Welcome to your 30-Day Metabolic Freedom Reset, which will help you restore your metabolism by applying the principles you’ve learned in this book. I designed this reset to give you an easy-to-follow protocol that harnesses the innate intelligence within your cells by using ancient healing practices and the latest cutting-edge science. It has worked on thousands of people across the world—and you’re next!
As you may recall, the number one priority for your innate intelligence is survival. Forcing adaptation creates hormone optimization and faster results. Hormone adaptation is the process by which your body adjusts hormone levels in response to external stressors (like exercise, dietary changes, fasting, or temperature changes) to maintain balance and support survival.
You will achieve this during your reset by practicing a new schedule each week to continue forcing hormonal shifts. The 30-day reset will work for someone who has never practiced keto or fasting before or for someone who’s been practicing it for years. We’re going to utilize metabolic flexing to shift in and out of sugar burning to fat burning. I’ve also mapped out an advanced version if you’ve been doing keto and fasting for a while and want a more challenging reset. (Note that it’s always best to speak with your doctor and advise them of this new healthy lifestyle you are about to embark upon.)
As a former personal trainer, I understand the proper balance between pushing you outside your comfort zone and pushing you too far, so I designed the reset to push you beyond your comfort zone just enough to ignite healing but not too much where you’ll feel miserable and restricted. As Joseph Campbell said, “The cave you fear holds the treasure you seek.”
One of the biggest reasons people fail at hitting their goals is because they don’t plan for the obstacles that will more than likely show up. It’s okay to hit obstacles along the way—success is rarely a straight path. We’ll be using hormetic stressors to achieve deep healing and fat burn, and sometimes this can be difficult. Your gut microbiome will shift, your palate will change, and you’ll find yourself walking into the kitchen for a snack before becoming aware of what you’re doing to stop yourself and stay the course. The truth is, it might suck. Embrace it. Suck, suck, SUCCESS is my philosophy!
Price Pritchett’s book You2 emphasizes the concept of quantum leaps in personal achievement.1 He illustrates this by comparing personal growth to rockets course-correcting their way to the moon, constantly adjusting their trajectory to stay on path and reach their destination. This analogy highlights the importance of continuous, small adjustments and persistence in achieving significant breakthroughs and goals. I always tell my students it’s never about the setback, it’s about the getback. This book is your resource to course-correct until you achieve success.
The 30-Day Metabolic Freedom Reset is for everyone! It’s an incredibly effective path to mastering your metabolism for adults of all ages. Although there are numerous health benefits to this reset, here are some of the symptoms and conditions that it helps with the most:
There’s a proverb, “If you want to go fast, do it alone. If you want to go far, do it together.” The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest and most comprehensive longitudinal studies ever conducted, reveals the profound benefits of positive relationships on health and happiness.2 Beginning in 1938, this ongoing research study followed 724 participants from diverse backgrounds over decades. The findings are clear: Those who maintained close, supportive relationships with family, friends, and their community experienced better physical health, greater longevity, and higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Strong social ties also provided significant mental health benefits, acting as a buffer against stress and depression, and contributing to overall well-being. This study underscores the critical importance of nurturing positive relationships for a long, happy, and healthy life.
Humans are inherently social creatures who thrive in community settings, which provide us with a sense of identity, purpose, and security. Social connections enhance emotional well-being, foster cooperation, and create a support network that helps us navigate life’s challenges. In essence, our need for social interaction and belonging is deeply ingrained, highlighting the fundamental role of community in human life.
There are lots of ways you can build a community around you. Ask a friend or family member to join you in these 30 days, start a book club, or find my online communities over at www.benazadi.com. You’re not alone. There are many people out there who seek metabolic freedom. We’re all cheering for you.
As we discussed earlier in the book, about 93 percent of U.S. adults are burning sugar instead of fat. The first step toward metabolic freedom is to teach your metabolism to burn fat instead of sugar. This is called fat adaptation, when you are burning stored fat on your body instead of sugar in your bloodstream.
I’ve guided over 5,000 students through my Keto Kamp Academy online program and helped them burn fat instead of sugar within seven days—without any symptoms! There are four easy ways to achieve this first step: avoid certain foods, follow the 2/2/2 rule, drink a keto cocktail, and avoid snacking between meals. Let’s look at each of them in detail.
There are two primary gatekeepers that block your metabolism from burning stored fat: the hormone insulin and cellular membrane inflammation. Avoiding foods that spike glucose and insulin along with foods that create cellular membrane inflammation will help you shift quickly into fat-burning mode and ensure a successful 30-day reset.
The first category of foods to avoid include those that are higher on the glycemic index and will raise your blood glucose after eating them. When you raise blood glucose after eating, the pancreas is signaled to produce insulin to shuttle the excess blood sugar into your cells, and you’re burning sugar, not fat. To become fat-adapted and in ketosis within the first seven days of your reset, you need to remove the following foods:
When it comes to getting your metabolism to burn stored body fat and use ketones as a fuel source, total carbohydrates need to be considered as well. The average American consumes 250 grams of carbohydrates per day; most people need to reduce their total carbohydrates to under 50 total grams per day to achieve fat-burning ketosis.
