Category: medications

Posted on by — 3 Comments

John improved is hypothyroidism and inflammation, eliminated his psoriasis and lost 30 lbs on a carnivore diet.

It’s 18 months to the day that I’ve been doing the Carnivore diet and I’ve never felt better!  Here are before and after pics which you can clearly see a difference!  I’ve lost about 30 pounds between these pictures. 

More than that though, I have had many other health benefits!  For about 12 years I have taken two sets of thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism.  I have eliminated one of those pills and decreased the other by over 50% since being Carnivore!  That baffles my Vegan Endocrinologist haha!  I also used to get 2-3 dry spots a year on my body called psoriasis rosea which  is a lesser form of eczema.  I have not had a single dry spot on my skin the last 18 months!  I also used to have these dry little bumps on the back of my triceps from dry skin and no matter how much lotion i used they would always be there.  I haven’t had those either in 18 months!  I used to take 400-800 mg of ibuprofen nearly daily due to back and neck pain and join pain in my knees or elbows from my workouts and two knee surgeries.  I now take no pain meds at all and never feel any of those pains since being on Carnivore!  Inflammation is down as well and i only get inflammation when i cheat and eat any sweets.  

This has been the best for me in so many ways!  Also I have had 4 full blood panel physicals and nothing abnormal.  My total cholesterol ratio is actually better than pre-carnivore!  I take no supplements and people are surprised when they ask me what other supplements or vitamins I take when I say I taken nothing!  The only reason you need a supplement is because you are deficient somewhere.  No deficiency when eating meat!!  

Thanks Dr Baker you are an inspiration and your book is amazing!

Posted on by — 5 Comments

Dawn reversed her osteoarthritis and menopause symptoms, came off her medications and lost weight on a carnivore diet.

I have always struggled with my weight. At aged nine I was put on a 1000 calories a day diet; the first
of many attempts to be a healthy weight. In my twenties I was told I had a binge eating disorder and
that I should never try to restrict what I ate as this would lead to more bingeing. Apart from a brief
period when I was about 30 years old I had weighed between 210lbs and 270lbs.

In 2013, at the age of 42, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both my feet. Six months later it had
also started in both hands. I questioned how ‘wear and tear’ could start simultaneously in both hands
and both feet, but I saw three consultants who all confirmed that I had osteoarthritis and not
rheumatoid arthritis. Over the next few months I was given cortisol injections and an increasing
number of pain killers. By October 2014 I was on 8 Paracetamol, 8 Tramadol and 6 Naproxen a day
and Amitriptyline at night to help me sleep. I had to stop taking the Naproxen after two years as it
caused a stomach ulcer so they changed me onto Gabapentin instead (9 a day). Despite all of these
pain killers I could barely walk a hundred metres with a stick and I needed special cutlery as I
couldn’t grip.

The first step on my journey to health came in September 2017 when my partner decided to go ‘gluten
free’ to help his stomach problems. For convenience I did the same, not expecting any difference in
my own health. Within a couple of weeks I noticed that the food cravings, which I had always had,
seemed to have ceased. I was amazed as I had always believed that it was part of me.

At the beginning of 2018 we saw Jordan Peterson being interviewed. I bought his book for my
partner’s birthday and we read about Mikhaila’s health conditions and how they had been helped by
an elimination diet. Then I saw both Jordan and Mikhaila on Joe Rogan’s podcast. The before and
after pictures of Mikhaila were staggering. I also found other carnivores on YouTube such as Amber
O’Hearn and Dr Shawn Baker. Their videos showed me that this diet was sustainable long term and
that I would not be alone on my journey. I had nothing to lose so I decided to give it a go, not
expecting any change in my own health as mine was not the same type of arthritis as Mikhaila’s.

At first I started on meat, eggs and green veg before dropping the veg and just having meat and eggs. I
went fully carnivore on 12 th June 2018. On 1 st July my mother in law had a party for her 80 th birthday
and, for the first time in five years, I left my stick at home. A few days later we had a day out in
Whitby and I walked much farther than I could have done before. By the middle of July I was walking
several miles without any pain. I bought a pair of hiking boots at the beginning of August and we
were able to return to our old hobby of hiking on the coast near where we live. We have a route of
about six miles which we started doing almost every morning. The first week in September we had a
walking holiday in the Lake District in northwest England. I was able to hike all day just like I did
before I got the arthritis. It felt like an absolute miracle.

