Erik Salazar's Story

In June 2017, Erik Salazar woke up with intense discomfort in his chest resulting in a visit to the ER. Although it wasn’t a heart attack, Salazar was having a GERD attack -- “Er mer gerd!” he says, with a laugh. After seeing a specialist, he knew it was time to make a change for the better. “I needed to be around for my wife and kids,” Salazar adds. “I want to be [there] for my family and enjoy every life moment with them.”

After surgery to remove his gallbladder in December of 2017, Salazar felt it was a good time to get started on the journey to better health. “I did countless hours of research trying to find the best ‘diet’ to lose weight and get healthy,” he says. “The one name that kept popping up was Dr. Eric Berg.”

From Dr. Berg, Salazar learned that keto and intermittent fasting is a marathon, not a sprint and that over time, the results will be beneficial long term. “Eating properly and getting healthy first is the priority,” he says, quoting Dr. Berg’s advice. “Most [people] want to focus on weight loss. Weight loss is a product of keto and IF.”

At first, Salazar’s wife didn’t agree with his new way of eating but she eventually got on board after seeing his results. “She’s now seeing great success as well,” Salazar says. “We are our support system for this lifestyle change.”

For Salazar, the first month was the hardest and removing carbs from his diet (that was usually filled with rice, bread, and pasta) proved challenging. “Making the switch took time to get used to,” he says. “Now, it's not an issue at all!”

Previously feeling sluggish and tired all the time with painful inflammation, Salazar now feels energized and light on his feet. “I don’t take any meds for pain because it doesn’t exist anymore,” he says. “The best part is the way I feel and how others are being inspired to get healthy as well.”

After nearly 11 months doing keto and IF, Salazar has lost an incredible 70 pounds (32 kg). He’s recently joined a gym and enjoying the benefits of exercising as well. “I can't thank Dr. Eric Berg [enough] for the countless hours of research and YouTube videos that he provides,” Salazar says. “It truly has changed my life and my family’s life for the better!”

Favorite Way to Exercise: HIIT training and weight lifting

Favorite Keto Recipe: Cauliflower "mac" and cheese with Franks Red Hot Sauce or grilled chicken thighs with a heavy cream lemon garlic sauce with a side of asparagus