I don’t recommend a sharp reduction in total carbohydrates at the beginning of your reset, because this could result in uncomfortable symptoms such as fatigue, loose stools, and headaches. Instead, a gradual decrease in total carbohydrates works really well. (See page 180 for a list of healthy carbohydrates.) If you’re wondering whether fruit is allowed on your plan, the answer is yes, but it depends on the type of fruit and the quantity consumed. The best keto-friendly options include blueberries, raspberries, coconut, avocado, squash, zucchini, and olives.
Here’s an example of what this looks like during your first seven days, based on someone who is consuming 250 grams of total carbohydrates per day before starting the reset. Adjust accordingly.
Once you’re at 50 grams of total carbohydrates or less for a few days, the metabolic switch to fat-burning ketosis occurs. You can use several free apps to log in your food and calculate your total carbohydrates—a couple of my favorites are Cronometer and MyFitnessPal.
You also want to avoid inflammatory oils that cause your cells to inflame and make you insulin resistant. These oils make it harder to practice fasting and block you from fat burning, so I highly recommend you throw them out and replace them with the healthier options I will share with you in the next step.
Here’s a list of the harmful oils you want to avoid:
The third group of foods to remove are the ones filled with chemicals. These are the toxic ingredients I mentioned in Chapter 7 that make you insulin resistant, making it harder to achieve fat adaptation. These ingredients also create cellular inflammation and have been referred to as obesogens and diabetogens.
Common synthetic ingredients to avoid include:
This next step should be done in tandem with the previous step. The goal here is to familiarize your metabolism with burning fatty acids instead of sugar. Imagine your metabolism as a seasoned crew navigating a ship that has long relied on sugar as its primary fuel. As you start reducing carbohydrates and eliminating inflammatory foods, the crew becomes anxious, unsure of how to keep the ship sailing without its usual energy source. At this crucial juncture, your body might exhibit signs of distress, akin to a ship adrift without its familiar fuel.
To steady the course and maintain momentum, you need to introduce a new, reliable fuel source: healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. These fats act like a fresh wind in your sails, providing your metabolism with the energy it needs to continue its journey without faltering. By fueling your body with these beneficial fats, you ensure a smooth transition, allowing your metabolic crew to adapt and thrive, navigating the seas of this dietary change with confidence and ease.
The best way to avoid cravings, stabilize your blood sugar, and transition smoothly into fat-burning mode is with the 2/2/2 rule. For the first seven days of your 30-day reset, you will practice the 2/2/2 rule:
You aren’t consuming all these healthy fats in one meal; spread them out throughout your three meals for the day. You’ll be using these fats to cook your food in, for salad dressings, dips, and so on. If you feel like this is too much fat to consume in a day, you can change it to the 1/1/1 rule and have one tablespoon of each fat instead of two.
In addition to these fats, you will add the following healthy proteins:
Of course, you want to continue consuming vegetables in your diet for all of their amazing health benefits. Here’s a list of the best keto-friendly vegetables:
If you’re wondering about portion sizes, here’s the great news: You don’t need to worry about them or count calories, since your body doesn’t naturally calculate these things. Instead, focus on eating until you’re full. Your body has built-in mechanisms for satiety, and the goal is to feel satisfied, not restricted. Eating until you’re full helps prevent cravings between meals and ensures you stay on track.
Carbohydrates are stored in the body with water, so when you reduce your carb intake, your body initially sheds excess water, giving you a quick “lean” appearance. Lowering carbs also reduces insulin release, causing the kidneys to excrete more sodium, which disrupts the balance of essential electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These electrolytes are crucial for hydration, energy production, and overall cell function. As carb intake decreases, electrolyte imbalances can lead to keto flu symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
Ensuring proper hydration and electrolyte intake is essential, which is why I created the Keto Kamp Cocktail. Drink it every morning for at least seven days.
16 ounces spring water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar (for extra potassium)
1 pinch high-quality salt
Mix all ingredients in a glass and drink.
Every time you snack, you raise insulin and start the digestive process. This blocks fat burning and steals energy away from your day-to-day activities to deal with digestion. It will be much more difficult to teach your metabolism to burn fat instead of sugar when you’re constantly calling insulin.
For the first seven days of your 30-day reset, consume three meals per day, with no snacking in between. For example, your schedule may look like this: breakfast at 8 A.M., lunch at 12 P.M., and dinner at 7 P.M. This allows insulin to drop in between meals and overnight during sleep. If you already practice intermittent fasting, then continue with your preferred fasting schedule for these first seven days.
You’ll see metabolic flex days as a part of your 30-day reset; I also call them keto flex days. These are days during your plan that intentionally move you out of fat-burning ketosis so that you can burn sugar. This works really well to achieve metabolic flexibility but also allows more flexibility within your plan overall.
