ketoCONTINUUM Consistently Keto For Life

ketoCONTINUUM

ketoCONTINUUM

Consistently Keto for Life

Annette Bosworth, M.D.

Dr. Boz®

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The information presented in this book is the result of years of practice experience. The information in this book is general in nature and not a substitute for an evaluation and advice by a competent medical specialist. The content provided is for educational purposes and does not take the place of the doctor-patient relationship. Every effort has been made to ensure that the content provided is accurate, helpful and understandable. However, this is not an exhaustive coverage of the subject. No liability is assumed. You are responsible for your own health.

The stories in this book are based on true stories. They were told in truth with the exception of their names and circumstances to protect their anonymity.

eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-7361661-1-6

MeTone Life, LLC

ISBN-10: 1-7361661-1-5

LCCN: 2020922990

Copyright © 2021 by Annette Bosworth, M.D.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, MeTone Life, LLC.

For permission requests, write to the publisher,

Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at

[email protected]

Published in the United States by MeTone Life, LLC

3204 Madelyn Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57106

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my dad, Richard C. Bosworth

[March 21, 1943 - June 7, 2020]

Dad, thanks for teaching me leadership. You prayed for a boy and instead got a strong-willed girl. I needed no help learning how to push myself and work hard— a natural bulldozer. You taught me that leaders win when they Pause and observe. Thank you for showing me when to hold back, and when to use my grit—that everything is teachable if you create the right attitude. Thank you for the memory of every hog-chore that kept me studying when I wanted to quit.

Your teachable moments forged courageous, faith-filled children. Your strength lives on in us.

Your kids,

Ann, Jess, & Peg

Praise for  ketoCONTINUUM



Angela Earnheart: Follower of Dr Boz who is now Dr Boz’s Project Manager - aka Angel from God

Great book! I wish I'd read this book before starting my keto journey. I’ve lost over 145 pounds following Dr. Boz and using a ketogenic diet. However, I had several stalls and multiple mistakes that wouldn’t have happened if I’d had this book. Not only does Dr. Boz provide all the steps to achieve ketosis, she explains how to recover from plateauing in weight loss. I doubt that I could have ever achieved my goals without the knowledge contained in this book! It provides all of the Do’s and Don’ts for a ketogenic lifestyle in a story format that keeps you entertained as you learn all things keto.

Patrick Vassar: Age 63 Associate Industrial Engineer

ketoCONTINUUM swept me into a story teaching about healing a man's broken brain and body. Dr Bosworth used David's story to teach about how keto chemistry healed him, but his story was as if I was reading about me. His story was hauntingly familiar-- I could not put it down. This amazingly detailed, yet very understandable, science-based road map is exactly what I needed. It’s like having a personal coach to guide me to my best health and well being, just like David. This step by step guide is a prize for those new to Keto and those with years of living it day to day.

John G. Johnson: Age 51. Writer

I had the opportunity to pre-read ketoCONTINUUM. Think of it as the sequel to Dr. Boz's runaway bestseller, ANYWAY YOU CAN, which I also read and practiced what was taught within. Yes, I benefited—tremendously! As strange as this seems, there was a downside to my success—Questions. Yes. Questions arose that I wanted answers to. For example, 'where do I go from here after benefitting from the recommended steps in Anyway You Can?' and 'How do I go deeper to maintain what Dr. Boz skillfully argues is not a diet, but a lifestyle, an attitude, a chemistry set coursing through one's veins'? Thankfully, ketoCONTINUUM answered those questions—and answers so much more. Dr. Boz's new book is the next step in one's ketogenic-evolution. This book, without a doubt, will provoke the reader to change.

