News Flash: Many of our sacred beliefs about how to eat right are wrong. It's actually easier than anyone believes. A ketogenic diet is low-carb, moderate-protein and HIGH FAT. That's right. I lost 80 pounds by eating butter, lard, cheese, bacon, and fatty meats. Not only that, I reversed type 2 diabetes and my lipid profile corrected itself. I have no sign of heart disease, hypertension, fatigue, inflammation, or any of that. I feel great, and I'm healthier than I've ever been. How can this be?

The first thing you need to know is that eating less and moving more is NOT the answer. It's not your fault that you're always tired and hungry. You have been told the way to get healthy is to limit your calories and work out. That only makes you more tired and hungry. The secret is replacing carbohydrates with healthy fats in your diet. There are ways to do this that are not only delicious, but will kill your cravings. But, before you take the plunge, let me show you the science, some of which will most likely will turn your nutritional thinking on its head.

Real randomized controlled trials, reviews of existing trials, and observational studies have only recently confirmed what Dr. Robert Atkins knew in the 70's: excessive carbohydrate consumption leading to chronic high insulin levels is the major contributor to our epidemic of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The ketogenic diet has been proven safe and effective for reversing these conditions, and best of all: bacon! It turns out eating "keto" is not only delicious, but it takes away constant cravings, and restores the vitality and mental clarity you've been missing. I have nothing to sell. I'm just a dude who did the research and learned how to undo years of ill-health, obesity, and a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. I have dedicated the second half of my life to helping others understand the science and successfully transform themselves as I did. I'm not a doctor. I won't give you medical advice. But, I will show you the science, share my experiences, and expose you to a world of other people who are fixing themselves in the same way.

In late November, 2016, I started the New London County Ketogenic Support Group for type 2 diabetics and anyone else on the spectrum of metabolic syndrome, and put up a website to gather interest. You can read the rest of my story there, and please. If you are in the New London area and want to be a part of the support group, sign up.

In February, 2016, two weeks after starting a ketogenic diet, I started a podcast with Richard Morris - a friend in Australia - called 2 Keto Dudes to track my progress and continuously learn (and share) all we have learned. Richard reversed his T2D and lost 80 pounds using this technique only two years before. A bunch of resources were spurned by the podcast. Our blog at http://blogs.2keto.com, a booklet explaining the ketogenic diet at http://booklet.2keto.com, a Facebook group at http://fb.2keto.com, and a recipe archive at http://recipes.2keto.com.

Even after growing our Facebook group to nearly 10,000 members and getting nearly 100,000 downloads of our most popular podcast episode, I still feel the need to get the word out in my local area. That's why I created this meetup. Jeanne Sigel from the Garde Arts Center has graciously allowed us to use the Garde Gallery, at the corner of State and Meridian street in New London, for our meeting space. Jeanne and husband Steve - who oversee the operation of the theater - have both transformed themselves with a ketogenic diet, and they both look years younger!

In these meetups I will share everything I've learned in the last year, point you to good resources, and steer you away from distractions. There's a lot of noise and half-truths. Some of them are actually true but don't apply to metabolically deranged people like us. That said, there is always new information coming out, and we all need a place to discuss it.

Hope to see you there!

Carl Franklin

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