Most people are metabolically inflexible because their bodies are “stuck” burning sugar. However, there’s also a group on the opposite end who are “stuck” burning fat, which also leads to metabolic inflexibility. The goal is to become efficient at switching between both fuel sources—sugar and fat. Achieving this metabolic flexibility fine-tunes your metabolism and helps prevent or overcome weight-loss stalls.
You can use flex (feast) days when you have social events, such as on the weekend. On these days, you will not be eating keto-friendly foods and practicing fasting. Instead, you will have three meals and bring your total carbohydrates to 150 grams for the day. However, these carbs still need to be healthier versions—no pastries, chips, cookies, pizza, ice cream, and so on from the “foods to avoid” list.
It’s important to decrease your total fats as you raise your total carbohydrates, since having higher carbohydrates and higher fat is not healthy for your metabolism. Your total fats should be kept under 50 grams for each metabolic flex day.
Here’s a list of healthy carbohydrates to include on your metabolic flex days:
As I mentioned in Chapter 10, your environment will determine your success. So it’s a good idea to first do an audit on your home and office environment. Remove foods that tempt you the most—anything that could derail you. One of my favorite foods is popcorn. I could snack on this all day long. But popcorn is high on the glycemic index, so eating this would not be conducive to fat burning. I had to remove popcorn and other trigger foods from my kitchen, because if I knew they were there, I’d end up snacking on them. It wasn’t safe to have them in the house. Identify the foods that are not safe for you to have in your house or office, and remove them.
Next, do an audit on your relationship environment. Your friends, family members, and co-workers will either support you or drag you down (remember the crabs in the bucket analogy). I encourage you to do this quick exercise: Grab a blank piece of paper, draw a line vertically through the middle and then one at the top horizontally. On the top left, write the word drainers, and on the top right, write the word chargers. Then think about the relationships you have. After you think of each person, place them in either the drainer or the charger category.
How do you know if someone is a drainer or a charger? Well, when you have conversations with them, do you feel drained afterward? Are they naysayers? If so, they belong in the drainer category. If you feel charged up and energized after speaking with them, though, and they support your goals, place them in the chargers category. Do this with every person in your life.
After you’ve completed your audit, it’s important to then be sure that you’re spending more time with the chargers than with the drainers. I realize this is easier said than done, but you become your environment, and I want you to surround yourself with people who cheer you on through this process, not the crabs who drag you down in the bucket.
Last but not least, create a process that’s going to help you change your self-image. Remember, your paradigms are a multitude of habits that guide every move you make. They affect the way you eat, the way you walk, even the way you talk. They govern your communication, your work habits, your successes, and your failures. Your success is highly determined by your paradigm, which creates your self-image. Repetition is how you alter the paradigm to change your self-image to that of a healthy person.
Affirmations are a great way to reinforce the new self-image. Write the following affirmation on an index card or sticky note, and read it each morning and before bed, when the subconscious mind is most impressionable:
“I am so happy and grateful now that I am at my perfect weight. I am looking good, and I am feeling great. The perfect health I seek is now seeking me; I remove any blockages between us.”
The more focus and feelings you put into the affirmation, the faster it will work for you. You might want to leave it on your computer screen or refrigerator too!
As you’ve learned, vitamin G is the most powerful anti-inflammatory supplement there is. But the practice of gratitude is not an intellectual practice—it’s an emotional one. Similar to your affirmation, the more senses you bring into this exercise, the faster it will work for you.
Here’s your prescription for your 30-day reset: Spend three minutes each morning and evening taking vitamin G. For each minute, focus on a memory or relationship you’re truly grateful for—really soak up the vitamin G. After the minute is up, move on to another. Do this for three minutes in the morning and three minutes in the evening before bed. This is when your subconscious mind is most impressionable.
The more you put into something, the more you get out of it. If you really want to accelerate your results, then add the following biohacks to your 30-day reset. This is optional and not required for success during your reset:
Whenever I start a new goal, I like to see the big picture of what I’m going to be doing. This helps my mind be more receptive to the changes. With that being said, let’s get a general overview of what your 30-day reset will look like and then go into the details.
There are three ground rules to remember as you move through this reset: You will avoid inflammatory foods, you will consume an insulin-friendly diet with intentional feast days, and you will experience four different fasting lengths.
Intentionally choosing foods that support your metabolism can be simple and enjoyable. While we’ve been conditioned to eat based on taste alone, you’ll soon find that your taste buds will begin to crave these delicious, hormone-boosting foods.
To help you succeed with your 30-Day Metabolic Freedom Reset, I’ve compiled food lists to align with the different food plans/phases that support your microbiome, hormones, liver, and overall metabolism. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you go through these lists:
Remember to reference the food lists in Chapter 7 for ketogenic and liver-supporting foods and Chapter 9 for foods that support your metabolism, including probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods and polyphenol foods. Enjoy experimenting with these delicious, metabolism-supporting foods, and be sure to try the recipes included later in the book that bring these foods to life. Happy fueling on your journey to metabolic freedom!