Lecersia Clark: Age 57. Fortune 500 Aerospace Engineering Director (Retired)

I’ve started reading several keto books that I never finished, this one I read TO THE END. I even read the appendix TWICE. This book is for anyone who wants more energy and better health, regardless of whether or not weight loss is your goal!  Dr. Boz’s writing style will keep your attention while she shares her expertise from over 20 years of internal medicine as she applies it to one of her patients. She relates the adventures of David, who initially stumbles in his keto journey. You will cheer him on as he learns how to reject a typical, unhealthy American lifestyle and transforms into an energetic, confident, and happier man.  Dr. Boz provides the science behind changing your body chemistry to remove fat, lower inflammation, increase energy, and improve your health. David’s trials and successes keep you reading to find out how he does it. Above all, she convincingly showed me the tools I needed to improve my health. I hope someday I get to meet her and personally thank her for this gift of education.

ANONYMOUS YOUTUBE COMMENT:

Dr Boz, Thank you for for teaching this stuff. Briefly, I had a torn meniscus which was causing me a lot of pain and after trying to deal with it I finally went to see my orthopedic. First thing he said upon entering room was that I needed a knee replacement possibly both knee — to which I replied, That is not happening. I went to my GP. He told me to start a keto lifestyle and told me to order your book, ANYWAY YOU CAN. He said to read that book before I began. Within 3 weeks the pain in my knee was gone and so was any arthritis. I began in Feb 2020 and am so grateful for the information you have taught me

God invented man because he loves stories.

Hasidic Saying

Table Of Contents

ketoCONTINUUM

Consistently Keto for Life

Dedication

Praise for  ketoCONTINUUM

PREFACE

PART ONE

Chapter 1  David

Chapter 2  Why Should You Care

There are two ways to lose weight:

Two patients embark on losing weight.

Chapter 3  Write Down Your WHY

Motivation for Improved Health

David’s WHY

Find your WHY.

Chapter 4  Form Your Tribe

Have you ever created a support group?

The Opposite of Addiction is Not Sobriety: It’s COMMUNITY

5 Steps to Form Your Group

1. Post signup at work, worship, or social media

2. Weekly meetings

3. No food at keto group

4. Top tips for a successful meeting

5. Revisit your WHY

Chapter 5  Throw Away The Pine Needles

Fuel Fast & Short - CARBS

Fuel Slow & Long - FAT

Fuel Medium & Moderate - PROTEIN

Throw Away The Pine Needles:

Grandma Rose's Apocalyptic Pantry

How do you know which food to throw away?

Chapter 6  Insulin Is King

Rule #1:  Ketosis Can’t Begin if Excess Blood Sugar is Present

Rule #2: Ketosis Can’t Begin with High Insulin

Rule #3: Eat Fat to Burn Fat

Rule #4: Measure Ketones

FATTENING FOOD: Eat these to add fat to your body

WEIGHT LOSS FOOD: Eat these for fat loss

ALLERGIC TO EGGS

Chapter 7  Show Me Your Mitochondria

Healthy Mitochondria Use FLEX Fuel

Liver Mitochondria

From Failure to Keto-Adapted

David’s Mitochondria Flexed

Chapter 8  Before You Start

MUST HAVES

PeeTone Strips

Cronometer Application

Keto Food Guide

A Dozen Eggs

Lima Bean Story

SHOULD HAVES

BHB [Beta HydroxyButyrate]

MCT C8:C10

200 Club

Doctor Club

#1 If you take blood pressure medications, see your doctor before starting keto.

#2 If you have less than 25% of your kidney function, see your doctor before starting the keto diet.

#3 If you take Coumadin, see your doctor before starting a keto diet.

#4 If you take a diuretic prescription— commonly known as a pee pill, see your doctor before starting the keto diet.

#5 If you inject insulin on a daily basis, see your doctor before starting the keto menu.

#6 If you drink alcohol daily, beware.

If you matched any of the 6, STOP.

If you’re in the 200 Club, SLOW DOWN.

MEASUREMENTS THAT MATTER:

Carbs Consumed in 24 Hours

Weight & Height

Waistline

Neck Circumference

Shin-Thumb Print

Chapter 9  David’s Day 1

Step 1: No sugar. No starch. High fat.

Step 2: Twenty. 20.

