Cliff Harvey, PhD, is a New Zealand-based author, nutritionist, researcher, and speaker. He is also a Qualified Naturopath, a strength and nutrition coach of 20 years, and an IAWA Weightlifting World Champion (2004 & 2007). Over the years he has consulted for all types of athletes, from champion fighters and cyclists to yacht teams and rugby unions. He currently works with clients and conducts research at Auckland University of Technology, while also growing his online collection of educational videos on nutrition, health, and performance.

On this podcast, Cliff talks about the diagnosis that propelled him into studying nutrition and the critical lessons he learned while recovering. He talks about his research on the ketogenic diet, including what actually causes “keto flu” and how best to overcome it quickly. We also discuss carbohydrate-appropriate diets, and how to figure out the carb intake that’s right for you.

Here’s the outline of this podcast with Cliff Harvey:

[00:00:38] Mikky Williden, PhD. Podcast featuring Mikki as interviewer: How I Used Ancestral Health to Boost My Energy and Start a Business.

[00:02:29] Diagnosed with Crohn's Disease.

[00:06:42] Studying nutrition.

[00:07:32] Crohn's in remission.

[00:08:31] Reducing stress and building a lifestyle conducive to health.

[00:13:22] Competitive weightlifting.

[00:18:43] Book: The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life, by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness.  Podcast with Brad Stulberg: How to Harness Productive Passion and Avoid Burnout.

[00:22:15] Protein first; Ketogenic and low-carb diets.

[00:26:51] Paperpile.

[00:27:01] “Keto flu”; Study: Harvey, Cliff J. D. C., Grant M. Schofield, and Micalla Williden. "The use of nutritional supplements to induce ketosis and reduce symptoms associated with keto-induction: a narrative review." PeerJ 6 (2018): e4488.

[00:29:44] Effects of 3 low-carb diets; Study: Harvey, Cliff J. D. C., et al. "Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: A randomised clinical trial." PeerJ 7 (2019): e6273.

[00:31:01] Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS); Podcast: How to Identify and Treat Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), with Nicky Keay.

[00:32:24] Lessening symptoms of keto flu.

[00:34:58] Eric Helms, PhD; outcomes based nutrition.

[00:37:24] Eric Helms on Cliff’s podcast: The Bodybuilding Contest Prep Diet Debate.

[00:37:44] The Carb-Appropriate Podcast.

[00:39:48] Figuring out the carb intake that is appropriate for you.

[00:41:13] Book: The Carbohydrate Appropriate Diet: Go beyond low-carb diets to lose weight fast, and improve energy and performance, without counting calories, by Cliff Harvey; Other books by Cliff.

[00:45:03] Sami Inkinen, CEO and Founder of Virta Health.

[00:50:51] Cliff’s courses: The Holistic Performance Institute.

[00:53:24] Autoregulation.

[00:57:40] COVID situation in New Zealand; Cliff’s podcast with Simon Thornley, PhD: Are lockdowns effective for mitigating the effects of the COVID pandemic?