By Jim Goetz

To make a movie, one must eventually go to Hollywood. That's exactly what I ended up doing when I visited author of the Carnivore Diet, Dr. Shawn Baker MD at his home in Laguna Hills, California. Dr. Baker was an amazing and gracious host and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to discuss with him human physiology in regards to ketone bodies, beef, vegetables, fish and more.

In order to understand quality and what works and does not (in terms of the human body), we must explore as many avenues as possible.

Carnivore diet means getting nutrition from animal sourced foods and severely limiting or eliminating all plants from the diet.  The idea behind the carnivore diet is for the improvement of health, fat loss, decrease in inflammation and cellular regeneration.

While it appears so many have turned to a totally plant based diet for "miracle cures", thousands have gone to the other extreme in order to do the exact same thing. From the reversal of symptoms of diabetes, gut issues, depression, metabolic syndrome, depression, cognitive dysfunction, skin conditions, joint pain, hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue syndrome, pain, candidia, and inflammatory disorders, it appears that a carnivore diet does in fact work and the critically appraised reviews back it up.

The sad part is the violent outrage by some in regards to this different paradigm. Ignorance is bliss on all ends of the spectrum.

Dr. Shawn baker appeared to really stumble upon eating all meat through an interesting Facebook group. From there he used his medical mind to delve into the research. A ketogenic diet and then carnivore diet allowed many of his patients to avoid surgery all together, thus lowering their risk of injury or even death (as is associated in any surgery even with the most experienced physician).

One big caveat I believe I have began to prove though in the film The Keto Project is that quality of food does indeed matter. If you recall Dr. Brandon's results after consuming a months worth of Burger King patties (scroll down to see the results), he was in terrible health. After staying in ketosis for a month without beef, his labs looked pretty good and his physical testing results were vastly improved. As you will see shortly when I publish his end grass finished beef results, he shined!!! While this is simply a single case study, the results are impressive enough to conduct a much larger scale research study. However, the fact remains that 100% all beef may be in the Burger King patties...along with other ingredients. Dr. Mike's ketone levels remained remarkably low for a month on the Burger King diet. After a week off of it, his ketones went up. His ketones were highest oddly enough on the end grass finished diet.

Dr. Shawn Baker can be seen all over Youtube, on the Joe Rogan Experience and other podcasts as well as via his Instagram and Facebook as well as through his company, MeatRx.

Meeting Dr. Baker was a welcome experience that I still have not recovered from due to lack of sleep.

Refuting the Arguments against Meat on articles that claim Meat Causes Heart Disease/Atherosclerosis

1) Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people
Arch Intern Med. 2009 March 23; 169(6): 562–571
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803089/
vii) Sinha’s conclusion was: “Red and processed meat intakes were associated with a modest increase in risk of total mortality, cancer and CVD mortality in both men and women. In contrast, high white meat intake was associated with a small decrease in total and cancer mortality.”
Sinha’s definition of red meat was: “Red meat included all types of beef and pork and included bacon, beef, cold cuts, ham, hamburger, hot dogs, liver, pork, sausage, steak and meats in foods such as pizza and chilli.” Sinha did not study red meat, therefore.
 
2) Red Meat Consumption and Mortality
Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(7):555-563. 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22412075-red-meat-consumption-and-mortality-results-from-2-prospective-cohort-studies/


Pooled analysis of Health Professionals Follow up Study and Nurses Health Study.
Conclusions: Red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of total, CVD, and cancer mortality. Sub- stitution of other healthy protein sources for red meat is associated with a lower mortality risk.
 
Those with highest meat intake drank more alcohol, smoked more, were less physically active and had higher BMI.
Those with highest meat consumption had lower rate of high cholesterol
 