Step 3: Pee on a PeeTone stick

Step 4: Grocery Shop

The Paradox of Choice

Grocery List

Other General Rules to Follow

No Sweet Drinks

Fix Chemistry before Calories

Only Fat

Chapter 10  Day 2: Pink PeeTones

What is glycogen?

How long does glycogen last?

Shift Your Chemistry:

Energy Used:

Muscle Mass:

Liver Mass:

Did you empty your liver last night?

Day 2 is the Toughest

What if your PeeTone Strip is not Pink by Day 2?

Chapter 11  The Price of Fat & Not-So-Happy

Organ Analysis

Lungs

Heart

Liver

Tummy

Kidney

Skeletal Muscle

Keto-Chemistry versus Standard Diet Chemistry

Energy

Oxygen

Vitamins

Anti-Oxidants

Digestive Enzymes & Food Volume

Water Needs

Chapter 12  Day 3 Pray For Pink

Document Your Drop in Insulin

Breakfast

Lunch

Snack

PeeTone Strips Prevent Frustration

Keto Flu

Salt, Salty Water, & Speed

Salt

Drink Salty Water

Speed

200 CLUB: Let’s Start Again

1) Drink Ketones-In-A-Can.

2) No Carbs in Drinks.

3) No White Stuff.

High Blood Pressure Medications

Here are the rules I tell my patients:

Prevent This.

Chapter 13  Day 4  Oh Poop!

Poop Problems

Bowels: TOO HARD [Constipation]

Chia Seeds to the Rescue

Try Milk of Magnesia

Bowels: TOO LEAKY [Diarrhea]

Small Bowel Overgrowth

Doc, prescribe me a pill for that.

The F word

Chapter 14  Pull This Chord If You Need Help

Why No PeeTones by Day 4?

1) Your PeeTone strips are bad.

2) You’re eating more than 20 carbohydrates.

3) You’re drinking too much alcohol.

4) You are a type-1 diabetic and your average blood sugar ranges above 150.

5) You are a type-2 diabetic and your average blood sugar soars above 150.

6) You have insulin resistance or undiagnosed diabetes.

BIOHACK

Beta-Hydroxybutyrate

BE KETO - Use Ketosis Chemistry.

Stevia Sweetens BHB

MCT C8:C10

Biohack Your Brain Chemistry

Ketones-In-A-Can or MCT C8:C10 start the shift.

Chapter 15  Day 5,6,7  Magnesium

MAGNESIUM

Measurement

Replacement

Slow & Steady

Pick one or both of these options

Take a Supplement

Use Your Skin

Float Therapy:

Epsom Foot Soak:

Epsom Salt Bath:

Float Spa: There is no comparison.

Stay Keto

Conditions that leak magnesium

Longterm Replacement:

Chapter 16  Day 8, 9, 10  Craving Pitfalls

Craving Pitfalls

ABSTINENCE vs HARM REDUCTION

The Best Answer Is Abstinence

Harm Reduction

#1: Allulose

#2: Monk Fruit

#3: Stevia

Beware of Other Sweeteners

Zero Calorie Artificial Sweeteners

PART TWO

Chapter 17  ketoCONTINUUM

Let’s Recap

Brazilian Mama

ketoCONTINUUM Support Group

Roadmap

Find your number.

ketoCONTINUUM #1 through #3

ketoCONTINUUM #4

Setbacks of ketoCONTINUUM

Take a deep breath. We have a plan after a setback.

1. Read your WHY

2. Call a Tow Truck

Use this outline for a meeting:

3. Grab those urine ketone sticks.

4. Listen to ANYWAY YOU CAN

5. Return to Cronometer

6. Biohack with BHB.

Chapter 18  Calories Schmalories

Nothing quiets a pessimist like success.

Why count calories when your body doesn't?

How does the body think?

Top Weight Loss Secret: Do Not Store Food

Increase your Cholecystokinin

1) Shut Down the Appetite

2) Add Slimy Bile to Fatty Food

Mommies, don't let your babies grow up to be fat.

