“I think the most crucial principle is that you don’t lose weight to get healthy; you have to get healthy to lose weight.”
Dr. Eric Berg DC serves as a guiding influence in a world inundated with health trends and wellness fads. With a background in chiropractic care and a passion for holistic health, Dr. Berg’s journey into the field of health and nutrition is deeply rooted in personal experience and professional expertise.
Having faced his own physical challenges, including chronic fatigue and arthritis, Dr. Berg took off on a quest to discover effective solutions beyond conventional approaches. Through dedicated study and relentless curiosity, he uncovered the transformative power of the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, sparking a pattern shift in his approach to wellness.
As we go through this voyage alongside Dr. Berg, we gain insight into the core principles that underpin his holistic philosophy. From the importance of nutrient-dense, whole foods to the benefits of intermittent fasting in promoting metabolic health, Dr. Berg’s teachings offer practical guidance for individuals seeking vitality and longevity.
With each challenge encountered along the way, Dr. Berg’s journey stands as a powerful example of the human spirit’s resilience and the remarkable potential for profound transformation in the quest for optimal health.
Name: Dr. Eric Berg
Company: Dr. Berg Nutritionals, Inc
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Table of Contents
Can You Share With Us The Journey Into The Field Of Health And Nutrition And What Inspired You To Specialize In Ketogenic Diets?
Dr. Eric Berg: First of all, I practiced for a long time, trying all sorts of diets that would work for a patient. However, it didn’t work, and it was frustrating. So, I began thinking outside the box. Personally, I had many physical problems, not just like a pizza crust around my waist, but also fatigue, arthritis, and various other issues.
Chronic fatigue was the most significant problem, and I couldn’t sleep. Then, one day, I found a book called “Mastering the Zone” by Barry Sears. I just read the introduction that talked about insulin.
The text mentioned that if you eat carbs, your insulin levels go up, leading to potential health problems. This made me ponder, “Why did I miss this in school?” The next day, instead of having cereal for breakfast, I opted for a buffalo burger.
The impact was remarkable—I felt great, as if someone had taken a helmet off my head. That was the start of a major breakthrough. Before, I was just trying to solve my physical problems with vitamins.
Maybe I needed to take another vitamin to get my energy back, but I really didn’t know much about true health until that point. It all turned around because I felt significantly different, prompting me to do a deep dive into nutrition, going hardcore into the subject.
When I finished work, I studied until bedtime, and the same routine continued on weekends.
This kept going on and on, making me wonder about people with different body shapes. I thought about the connection between body shapes, like men with potbellies and others who seemed more active. So, I started looking if there’s anything related to that.
I did find something very interesting. I discovered there were four categories you can put people in, which is more of a problem with the liver versus the thyroid versus the ovary versus the adrenal. So that’s what developed the four body types. But then after doing that for a while, I noticed that every time I would put people on a low-carb diet, they would just always do so much better. And so that’s where I really started going deeper into the ketogenic diet.
If you look at my original book, I was recommending apples and snacks like nuts, and that was not a good idea. I changed that and upgraded my book. That was when I started getting into keto at that point.
Your Book “the Healthy Keto Plan” Has Gained Significant Attention. Can You Tell Us About The Central Principles Or Key Insights You Offer In This Book?
Dr. Eric Berg: I think the most crucial principle is that you don’t lose weight to get healthy; you have to get healthy to lose weight. If people don’t understand that concept, they might try to lose weight in an unhealthy way and not really get the results. But if you focus on getting healthy, hormonally, then the weight will come off as a byproduct of getting healthy.
I had a patient, she was probably 22, she was over 300 pounds. And she did my program. In the first month, she lost no weight. I was really mortified. I felt so sorry for her. I said, “I’m so sorry.” She goes, “No, it’s okay. I feel really good.” She wants to keep going. Second month, she lost, I think it was like 27 pounds. Just like it started coming off like crazy.
And that’s when the light bulb went off with that whole principle. You have to get healthy before you lose weight. That’s what really changed everything. It’s a simple foundational thing, but think about how people try to lose weight in very unhealthy ways. It rebounds on them. So that’s one principle from this book. There are other principles in this book that have to do with body types.
There’s a quiz you take to find out your body type. Now, you don’t have to follow the body types, but what I suggest is, for two weeks, stick to the regular plan, which is Healthy Keto.
If you’re not satisfied with your results, then you can transition to the body type plan based on your quiz. You might need to adjust the diet a bit more for your thyroid, adrenal, or liver. That’s essentially what the book is about, along with many other details explaining what it means and how to implement it.
