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From the Townsend Letter
June 2015

Insulin Resistance: The Unintended Consequence of Fat Phobia and the Case for Ketosis
by Sara Wood, ND
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Call to Action
Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, once said: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." The successful removal of incendiary foods or repletion of essential missing nutrients are among the least expensive, longest lasting, and most empowering treatments for insulin resistance and blood sugar dysregulation. The current epidemic of diabetes is in large part a consequence of the misinformation and institutionalized fear of dietary fats that has been propagated over the past 40 years due to a handful of inaccurate studies.9 Furthermore, the confusion between the terms ketosis and ketoacidosis has incorrectly led many physicians and patients to fear the restriction of carbohydrates. There have been many published studies debunking the connection of dietary fat to weight gain and heart disease, and touting the metabolic benefits of a ketogenic diet; however, there is a notorious lag in the time that it takes for ideas supported by research to be implemented into medical practice, making this is an important opportunity for physicians and health-care practitioners to educate patients.58-61 Additionally, there is tremendous need for revision of current dietary recommendations to reflect what clinical research has proved: dietary fat is not the enemy. It's time to put down the skim milk and embrace the bacon fat.

Notes
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Sara Wood, NDDr. Wood grew up in Colorado and obtained her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Colorado College. An enthusiasm for science but a passion for people led her to medicine, and a desire to treat the cause of disease, not just the symptoms, led her to naturopathy. After completing her doctorate at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Wood stayed in Oregon and has a private practice focused on endocrine imbalance, digestive dysfunction, immune support, and cardiovascular health.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Wood is a staff physician with Labrix Clinical Services Inc., where she educates physicians and health care providers around the country about hormonal balancing through development of educational materials, contributions to a webinar series, and lectures at local and national conferences. In 2008 she coauthored a book on andropause titled His Change of Life: Male Menopause and Healthy Aging with Testosterone.

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