Megan Pfeffer
Megan Pfeffer is a Clinical Nutritionist and the founder of ‘I Choose Health’, providing international education & support via online webinars, workshops, one-on-one consults and group online courses. Megan also researches and presents at international conferences to raise awareness of the loose connective tissue disease lipoedema and also for breast cancer. Megan co-authored the 2020 research paper titled ‘Ketogenic diet as a potential solution for lipedema’, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal ‘Medical Hypotheses’.
In 2019 Megan discovered she had lipoedema while researching the condition for one of her patients. In 2020 she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and underwent a life-saving bilateral mastectomy, and is now cancer-free. Megan lives a keto lifestyle to manage her own health and loves helping women around the world to take back control of their health.
Megan Pfeffer didn’t know she had lipoedema until she had a client who needed help with her condition. Lipoedema is often misdiagnosed or confused with lymphoedema. Lipoedema is a loose connective condition, that is resistive to standard diets, so can be very frustrating. It also presents with pain which is also not believed by health and medical professionals.
In this episode, we talk about her journey and navigating cancer as well as how she helps others regain health.
If you are looking for the show notes on Apple Podcast
Megan's Top Tips
- Eat food that loves you back - such as food intolerances
- Explore bio-individuality
- Self-advocate and look power differentials
Resources Mentioned
Keith, L., Seo, C. A., Rowsemitt, C., Pfeffer, M., Wahi, M., Staggs, M., ... & Carmody, M. (2021). Ketogenic diet as a potential intervention for lipedema. Medical Hypotheses, 146, 110435.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987720333260
Sweet Poison: Learn how to break your addiction with sugar for life - David Gillespie
Chef Pete Evans
Gary and Belinda Fettke I Support Gary
The Obesity Code - Dr Jason Fung
Virta Health
https://www.virtahealth.com/
Megan studied at Endeavour College
https://www.endeavour.edu.au/courses/bachelor-health-science-nutritional-and-dietetic-medicine/
Hacking Chemo: Using Ketogenic Diet, Therapeutic Fasting and a Kickass Attitude to Power through Cancer - Martha Tettenborn
These are some not for profit organisations for Lipoedema
https://www.lipoedemaaustralia.com.au/
Louise mentioned a photo about lipoedema
Quotes by Megan Pfeffer
“These women know that they’ve been told they have to eat less, that their bodies are forcing them to eat more and that's the point where people feel like they complete failures and don't have any willpower because they're trying to do this diet and but their body's driving them to cravings”
“It's always such a nice thing to explain to people: no that's not you failing the diet, that’s the diet failing you.”
“It's a hormonal nightmare. You're risking down-regulating your appetite and your hormone, the thyroid function diminishes. So it's a real problem. The fat doesn't respond to that.”
“We know that fat doesn't respond to that because you can have a really low calorie diet, but you can still be spiking insulin. And insulin is a really key factor here.“
“It's a disease that's often misdiagnosed as simple obesity.”
“We call it a triad, really that lipoedema can easily escalate into obesity and include obesity. And then often once obesity is included, it can escalate into secondary lymphedema.”
“ One of the symptoms of lipoedema is that it has fat that is resistant to diet and exercise.”
"Helping people to deal with stress is such a big part of helping them to wellness. That it's equally as important as the food, the food is an important part in getting into ketosis. But if you're doing that and you're not doing anything to actively manage your stress that can be that can really hold you back from making progress as well."
"Even as a nutritionist, I think people feel like they have to paint this picture that they're having a perfect diet."
Connect with Megan Pfeffer on social media
https://www.facebook.com/IChooseHealthMeganPfeffer
https://www.instagram.com/meganpfeffer_ichoosehealth/
https://twitter.com/megespfeffer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-pfeffer/
Website Details:
Megan’s Workshops
https://ichoosehealth.com.au/workshops
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