Low Carb Denver 2020 Interviews – Richard Morris and Sharon Fast

Richard Morris began his journey to health in 2003 when he gave up smoking under his doctors' supervision (using drugs). He compensated by eating more and gaining weight. Doctors told Richard his triglycerides were getting high and so he should diet.

Richard started drinking SlimFast nutritionally complete meal replacements. At his next blood test he found out he was pre-diabetic and was referred to an internist who got him on metformin and statins. His glycemic control worsened. So, they upped the drugs. His blood pressure started marching north, so he reduced all salt in his diet.

Shortly after, Richard discovered the Atkins low carb high protein diet. This was in 2005, the height of the first low carb diet craze and after 3 months of Atkins, Richard's blood glucose was normal, his lipids were normal and his blood pressure had normalised. Considering himself cured, Richard returned to a traditional diet.

Fast forward 10 years. Richard now had a personal trainer working him ragged for 3 x 30 minutes every week. He was cycling 100km a week, and his diet had become full of hand made pastas, pizzas with homemade mozzarella and lot's of meals with whole grains and pulses.

But Richard had put on a lot of weight, almost as much as he had when he was sick in 2003. To make matters worse, he had developed a persistent toe infection. Eventually it was so bad that he took it to the ER, and they told him it was so badly infected that he may have to lose it, and by the way did he know he was a full on type 2 diabetic?

Defeated, he went back onto diabetes drugs (Metformin, Statins, BP meds), and saved the toe, but he slowly got sicker and sicker. Rather than getting depressed he studied everything he could about nutritional ketosis and the ketogenic diet.

After 5 months Richard was no longer diabetic by any measure known to modern pathology. He went from having a disease that is, according to medicine, only ever progressive and not curable – to being asymptomatic. His HbA1c was 5.2% and he now exercises less, and is healthier than ever.

In February, 2016 Carl Franklin approached Richard about doing a podcast called '2 Keto Dudes' to provide information, links to the studies supporting the ketogenic diet, and of course recipes. Their combined knowledge and sense of humour has made the podcasting duo extremely popular. For more information visit;

Sharon Fast is a registered dietitian who focuses on empowering individuals to live a healthier lifestyle, and meet their nutrition and body composition goals. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and is a level 2 certified Metabolic Efficiency Training Specialist. She is also a member of both Dietitians of Canada and the College of Dietitians of British Columbia.

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