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Now that we have our three ground rules in place, let’s guide you through what your 30-Day Metabolic Freedom Reset will look like. Remember, this reset is designed to remove what’s been interfering with your metabolism, so you can balance your hormones to burn fat and feel great. I recommend you follow each day as outlined. Getting fat-adapted is the biggest needle mover to achieve before we get into fasting and other biohacking strategies.
Here’s a day-to-day guide to your reset, in which you’ll move through these phases: fat adaptation, autophagy, metabolic rebuilding, and metabolic flexing. Enjoy!
The fat adaptation phase is designed to shift your metabolism from burning sugar to burning fat in just one week. Burning fat instead of sugar reduces inflammation in your body and supports your mitochondria, which is crucial for restoring and optimizing your metabolism. I have structured this process to ensure a smooth and effortless transition, so within the first few days, you can expect to experience increased energy levels, improved sleep, and noticeable fat loss.
Food choice throughout the phase: low-carbohydrate diet transition to ketogenic diet. Your first step is to gradually reduce your total carbohydrate intake, which helps lower the fat-storing hormone insulin. By making this change gradually, your metabolism can transition to burning fat for fuel without causing any discomfort. A low-carbohydrate diet typically involves consuming around 75 to 150 grams of total carbohydrates per day. This is an essential first step before moving into a ketogenic diet, which requires reducing your intake to less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Remember to gradually decrease your total carbohydrate intake each day to make the transition smoother.
These foods work well for ketosis days. You will want to put your food focus on these foods during the entire 30-day reset, except for your metabolic flex (keto flex) day, which occurs on days 26 and 30.
Days 1 to 4: intermittent fasting (12 hours) with no snacking between meals. You will eat 3 meals a day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For example, if you finish dinner at 8 P.M., you will fast overnight until breakfast at 8 A.M., completing a 12-hour intermittent fast.
Days 5 to 6: intermittent fasting (14 hours). You will continue to eat 3 meals a day, but by either delaying breakfast by 2 hours or eating dinner 2 hours earlier, you can achieve a 14-hour fast. For example, if you finish dinner at 8 P.M., you would fast overnight until breakfast at 10 A.M. Alternatively, you could finish dinner at 6 P.M. and fast until breakfast at 8 A.M., completing a 14-hour intermittent fast. Choose the option that best fits your schedule.
This is one of the most common questions I receive on my social media channels. To answer it, we first need to define what it means to “break a fast.” My definition of this is when you signal to your body to exit the autophagy state—where it cleans and repairs cells—and shift into the mTOR state, which is anabolic and focused on building up. Blood glucose levels determine whether you’re in the fasted state (autophagy) or the fed state (mTOR).
Coffee and tea can have different effects on fasting: For some people, they can stimulate autophagy and enhance fasting benefits; while for others, they may disrupt the fasted state. It’s important to note that not all coffee beans are created equal—many coffee beans are loaded with pesticides, heavy metals, and mold, which can spike blood sugar. To avoid this, make sure your coffee is mold- and pesticide-free, and look for beans labeled “organic” or “mold-free” on the packaging. When in doubt, reach out to the company for confirmation. Many coffee shops are proud of their pure coffee and will disclose the sourcing of their beans. Switching to clean coffee beans can often solve the problem of glucose spikes.
The best way to determine if coffee or tea breaks your fast is to test your blood sugar before drinking it and again 45 minutes afterward. If your blood sugar rises by 5 points or more, then it’s likely breaking your fast and reducing autophagy benefits. If your blood sugar stays the same or drops slightly, you’re in the clear. Everyone’s response is different, so it’s important not to guess—test instead.
Consider experimenting with adding fats such as butter, coconut oil, or ghee to your coffee instead of drinking it black, as this can sometimes help stabilize glucose levels. Also, teas are generally safer options when it comes to fasting, as I haven’t observed them causing glucose spikes in most people. It’s still wise to choose organic teas to ensure purity, though.
As you may remember, autophagy is the process where your body breaks down inflamed cells and damaged mitochondria, repurposing them as fuel. Imagine it like Pac-Man, gobbling up broken cells within your body to use as energy. Autophagy is one of the most effective ways to eliminate unhealthy cells and regenerate healthier ones, which not only boosts your metabolism but also supports longevity.
Food choice throughout the phase: ketogenic diet. At this stage of your reset, we transition into fat-burning ketosis. Ketones are a powerful tool for resetting your metabolism, balancing hormones, sharpening your mind, and burning fat. You’ll experience peak mental clarity, increased energy levels and focus, and an overall sense of well-being. To achieve ketosis, it’s essential to keep your total carbohydrate intake under 50 grams per day, focusing on non-starchy vegetables and the low-glycemic fruits mentioned earlier in this chapter.
Days 7 to 13: autophagy fasting (18 hours). Now it’s time to experiment with meal-skipping. Since you’re fat-adapted and running on ketones, this experience should be enjoyable. You’ll be following an 18/6 intermittent fasting schedule to promote autophagy. This means you’ll spend 18 hours in a fasted state and have a 6-hour eating window, during which you’ll consume two keto-friendly meals. For example, you might start your eating window at 12 P.M. with your first meal, and finish your last meal by 6 P.M., then fast from 6 P.M. until 12 P.M. the next day (18 hours). Alternatively, you could have breakfast at 8 A.M., lunch at 2 P.M., and then fast from 2 P.M. until 8 A.M. the next day (18 hours). Both methods are effective, so choose the fasting schedule that best fits your lifestyle.
