Ketosis: The Metabolic State That Mimics Fasting and Heals from Within

7/13/2025

When most people hear the word “ketosis,” they think of weight loss, and yes, it’s an effective fat-burning state. But what often gets overlooked is that ketosis isn't just about shedding pounds. It’s a powerful metabolic state that mimics many of the same benefits as extended fasting, without going days without food.

And for those of us trying to reduce inflammation, support gut health, and reclaim energy and mental clarity, that’s a big deal.

Let’s break it down.

What Is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state where your body shifts from burning glucose, or sugar, to burning fat for fuel. This happens when carbohydrate intake is very low, either because you’re fasting or you’re eating in a way that limits carbs, like a ketogenic or low-carb, high-fat lifestyle.

When you enter ketosis, your liver begins producing ketones from fat. These ketones are clean, efficient energy sources not just for your body, but especially for your brain.

 Ketosis vs. Extended Fasting: Similar Benefits Without the Stress

Extended fasting, think 24 to 72 hours or more, triggers powerful healing processes like autophagy, insulin sensitivity, and anti-inflammatory effects. But it’s not always practical or healthy for everyone to fast that long regularly.

Here’s where nutritional ketosis comes in.

In a state of ketosis, your body mimics many of the benefits of extended fasting while still receiving essential nutrients. This includes:

Reduced inflammation
Ketones like beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB, have direct anti-inflammatory effects at the cellular level. This is one reason people in ketosis often report reduced joint pain, better digestion, and clearer skin.

Mental clarity and neuroprotection
The brain loves ketones. They provide a steady, stable energy source, unlike the blood sugar highs and crashes from a high-carb diet. Ketosis is being studied for its benefits in Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and other neurological conditions.

Improved metabolic flexibility
When you’re in ketosis, your body becomes better at switching between fuel sources. This means more stable energy, better blood sugar control, and fewer cravings.

Ketosis and Gut Health

This one surprises a lot of people, but yes, ketosis can be great for your gut.

Many people enter ketosis and notice less bloating, more regular bowel movements, and even remission of chronic digestive issues like IBS.

Here’s why:
A low-carb, whole-food keto diet naturally eliminates many gut irritants like sugar, seed oils, and processed carbs.
Ketosis supports a healthy gut microbiome by reducing inflammation and feeding beneficial bacteria with fiber-rich vegetables, fermented foods, and prebiotics.
Ketones themselves may even have a protective effect on the gut lining, helping prevent “leaky gut” and improving intestinal barrier function.

Real Nourishment, Not Just Restriction

Unlike prolonged fasting, ketosis doesn’t mean starvation. It’s about nourishing your body with healthy fats, quality proteins, and nutrient-dense, low-glycemic vegetables. You’re still eating, just strategically.

The result? You can feel the same mental clarity, hunger control, and healing benefits of fasting without the burnout, blood sugar dips, or stress on the body.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re easing into a low-carb lifestyle or you've been curious about ketosis for a while, know this: You don’t have to fast for days to unlock deep healing. The metabolic state of ketosis can deliver so many of those same benefits while helping you feel grounded, nourished, and strong.

Your body was designed to heal. Ketosis is just one tool that helps it do exactly that.

When God Calls You Into the Unknown: What I Learned from Acts 20:22

7/6/2025

This Sunday at Canvas Church Alachua, Pastor Kevin McNeil delivered a powerful sermon on Acts 20:22, where Paul says:

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.” (Acts 20:22, NIV)

Paul didn’t have all the answers. He just had the call. And that’s where many of us find ourselves when we’re stepping into something new. Pastor Kevin explained what this process often looks like when the Holy Spirit is leading us into purpose:

1. Righteous restlessness
2. Certain uncertainty
3. Predictable resistance
4. Uncommon confidence

That breakdown hit me hard because it describes exactly what I’ve been walking through in this season.

How I’m Living This Out

Over the past year, I’ve felt a holy stirring. A deep inner conviction that I was meant to serve in a new way. I’ve spent over 15 years in clinical pharmacy, but something in me knew it was time to step beyond the traditional model and start speaking directly to people about metabolic healing, root-cause wellness, and faith-driven health.