How Do You Approach The Concept Of “Healthy” Within The Context Of A Ketogenic Diet, And What Are Some Common Misconceptions You Aim To Address?
Dr. Eric Berg: As there’s no real definition of keto other than being low carb, it’s possible to include the worst types of fats, like seed oils and trans fats, and still be considered on keto.
To address this, I’ve coined the term “Healthy Keto.” This implies consuming higher-quality ingredients and better nutrients. So, not only is it about being low-carb, moderate protein, and higher fat, but also incorporating much healthier food choices.
When you lose weight on this approach, you not only feel better but also look better. For instance, in hospitals, when treating epilepsy in children, they may recommend the ketogenic diet, known as the classical ketogenic diet.
However, upon examination, this diet is very unhealthy, involving powdered protein mixed with whipped cream and other unhealthy components.
Looking at various keto products online, including those from the Atkins diet, it becomes evident that many of them contain ingredients similar to junk food.
There’s as much processed food in the keto industry as there is in the vegan industry with fake meats and hidden ingredients like soy protein isolates. The goal is to adhere to the ketogenic diet using real, whole, and nutritious foods.
One common misconception is that people may only sometimes prioritize doing it in a healthy way, assuming that going low-carb is more critical. However, doing it in a healthy way is equally important.
Intermittent Fasting Is A Topic You Often Discuss. Can You Explain The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting And How It Can Im- Prove Overall Health?
Dr. Eric Berg: Intermittent fasting is more important than the ketogenic diet. If you’re doing the ketogenic diet, yet you’re eating every hour and a half, you probably won’t lose any weight. With intermittent fasting, it’s a double punch because you’re not only going low-carb, reducing insulin, but you are also not eating so frequently because every time you eat, you trigger insulin. So, just the fact that you’re not eating frequently reduces insulin significantly. You’re matching what your body has been designed to do, which is to go for periods of time without eating.
That’s a very natural thing. It’s a bit of a head game initially because you have to pretend that there’s no food around when there is food available. That might be the hard part initially, but as soon as you go on the ketogenic diet and your appetite goes away, it’s a lot easier. But in the beginning, you have to use self-discipline.
But very soon, it’ll be easier. You skip breakfast, have lunch, and dinner, and no snacks, right? And you do that for a while. That’s going to help you tremendously lose weight. Then what you want to do is take your lunch and your dinner and start pushing them closer together so you have a late lunch or early dinner. Now we have a longer fast, shorter eating windows, they call it. It’s to the point where it’s like 20 hours of fasting and a four-hour eating window.
A lot of people over the age of 50, because they have a very slow metabolism, eat one meal a day. It’s not hard. You’re not trying to cut calories, but you’re just having that one meal a day. And that’s plenty of food. And that’s when people really lose a lot of weight. I have a private Facebook group; it’s called the Keto Lab, and we have 280,000 people in there who are doing it. It really works.
With The Rise Of Fad Diets And Trendy Wellness Practices, How Do You Help People Navigate Through The Noise And Focus On Sustainable, Evidence-based Strategies?
Dr. Eric Berg: I have a unique advantage because of my experience in practice, working in this field. I had the opportunity to really test everything out. I’m extremely creative, and I’ve tried everything, encountering many dead ends. I’ve probably faced more failures than anyone you could imagine. I don’t have fixed ideas about how things should be.
If something else works, I will change very quickly. That’s been helpful because it allows me to be open-minded about trying and discovering things that really work. Now, I have the advantage of focusing on creating videos. The rest of the day, I can basically concentrate on researching.
My wife says, “Don’t you ever like to read for fun?” I respond, “This is fun for me.” I read textbooks, medical physiology books; this is what I enjoy. Many people don’t have that hobby, so it allows me to spend a lot of time looking at the subject of health and dissecting it in many different ways.
That way, when someone has a problem, I’ve likely come across it. Take niacinamide, for example. You might not have heard of it; it’s a type of B vitamin, B3.
Out of all the things that can help with deep delta wave sleep, also known as non-REM sleep, which is the first deep sleep you get, niacinamide is hands down the most potent thing to put you into that deep sleep. People aren’t aware of that.
Niacinamide is not normally known for that, but through my research, I found that piece. So, I have many such insights that I share with people. They try it out, it works. This is how I developed a large following. They trust me because I’m helping them, and then they listen to me. I have a lot of solutions based on both experience and my own research.