3) Major Dietary Protein Sources and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946797/
Background—With the exception of fish, few major dietary protein sources have been studied in relation to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our objective was to examine the relation between foods that are major dietary protein sources and incident CHD.
Methods and Results—We prospectively followed 84 136 women aged 30 to 55 years in the Nurses’ Health Study with no known cancer, diabetes mellitus, angina, myocardial infarction, stroke, or other cardiovascular disease. Diet was assessed by a standardized and validated questionnaire and updated every 4 years. During 26 years of follow-up, we documented 2210 incident nonfatal infarctions and 952 deaths from CHD. In multivariable analyses including age, smoking, and other risk factors, higher intakes of red meat, red meat excluding processed meat, and high-fat dairy were significantly associated with elevated risk of CHD. Higher intakes of poultry, fish, and nuts were significantly associated with lower risk. In a model controlling statistically for energy intake, 1 serving per day of nuts was associated with a 30% (95% confidence interval, 17% to 42%) lower risk of CHD compared with 1 serving per day of red meat. Similarly, compared with 1 serving per day of red meat, a lower risk was associated with 1 serving per day of low-fat dairy (13%; 95% confidence interval, 6% to 19%), poultry (19%; 95% confidence interval, 3% to 33%), and fish (24%; 95% confidence interval, 6% to 39%).
Conclusions—These data suggest that high red meat intake increases risk of CHD and that CHD risk may be reduced importantly by shifting sources of protein in the US diet. (Circulation. 2010;122:876-883.)
 
Red meat consumption included both processed and unprocessed.
Highest quintile (2.11 serving per day vs 0.49)
         No difference in BMI
         Higher smoker (19 vs 13%)
         Higher history of angina (10 vs 7) and HTN (41 vs 30)
         Higher history of incr cholesterol (39 vs 31)
         Higher history of DM (14 vs 8)
         Consumed more calories (2015 v 1326)
         Consumed more trans fats (5.2 vs 2.4g/d)
         Less active (15 vs 21 MET/wk)
Between 1980 and 2002, red meat consumption decreased from median 1.06 to 0.49 servings/day
Animal protein was associated with increased risk but only at highest quintile (1.0,0.94,0.96,0.96,1.14) – weak
When we included polyUS, monoUS and SF in the multivariate analysis, we found no correlation between animal protein and CHD risk
No significant trends were found doing multivariate analysis for each individual type of meat intake
No control for Trans Fats
 
Editorial: Although the “definitive” diet-heart trial has yet to be undertaken,randomized clinical trial data in the aggregate have not been inconsistent with epidemiological studies; the most harmful dietary influences include TFA intake and a high glycemic load, whereas monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and certain complex carbohydrates appear to confer cardioprotection.
nurses who consumed the most red meat were also more likely to be hypertensive, smoke cigarettes, consume more TFA and total calories, and exercise less than their low-meat-eating colleagues. Although these confounders were adjusted for in multivariable analysis, leading a relatively unhealthy lifestyle may have been accompanied by additional exposures (eg, an increase in atherogenic remnant particles) or habits (eg, high glycemic load consumption) that were not captured in the model but that potentially compounded CHD risk.
 
4) Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes – An Updated Review of the Evidence
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483430/
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that effects of red meat consumption on coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes could vary depending on processing. We reviewed the evidence for effects of unprocessed (fresh/frozen) red and processed (using sodium/other preservatives) meat consumption on CHD and diabetes. In meta-analyses of prospective cohorts, higher risk of CHD is seen with processed meat consumption (RR per 50 g: 1.42, 95 %CI = 1.07–1.89), but a smaller increase or no risk is seen with unprocessed meat consumption. Differences in sodium content (~400 % higher in processed meat) appear to account for about two-thirds of this risk difference. In similar analyses, both unprocessed red and processed meat consumption are associated with incident diabetes, with higher risk per g of processed (RR per 50 g: 1.51, 95 %CI = 1.25–1.83) versus unprocessed (RR per 100 g: 1.19, 95 % CI = 1.04–1.37) meats. Contents of heme iron and dietary cholesterol may partly account for these associations. The overall findings suggest that neither unprocessed red nor processed meat consumption is beneficial for cardiometabolic health, and that clinical and public health guidance should especially prioritize reducing processed meat consumption.
 
5) Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4897
SETTING
The EPIC-Oxford study, a cohort in the United Kingdom with a large proportion of non-meat eaters, recruited across the country between 1993 and 2001.
PARTICIPANTS
48 188 participants with no history of ischaemic heart disease, stroke, or angina (or cardiovascular disease) were classified into three distinct diet groups: meat eaters (participants who consumed meat, regardless of whether they consumed fish, dairy, or eggs;
n=24 428), fish eaters (consumed fish but no meat; n=7506), and vegetarians including vegans (n=16 254), based on dietary information collected at baseline, and subsequently around 2010 (n=28 364).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Incident cases of ischaemic heart disease and stroke (including ischaemic and haemorrhagic types) identified through record linkage until 2016.
RESULTS
Over 18.1 years of follow-up, 2820 cases of ischaemic heart disease and 1072 cases of total stroke (519 ischaemic stroke and 300 haemorrhagic stroke) were recorded. After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle confounders, fish eaters and vegetarians
had 13% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.99) and 22% (0.78, 0.70 to 0.87)
lower rates of ischaemic heart disease than meat eaters, respectively (P<0.001 for heterogeneity).
This difference was equivalent to 10 fewer cases of ischaemic heart disease (95% confidence interval 6.7 to 13.1 fewer) in vegetarians than in meat eaters per 1000 population over 10 years. The associations for ischaemic heart disease were partly attenuated after adjustment for self reported high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and body mass index (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.00 in vegetarians with all adjustments). By contrast, vegetarians had 20% higher rates of total stroke (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.02
to 1.40) than meat eaters, equivalent to three more cases of total stroke (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 5.4 more) per 1000 population over 10 years, mostly due to a higher rate of haemorrhagic stroke. The associations for stroke did not attenuate after further adjustment of disease risk factors.
CONCLUSIONS
In this prospective cohort in the UK, fish eaters and vegetarians had lower rates of ischaemic heart disease than meat eaters, although vegetarians had higher rates of haemorrhagic and total stroke.
 
6) Meat Consumption and Fatal lschemic Heart Disease1
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0091743584900173?via%3Dihub
In 1960 the meat-consumption habits of 25,153 California Seventh-Day Adventists were assessed by questionnaire. Between 1960 and 1980 ischemic heart disease deaths were identified. Meat consumption was positively associated with fatal ischemic heart disease in both men and women. This association was apparently not due to confounding by eggs, dairy products, obesity, marital status, or cigarette smoking. The positive association be- tween meat consumption and fatal ischemic heart disease was stronger in men than in women and, overall, strongest in young men. For 45 to 64-year-old men, there was ap- proximately a threefold difference in risk between men who ate meat daily and those who did not eat meat. This is the first study to clearly show a dose-response relationship between meat consumption and ischemic heart disease risk. 
No differentiation in type of meat
Weak association (<2x)
Did not examine possible contributions of other dietary intake (i.e. carbs)
 
 Reviews that show no relation between meat and heart disease 
Patterns of Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk for Cardiometabolic and Cancer Outcomes
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies
https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2752327
Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:732-741. doi:10.7326/M19-1583
 
Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk for All-Cause Mortality and Cardiometabolic Outcomes
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies
https://annals.org/acp/content_public/journal/aim/938274/aime201911190-m190655.pdf
Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:703-710. doi:10.7326/M19-0655
 
Effect of Lower Versus Higher Red Meat Intake on Cardiometabolic and Cancer Outcomes
A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials
https://annals.org/acp/content_public/journal/aim/938274/aime201911190-m190622.pdf
Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:721-731. doi:10.7326/M19-0622

By: Jim Goetz

We were promptly greeted in the parking lot at the University of South Florida (USF) by Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, PhD. I very much wanted the opportunity to include him in the Keto Project Movie due to his work in cognition and performance under extreme environmental factors and how levels of ketones in the blood affect this.  Actually, Dr. D’Agostino’s daily research regarding blood glucose levels, ketones and their various effects on the body is fascinating! It goes well beyond basic keto 101. 

Dom D'Agostino, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, and a senior research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). He was also recently a crew member of the NASA NEEMO 22 project.

He is also a fellow Jersey boy growing up just minutes from where I did. I had no idea until actually meeting. 

The main focus of Dr. D’Agostino’s laboratory over the previous 10 years has been to understand the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective mechanism of the ketogenic diet and ketone metabolite supplementation. The shift in brain metabolism (from glucose to ketones) reduces neuronal hyperexcitability, oxidative stress and enhances brain energy metabolism. Through understanding this and how it occurs, a myriad of pathologies can be pathophysiologically to metabolic dysregulation (including cancer). This gives credence to a quote and belief of Hippocrates when he said, “Let thy medicine be thy food and thy food be thy medicine”. 

