On September 21, LowCarbUSA® hosted an exceptional one-day symposium on metabolic health in Brainerd Lakes. The event, spearheaded by local healthcare leaders Dr. Angie Ausban and Dr. Jeremiah Eisenschenk, alongside LowCarbUSA co-founders Doug Reynolds and Pam Devine, drew over 200 participants.
The event fostered a collaborative environment where healthcare professionals and the general public came together to explore the vital topic of metabolic health, therapeutic carbohydrate reduction (TCR), and actionable strategies to improve health outcomes, offering attendees practical tools and insights to implement important lifestyle changes in clinical practice and everyday life.
Featured Speakers and Presentation Topics
The symposium featured presentations by a range of experts in the field, offering practical and scientific insights into the role of therapeutic carbohydrate reduction in managing conditions like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
- Robert Cywes, MD, PhD – “Addressing the Root Causes of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome”
- Gurpreet Padda, MD, MHP, MBA – “Chronic Inflammation and Its Role in Metabolic Dysfunction”
- Mark Cucuzzella, MD, FAAFP, MHP – “The Role of Physical Activity in Reversing Metabolic Disease”
- Vera Tarman, MD – “Food Addiction: Understanding the Neurochemical Pathways of Processed Food Dependence”
- Jeremiah Eisenschenk, MD – “Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction in Clinical Practice: A Regional Perspective”
- Angelina Ausban, MD – “Combating Metabolic Disease in Rural Communities: Challenges and Strategies”
- Shawn Roberts, MD – “Mental Health and Metabolic Health: Understanding the Connection”
Bringing Metabolic Health to Brainerd Lakes
Dr. Angie Ausban played a key role in organizing the symposium, collaborating with Dr. Jeremiah Eisenschenk to bring the event to the Brainerd Lakes community. Both local healthcare leaders were instrumental in spearheading the initiative, ensuring it reached healthcare professionals and the public alike.
Dr. Ausban’s husband, Dr. Kevin Smith, a radiologist, also played a supportive role. He attended several LowCarbUSA meetings and shared his wife’s passion for the event, personally relating to the importance of therapeutic carbohydrate reduction. “He told me he would organize the event if I didn’t do it,” Dr. Ausban shared, acknowledging his encouragement and involvement behind the scenes.
Dr. Eisenschenk, no stranger to organizing community-based metabolic health events, reflected on the need for education and awareness in more rural areas. “This symposium allowed us to provide our community with life-changing information and connect them with local food producers and healthcare experts,” he said.
Doug Reynolds expressed his excitement about expanding the organization’s reach into new areas. “We were able to connect with a community that really embraced the opportunity to learn about therapeutic carbohydrate reduction as it relates to improved metabolic health.”
Pam Devine emphasized the success of the collaboration between local practitioners and the broader healthcare community. “This was a very successful partnership between visionary practitioners like Dr. Ausban and Dr. Eisenschenk and key players in the local healthcare system that might typically be seen as competing organizations ,” Pam said. “But they all came together for this common cause, which allowed us to reach a wide audience of healthcare professionals and the general public—many of whom were being introduced to TCR for metabolic health for the first time.”
Community Impact
The feedback following the symposium was overwhelmingly positive, particularly from attendees who felt enlightened by the information shared. According to Dr. Ausban, “Several physicians who had never encountered this information before were blown away by the science, and many patients expressed frustration that they hadn’t known about this approach sooner.”
The power of the symposium came from its ability to offer science-backed, practical strategies that could be implemented immediately.
One of the most compelling stories came from Deb Hensch, a patient of Dr. Eisenschenk, who took to the stage to share her incredible transformation. In 2022, Hensch was so obese that she struggled with daily activities, even needing to carry a chair just to walk across her driveway. After working with Dr. Eisenschenk and adopting a low-carb lifestyle, she lost 221 pounds, reversed her pre-diabetes, and is now completely off all medications. Her health metrics improved dramatically—her A1C dropped from 6.1 to 5.0, glucose levels fell from 127 to 87, and her insulin dropped from 34 to 4.7.
“I was shocked because I wasn’t dieting or starving myself,” she shared. “I’m not just watching life anymore—I’m living it.”
Now, she hikes, bikes, and kayaks with her husband, embracing a life she never thought possible. Her testimony resonated deeply with attendees, showcasing the life-changing potential of carbohydrate reduction and better food choices.
A Look to the Future
Both Dr. Ausban and Dr. Eisenschenk expressed optimism about the future of metabolic health in America, despite the growing concerns over obesity, processed food addiction, and metabolic syndrome. Dr. Ausban noted that the increasing awareness of processed foods’ dangers, even across differing dietary ideologies, has her feeling hopeful about the future. “We’re gaining traction,” she said, “and if we continue to raise awareness, we can turn the tide on metabolic disease.”
Dr. Eisenschenk added, “We’re seeing this message spread from the coasts to rural America, and it’s inspiring. There’s no reason why any part of the country—or the world—can’t start a movement like this. It just takes the will and the support, which organizations like LowCarbUSA and the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners (The SMHP™) are helping to provide.”
The Symposium also fostered meaningful connections between local vendors and attendees, offering immediate, actionable support to help people change their eating habits and improve their health. With continued collaboration between healthcare providers, food producers, and organizations like LowCarbUSA, the Brainerd Lakes Symposium stands as a shining example of how communities can take control of their health and thrive.
A Call to Action
The Brainerd Lakes Symposium was a success not only for the education it provided but for the sense of community and shared mission it cultivated. With events like these, LowCarbUSA continues to play a vital role in spreading the message of metabolic health and offering solutions for those ready to reclaim their well-being.
For those who couldn’t attend, recordings of the Symposium, including presentations from the featured speakers, are available. To purchase the recordings and optional CME credits, visit www.lowcarbusa.org/brainerd-lakes-2024/
About Dr. Angelina Ausban
Dr. Angelina Ausban earned her BA in Chemistry from Mills College before working as a chemist for six years. She later attended Vanderbilt University Medical School and completed her internship in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where she met her husband, Dr. Kevin Smith. After her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, she became board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Ausban has a passion for metabolic health and obesity medicine, having co-founded CentraCare’s Medical Weight Management Program. She is currently the Medical Director of the Metabolic Health and Medical Weight Management Program at CRMC. Her program has helped patients lose a combined total of over 17,000 pounds in less than three years.
About Dr. Jeremiah Eisenschenk
Dr. Jeremiah Eisenschenk is a graduate of St. John’s University and the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he also completed his residency in Family Medicine, serving as Chief Resident. He is board-certified in both Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine and practices at Essentia Health in Brainerd, MN, where he is also Division Chair of Hospital Medicine at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. Dr. Eisenschenk is the co-founder of Essentia Health’s Weight Management Department and the Lakes Area Metabolic Health Symposium, Minnesota’s first low-carb conference. Recognized as a “Top Doc” by Minnesota Monthly Magazine, he has been featured on DietDoctor.com for his clinical approach to low-carb medicine. Dr. Eisenschenk also guest lectures at the University of Minnesota Medical School on topics such as metabolic health, financial literacy, and clinician burnout.