As A Communicator On Youtube, You’ve Mentioned In Other Interviews That You Receive A Lot Of Hate And Trolling Which Is Obviously Harmful To Mental Health. How Do You Handle This?
Dr. Eric Berg: With all our channels, having 28 million subscribers, the percentage of trolls and haters is higher, so it’s more magnified. However, it doesn’t bother me anymore; I don’t focus on it. My primary focus is on helping people more, turning up the volume to assist more individuals.
We’ve accumulated almost 8,000 success stories on my website. For me to dwell on some hater trying to make me think that I’m doing something bad is ridiculous. Regardless of what you do, no matter how much you help, you’re going to have haters; it’s just part of life. You’re going to have trolls. I would bet you anything Mother Teresa probably had at least one hater.
You can’t please everyone. What’s interesting about some of these videos is that even dieticians who do anti-Dr. Berg videos have comments from my patients sticking up for me. It’s really great that I have a lot of followers who support me when people hate me.
Honestly, at this point, I don’t think I see a lot of the haters. I read the comments, but I don’t see them as much anymore. I don’t know if they got bored and went somewhere else to hate on someone else, but I don’t see them nearly as much as I used to in the beginning.
What Role Do You Believe Supplementation Plays In Supporting Overall Health, And Are There Specific Supplements You Recommend For General Well-being?
Dr. Eric Berg: Vitamin D is challenging to obtain. So, yes, electrolytes, B vitamins—these are two categories I think everyone should be taking, especially if you’re on a ketogenic diet. Trace minerals are another essential category because it’s difficult to get them from food unless you’re consuming shellfish, organ meats, or engaging in nose-to-tail eating, incorporating collagen-type products.
Many people primarily consume meat, neglecting components like the skin on chicken, bones, cartilage, or connective tissue, leading to deficiencies. Collagen is crucial for hair, nails, and skin, and sea salt is an important nutrient too. I do recommend more supplements if your diet lacks nutrient density, right?
How Do You Stay Updated With The Latest Research And Developments In The Field Of Health And Wellness?
Dr. Eric Berg: That’s my specialty; I’m all over this topic. I’ve delved deep into every aspect of health. I invest a considerable amount of time into it. People often ask, “How do you know about all these different topics, even down to the mitochondria and various remedies?” It’s simply because I’m genuinely interested in it. I study extensively, possess numerous textbooks, and engage in it for fun and enjoyment. I’ve dedicated a significant amount of time to it. It’s become a part of me. During my live shows on Friday, when people ask me questions, I usually have some type of remedy or solution that they may not find elsewhere. The data I have is not readily available on Google because they mostly present medical information now, censoring alternatives.What Are Your Thoughts On The Role Of Mindset And Psychology In Achieving Health And Weight Loss Goals?
Dr. Eric Berg: I believe most people are genuinely desperate, much like I was. I had to hit rock bottom before I made a change. I constantly try to motivate people to listen, learn from the mistakes of others, and take cues from friends and family to avoid making the same errors.
In one of my summits with a thousand people, when asked how many got into this due to personal health issues, nearly a hundred percent raised their hands.
Typically, it’s tied to a specific problem individuals face, whether it’s an inflammatory condition, weight gain, aging, or hair loss. The mindset revolves around questions like, “Do you want to fix your problem?”, “Are you open to trying alternative approaches?”, “Are you willing to explore options outside the medical profession?”.
People are becoming less inclined to follow traditional medical approaches because they are symptom-based, merely treating the symptoms and often resulting in side effects. There’s a growing interest in alternatives. I believe the mindset has to be one of willingness; I only assist those who are open and willing— that’s the only criterion.
How Do You Envision The Future Of Ketogenic Diets Evolving, And What Impact Do You Hope To Have Through Your Work In This Area?
Dr. Eric Berg: Currently, we are in the process of creating the “Truth About Keto” book, collaborating with various keto influencers to ensure widespread dissemination. This effort is crucial due to an active disinformation campaign aiming to tarnish the reputation of keto.
False claims suggesting that keto is dangerous and causes heart problems and diabetes are circulating in the news. Much of this misinformation is fabricated, driven by the fact that keto challenges significant industries like carbs, sugar, and junk food.
Our goal is to counteract this disinformation because, as I encountered while driving in a cab, individuals hesitate to try a ketogenic diet due to safety concerns. I assured him that it’s a safe diet, the safest one out there.