The metabolic rebuilding phase is where we fine-tune your metabolism. We’ll do this by extending your fasting window slightly to enhance autophagy and further lower insulin levels. Additionally, we’ll shift to a protein-focused ketogenic diet, emphasizing high-quality amino acids. The increased protein intake will help sustain you during longer fasts and make your metabolism more efficient by balancing key hormones.
Food choice throughout the phase: high-protein ketogenic diet. A typical keto diet is usually high in fat, with moderate protein and very low carbohydrates. However, during the metabolic rebuilding phase, we increase protein intake to leverage the benefits of amino acids for hormone health and metabolic repair. Aim to consume at least 40 grams of protein with each meal. There’s no need to focus on additional fat at this stage, as your body will use stored fat for fuel. Simply consume the fat that naturally comes with your protein sources. Keep total carbohydrates under 50 grams per day to stay in ketosis.
Integrating these proteins into your diet all month long is a good idea, especially during your metabolic rebuilding phase (days 14 to 20).
Days 14 to 20: metabolic fasting (20 hours). You will consume two high-protein keto meals within a 4-hour eating window. For example, you might eat between 12 P.M. and 4 P.M., then fast from 4 P.M. until 12 P.M. the next day. Alternatively, you could eat between 8 A.M. and 12 P.M., followed by a fast from 12 P.M. until 8 A.M. the next day. Choose the schedule that fits your lifestyle best.
The metabolic flexing phase is designed to maintain your metabolic flexibility while making it easier to navigate social events. The goal is to switch between burning sugar and fat for energy, and this phase intentionally alternates between the two. By briefly returning to sugar burning before switching back to fat burning, you can prevent and even break through plateaus.
Food choice through the phase: ketosis and metabolic flex days (keto flexing). During your metabolic flex days (keto flexing), you will have a 12-hour eating window and consume three meals within this window. The meals will be higher in carbohydrates to ensure switching back to sugar burning for the day. Aim to consume 150 grams of total carbohydrates on these metabolic flex days, coming from healthy carbohydrates.
These foods are perfect for your metabolic flex (keto flex) days. The vegetables will balance your hormones and provide healthy sources of carbohydrates to flex out of ketosis. You want to consume these foods during your metabolic flex, which are days 26 and 30 of your plan.
Days 21 to 25: metabolic fasting (20 hours) and high-protein ketogenic diet. You will consume 2 high-protein keto meals within a 4-hour eating window.
Day 26: metabolic flex day/keto flexing (intermittent fasting 12 hours). You will consume breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a total of 3 meals.
Days 27 to 29: metabolic fasting (20 hours) and high-protein ketogenic diet. You will consume 2 high-protein keto meals within a 4-hour eating window.
Day 30: metabolic flex day/keto flexing (intermittent fasting 12 hours). You will consume breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a total of 3 meals.
If you’re already fat-adapted by following a ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting, follow this advanced version of the 30-day reset. Longer fasts and more variation in your fasting schedule will allow just enough hormetic stress to naturally force your body to adapt to make that jump to the next level of health.
Days 1 to 4: autophagy fasting (18 hours)
Days 5 to 6: gut-repair fasting (24 hours)
Days 7 to 13: Alternate between autophagy fasting (18 hours) and metabolic fasting (20 hours)
Days 14 to 20: Alternate between metabolic fasting (20 hours) and gut-repair fasting (24 hours)
Days 21 to 25: metabolic fasting (20 hours)
Day 26: metabolic flex day/keto flexing (12-hour intermittent fasting)
Days 27 to 30 gut-repair fasting (24 hours)
There are a lot of moving parts with this reset that extend beyond tracking total weight loss—in fact, the weight you lose will be a side effect of restoring your metabolic health. There are a few tools that can help you track what I call non-scale victories (NSVs). NSVs include but are not limited to the following:
Now, we’ve all heard the saying “Patience is a virtue,” but I have to admit, patience isn’t my strong suit—I’m always on the lookout for shortcuts to success. I love sharing these shortcuts, or “hacks,” with my community, helping them achieve double the results in half the time.
While these hacks can accelerate the healing process and help you avoid plateaus, it’s important to remember that healing isn’t always about speed. The time it takes to heal can vary, as someone with more challenges may need more time compared to someone with fewer obstacles affecting their metabolism. The ancient healing principles I’ve shared with you are effective for everyone, even those dealing with chronic conditions, but healing takes time. Trust the process. It’s not about perfection; it’s about progress. Your only competition is who you were yesterday, and the goal is to be better than you were the day before.