Dr. Dom D’Agostino was a very welcome addition to the Keto Project Movie. 

If you want to see him before the release of the Keto Project Move, you can check him out on the Joe Rogan Experience. You can also view his work at ketonutrition.org 

​

After meeting with Dr. D'Agostino, we drove to the home of Dr. Richard Shaker. Dr. Shaker is the individual who opened my eyes to the field of chiropractic and inspired me with his unique and extremely effective treatments. Dr. Shaker was the first doctor I had met who didn't simply, "whack you, crack you" and send you on your way- he actually made people well.

He also realized that some of his patients could either perform or not depending on his treatments and care. Dr. Shaker is responsible for a myriad of championships and high performances due to being able to keep his patients on the field.

A full blog entry will be compiled for our visit to his home and his segment in the Keto Project Movie.

One of the greatest demograhics of biohackers on the planet are professional bodybuilders. Most have no idea the science behind what they are doing aside from the fact that things they do to achieve physical aesthetics works. IFBB pro Jason Arntz is quite different. Jason is a different breed of smart. In the words of the fictional character, (Good) Will Hunting (Jason), "He's wicked smart".

I initially met Jason at one of his bodybuilding shows, Muscle Beach Classic (NJ) where Chantea Goetz was competing in her first ever NPC Figure competition. Shortly after that I learned of his supplement line, I-Prevail Supps. Typically, supplements are supplements. The only ones I would ever carry in our facilities (Both FIT Clinic and FIT Lab at Functionised) are pharmaceutical grade supplements. Once I learned the research that went into the forumlations, checked out the individual ingredients and the synergistic effects of the particular ingredients combined with the fact the supplements are tested for purity, I was impressed.

Jason is an extremely accomplished IFBB professional bodybuilder (since retired). Anyone who finishes 3rd, 4th, and 5th at the Mr. Olympia understands the science of the human body and how to improve performance.

This segment of the Keto Project Movie is one that cannot be missed! You will get to hear from the pro himself how to eat and train to exceed your wildest expectations.

Thank you Jason Arntz for your participation in this ground breaking film!

Live Functionised!!!

By: Jim Goetz

Keto Project Movie Phase 1 is officially in the film!!!

The last five plus years has been an arduous process of preparation and self discovery. Without the previous 5 years, the present would not be taking place and the following 5 years would not occur in the absolutely magnificent manner it is unfolding as.

The Keto Project Movie is not simply about Dr. Mike Brandon eating hamburger patties as designated by the double blind test panel. It is about quality of food and how simply labeling something with jargon such as, keto, paleo, organic, etc. does not equate in any way to a lifestyle filled with vibrant success and longevity. Yes, one can manipulate hormone levels in a positive manner to regulate blood glucose levels and even body fat. However, from a cognitive and performance perspective, it really is all about quality. At least that's my theory. This movie is testing it and the end result you will be able to watch from the comfort of your own home on your favorite streaming media player (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Youtube Plus, etc).

I am making this movie to not only entertain you but to bring forth the understanding and true knowledge in how to become a better version of yourself. If you can tell me that you are extremely happy in all aspects of life (relationships, career, financially, physically, spiritually), then I tip my metaphorical hat off to you. Congratulations!!!! I am confident I will in turn learn much from you. But if certain aspects are lacking, often times it is a result from our reality and that reality is strictly perception. Perception is an idea that is created in our brain through a myriad of electrochemical events that can be either positively or negatively manipulated by our external and internal environment. We have the power to put the proper ingredients into our finely tuned and very special bodies. Excuses of money or time or external influences can be made all day why we cannot eat how our bodies are designed to function optimally. I hear these excuses daily. But on a much grander scheme, what I am really hearing is excuses on why someone desires to fail in life and experience the pains, agony and struggles as opposed to both the physical and spiritual enjoyment of positive growth that we are blessed with in this very short experience in our current lives.

In my journey across the globe for the Keto Project Movie, I wanted to include the brightest of the bright.

I met Seth Kaelin FNTP, CNP, BCHN who is the president of Clinical Wellness Solutions Inc and representative for Standard Process, while I was still a student in chiropractic college at an Association of New Jersey Chiropractors conference. I made it a point to go to every conference even while I was just a student as well to seek him out as he had extra meal replacement bars and I was typically hungry.