Chapter 19  David’s Tribe

Joshua

John & Darlene

Aunt Know-It-All

Chapter 20  Week 6: David’s Tipping Point

Week Six

Chapter 21  David & Dr. Stent

Chapter 22  David’s Cholesterol

Doctor, will my cholesterol rise when I'm on the ketogenic diet?

Cholesterol is Needed for Life.

Liver is the ‘Home’ for Cholesterol

RUST: Oxidized LDL Cholesterol

Lower the Insulin

What are David’s chances of a heart attack?

#1: Blood Pressure > 130/85.

#2: Morning Fasting Blood Sugar > 100 mg/dL

#3: Triglycerides: > 150.

#4: Good Cholesterol HDL: Males < 40 & Females < 50

#5: Waistline: Males > 40 in. & Females >35 in.

David’s score looking for increased insulin =

hs-CRP [Highly Sensitive C-Reactive Protein]

CAC Score

Omega 3-Index

A Brief Lesson on Fat: The Good, Better, & Ugly

SATURATED FATS

UNSATURATED FATS: Mono (one) Or Poly (many) Unsaturated Fats.

Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA):

Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA):

Omega 3 PUFA:

Omega 6 PUFA

TRANS FATS

Chapter 23  ketoCONTINUUM #5  16:8

Steps 1- 4 = Shift Chemistry

WHY ketoCONTINUUM #5 - #8?

Baseline Metabolisms Reverse Chronic Disease

Insulin-Resistant to Keto-Adapted

CHOOSE ketoCONTINUUM #5

ketoCONTINUUM #5: 16:8

Chapter 24  Dr. Boz Ratio  Measure Your Insulin

Measure Your Chemistry

Ketone Meters

The Skinny on Ketone Blood Meters

Brain Chemistry

Know Your Insulin Level

Blood Glucose is Not a Predictor of Insulin

Insulin Grows Humans

Insulin Fluctuation & Cost

Dr. Boz Ratio Measures Insulin

Glucose Ketone Index - GKI

Weight Loss: Dr Boz Ratio Under 80

CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS

Chapter 25  ketoCONTINUUM #6  CLEAN UP YOUR MORNING DRINK

Clean Up Your Morning Drink

Remove Calories & Sweeteners from Morning Drink.

Chemistry Before Calories

No Starving Allowed!

David Strengthened Through Discipline

If You’re Not Ready Yet

Chapter 26  ketoCONTINUUM #7  23:1  Elevated Morning Blood Sugars

23:1 OMAD

Cravings vs Hunger

Serum Insulin Levels

Insulin Resistance

Glycogen

How do you pop glycogen bubbles?

Cortisol

Decrease Insulin to Break the Cycle

First 3 Weeks at ketoCONTINUUM #7

Chapter 27  ketoCONTINUUM #8  ADVANCED 23:1

Crystalized Glycogen

Morning Cortisol Delivers a Meal of Glucose … without eating.

Advanced 23:1 Move your meal closer to the highest sunlight

Why did that sugar rush make him sleepy?

Supplement Your Mistakes

Chapter 28  ketoCONTINUUM #9 36-Hour Fast

ketoCONTINUUM #9: 36 Hour Fast

A Night For Ketones

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

WARNING: Fasting is NOT for everyone

Chapter 29  David’s Autophagy

Autophagy Rescued Thick and Thin

Dr Boz Ratio Predicted Autophagy

Brain Autophagy

Fast to Autophagy - Not to the Clock

Chapter 30  Advanced Metabolic Bursts

3 Advanced Stressors After Keto-Adaption

1:47 OMEOD

Calorie-Restricted 23:1

ketoCONTINUUM #12: 72 Hour Fast

8 Weeks of ketoCONTINUUM #12

Empty Glycogen

Trigger Autophagy

Ramp Up Norepinephrine

Spike Growth Hormone

Unlock the Gift of Fasting for a Lifetime

TIPS FOR A 72 HOUR FAST

Chapter 31  Room 2-125

Author’s Note:

APPENDIX I  Ketosis Heals The Gut

Leaky Gut Phase 1

Leaky Gut Phase 2:

Leaky Gut Phase 3:

Leaky Gut Phase 4:

LIMITED BIBLIOGRAPHY

PREFACE

As a doctor the number one question I get from patients facing a scary choice in medicine, 'Doc, what would you do?' My first book, ANYWAY YOU CAN told the story of what happened when my 71-year-old mother, dying of cancer asked me that question. Her story of courage, faith, and tenacity sold nearly 100,000 copies and inspired many to improve their health through the lessons in that book.

ketoCONTINUUM arose from the protocol I use within my clinic to help patients stay consistently keto. I teach keto chemistry to achieve optimum health in my patients. My favorite way to teach is through story telling and keto support groups.

Storytelling matters. ANYWAY YOU CAN offered an excellent tool to introduce ketosis. Grandma Rose’s intimate story filled the reader with compassion for her while they accidentally learned about ketones. ketoCONTINUUM takes the education to a higher level. Although the two stories are linked, ANYWAY YOU CAN is not a prerequisite for ketoCONTINUUM.

ketoCONTINUUM maps out the medical protocol for getting patients consistently keto. In an attempt to reach students through optimal forms of learning, ketoCONTINUUM is shared in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. Also, the condensed version of the information is taught in the online course, Consistently Keto through short videos and worksheets. The ketoCONTINUUM Workbook augments the content by facilitating the lessons. When a patient documents their progress, it helps them to take ownership of their keto-journey. Medical advisors appreciate the engaged, educated patient who presents with a workbook filled with helpful information. The more educated the patient, the stronger the medical team.

The publication of this book took longer than expected. 2020 swept pandemic and death through my community and my life. The setbacks seemed to multiply as the weeks turned into months. My motivation to persevere wavered. Through the grace of God and the applied neuroscience found in the pages of this book, my thoughts have been put into words.

If you are motivated to change your health, this book maps out the optimal plan for a life filled with energy, improved healing, and reversal of chronic inflammation. Use ketoCONTINUUM to improve the health of your community, one ketone at a time.

PART ONE

Chapter 1  David

Friday afternoon. David's lazy eyes drifted towards the clock: 3:30 pm. How could the day drag like this? He considered leaving. Call it a week. Give up the fight for another week. The glamor of being boss for forty years, photographing Senators, presidents, priests, and thousands of families, had lost its luster. The grind wore the shine off that title.

David reigned as the best in the business, and had the Rolodex to prove it. You could document the influential people in the region just by looking through his pictures. From the famous to the ordinary, David knew their names, their titles, their relatives, social status, and their ex-wives. He knew every branch in their family tree and their history. Four decades had made him a bit of a legend.

Friday afternoon mass started in 30 minutes. He could use that excuse to escape - again. The last three masses — David fell asleep; but at least he got the chance to escape from the office. Away from the reality of his seventh decade of life. At the church pancake breakfast last week, Father had asked, You okay, David?

Yep, David lied through the heaviness of his fatigue.

These days, David could fall asleep faster than his basset hound. In the minutes he played with these thoughts, his eyelids slouched half-open. He glanced at the stack of unfinished jobs needing attention. David hadn't touched them since Tuesday … of last week. He should have tackled the lurking problems hiding in that pile weeks ago. Maybe even longer. But David couldn’t get his mind to focus. The sludge of pushing his thoughts to do the slow part of the job proved too heavy, not fun, daunting, burdensome, and most of all … boring. Aside from the creative part of his career, this process suffocated him.

Buckle down, he scolded himself. Just do it.

David muttered those internal words often; yet the unfinished work piled on. His business needed to push rewind. The focused, dynamic version of his mind had dissolved and his creativity slipped into history. Without a miracle, his photography doors would close.