Once people experience the positive changes on a ketogenic diet, it becomes challenging for them to revert to their previous eating habits.The challenge lies in the pervasive influence of the junk food industry.
Over time, our aim is to expand our impact and help more people adopt the ketogenic diet, even if they can’t make all the changes at once. Encouraging small steps, like eliminating the most harmful items and opting for whole foods, is a meaningful progression. Notably, 83% of all calories in grocery stores are categorized as ultra-processed foods, a rebranding of what was once known as junk food.
These ultra-processed foods lack the vitality found in whole, unaltered foods and often contain synthetic starches, sugars, and seed oils. Despite having a long shelf life, they lack the life-giving properties of fresh, unprocessed foods. My philosophy centers around consuming live, whole foods that are minimally altered. If we can encourage people to take that step, it aligns with one of my primary goals in promoting health and well-being.
What Advice Do You Have For Individuals Who Are Interested In Adopting A Ketogenic Lifestyle But May Be Concerned About Potential Risks Or Challenges?
Dr. Eric Berg: The potential risks and challenges are often exaggerated, often relying on observational studies. For instance, questionnaire studies ask about your dietary habits over the last year, selecting foods that mimic or are similar to the ketogenic diet. These studies tend to overlook other factors like smoking or the consumption of junk foods, sometimes focusing on specific elements like red meat.
Observational studies, primarily questionnaire-based, were never intended to establish causation but rather to develop hypotheses or theories. Clinical trials are more suitable for causal relationships, but conducting them in the nutrition field proves challenging due to numerous variables and difficulties in maintaining consistency.
The only potential negative aspect is engaging in an unhealthy version of the ketogenic lifestyle. If you follow the healthy version, ensuring adequate intake of electrolytes, trace minerals, B vitamins, and sea salt, you should be fine. The real danger lies in not adopting a ketogenic lifestyle and continuing to consume other, less healthy foods.
Having worked with hundreds of thousands of people over an extended period, I haven’t witnessed many of the alleged side effects, such as keto crotch, keto flu, or keto rash. Much of this information seems exaggerated, perhaps designed to instill doubt in people’s minds.
Finally, What Projects Or Initiatives Are You Currently Working On, And What Can We Expect From You In The Future In Terms Of Helping People Achieve Better Health And Wellness?
Dr. Eric Berg: Currently, I’m living on a farm and studying soil physiology. We have a greenhouse, and we’re setting up a bigger one, 80,000 square feet, because I plan to grow my own ingredients for products and cultivate salad in the winter using real soil, not hydroponics. I’m also keenly interested in our food supply, especially supporting the benefits of red meat, which they’re trying to discourage, right?
Real food growing on real soil. I support the farmer, attending their conventions, and experimenting on my farm with alternative feeds. I send the meat from my farm, including eggs, pork, and beef, to the lab for testing to check nutrition levels.
We can then show people that if you feed this animal this, you’ll get these benefits, especially with the omega-3 and omega-6 ratios. Another project I’m involved in is a new technology called metabolomics. It’s the future of medicine.
When people go to the doctor, they get a blood test checking a few things like LDL, blood glucose, and such. Metabolomics, on the other hand, looks at 3000 things, delving deeper into tissues and biochemistry to provide a visual representation of what’s really happening behind some of these health problems.
If I can visualize your biochemistry and examine the whole sequence, the factory of your body, I can pinpoint exactly what problem a person is having without comparing them to anyone else, like in a study. You can do a test, track changes over time, alter the diet, and observe changes in biochemistry.
It provides a visual of biochemistry and is called metabolomics. I’m excited about it and working with someone to expand this, getting more doctors and other healthcare practitioners trained in it.
When you go to a doctor, wouldn’t you want someone who did a thorough evaluation, considered everything, and really figured out the cause of your problem, rather than just prescribing a calcium channel blocker or a diuretic to manage symptoms, telling you to go home and come back in six months?
That’s not healthcare. Our goal is to introduce a foundational basic eating plan, emphasizing one of the most important things for people to start with – the diet. Unfortunately, this is often downplayed in medicine. This is our big mission in medicine – to change the system through a grassroots campaign, teaching people about the basics of health.
This, in turn, will compel doctors to explore different approaches. We aim to shift the trend in the market because doctors and companies follow the market. We’re essentially creating a trend to teach people how to take charge of their health and not be dependent on external factors. So, that’s our goal.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to WellnessVoice and the host of this interview would like to thank Dr. Eric Berg for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Dr. Eric Berg or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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