDietA note from Robyn: Ketobiography does not promote or endorse products. My conversation with Frank was intended to inform â not to advocate for or against KetoneAid or any other product. As always, I believe that healing looks different for everyone, and some tools may be helpful for some people at certain points in their journey. Do your own research, listen to your body, and work with a healthcare provider you trust.
48. The Menopause Gut and Middle Pause: A New Paradigm for Midlife Womenâs Health
41:05||Ep. 48đ In this episode of Ketobiography, Robyn explores how menopause transforms the body from the inside outâstarting in the gut. Nurse practitioner and midlife womenâs health expert Cynthia Thurlow unpacks the powerful connection between the microbiome, hormones, blood sugar, sleep, stress, and muscle mass in perimenopause and menopause. She explains how simple, consistent lifestyle shifts can dramatically ease hot flashes, brain fog, weight changes, and sleep issues.Youâll also hear a candid discussion about HRT, GLPâ1 medications, trauma, and why gut health is the missing link in most menopause conversationsâplus practical first steps you can start today, without chasing every new gadget or supplement.âł Chapters0:00 â Welcome & Why Menopause Is So Confusing Right Now2:33 â âThe Game Changes in Midlifeâ: Physiology, Not Personal Failure3:18 â Major in the Majors: Sleep, Stress, Nutrition, Exercise Before Supplements6:30 â Hot Flashes, Blood Sugar, and Why You Canât Eat Like Youâre 1810:30 â Fiber, Short-Chain Fatty Acids, and The Menopause Gut15:30 â Muscle Loss, Insulin Resistance, and the Power of Lifting Weights19:30 â HRT, Progesterone, Estrogen, Testosterone & Why Pellets Are Tricky23:30 â GLPâ1s, Shame, and Changing the Narrative Around Womenâs Weight24:40 â Brain Fog, Medications, and Mitochondrial Health26:40 â Trauma, Stress, and How the Microbiome Shapes MenopauseđĄ What Youâll Learn in This EpisodeWhy midlife physiology changes everythingâfrom neurotransmitters to hormonesâand what that means for your daily habits.How blood sugar, hot flashes, and sleep are tightly linked, and why stabilizing glucose is a first-line strategy for vasomotor symptoms.The critical role of fiber, short-chain fatty acids, and the microbiome in menopause, and why gut diversity drops as hormones decline.How muscle mass, strength training, and walking after meals support insulin sensitivity and metabolic health in midlife women.A nuanced view of HRT and GLPâ1 medicationsâwho they can help, why pellets can be problematic, and why lifestyle still forms the foundation.đ Key InsightâWhat you got away with at 18 is not what you get away with at 45 or 50âand thatâs not a personal failure, itâs a reflection of your changing physiology.â -Cynthia Thurlowđ Connect with Cynthia ThurlowWebsite: https://www.cynthiathurlow.comEveryday Wellness PodcastInstagramFacebookXThe Menopause Gut (Book)#menopause #midlifewoman #GLP1 #microbiome
47. Keto, Bipolar, and The Cholesterol Code Film Tour
33:27||Ep. 47đ Years of work, crossâcountry screenings, and a groundbreaking cholesterol documentary all come together in this powerful inâperson conversation between Ketobiography host Robyn Dobbins and engineerâresearcher Dave Feldman. They unpack the emotion and logistics behind The Cholesterol Code film tour, the surprising way keto helped Robynâs bipolar journey, and why realâworld stories must sit alongside rigorous science. Youâll also hear whatâs next for the Keto CTA research, how CoSci grew into a Vegasâbased fundraising âconference in disguise,â and why many in the lowâcarb world are reâexamining longâheld beliefs about LDL, ApoB, and heart disease risk.