I have been battling MDD for 45 years and have tried so many different medications.  In 2025 I was on 2 depression meds and doing weekly esketamine treatments at the mental health center.  My mental health still wasn’t good.  I had brain fog, memory issues, anxiety, impaired cognition etc.  I had been following many people on YouTube doing a Ketogenic diet as Metabolic Therapy.  I was not able to find anyone in the USA that had openings.  Dr Bellamy was a guest on a Keto video and I loved what she had to say.  I contacted her office and signed up for her 6 month Foundations program.  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it because my brain fog and cognition was impaired.  The program is set up perfectly.  She leads you through weekly online teaching and a group zoom call.  I did struggle the first couple of weeks but once I got my Keto diet macros set & started tracking  my food my symptoms started improving.  I’m even going to rejoin my quilting group in Aug. because I can read & understand patterns again.  I’m no longer in fear of cutting fabric wrong because my brain fog is going away.  A bonus for me is losing 20 pounds in 8 weeks.  I feel like the fee for her course is very reasonable and what I’ve learned has been priceless for my recovery!  

I've had a BiPolar diagnosis since I was 23 yrs old and I'm nearly 60 now.  I'd been toying with keto for a while and even went carnivore for six months. But everything changed when I had to come off lithium after it damaged my kidneys (stage 3b). Suddenly I was in no man's land, 15 years free of any episode and terrified of relapsing or ending up back on medication. An episode isn't just an episode it's a trauma that takes the brain ages to recover from and I didn't want to go there again.

The US has plenty of champions of metabolic psychiatry and I'd been researching it for a while. What I couldn't find was a UK program that offered the education, life skills and ongoing support to make medical keto sustainable and not just another fad diet. That's the gap Integrative Ketogenic Research & Therapies (IKRT) filled. I wish I'd known sooner that this kind of structured, clinically-informed support existed outside the US.

I booked a call with Erin Bellamy PhD and started the Mastery Program about a month ago. I've done enough diets to know how to follow a regime so the structure itself wasn't the hard part. What stood out is that Erin and her team make it personal. It doesn't feel like being a customer, it feels like they actually care. Erin clearly knows the subject in depth and keeps the program updated with current research so it feels like a living process rather than a fixed script.

It hasn't all been easy. Changing my meal prep and decisions to stay within the food list and macros has taken some getting used to and logging everything to check I'm hitting those macros is still a habit I'm building. I think that's just the early stages though and I expect it'll get easier as I adapt and things become more fluid.

The real proof of this keto pudding is how I feel. As long as I'm in ketosis the shadows are quiet. No sugar cravings, little hunger, anxiety down to almost nothing. The negative voice that's followed me most of my life is either easy to ignore or just not there. I feel calm and content in a way I haven't in over 40 years. If this is normal then long may it last.  When I'm tempted to stray I just ask myself - carbs or my mental health? It’s a no brainer.

I can't recommend this course enough. I know I'm at the beginning and I'm sure there will be ups and downs but I feel that with the support, education, community and caring I'm receiving there can only be an upwards trend. I feel so empowered that I've taken my own health into my own hands and I feel confident it will be life changing. The best thing I've ever invested in for my mental health.

When I started the Foundations Program about 6 weeks ago I was in a dark downward spiral.  I started with Foundations because I was in such a bad place & had so much brain fog I wasn't sure if I could endure the longer Mastery class. I had tried to do KETO on my own several times and failed.   I needed help and support.  One thing I quickly learned was the macros I was using were way off to try to achieve the level of metabolic therapy.  Dr. Belamy sets each person up properly for the macro nutrients they need for their body, it's not one size fits all. 

I'm enjoying the IKRT program so much I may go ahead and do the Mastery program when this one is completed.  Just to fill out a simple online form would take me 3 or more tries to get it done.  I was so overwhelmed by everything there were days I didn't even get out of bed. Now I feel lighter mentally and I have lost a little weight.  I really like they systematic way Dr Bellamy has the program set up to work on something new each week.  IKRT makes it easy to go at your own pace. The teaching videos are very good & when new research about metabolic therapy is published, she puts it online for us to read.  The weekly group calls are very helpful and there's a limited number of people on each call so we can ask questions.  It's amazing the things you can learn from others on the call, and it's nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with mental health issues.  Even though our diagnosis may not be the same, the treatment plan to health is very much the same.  

I’ve tried keto many times in the past for my mental and physical help but doing it solo i usually ended up feeling worse. Dr Bellamy is so knowledgeable and I’ve had all the information and assistance I could ever want in making the transition to the ketogenic diet. I’m only a week or so into producing keytones and I know the journey has a long way to go but I’ve noticed so many health improvements already, big and small.  I’m so excited for the future now and beyond thankful that I’ve been able to implement this diet in a way that hasn’t stressed my body or mind. 

Dietary change is challenging especially when food addiction is involved.  I have tried on my own but was not successful.  Having Erin and the group sessions is key to keep going.  Since i started 3 months ago I have seen improvements in mental health in small but measurable increments.  The feedback forms remind me of my progress and that it will take time for me but I can do it with support

I've been on medication for Major Depressive Disorder over 40 years and at the point the medications are no longer working. New medications offered have such bad side effects that I don't even want to try them.  I have been researching metabolic therapy for a couple of years but could not find a provider in the USA for KETO, the ones with openings were for coaching on the Carnivore diet.  Out of the blue YouTube videos of Dr Erin Bellamy, IKRT started showing up in my feed and I watched all I could find.  Her program was exactly what I was looking for.  I signed up for her free online meeting that explained what the programs are and how they work.  I enrolled right away for the Foundations program.  In the Tuesday Zoom class, she is very good at letting people move at their own pace.  That took a lot of pressure off because I wasn't sure if I could keep up due age, brain fog, total lack of energy, and trouble concentrating.  It's set up in a step-by-step fashion that I have been able to do even with limited computer skills. 