We continued to keep in touch over the years and I had signed our clinic up to carry their products when needed for appropriate patient needs. I also personally attend many of the educational webinars he hosts with various experts in the functional medicine field.

When I called Seth to be a part of the film, I intended for him to give us his view points on how to do a "roto rooter" on Dr. Mike Brandon's digestive tract. After consuming 600 Burger King burgers for a month (with zero other nutrients), it was felt that the overdose of the Standard American Diet (being fast food), required some TLC for his finely tuned body.

Seth did not disappoint and discussed agonist/ antagonist relationships between many nutrients as well as types of diets and how they came about, benefits and who should use them and when.

Seth was a welcome part to the film and will absolutely bring the pop to your living room!

As referenced in a previous blog on this site, we had a full brain map completed of Dr. Mike Brandon's brain complete with thermal imaging. As the after results are not yet in, I will hold off on this for now and publish this when they are in at a later date.

However, the experience to get there is still worth the mini entry.

The date we had planned to go visit Sadar Psychological Services in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania was August 3. This was the day phase 1 ended for Dr. Mike. However, this was also the day that Tropical Storm Isaias hit New Jersey in full force. Now a tropical storm typically isn't that bad of a storm when you are in a state such as Florida. Electrical engineering is designed to withstand the winds and rain. Building structures are designed to stay put. Roads are designed not to flood. Even trees are designed to sway and bend and not snap across a road.

Our journey from New Jersey to Pennsylvania was in no way designed to withstand a tropical storm. However, in the spirit of science and adventure, the FIT crew embarked on what should have been an hour and a half journey. When you multiply it by two (coming and going), it would equate to a three hour tour. A Gilligans Island foreshadowing took effect.

Six hours later, we were back in New Jersey soaking wet and without a brain map completed. Fortunately we were able to get in the next day as Dr Mitchell Sadar PhD, BCN, BCB- HRV, Angelika Sadar, MA, BCN, BCB-HRV and Amy Bernsteil  are avid professionals and beyond supportive in this endeavour in the Keto Project Movie.

While attempting to get to Phoenixville, PA from Colts Neck, NJ, we encountered rain blindness on the highway, downed trees, downed power lines, motor vehicle accidents galore, rock slides and rivers that took over roads. At one point I decided to see if we could drive through an area of road that was covered in water flowing across it. The two chances were that we either made it through or we lost the car. As I got further into the stream and realized it was a mighty Mississippi sibling as it raced past my knees, I realized that driving through it was not the best of ideas.

Regardless, we did indeed get the testing accomplished. Results will be published once available.

In my crossover FIT Lab/ NFL combine testing...Dr. Mikes end results sucked. There's no way to soften that blow. He was in no way remotely close to strength, endurance, power, or speed. He sucked. His performance decreased I believe as a result of poor nutrition. He was not getting the nutrients necessary to perform at a high level as a complete 30 year old male. I do not believe this had as much to do with the type of diet he was consuming as opposed to the quality of food he was consuming.

Fortunately, the movie has a lot more of him sucking wind. For now, you will have to take my word for it.

I am confident that his future performance will improve when we retest him in 30 days and 60 days from now.

 Ketone testing was interesting but not.

Dr. Mike had zero carbohydrates for a month (other than perhaps the idea cellulose or other may be included in the all beef patties). However, we have yet to reverse engineer the hamburger patties so I cannot say for sure.

He technically remained in ketosis (0.5mm/L - 3.0mm/ L) with his results for the month. Yet even after his 5 day fast, he never reached over 2.0.

The vast amount of protein he consumed would elevate glucose levels and thus insulin levels in the blood and keeping his results lower. It was the 5 day water fast he did post burger consumption where his ketone levels did not budge much that caused an eyebrow to be raised.

If his post physical performance exam did not suck so badly (medically speaking....SUCK), I would have believed his body was becoming more keto adapted and thus gluconeogenesis took effect and replenished his muscles with glucose.

Here are his results week by week (average):

Week 1:  0.8 mm/L
Week 2: 1.8 mm/L
Week 3: 1.0 mm/L
Week 4: 1.4 mm/L

 As much fun as it is sticking Dr. Mike with a needle... let's face it. Some don't mind. Some do it for science. Dr. Mike does it for both.