Joy used to fill David’s chest every time he ignored the world and peered through his lens. Until recently, the colors of life sprung alive inside the tunnel of a camera. Now, discouragement and gloom draped like a gray film over him. Shades of grim took hostage over every corner of his life.

Along with the muted color, his thoughts lost their way somewhere in his head. Was this what it felt like to be 61? Was it depression? Maybe the economy? Or was there something wrong inside him?

David sat there staring at his pile. Thoughts wandered to yesterday's photoshoot and embarrassment pushed away the memory of his mistake. How could I have done that, he growled to himself as the pit in his stomach jerked from the backside of his bellybutton. He'd called the Senator's wife Martha instead of Marcia. A mere slip of the tongue, except that Martha was the Senator's ex-wife's name. Ouch! He knew that. He pressed his hands to his cheeks, rubbing away the memory. The mistake betrayed his reputation. So out of character.

When David got nervous, he rambled. Nervous chatter would trot off his tongue like a prepubescent boy on his first date. But lately, he couldn’t shut up. His mouth rattled out of control all the time as if possessing a mind of its own. Recently, a flash of anxiety wouldn’t dissipate. Instead, it hijacked his thoughts and blocked all thinking. A whisper of fear galloped down his neural circuits and triggered his babbling talk-box. The world excused a prepubescent boy who talked out of control, but not David. The blessing of his acquired status mandated the control of his mind.

If you listened carefully, you could hear the rate of his speech slowdown as the thought formulated into words. Messages left one section of his brain and ran out of fuel before arriving at their destination. His ideas rambled at high speed, then faded before they fully formed. In the rare moments, when twitches of inspiration sprung into his head, they flickered away as fast as a hummingbird in June.

Just be quiet. Shhh. Don't speak, David told himself.

The secret to a great picture: Shut up.

Listen.

Studying David's craft, you saw more than just a moment of a person's life. David possessed the gift of capturing thoughts onto a photograph. Thoughts his clients wanted the world to know, but couldn't articulate. In one perfectly, brilliantly timed click, the energy vibrating from the image spoke through the print. The key to the perfect photograph began with David's silence. His focused, calm demeanor relaxed the client. When he centered his mind, he led the way to a great photo with, Tell me who you hope sees this photo.

Then silence. David's calm composure attracted the client’s thoughts to arrive inside the emptiness. He allured them with the absence of sound. The art of that moment lived and breathed in the silence. He waited for their unspoken secrets to dance into the air. Click.

Most people broke the silence by 75 seconds. One man took six minutes— the best picture of David's career.

David’s recent chatter left no empty space. Yesterday, his anxiety vibrated across the room destroying the picture. He swept away the calm when he uttered the one name that filled Mrs. Senator with dread, not peace. Without his 'silent skill,' his photos flopped—ordinary, plain pictures.

Where had the mature, masterful version of his mind gone? His brain acted fifteen. Undisciplined and unfocused. His greatness crumbled with the slightest distraction.

David added a fresh crunch of pretzel to the paste inside his mouth. He chewed mindlessly. Haunting tooth pain had recently nudged him to switch from candy to this healthy pretzel option.

Chewing. Thinking. Chewing. Regretting.

Afternoon mass had already started. Indecision won.

David considered his upcoming weekend. The thought of a couples-card night flexed the whisper of a smile. John and Darlene joined him and his wife, Kat, once a month. Saturday night mass kicked off their monthly ritual. The four adults met at the cathedral, enjoyed the service, and dined afterward. They capped the night around a dining room table with several pinochle games - men against the women. Seven years and they had not missed a month. Their friendship wove cards, mass, and good food into the decade's best memories. In January, playing cards until two in the morning granted the perfect excuse to sleep in on a cold South Dakota Sunday.

The anticipation of Saturday night cards pushed David to read that last email. One more email, then he'd call it a week. Unbeknownst to David, this last fateful email would forever change his life. Dr. Boz, a local physician requested a professional image with her mother for a book she wrote — Dr. Boz’s first book. And personal to her. David's reputation for knowing people's stories prompted Dr. Boz to send him the book's first three chapters.