I didn’t have a full blueprint. And if I’m honest, I still don’t. But I couldn’t ignore the righteous restlessness. I knew I was being called out of comfort and into impact.

Then came the certain uncertainty. There’s been trial and error. Questions about income, identity, and what success would even look like. But I’ve kept moving forward because I know the One who called me.

I’ve faced predictable resistance too. Self-doubt. Criticism. Delays. Even spiritual warfare. And yet, God has consistently shown up with uncommon confidence. Just enough encouragement. Just enough clarity. Just enough provision to take the next step.

This line from Pastor Kevin stayed with me:

“The struggle you’re facing today is strengthening you for the weight of success you’ll be responsible for tomorrow.”

That’s the season I’m in. And maybe it’s the season you’re in too.

How You Might Be Living This Too

Maybe you feel it. That gentle, persistent tug in your spirit. A call to shift careers, write the book, launch the ministry, prioritize your health, speak up, walk away, or start fresh. Something that makes no sense on paper but won’t let you go.

Maybe you don’t know what’s next. You just know you can’t stay where you are. That’s certain uncertainty. Don’t wait for clarity to start obeying. Clarity often follows obedience.

And when the resistance shows up? Expect it. Resistance isn’t always a sign to turn around. Sometimes it’s confirmation you’re on holy ground. The enemy doesn’t bother people who aren’t a threat.

The good news is this: God won’t call you to something without equipping you for it. You may not feel ready, but the preparation is already happening. Even in the struggle.

A Final Word

If you’re feeling the tension of transition, like you’re being stretched, stirred, or set apart, lean into it. Let God refine you. Let the resistance train you. Let the uncertainty build your faith.

You don’t have to see the whole path. Just take the next right step.

Your obedience today is preparing you for the weight of the blessing tomorrow.

 

What Is Metabolic Healing, and Why Most Diets Miss the Mark

7/2/2025

When most people think of improving their health, they think of cutting calories, exercising more, or jumping on the latest trendy diet. But if you’ve tried those things and still feel tired, inflamed, or stuck in a cycle of cravings and fatigue, you’re not alone.

Metabolic healing isn’t about restriction. It’s about restoration.

As a board-certified clinical pharmacist and metabolic health educator, I’ve spent years helping people uncover what’s really driving their symptoms, and more often than not, it all comes back to the metabolism.

So, what is metabolic healing?

Metabolic healing means getting your body back to a place where it can burn fuel efficiently, manage blood sugar with ease, and respond to hunger, hormones, and stress the way it was designed to.

Instead of chasing symptoms like:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Sugar cravings
• High blood pressure
• “Normal” labs but feeling off

We ask why those symptoms are showing up in the first place. We support the systems behind the symptoms, starting with your metabolism.

Why most diets miss the mark

Most diets focus on what to cut out: carbs, fat, calories, flavor, joy.

But your body isn’t broken, it’s just overwhelmed. And constantly restricting or depriving it sends a stress signal that often slows healing even more.

Here’s what most programs don’t address:

• How to balance blood sugar without obsessing over carbs
• How to eat in a healing order, not just track macros
• How your circadian rhythm, stress, and sleep impact weight and energy
• How movement can be simple and supportive, not punishing
• How to rebuild metabolic flexibility without fearing food

What metabolic healing looks like

In my own journey, and in the lives of so many people I’ve helped, it starts with small, powerful shifts like:

• Fiber-first eating: starting meals with veggies to blunt blood sugar spikes
• Time-restricted eating: giving your gut and hormones a rest
• Daily movement, like walks after meals or short dumbbell workouts
• Micronutrient support: replenishing what’s been depleted by stress or medications
• Root-cause mindset: asking why, not just what

You were designed to heal

God created our bodies with an incredible ability to heal when we remove the stressors and give it what it needs. Metabolic healing isn’t a quick fix. It’s a rewiring. A reclaiming. A return to the way we were meant to function.