As Dr Mike is okay with waiving his HIPPA rights for science and the Keto Project Movie, his results are posted blow as well as a discussion of them. Realistically, if you want to be the subject of many eyes- there is no such thing as privacy.

The Keto Project Movie utilizes only the most advanced equipment to quantify the findings of Dr Mikes journey through fast food, the standard American Diet, a Functionised true keto diet and extreme high quality end grass fed beef- each stage lasting 30 days.

Jim Goetz met with Greg Moore the CEO of Fit 3D to discuss the advanced methods that Fit 3D utilizes to quantify and record the highly accurate measurements of Dr Mike.

The trip to California was in part to get other expert opinions and justify the tools we are using to quantify our experiment. What good is an experiment that is subjective? It's not! My biggest concern is that we sink all this money and time into the project and use measures that are inaccurate or to do not reasonably justify the results. For example, what good is a vertical leap if we only use a visual to guess at the height? 

The brain map, thermal imaging, cognitive testing, and HRV could be done on a piece of cheap equipment. Instead it's done on equipment that has been tested for accuracy and used in clinical practice. The same goes for lab work. We can take all the blood, stool, saliva and semen we want (ok so not semen). But if we do not run the appropriate tests, then there is no real purpose. 

The Fit Bit is used to track caloric requirements in combination with the FIT 3D as well as sleep and average heart rate. 

I made the decision to stay on East Coast time as the entire trip was a 36 hour turn around from Newark back to Newark. On the way out we had a layover in Charlotte, NC before arriving in San Fransisco. On the way back we took a red eye into Miami, Florida before arriving home. It's always ironic to call New Jersey the Garden State when Newark/ Elizabeth is as "un" garden as then come. 

Chantea and I have called the Driscoll and Raritan Bridge on the Garden State Parkway, "The Point of No Return" for years. When traveling north, once you cross that bridge, the Garden State ceases. The rest of New Jersey south of the bridge however is absolutely beautiful!

The rental car company representative was extremely friendly giving me a complimentary upgrade due to my birthday being in two days from that date. I could not get to the hotel fast enough. Despite taking Dream Chaser by I-Prevail Supps on the plane and taking a couple hour nap and wearing my blue blocker glasses, I was exhausted! We got Ryan food and figured out the wifi to offload and upload all the footage we had from the day to our cloud account. Oddly enough, due to the encoding process and speed of the wifi, the time frame was exactly that of when I wanted to leave the next morning. 

I got up early California time and helped Chantea put out some smolders in the FIT Lab as I took a nice stroll around the San Fransisco Bay and then did a little workout. 

Breakfast was to be a plate of bacon (a plate to me is a pound or two) and black coffee. This is what was told to Chantea that caused her to book this hotel. Instead we were greeted with muffins and boxed cereal. I gave Ryan my muffin. 

We got out a little early to get some scenes for the movie (site seeing). It was creepy to see Alcatraz and know that maximum security there was insane. What must it be like to have looked out every day and see normal life on the mainland but you would never get to experience it again? Knowing your loved ones are but a swim away and you would never be able to go there again...EVER! That had to be past torture.

The Golden Gate Bridge is of course amazingly beautiful. The color and size of it is amazing! We had to stop by the house from Full House to send to Athena who has gotten into Fuller House on Netflix. Oracle Park is a gorgeous ball park from the outside. I hardly minded the security guard came out to chase us away from filming. Odd as no one else is out and about and we get chased away. Got the scene we needed though! 

We hit up Fit Bit but in reality, the process to speak with them is quite lengthy. They have a location in Boston I am looking to go to and speak with someone in person. I filled out the forms before leaving and to this date must still follow up for the film.

While this can vary, the average over the past couple months has been pretty consistent. During the experiment, Dr. Mike hasn't really lost any weight (2 lbs) which can be due to an error in Fit Bit calculation or error in the source of calories reported in each burger consumed. Either way it would appear the error is not significant and not a deal breaker for the experiment. 

During this trip, I had the honor of meeting up with one of my mentors and world class strength and conditioning Coach Ron McKeefery. Coach Mac has coached hundreds of collegiate football players into the pros and coached in the NFL as well.