David learned several things from skimming through these preview chapters: Dr. Boz's mother was dying from cancer and a weapon the doctor used to fight cancer was a ketone. A ketone? That word was foreign to David.

Dr. Boz and her mother scheduled a two-hour photoshoot. Conducting an obituary photo had proven unpredictable over the years. David knew his role. He needed to capture her sensitive memoir. Understanding his audience sorted his mediocre images from his masterpieces.

He looked through the chapters again in hopes of further understanding his audience. Cancer festered inside Grandma Rose for ten years. She was sick. Scanning the text, David stumbled upon this checklist at the end of Chapter 2:

If you look down at your midsection and you can pinch fat, read this book.

David glanced down. Way more than a pinch swaddled his waist. More like a flat tire. He carried more than 170 pounds on his five-foot-three-inch frame.

If your brain lacks focus, energy, and processing power, read this book.

David's recent hours of bouncing thoughts, swirling daydreams, and mental heaviness qualified him for the book. Hook me up, he thought.

If caffeine fuels your day, yet your brain slumps at 2 o'clock every afternoon, read this book.

David's energy came from candy or caffeine. These old friends had failed him for years, but what else was there?

If you're over the hill and long to return your health to top performance, read this book.

Was this snake oil? It sounded too good to be true.

If you'd like to cut down on the number of doctor visits, this book is for you.

David hadn't seen a physician in over a dozen years. Nothing hurt. Nothing bled. No broken parts. The idea of a root canal sounded more attractive than someone mucking into his health. A decade ago, David's life insurance broker warned him about his high cholesterol. The broker still insured him - and he hadn't died yet!

Intrigued, David pushed print with the intent to read the rest of the chapters tomorrow. His exhausted body surrendered to the work-week. He closed the computer, grabbed the printed pages, and left.

Chapter 2  Why Should You Care

David’s health matched most Americans. For years his body hid the secret demon aging his cells. Those cells were aging faster than time. At first, he aged the usual way - one casual day at a time, without him noticing any change. Then that secret demon pushed fast forward on the aging timer. What’s the demon? Hidden inflammation.

The same ten pounds had cycled on and off David’s midsection over a dozen times. With under five and a half feet in height, those ten pounds shifted his suits from comfortably fitting to snug. He added weight, then went on a diet to lose it. In his younger years, a slight tweak of his habits removed most of his added pounds. Three or four times through this yo-yo dieting cycle left his body chemically different. His body kept track of the stress as his weight increased and decreased. The stress-induced chemistry shift pulled droplets of fluid into his cells. Each time the scale rose, millions of cells stretched with swelling. When he lost weight, some of that fluid wrung out, but not all the way. Deep within his cells, mistakes were happening. Some mistakes led to kinked DNA; others led to older looking cells. The rules had changed because of his stress. That change didn’t come with a warning label, nor major symptoms. The altered chemistry allowed his health to drift further from ideal without telling him.

Each season of dieting ratcheted his cellular chemistry in the wrong direction. When he cut the calories way down in his attempt to shed the weight, his chemistry betrayed him. It locked his fat into place along with the extra fluid. Before age forty, David hauled fifty extra pounds on his 63-inch frame. His pudgy shape embarrassed him and sent a mismatched message. He led a successful company, had gained affection and respect within his community; but his rotundness spread the unspoken lies: lazy, selfish, secretive, fake, weak of mind, even weaker of spirit.

Years of trying to lose weight frustrated him.

He fought back with professional help. David’s neighbor had slimmed down using a weight loss program. Inspired by the walking billboard for success, David entered the program with vigor and determination. He forked over the money and followed every rule. The expense helped him take the program seriously. Sure enough, he’d found his people: successful, busy, overweight men and women. Processed food wrapped in a plastic package became his idol. The program calculated his exact dose of calories. He picked