Ketosis + BDNF: The Healing Molecules That Saved My Life

In my 20s, I trusted mainstream health advice like eat less fat, move more, and take pills when numbers rise. But following that path left me trapped in prediabetes, abdominal obesity, arthritis, chronic inflammation, leaky gut, and relentless brain fog. By the time I turned 30, my health was slipping into dangerous territory. That was when I decided to reclaim my life, not as a patient, but as a curious postdoctoral researcher and sensible biohacker. This book is the story of how two overlooked molecules (Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)) became my lifeline. They helped me rewire my brain, restore my metabolism, and rebuild my immune system. They gave me back the clarity, energy, and joy I thought I had lost forever. But this book is not just my memoir. It is an invitation for you to see what is possible when science, curiosity, and lived experience meet. My journey will not mirror yours, but the lessons I learned can inspire you to look at your own health through a new lens. With the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals, you can adapt the principles I used—fasting, nutritional ketosis, exercise, stress reduction, and lifestyle shifts—to your own context. The value of this book lies in the perspectives, insights, and practical examples it offers for anyone who wants to move from struggling to thriving. I turned my body into a laboratory, testing approaches with care, science, and common sense. My experiments included time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting, caloric deficit, a ketogenic diet, intense exercise, and lowering chronically elevated cortisol through stress management. Later, I expanded into long-term fasting, three to ten days, four times a year. These strategies helped me become more insulin sensitive, optimize cortisol, balance hormones, and address every factor of metabolic syndrome without medication or surgery. The results were extraordinary: my blood sugar normalized, inflammation subsided, arthritis eased, abdominal fat melted, gut integrity improved, and brain fog lifted. Beyond repair, I found prevention, and for the first time in my life, I gained six-pack abs on my 50th birthday. My biomarkers now show optimal ranges past sixty, suggesting resilience against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, Alzheimer's, and perhaps even certain cancers. I blend decades of research with personal observation to show how BHB and BDNF influence metabolic, mental, and immune health. Each chapter combines story, science, and reflection with practical ideas you can discuss with your own health team. This is a specialized memoir and follow-up on my previous books, including Cortisol Clarity, Train Your Brain for a Healthier and Happier Life, Cellular Intelligence, Lifespan Mastery, and Sensible Biohacks that Changed My Life. To make my 300,000-page research journal in biochemistry accessible, I distilled it into a 30,000-word book with the help of Hemingway Editor. I simplified complex material to a Grade 7 level so that readers without a science or technology background could follow along. My goal was to offer them the same life-changing insights I discovered, presented in a way that is both clear and practical. I offer nuanced perspectives shaped by lived experiences and the growing scientific literature in the last four decades. I wrote this memoir with complete honesty and transparency from the heart, mind, and spirit, sharing both the highs and lows to empower you with knowledge, hope, and tools to explore. If you approach this book with an open mind, it may challenge what you have been told and help you craft a healthier and happier future at any age.