Think of it like learning to play the piano: It takes practice to hit the keys perfectly. Each day you practice, you get closer to your goal, as long as you stay consistent. Apply these health tips in the same way: If you set a goal to fast for 20 hours but only manage 16, that’s still a win. There’s no such thing as a failed fast—you’ve made progress, and that’s what matters. The more you apply these principles, the more you’ll remove the obstacles in your way, placing your body in the best possible state for healing.
On my Ben Azadi YouTube channel, I often say that knowledge is potential power. It’s the consistent application of that knowledge that transforms it into true power. So the more you practice these principles, the easier they will become.
Let’s dive into the shortcuts that can help you achieve faster results. You’ll learn the most common hacks my community uses to excel in creating metabolic freedom, along with answers to the most frequently asked questions I’ve received over the years. Read through them and remember to return to this section whenever you encounter an obstacle or need a bit of inspiration. Here we go!
One of my favorite tools for tracking metabolic progress is monitoring blood sugar and ketones. If you know someone who is diabetic, you’ve probably seen them do this before. With modern technology, now you can track these numbers too.
For monitoring glucose, there are two great options available to you: finger prick testing where you prick your finger and place a drop of blood on a small stick that measures your blood sugar and ketones or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which I mentioned in Chapter 11. A CGM will give you a continual reading of what your blood sugar is doing without having to prick your finger, but the drawback is that it won’t give you a ketone reading.
When it comes to measuring ketones, there are three methods, each corresponding to the three types of ketones: beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetone, and acetoacetate. Blood tests measure BHB, breathalyzers assess acetone, and urine strips test for acetoacetate. It’s advisable to avoid urine strips, as they can be inaccurate, particularly when your body becomes efficient at using ketones, potentially leading to a false negative. Breathalyzers are a good alternative since they don’t require finger pricking, though they won’t provide a glucose reading. The most reliable method is blood testing for BHB, which is considered the gold standard.
If you choose to track these metrics, there are three key times to test. The first measurement to track is your morning reading. When you wake up in the morning, having fasted overnight, take a blood glucose and ketone reading right away—before your coffee or breakfast. An optimal blood sugar reading is in the range of 70 to 90 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). For most of you, with the exception of those doing the Advanced Metabolic Freedom Reset, your ketones will be low and nonexistent during the first few days of your reset. By the end of your fat adaptation phase, day 6, you should be fat-adapted and see ketones at 0.5 mmol/L (millimoles per liter) or higher; this means you’re officially burning fat instead of sugar. In other words, you’re in ketosis.
The second reading to pay attention to once you begin intermittent fasting 18 hours or more is right before you eat your first meal of the day. Ideally, your blood sugar should be lower before your first meal compared to the morning reading, and your ketones should be higher. This is a good sign that your body is using stored fat for energy and using it efficiently. Ketones are simply a by-product of fat burning.
Let’s look at a real-life example. Let’s say you wake up at 6 A.M., and your readings are 105 mg/dL for your blood sugar and 0.3 mmol/L for ketones. Right before you have your first meal of the day a few hours later, you want to see your blood sugar fall below 105 mg/dL and your ketones rise above 0.3 mmol/L. If you see this trend, your body is making a great shift into fat adaptation. Celebrate this win because what you appreciate, appreciates. Over a short period of time, you will continue to see improved numbers.
The third reading you can take is after eating, which will help you see how efficient you were at metabolizing your foods. Testing your blood sugar and ketones two hours after you eat will give you some great insights. For example, if you break your fast at noon, and your blood sugar was at 85 mg/dL and ketones were 0.6 mmol/L, two hours after eating your blood sugar should be back down close to 85 mg/dL and ketones should be around the same level of 0.6 mmol/L or higher. If you see this trend, congrats—you’re insulin sensitive, and your metabolism is functioning the way it was designed. If it’s not close to the original numbers, don’t worry. As you progress through your reset, you’ll train your metabolism to become more efficient and insulin sensitive in a short amount of time.
Knowing these numbers serves many benefits, and it can be extremely motivating to see them trend in the right direction. Tracking these numbers and paying attention to how you feel through the 30-day reset is arguably more important than the total number on the weight scale. Remember, your extra weight is a symptom of metabolic dysfunction—as you become healthy, the weight comes off (and stays off) as a side effect.
If you don’t want to (or can’t) test your blood throughout the day, there are other positive ways to tell if you’re in ketosis. First, you’ll likely notice reduced hunger, as ketones help regulate appetite naturally. You might also feel an increase in mental clarity and experience a steady, lasting energy throughout the day, as your brain and body efficiently utilize ketones for fuel. Many people report weight loss and feel lighter and less bloated as the body sheds water weight in the early stages. Enhanced focus, improved mood stability, and an overall sense of mental sharpness are other positive signs that ketosis is working for you.
It’s common to struggle to lower your blood sugar levels as you begin the metabolic freedom lifestyle. This is because you’re still training your body to burn fat instead of sugar (fat adaptation). But if you’re doing all the right things and still have elevated blood sugar levels and can’t achieve ketosis, these are the hacks I recommend. You might have to try each one before you find the perfect fit for you.