For the first time in many years, I feel hopeful now that I've found a treatment for my mental illness in metabolic therapy through IKRT!

Working with Dr. Bellamy and following a therapeutic ketogenic diet has truly changed my life. I had suffered for so long and tried countless medications and therapies without real results. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but from the beginning I felt supported. Erin answered all my questions, and the weekly meetings and community made me feel understood and never alone. Yes, the process has ups and downs, but this is the safest and most effective way to learn therapeutic keto. The food is delicious and surprisingly simple to follow with the suggested food list. Since starting, my sleep, focus, motivation, and especially my mood have improved in ways I never imagined. I’m so grateful for Erin and for Natalie, who is always kind and helpful by email.

I have learnt a tremendous amount.

With way too much information out there how do you know what will work?  This plan worked for my son. We have learned so much from our structured videos and also from each other.

The IKRT 6-month Foundations Programme took my interest in and knowledge of ketosis and ketogenic therapy to the next level. The educational modules helped to reinforce the benefits theoretically, while the weekly calls provided a welcoming, supportive environment to encourage me to put theory into practice - consistently - much more than I'd been able to by myself.

For me, it wasn't about getting into ketosis and staying there, but learning how to manage the diet and eating around life's challenges, social and family events and how to stay in ketosis for longer so that the brain fog has lessened, my feeling of total overwhelm has decreased, my sleep has improved and I feel better about myself.

Erin's knowledge and compassion, together with the warmth and encouragement of everyone else on the calls, have been key. Most significantly, I've had glimmers of hope and joy, glimpses of 'my old self' and have felt optimistic and excited again about the future. I know that with the skills that Erin's programme teaches, I can get back there again and find a way to be the person I want to be and really am.

This has meant everything to me. My son is slimming down and is so much healthier and happier. I recommend this program to anyone who is interested in improving their mental health in a safe and effective way.

I've never been able to stick with a keto program to see it's true effects until I joined this group. I lost 10 pounds of inflammation fast, and have continued with a more gradual weight loss schedule since I started. Dr. Erin is kind and intelligent and gentle and has laid this program out so thoughtfully. I've learned so much, and my mental health has been transformed. Intrusive thoughts were becoming a big issue for me, and in two months they've become just a passing inconvenience. Additionally, I've started to ovulate again which I attribute to ketosis as well. My PCOS symptoms are almost erased with this protocol.

I had tried to heal lifelong depression, anxiety and eating disorders for five years following a carnivore diet, but would always give it up.  The social pressure and subtle messages of "diet" being able to cure mental illness as just a silly notion would set up doubts in myself as to what I was doing was anywhere near a cure.  As a depressive, you already doubt your reality, so it would not take much to throw me off course.  I also want to add that prior to my five year adventure trying a ketogenic "cure", I had spent ten years on and off depression medication.  Most did not work or the side effects were unbearable.  When I did finally hit on a medication that worked, it stopped working after one year.  Going on and off medications is an awful experience.  So after ten years, I had enough with western medicine.  Which brings me to IKRT's program.  I took the plunge because I finally realized I needed help to stick with the diet.  I am so glad I did.  To get the support and encouragement from not only Erin, but the whole community is priceless.  You are not alone in your pain.  I have been able to stay in ketosis for nearly three months and the affect it has had on my mental stability is unbelievable.  Never have I been so calm, steady and positive.  Ketones have such a positive effect on my brain!  The "cost" kind of through me off while considering, but wow....I would pay double for such a positive effect this has had on my life.  The quality of the other participants is also reflected in the program. These are wonderful people who have suffered for years, battling western medicine with barely any results to show for it.  To be surrounded by such caring and thoughtful fellow travelers is so rewarding.   

To those who might be down a deep rabbit hole in terms of ketogenic research to help with their mental health - you need look no further! I participated in Dr Erin's 6-month programme with other people committed to taking control and influencing their mental health in a positive direction using ketogenic therapy. Erin offers weekly personal support via answering submitted questions - and there is also the option to top up with 1:1's - (which I have only needed after 6 months!) I have learned so much from this compassionate group, not only about ketones but also about resilience, especially for those of us in midlife and above (40+years) who have experienced firsthand the low expectations and medical gaslighting associated with bipolar and schizophrenia in standard medical care. I now understand my personal ketone range for optimal mood - which you wont find in any research paper, plus symptoms and setbacks along the way (which is normal) were responded to with empathy and professional insights. This isn't an easy journey - but it can be simplified. Highly recommended! 

My Ketogenic Therapy Journey with IKRT has been transformational. The education and support from Erin is outstanding. She is very empathetic and supportive, and super knowledgeable. If you have struggled to find a sustainable way to address mental (and metabolic) challenges, you have to give IKRT a try. I have learnt so much about keto as a way of leaving, about its therapeutic super powers and have experienced its effects first hand. Aside from the deep knowledge about keto and its benefits to our health, Erin is there to support and provide ideas to overcome any blockers in the keto journey. And the support from the community is fantastic, too. I have not only gained knowledge about ketogenic therapy, but also trust in my body, in my capacity and knowledge of it and myself. I can't recommend IKRT and Erin enough!