Episode 282: Dr. Erin Bellamy | Can a Diet Replace Psychiatric Meds? Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for Food Addiction & Mental Health

What if the most powerful tool for mental health recovery isn't a medication — it's your metabolism?  Dr. Erin Louise Bellamy joins Dr. Vera Tarman for a deep dive into ketogenic metabolic therapy: what it is, how it works, and why it may be one of the most underutilized interventions in both psychiatric care and food addiction recovery.  Dr. Bellamy is a chartered psychologist, CEO of IKRT (International Ketogenic Research & Therapy), and a research fellow at the University of East London. She has been researching and applying ketogenic metabolic therapy in clinical settings since 2014, with a background that bridges eating disorders, psychiatric research, and metabolic health.  In this episode, Vera and Erin discuss:  How Erin went from eating disorder and alexithymia research to ketogenic metabolic psychiatry — and why the field's "biopsychosocial" model was missing the bio  The difference between metabolic psychiatry, ketogenic therapy, and therapeutic carbohydrate restriction — and why the terminology matters  What carbohydrate range actually produces therapeutic ketosis (and why "dirty keto" doesn't cut it)  The shared mechanistic pathways across psychiatric diagnoses — including mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and neuroinflammation  Why antipsychotic medications create metabolic dysfunction, and how ketogenic therapy can help offset those side effects  The GABA/glutamate shift that makes ketones naturally anxiolytic — and why this may work differently than the serotonin model of depression  The "buffer effect": what it feels like to be in ketosis when you're a food addict — and why some people describe it as a pane of glass between themselves and a trigger food  How ketogenic therapy compares to GLP-1 medications (Ozempic/Wegovy) for reducing food noise — and Erin's concerns about the long-term research  MCT oil vs. exogenous ketones: when each is useful, and when exogenous ketones are counterproductive  Applying ketogenic therapy to people with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and co-occurring food addiction  How to support vegan or plant-based clients who want to pursue ketogenic therapy  Why the first week matters most — and how to help clients through withdrawal without triggering a binge  The 19-person IKRT group program published in Frontiers — and what's coming next in the research  Connect with Dr. Erin Bellamy:   🌐Web: Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies | ketogenic diet and mental health    Food Junkies Podcast is hosted by Dr. Vera Tarman, Molly Painschab, and Clarissa Kennedy. New episodes every week.  Connect with Food Junkies Podcast:   🌐Web: Food Junkies Podcast ▶️ YouTube: Food Junkies Podcast - YouTube  💌Email: [email protected]  The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.