In general, most people can achieve ketosis by dropping their total carbohydrates to 50 grams per day. Others may need to be more restrictive, usually those who have been sugar burners for a long time. The solution is to drop your carbohydrates to below 20 grams per day. This isn’t a long-term solution, but it can force your body to choose fat.
Keep an eye out for “carbohydrate creep”! This refers to the gradual, often unintentional, increase in carbohydrate intake that can occur when following a ketogenic diet. The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan designed to keep your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. To maintain ketosis, most people aim to keep their daily carb intake very low, typically between 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day. However, over time, small amounts of carbs can start to sneak back into your diet, leading to carbohydrate creep.
This phenomenon can happen for several reasons. First, portion control of carbs can become more relaxed as you become accustomed to the diet. What starts as strict portion management can gradually shift to more generous servings, and even small increases in carb-rich foods can add up over time. Hidden carbs are another culprit. Many foods, especially processed or packaged ones, contain carbohydrates that aren’t immediately obvious. Ingredients like sauces, dressings, or even certain vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, parsnips, beets) can have more carbs than you may realize, contributing to your overall intake. Some keto-friendly foods may even have higher carb counts than expected. Without careful tracking, these can all add up, making it easy to unintentionally increase your carbohydrate intake. The problem with carbohydrate creep is that it can kick you out of ketosis, potentially stalling your weight loss or even causing weight gain. It can also lead to fluctuations in energy levels and cravings, making it harder to stick to the diet.
To prevent carbohydrate creep, it’s essential to regularly track your intake, especially when trying new foods. Reading labels carefully is crucial to spot hidden carbs in packaged foods. Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods where carb counts are easier to manage can also help. I recommend using free food journaling apps that calculate your carbohydrates for you.
When your sleep quality is compromised, it can trigger a cascade of physiological responses that significantly impact your metabolic health. One of the primary consequences of poor sleep is the elevation of stress hormones in your body, particularly cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels are a signal to your body that it’s under stress, which can hinder your ability to enter or maintain ketosis.
In addition, elevated cortisol can lead to higher blood sugar levels, which, in turn, can increase insulin production and make it more difficult for your body to burn fat. The result is a metabolic environment that favors fat storage rather than fat burning, effectively sabotaging your efforts to achieve and maintain ketosis.
Poor sleep also affects the production of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces more ghrelin, leading to increased appetite and cravings, particularly for high-carb and sugary foods. This hormonal imbalance not only makes it harder to adhere to a ketogenic diet but can lead to overeating, weight gain, and further disruption of your metabolic processes as well.
In essence, sleep is a critical component of metabolic health. Without adequate sleep, your body is more likely to be in a state of stress, with elevated cortisol, glucose, and ghrelin levels. This hampers your ability to achieve ketosis and undermines your overall metabolic efficiency, making it more challenging to reach your health goals. Prioritizing good sleep is therefore not just about feeling rested; it’s about creating the optimal conditions for your body to function at its best, metabolize efficiently, and maintain a state of ketosis.
Processed foods can severely disrupt your metabolism by leading to insulin resistance. Removing them from your diet can significantly enhance your ability to burn fat and produce ketones. Bad oils, refined sugars, flours, and harmful chemicals keep your body stuck in sugar-burning mode.
I’ve seen many people follow ketosis and fasting protocols perfectly, yet still consume processed foods during their eating window, which keeps them from entering ketosis. Remember, the Standard American Diet is a major contributor to insulin resistance and inflammation, preventing the metabolism from effectively burning fat.
The three main offenders we’ve discussed—bad oils, sugar, and chemicals—are critical to avoid. Be sure to read food labels carefully.
The liver, the hardest-working organ in the human body, is what senses the decrease in blood sugar and makes the switch over to ketosis. Yet I have found after taking over 5,000 people through a ketogenic protocol that the number one reason they struggle to shift into ketosis is a sluggish, backed-up liver. If your liver is congested and not performing at its best, you may struggle to make the switch yourself. Be sure to minimize habits that impair the liver, like drug and alcohol use.
A healthy liver is key for success when it comes to metabolic freedom. Eating the bitter-rich foods I outlined for you on page 92 will help, and here are my favorite liver hacks:
Removing toxins from your environment and diet is a powerful way to support liver health. The organ’s primary role is to filter and eliminate toxins from the body, so reducing exposure to harmful substances can ease its workload and enhance its function. This includes avoiding processed foods, limiting alcohol, choosing organic produce, and using natural cleaning and personal care products. The big toxins are the heavy metals found in large fish and silver amalgam fillings: these destroy mitochondrial health and severely impact the liver’s function.
Supporting the adrenal glands is key for blood sugar regulation and achieving ketosis, as these glands produce hormones like cortisol that influence blood sugar levels. Chronic stress can overwork the adrenals, leading to imbalances that make it harder to stabilize blood sugar and enter ketosis. To support adrenal health, focus on stress management with practices like meditation and grounding, adequate sleep, and a diet rich in nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins. Remember to get your daily dose of vitamin G (gratitude), as this automatically lowers cortisol levels.