âł Chapters0:00 Welcome to Ketobiography & todayâs guest0:31 The final Cholesterol Code series episode1:08 Dallas screening day & Amazon launch countdown2:02 Daveâs âtourâ stops and the last theatrical screening3:32 Two years of anticipation and Robynâs emotional journey6:05 Bipolar, medications, and discovering keto as a lifeline10:22 Why The Cholesterol Code blends science with personal stories14:33 Whatâs next: Own Your Labs and future KetoâCTA research19:23 LMHRs, FH history, and hard questions about very high LDL28:36 Robynâs next chapter, CoSci, and where the conversation goes from heređĄ What youâll Learn in this EpisodeHow a âone-question podcastâ turns into a deep dive on The Cholesterol Code film, from CoSci premieres to the Dallas screening and Amazon launch.Why Robynâs keto journey started as a cholesterol fix and unexpectedly reshaped her experience of bipolar disorder and medication side effects.What the KetoâCTA study suggests so far about lean, metabolically healthy people with very high LDL, and why Dave is pushing for 5âyear scans and a 200âperson companion study with a control group.How personal stories, documentary film, and platforms like Ketobiography and Metabolic Collective help challenge the standard LDL narrative and invite more individualized care.Why Dave thinks many doctors genuinely want to help yet risk losing patient trust when they dismiss imaging, context, and lived experienceâand how the film might help bridge that gap.đ Key Insight:âYouâve got to do both. Youâve got to do the research and get it in the literatureâbut you canât count on it to just take off from there. Thatâs why the personal stories matter so much.â -Dave Feldmanđ„ *The Cholesterol Code is now on Amazon!*https://cholesterolcodemovie.comWatch, rate & review to increase its impact.đ Connect with Dave FeldmanX YouTubeThe Feldman Protocol (TFP_)Own Your LabsCitizen Science Foundation#cholesterol #documentary #mentalhealth #lmhr
46. Choosing Mental Health in a World Afraid of Cholesterol
01:36:04||Ep. 46đ In this special Ketobiography episode, host Robyn Dobbins shares her recent interview with Casey Ruff from Boundless Body Radio, along with the livedâexperience panel from the Menlo Park, California screening of The Cholesterol Code. Robyn and Casey revisit her journey from years of severe mental and physical illnessâincluding OCD, obesity, depression, Hashimotoâs, and bipolar disorderâto discovering ketogenic metabolic therapy and rebuilding her life, relationships, and sense of purpose.They explore the central tension raised by The Cholesterol Code: what it means to live as a leanâmass hyperâresponder with very high LDL, zero coronary plaque, and profound mental health benefits from a ketogenic diet, and how to weigh that reality against standard cholesterol guidelines and the fears of clinicians, family, and society. Their discussion highlights the power of story, the limits of âtreating the lab number,â and why centering lived experience is essential when research is still evolving.The episode then moves to the Menlo Park livedâexperience panel moderated by Dr. Bret Scher, featuring Robyn Dobbins, Dr. Eric Rodgers, Michelle Hurn, and Lauren Kennedy West of Living Well After Schizophrenia. The panelists share how ketogenic and lowâcarb therapies have impacted anorexia and eatingâdisorder treatment, schizophrenia, major depression, athletic performance, and family lifeâwhile candidly addressing concerns about high LDL, CAC scores, medical pushback, and the practical realities of sustaining these approaches in everyday life.đĄ What youâll Learn in this EpisodeHow Robynâs long history with bipolar disorder and other conditions shifted when she began using a ketogenic diet for metabolic and mental health.Why The Cholesterol Code focuses on leanâmass hyperâresponders, and what high LDL with zero plaque might mean for people who are otherwise metabolically healthy.How parents, partners, and children experience and adapt to one family memberâs healingâemotionally, relationally, and over time.How ketogenic and lowâcarb therapies are being used in real life for anorexia, schizophrenia, major depression, and athletic performance, and what tradeâoffs the panelists consider around risk and benefit.Why centering lived experienceâthrough storytelling, panels, and community building initiatives like Metabolic Collectiveâis crucial as science on metabolic psychiatry.đ Key InsightâThereâs no reason to go back to how I was just because of this one number. My overall wellâbeing, the joy and energy I have nowâthereâs no trading that for a lab result.â -Robyn Dobbinsđ Connect with RobynWebsite: robyndobbins.comPodcast: KetobiographyX: robynrdobbinsFacebook: robyn.dobbinsInstagram: robynrdobbinsYouTube: @ketobiographyđ Connect with CaseyWebsite: myboundlessbody.comPodcast: Boundless Body RadioX: CaseyRuffFacebook: casey.ruffInstagram: caseyboundlessbodyYouTube: đŹ Watch The Cholesterol Code on Amazon starting April 17!
