I was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in my twenties, and for years I accepted it as something that “just happens.” Doctors told me it was genetic, maybe environmental, and that I should learn to manage the pain. So I did what most of us do, followed the advice, and tried to push through.
Every time I went to the doctor, I would leave with nothing but a new scrip and frustration.
As for medication, I had two choices. One was to take the strong stuff, which made me feel cruddy and slow. Also, I was keenly aware of the possibility of developing an unhealthy addiction. My second choice was to take the milder meds, like Gabapentin which did absolutely nothing for the pain. So I chose to do neither and tkae zero meds.
As time went on, I learned that eating a Keto type diet helped with the pain due to the positive effects of non inflammatory foods. I also took up running in my thirties which helped me cope with the pain better. My take was, I’d rather be sore from a good run that from just being.
That worked well until I hit my mid forties and I couldn’t run any more due to hip and knee pain. Then I couldn’t even walk. After that, the arthritis in my neck also started to impact me. Then I developed a pinched nerve in my neck that rendered my left arm useless and the pain was constant and excruciating.
I spent three years trying to treat it all with physical therapy, learning to walk again in a way that would be easier on my hips and knees and getting spinal injections for the pinched nerve.
I even gave in and took medication when the pain was just unbearable.
Oh yeah, and I put on a lot of weight, which, of course, was terrible for my joints and just my overall health.
And I stopped eating keto along the way because, well, life.
I’m a pretty tough and resilient person, but sometimes, pain has a funny way of breaking you down emotionally. It definitely took a toll.
Then, one day, as I was hobbling along during a quasi-walk, I happened upon a podcast where the guest was Dr. Benjamin Bikman. He was discussing his book, , Why We Get Sick, and something just clicked for me.
At first he was discussing the effects of our diet on Alzheimer’s and why it was being called Type 3 Diabetes as it is deeply connected to insulin resistance in the brain. He describes how, when our cells become less responsive to insulin, the brain struggles to get the energy it needs from glucose. Over time, this energy crisis leads to cell damage, inflammation, and the buildup of harmful plaques that interfere with memory and function.
What I found powerful about his explanation is that it shifts the focus from seeing Alzheimer’s as purely genetic to recognizing how much our diet and metabolism influence brain health. It’s both sobering and empowering to realize that the same metabolic dysfunction behind obesity and diabetes may also be quietly stealing our clarity and memories, and that by managing insulin through diet and lifestyle, we can actually protect our brains as well.
I immediately purchased the book, and it completely changed how I look at my health.
The book dives deep into the role of insulin resistance, not just in diabetes, but in almost every chronic condition we face, from obesity to Alzheimer’s to, yes, inflammatory diseases like arthritis.
What stood out to me was how clearly Dr. Bikman connects our modern diet and lifestyle to the constant elevation of insulin. It’s not just about sugar. It’s about how frequently we eat, what we eat, and how that impacts our cells over time. Reading this helped me understand that my body wasn’t “broken.” It was responding exactly as it was designed, but, to the food and habits I was giving it.
Learning about insulin resistance made me rethink everything from how often I snack to what’s really fueling inflammation in my body. It’s what led me back to the ketogenic diet, not as a quick fix, but as a way to lower that constant insulin load and give my body a fighting chance to heal.
It also helped me feel a bit more empowered when it comes to the “brain fog” I was experiencing due to menopause, or as a friend likes to call it, second puberty.
When I first restarted keto, I noticed the pain and stiffness in my joints easing. My energy stabilized. I felt clear-headed in a way I hadn’t in years. And when I fell off track, because let’s be honest, it happens, the difference was undeniable. It was proof that food is powerful medicine, and the science in Dr. Bikman’s book gave me the “why” behind what my body had already been telling me.
Now, every choice I make, whether it’s skipping the bread basket or fasting between meals, isn’t about restriction. It’s about control. It’s about knowing how my body works and giving it what it needs to thrive, not just survive.
If you’ve ever felt trapped by a diagnosis or frustrated that your body isn’t cooperating, Why We Get Sick is worth your time. It’s certainly not another diet book. It’s a roadmap to understanding how we got here, and how we can start to heal.
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