If you're tired of chasing the next diet and you're ready to support your system from the inside out, you're in the right place.

What’s next?

In upcoming posts, I’ll break down exactly how to support your metabolism through food, movement, sleep, and mindset, and how to make it realistic for your everyday life.

Your healing doesn’t start with restriction. It starts with understanding.

Stick around. Your body is ready to heal. Let’s begin.

 

How I Found Faith, Healing, and Metabolic Freedom, and How You Can Too 

6/30/2025

Hi, I’m Dr. Lyndsay Carlson, a PharmD, board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacy specialist, mom of two, and passionate believer in the body’s God-designed ability to heal. I created this space because I believe your body is not broken. It was designed by God with incredible capacity for renewal. We just need to get out of the way and give it what it needs.

 From Prescriptions to Purpose

 I’ve been practicing as a clinical pharmacist for over 15 years, focused entirely on chronic disease state management in outpatient care. My journey started in the VA system, where I completed a residency and managed chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure under collaborative practice agreements.

 I quickly began to notice a pattern: patients were depending on medications to fix issues that were often caused by lifestyle choices, poor nutrition, stress, lack of movement, and more. And while medications can be lifesaving and necessary, I saw how often they became a Band-Aid for deeper root causes.

Over time, many patients didn’t feel better. They just had more prescriptions. More side effects. More co-pays. More confusion.

 But something amazing happened when I started having honest conversations with patients about why they were sick, and what they could do about it. Once people understood the root cause and saw a path to true healing, they got on board. They made changes. They started to heal.

 And it clicked for me: This is what I was meant to do.

 Faith Was Always the Foundation

 I’ve always been a Kingdom person. I’ve always prayed to be the light, to bring healing, to be used in a way that glorifies Him.

Before I ever wore a white coat, I had a bachelor’s in biochemistry and even spent a year doing pharmaceutical industry research. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t made for the lab, I was made to walk alongside real people, helping them heal from the inside out.

I now believe God led me into ambulatory care pharmacy, not just to manage disease, but to reverse it. To remind people that healing is possible, even if the world says otherwise. That your diagnosis doesn’t define you.

The Shift: From Clinical to Root-Cause, Metabolic Healing

 In recent years, I dove deep into metabolic health, learning about the incredible healing power of fasting, nutrient-dense foods, sunlight, blood sugar regulation, and the state of ketosis (not the trendy “keto diet”, I’m talking about your body’s natural metabolic flexibility).

 I realized most chronic diseases, from fatigue to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, inflammation, and brain fog, are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction.

 And the good news? You can start healing today by:

• Eating fiber first (leafy greens, cruciferous veggies)

• Prioritizing protein and healthy fats

• Saving carbs for last

• Fasting within a circadian rhythm (think 12–16 hour overnight fasts)

• Getting morning sunlight to reset your hormones

• Walking daily, even with a weighted vest for a metabolic boost

 None of this requires perfection. It just requires a willingness to align your daily habits with how your body (and brain) were designed to function, by God.

 What You’ll Find Here

This blog is where faith and science meet. It’s where prescriptions and prayer coexist. It’s where I’ll teach you what I wish every patient knew:

• What true metabolic healing looks like

• How to naturally balance blood sugar, hormones, and inflammation

• How to support your system if you’re on medications

• How to use fasting, movement, and real food as medicine

• How to invite God into your healing journey

 I’ll also share tools I use daily, from supplements and clean recipes to wearable tech and workouts that fit into real life.

 Because healing isn’t a destination, it’s a lifestyle.

 Your Invitation

 If you’re ready to stop managing symptoms and start healing from the inside out, you’re in the right place.

👉 Subscribe to my newsletter for encouragement, education, and easy next steps.

📬 Have a question or want to share your story? Leave a comment or email me, I’d love to hear from you.

 Let’s heal, faithfully, metabolically, and together.

 With grace and grit,

Lyndsay Carlson, PharmD, BCACP

Clinical Pharmacist | Metabolic Healer | Mom | Believer