45. Finding Hope in Depression, Metabolic Therapy, and The Cholesterol Code
01:10:42||Ep. 45đ In this special replay from Less of Me Success Stories, Ketobiography host Robyn Dobbins shares a powerful conversation with a fellow Cholesterol Code participant whose story of treatmentâresistant depression, medication side effects, and weight gain led him to discover metabolic therapies and lowâcarb nutrition. Recorded on March 1st, 2025, this episode captures what it looks like to be both a clinician and a patient, to question standard approaches to mental health, and to slowly reclaim hope when nothing seems to work. As Robyn returns from a soldâout screening of The Cholesterol Code in Durham, NC, she invites listeners to hear this conversation as a âbeforeâ snapshotâone year before their intertwined stories reached the big screen.đĄ What youâll Learn in this EpisodeHow longâterm depression, weight changes, and polypharmacy can erode hopeâand why that story is more common than we think.What it feels like to navigate the mental health system as both a doctor and a patient searching for answers.How discovering ketogenic and metabolic therapies opened a new path for mood, energy, and overall stability.Why nutrition, metabolism, and brain health are deeply connected, especially in cases labeled âtreatmentâresistant.âHow sharing lived experience publicly (and now on film in The Cholesterol Code) can reduce stigma and offer hope to others.đ Key InsightâWe have an option for peopleâand they need to know whatâs out there, because the most frustrating thing is that doctors often arenât interested, even after they see the change.â -Eric Rodgersđ Connect with Dr. Eric RodgersX FacebookMetabolic Mindâđ„ Screenings and Cholesterol Code Movie information: https://cholesterolcodemovie.comđïž DFW! Grab your ticket for The Cholesterol Code theatrical screening! đïž#depression #bipolar #mentalhealth #metabolictherapy #CholesterolCodeMovie
44. Keto, Type 1 Diabetes, and Cholesterol: A Mama Bearâs Fight Against Statins
01:01:42||Ep. 44đ A terrifying ER visit, the smell of acetone on her 9âyearâoldâs breath, and an A1C of 11% launched one family into the world of type 1 diabetes overnight. When doctors insisted âhe needs carbs to growâ and later pushed hard for statins after his total cholesterol hit 832, this mama bear turned to keto, Dr. Bernsteinâs lowâcarb approach, and the TypeOneGrit and LMHR communities to keep her sonâs blood sugar in the nonâdiabetic range while his cholesterol steadily fellâwithout medication. In this episode, youâll hear how Alison Coughlin navigated fear, pressure, and conflicting expert opinions to advocate for her childâs health, and what their life looks like now as he thrives in sports, school, and everyday childhood on a lowâcarb way of eating.ââł Chapters0:00 â Introduction, Cholesterol Code series, and Alisonâs first podcast appearanceâ1:25 â Johnnyâs diagnosis story: acetone breath, ER visit, and A1C of 11%â7:48 â Hospital food, carb counting, and early fears about life with type 1 diabetesâ11:53 â Finding TypeOneGrit, discovering Dr. Bernstein, and going lowâcarb as a familyâ13:47 â Nonâdiabetic A1C, pushback from the endo, and âhe needs carbs to growââ15:35 â The shocking lipid panel: total cholesterol 832, LDL 741, and FH testingâ20:45 â LMHR, cardiology workup, CAC scan, and relentless pressure to start statinsâ24:37 â Cholesterol trending down to 341 without meds and choosing not to debate doctors anymoreâ32:28 â Who Johnny is today: thriving teen, baseball, beach days, and no limitations on ketoâ54:40 â Filming Cholesterol Code and the emotional experience of meeting Dr. BernsteinâđĄ What youâll Learn in this EpisodeHow a parent recognized early signs of type 1 diabetes at home and pushed for urgent care.âWhat it looks like to transition a child (and family) to Dr. Bernsteinâs lowâcarb approach after diagnosis.âHow A1C can move from 11% to a nonâdiabetic range on ketoâand why some clinicians still resist.âWhat LMHR is, why Johnnyâs total cholesterol soared to 832, and how it later dropped to 341 without statins.âPractical insights on advocating for your child when doctors warn youâre âdoing it wrongâ but your child is thriving.âđ Key InsightâThe most important thing is keeping his A1C in check and keeping his blood sugars in a nonâdiabetic rangeâand that is what we believe is truly the best thing for him.ââ -Alison Coughlinđ Connect with AlisonInstagramTYPEONEGRIT facebook groupLMHR facebook groupBook: Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars (not an affiliate link)âđ„ Screenings and Cholesterol Code Movie information: https://cholesterolcodemovie.comđïž *DFW! Grab your ticket for The Cholesterol Code theatrical screening!* đïžđ§ Listen to More Episodes:New episodes drop every Thursday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.đ Subscribe + follow + leave a review to support the show!đ± Know someone with a Keto success story? Nominate them to be featured: ketobiography@gmail.com đ„ Connect with Robyn:https://www.robyndobbins.comhttps://linktr.ee/robyn.r.dobbins#keto #type1diabetes #cholesterolcodemovie #statins
43. Food Addiction, Cholesterol and Finding Freedom