Internationally recognized as a leader in the area of sports development, Ron McKeefery has twice been named Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. First by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Society (2008 Under Armour Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year), and next by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (2016 Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year).

In 2013 Coach McKeefery was honored as a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa). The Master Strength and Conditioning Coach certification is the highest honor that can be achieved as a strength and conditioning coach, representing professionalism, knowledge, experience, expertise and longevity in the field.​ 
​
​Coach McKeefery picked up the highest designation by the NSCA in 2019 earning the Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Emeritus (RSCC*E) 

Prior to becoming the Assistant Athletics Director for Fresno State University, Coach McKeefery served as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at both the Professional and Collegiate level.  Working with such professional organizations as the: Cincinnati Bengals (NFL), Kansas City Royals (MLB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) and the Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe), and collegiate programs such as: Eastern Michigan University, University of Tennessee, and the University of South Florida. ​

Most recently he served as the Vice President of Performance and Education for PLAE, where he works with elite athletes and coaches around the world.  Including USA Team Football, the Chinese Olympic Committee, and the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League and many others.  In 2018 USA Team USA won the Silver medal at the World University Games in Harbin, China.  

Coach McKeefery gave me my first job at the University of South Florida with the football team as part of his staff. During my first season there we cracked the top 25 for the first time in the schools history and the following season was ranked number two in the nation at one point (thank you Rutgers for that fateful evening in NJ says the sarcastic Jim).

It was amazing to be able to reconnect with Coach McKeefery and discuss exercise, nutrition and athletics.

The trip was capped off in San Mateo, California at the FIT 3D corporate headquarters where I had the honor of meeting with their CEO, Greg Moore. Greg and I discussed the FIT 3D system and it's scientific accuracy and validity. 

FIT 3D is used in the FIT Lab at Functionised as well as numerous other research hospitals and universities. It's a no brainer!!!!

https://www.functionised.com/fit-3d-body-scan.html

The trip to California was exhausting (thank you American Airlines for showing Bad Boys for Life at 3 am PST!!!!) but extremely beneficial for the Keto Project Movie. 

To ensure this experiment is a true experiment, we are not only learning Dr. Michael Branon's physiological metrics through extensive lab work (future post on this) as well as brain mapping, but also to see how he performs from a physical standpoint.

The testing was designed by Jim Goetz in order to incorporate a myriad of physical testing and to combine both strength and endurance as well as understanding VO2 Max (the body's ability to utilize oxygen).

Jim combined aspects of the FIT Lab at Functionised and basic NFL combine testing.

The first test is using an ARX. Instead of a max 225 lb bench press, we used the ARX (Adaptive Resistance Exercise- spelled with an "X" for exercise because that's the "cool way" to spell it). Whatever the individual is pushing or pulling on the ARX, it pushes or pulls back throughout the entire range of motion. Therefore, we can avoid improper bench press form and utilize force applied as opposed to simply the weight and number of repetitions completed.

In the same spirit, we utilized the ARX for both squats and pull downs to quantify total body strength measured in force (Newtons), intensity and total output (measured in watts). We did this over a 2 minute period. The max strength is typically achieved on the first repetition if the participant is giving his/ her all. The greater intensity throughout the duration, the larger the output achieved.

We then utilized the CAR.O.L. AI fitness bike (Cardiovascular Optimization Logistics) on the two, twenty second sprints program. This program was developed by the researchers at CAR.O.L. based on the research study by Neils Vollard, PhD. Goetz wanted to ascertain a baseline of what is known on CAR.O.L. as the Octane Score. Future references to this can give him an idea of changes in VO2 Max (between 1%-2% accuracy) over the course of this experiment. CAR.O.L. will also measure Dr. Brandon's total output in his lower extremity, again measured in watts.

In the traditional NFL combine style, Coach Jim Goetz added a 40 m sprint, 60 m sprint, vertical leap, broad jump and 1 mile run to test power and endurance.

The purpose of this testing is not to see how much of a stud Dr. Brandon is. We already know he is an athlete. The purpose of this testing is to ascertain a baseline. He will continue with his regular daily workouts and not practice these particular tests directly. Changes in these results, either positive or negative, will be from the change in his diet in being 20 hamburgers each day from Burger King.