Many people considering fasting worry that they’ll feel hungry during their fasting window. In fact, this is one of the most common concerns raised on my YouTube channel. The good news is that once you’ve completed the fat adaptation phase (days 1 to 6), fasting becomes much easier. Without fat adaptation, hunger can indeed be a challenge, as your body and brain have been relying on glucose for energy for years.
If you start fasting as a sugar burner, your brain’s glucose levels will begin to drop, causing it to panic and send intense hunger signals, urging you to seek food, especially quick sources of energy like processed carbs. This hunger is real and can seriously disrupt your fasting efforts.
However, when you’re fat-adapted, as glucose levels drop, your brain seamlessly switches to using circulating ketones for energy. These ketones signal to your brain, “You’re fine; use me as an energy source.” Ketones have been shown to curb cravings and keep hunger at bay.
Now, if you’re fat-adapted and still experience hunger during a fast, there are strategies you can use. First, it’s important to understand that the hunger hormone ghrelin, like other hormones, is pulsatile—it spikes and then subsides like a wave. If you think of hunger as a wave, you can be sure that it will eventually pass. To make these hunger waves smaller and less frequent, keep yourself busy. Many people snack out of boredom, seeking a dopamine hit from food. Snacking often becomes an emotional event. Staying occupied with a task can help you ride out the hunger wave, and by the time you’re done, the wave may have already diminished. For me, I find that a 10- to 15-minute walk works wonders for this.
Another potential cause of hunger during fasting is a loss of key minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium. This can trigger hunger signals because your body associates such deficiencies with a need for more nutrients. Sodium in particular plays a crucial role in fluid balance and nerve function, so when levels drop, the body might mistakenly signal hunger to restore balance. To prevent this, I recommend taking electrolytes during your fast. My personal favorites are Beam Minerals, Redmond, and Keto Chow.
If you’ve tried the first two tips and you’re still feeling hungry, there’s another great option: consuming healthy fats during your fasting window. Healthy fats can calm hunger and provide satiety without spiking glucose or significantly raising insulin levels, so you remain in a fasted state. A tablespoon of coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or olive oil can be a great fasting snack. You can take them raw by the spoonful or add them to your coffee or tea during your fast.
When making dietary changes for the first time, it’s common to experience symptoms, similar to how you might feel muscle soreness after working out for the first time in years. The most common symptoms when transitioning to fat adaptation and ketosis can include rashes, muscle aches, headaches, constipation, and fatigue. These symptoms, known as the “keto flu,” are often due to a loss of electrolytes. To prevent this, drink the keto cocktail on page 179 and maintain your electrolyte levels by incorporating them into your daily routine. The gradual decrease in carbohydrates during the fat adaptation phase (days 1 to 6) helps your body adjust to the changes, significantly reducing or even preventing symptoms altogether.
If you followed the steps as outlined and are still experiencing detox symptoms, I recommend three things. First, remember that this is your journey, and you should go at your own pace. While I provide the exact steps to achieve metabolic freedom within 30 days, it’s perfectly okay if you need more time. If you choose to spend additional time in any of the four phases, I fully support your decision.
Second, make sure that your downstream detox pathways are open, so toxins can effectively move through your body. These pathways include your liver, kidneys, gut, lymphatic system, and skin. As you become an efficient fat burner, your metabolism will tap into stored body fat for energy. For some people who have stored a significant amount of toxins in their fat, this can trigger detox symptoms. When your body detoxifies, it must push these toxins through one of the pathways mentioned.
There are several ways to open your detox pathways, and here are my favorite methods:
The third and final tip is to incorporate strong binders, such as zeolite or activated charcoal, into your detox regimen. Zeolite, with its unique crystalline structure and negative charge, helps draw out positively charged toxins like heavy metals and environmental pollutants from your cells, supporting systemic detoxification. Activated charcoal, on the other hand, remains in the gut, acting like a sponge to trap and hold toxins, preventing their reabsorption into the bloodstream. Together, these binders work synergistically to facilitate toxin removal from your body, ensuring they are safely and effectively excreted. My top choice for zeolite is CytoDetox by 180° Solutions, and for binders, I recommend Gut CLR™ from Cellular Solutions.
As you progress through your 30-day reset, your cells will continuously regenerate, becoming healthier. During this process, unhealthy cells may release toxins as they undergo autophagy, and binders play a crucial role in capturing these toxins and ensuring that they are safely eliminated from your body.
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As you get ready to embark upon your 30-day reset, there’s one thing I want you to remember: It’s your race, your pace. Don’t beat yourself up for making a mistake or slipping one day. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. This is just your paradigm trying to course-correct, and you may want to focus on those affirmations for help. If you feel like sticking with a certain phase longer than the way it’s laid out for you, that’s totally fine. This should be fun!
Pay close attention to the many positive changes that will happen during this reset. If you get stuck or feel discouraged, lean in to your community and find those chargers in your life to root for you. Go into this reset believing you can do this and that you will achieve great results. If you lack this belief because of your old conditioning (paradigms), then borrow my belief in you until you develop it for yourself. I’m here on the sidelines rooting for you!