57:52||Ep. 43đ What if the diet advice you trusted your whole life was actually feeding your cravingsâand your lab âred flagsâ didnât tell the whole story? In this Ketobiography episode, host Robyn Dobbins continues her Cholesterol Code series with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Jen Unwin to explore the intersection of food addiction, low-carb nutrition, and cholesterol. Drawing on her professional experience with the NHS and her own lived experience as a âlifelong sugar addict,â Jen explains how she finally found food freedom with low carb and why, for many people, understanding addiction is the missing piece that makes change stick. She also shares the story behind her sky-high LDL, zero CAC scores, and appearance in The Cholesterol Code documentary, inviting listeners to rethink what âriskâ really looks like in the context of metabolic health.ââł Chapters0:00 â Welcome to Ketobiography & the Cholesterol Code mini-seriesâ1:31 â Jenâs lifelong sugar addiction and early weight strugglesâ3:02 â Discovering low carb and the âmiracleâ of fewer cravings and more energyâ4:28 â Creating a type 2 diabetes remission program with Davidâs patientsâ5:52 â Why food addiction is a âleaky boatâ in a world where you have to keep eatingâ8:17 â Realizing âthis is addictionâ and starting to campaign for recognitionâ31:01 â The LDL of 19 mmol/L shock, CAC scans, and lean-mass hyper-respondersâ35:24 â Letting go of everything you were taught about âhealthy eatingâ to feel wellâ45:01 â Healing the brain with enough protein and fatânot just restriction or willpowerâ47:05 â Practical advice: meds, keto flu, salt, and why you should expect a rough first 8 daysâđĄ What Youâll Learn in this EpisodeHow a clinical psychologist came to see her own pattern as true food addiction, not a lack of willpowerâWhy low-carb or keto can transform cravings and energyâand why that alone may not solve addiction for some peopleâThe CRAVED framework for recognizing food addiction in yourself or your patients/clientsâHow Jen and Dr. David Unwin helped type 2 diabetes patients reach drug-free remission with dietary change and data trackingâWhat Jenâs extreme LDL, zero CAC scores, and Cholesterol Code involvement suggest about lean-mass hyper-responders and risk assessmentâđ Key InsightâItâs not your fault, but it is your responsibilityâto build the routines, boundaries, and ways of living that keep food addiction from finding its way back in.ââ -Dr. Jen Unwinđ Connect with Dr. Jen UnwinXThe Collaborative Health Community Book â Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedomnot an affiliate linkâđ„ Screenings and Cholesterol Code Movie information: cholesterolcodemovie.comđïž DFW! Grab your ticket for The Cholesterol Code theatrical screening! đïžđ§ Listen to More Episodes:New episodes drop every Thursday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.đ Subscribe + follow + leave a review to support the show!đ± Know someone with a Keto success story? Nominate them to be featured: ketobiography@gmail.com đ„ Connect with Robyn:https://www.robyndobbins.comhttps://linktr.ee/robyn.r.dobbins
42. Pointless Extra or Quiet Hero? A Husband's View on Mental Illness
01:06:49||Ep. 42đ Robyn sits down with her husband, Matt Dobbins, to hear his side of the story behind the Cholesterol Code documentary, unpacking what it meant to be âthe pointless extraâ on screen while carrying the unseen weight of caregiving at home. Together, they revisit ER visits, missed red flags, financial strain, and the long years of living with undiagnosed bipolar disorderâall before discovering how changing food could change everything.ââł Chapters0:00 â Pointless Extra: Mattâs Side of the Storyâ4:06 â ER Night and a Broken Mental Health Systemâ8:17 â Feeling Lost in Crisis Careâ13:00 â Early Red Flags and âBreadzillaââ19:30 â Counseling, Conflict, and Feeling Aloneâ26:00 â Broad Shoulders and Not Walking Awayâ33:00 â Fixer Mode, Debt, and Enablingâ41:30 â NSNG, Life in Color, and the Job Loss Tailspinâ51:10 â Moving to Texas, Role Reversal, and Coming Off Medsâ57:00 â Why Cholesterol Code Matters and Hope for CaregiversđĄ What youâll Learn in this EpisodeâHow a partner experiences bipolar disorder from the outside looking inWhy ER and psychiatric care so often fail people in mental health crisesThe hidden cost of âfixerâ behavior and financial overcompensation in marriageWhat helped a caregiver stay when it felt easier to walk awayHow finding NSNG and metabolic health support shifted their familyâs storyđ Key InsightââYou cannot walk away. These people are in crisis; they need somebody who genuinely cares about them, and you canât just turn your back on that.ââ -Matt Dobbinsđ Connect with MattFacebookXđ ResourcesMetabolic Collective (support groups & community)đ„ Screenings and Cholesterol Code Movie information: cholesterolcodemovie.comđïž DFW! Grab your ticket for The Cholesterol Code theatrical screening! đïžđ§ Listen to More Episodes:New episodes drop every Thursday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.đ Subscribe + follow + leave a review to support the show!đ± Know someone with a Keto success story? Nominate them to be featured: ketobiography@gmail.com đ„ Connect with Robyn:https://www.robyndobbins.comhttps://linktr.ee/robyn.r.dobbins#ketobiography #mentalhealth #bipolardisorder #caregiverstory #keto