During that summer, I started to wean myself off the pain killers. This was awful!! I had been taking
the Tramadol for almost five years and coming off them was not a pleasant experience. I couldn’t
sleep and my whole body twitched terribly. I probably weaned myself off too quickly, but they were
capsules so I could cut them in half. Not too bad when you go from 8 a day to 7, but when you go
from 3 to 2 it’s a big jump. I took it a little more slowly coming off the Gabapentin (and I hadn’t been

on them so long) so that was a little easier. Finally I came off the Paracetamol and by the end of
September I was finally on no medication. When I told my doctor that I no longer needed my repeat
prescription because I was no longer in pain she was astounded; saying that she had “never heard of
such a thing”. Strangely she didn’t really seem very interested in how I had done this nor did she think
I should return to see the consultant who had diagnosed the arthritis.

One of the most striking side effects of the diet was my weight loss. Between May 2018 when I
started the elimination diet and December 2018 I lost 70lbs. I am a mature student and started the diet
while on my summer vacation from university. When I went back in September, people I knew
literally walked past me without recognising me. The two photographs I have included were taken in
July and December 2018 (just 5 months apart!).

Before starting on the carnivore diet I had also been suffering from menopausal symptoms, including
hot flushes and tinnitus. These started around the same time as my arthritis and I do believe that there
may be some link between the menopause and osteoarthritis. I have found books from the 1950s
which refer to menopausal arthritis and Dr Blake Donaldson’s book Strong Medicine describes how
he used a low card/carnivore diet to treat menopausal arthritis. I had tried several different hormone
replacement therapies but to no avail. Since going carnivore I have had no menopausal symptoms at
all; the hot flushes disappeared and after a few weeks I noticed that I didn’t have tinnitus any more.

I have had one or two ‘flare ups’ of pain and inflammation over the past two years. These have been
when I’ve eaten something other than eggs, meat, cheese or heavy whipping cream. For instance, on
Christmas Day I had some Christmas Pudding and Brandy sauce which left me in pain for a couple of
days. Recently I used a spray weed killer and that too seemed to cause inflammation despite me
wearing gloves when I used it. Other than that I have been pain free for almost two years and I never
intend to go back to my previous life.

More recently I have been experimenting with fasting. When you eat a meat only diet you don’t need
to eat as often so fasting became easy. I have always had a large appetite, but after a concerted period
of fasting (2 or 3 40 hour fasts per week over 6 weeks) I have noticed that I have started to feel full on
less food. I had never really had that ‘full’ feeling before so it felt very strange!

I hope that my experiences will encourage others to change their lives. I will be 50 this week and I
have never felt fitter or healthier in my life. I hike, swim and exercise regularly and am looking
forward to a more energetic, pain free future.

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Lara lost weight, and improved her malabsorption from weight loss surgery on a fasting, carnivore lifestyle

Hi there, 
 
My name is Lara. Dawn Leighton is a good friend of mine and I have been doing carnivore on fish and eggs for almost 2 years now. I gave up dairy (except butter) and caffeine, coffee and tea January 1st. My original plan was to go keto with my mom but it quickly went to Carnivore due to Dawn convincing me how much easier it was not needing to count anything. Well shortly after that I started experimenting with fasting. I have been obese my entire life. I went to fat camp at 12 years old and was ruthlessly picked on at school, especially middle school. Honestly, I tried everything from diet pills (fen-phen), weight watchers, Jenny Craig, gastric bypass, to juice fasting. Nothing I did worked and I kept gaining weight. I felt like a broken human being. I had lost a lot with my Roux-n-Y surgery which I got 18 years ago just after meeting my now husband. After the 3 kids and not figuring out why I got obese to begin with, I steadily gained quite a bit of weight back over the years. I even had gestational diabetes with my first born. I was headed down a terrible road. So, once I found carnivore and fasting I finally understood the role that high insulin played in particularly my obesity. My main focus since I started has been keeping ketones high and glucose low in order to have the healthiest metabolism. I check both my blood glucose and blood ketones regularly to know myself from the inside out. Since January 1st, I have made the most progress I have ever seen in my body. Giving up dairy and caffeine was a part of that but I also do a lot of fasting both extended and intermittent. When I feed, I eat a lot and I only eat nutrient dense food. High fat is vital to me too in order to keep me satiated. I am happy to be able to say now that I weigh a lot less than when I was at fat camp when I was 12 years old. I have honestly never seen my body look like this before. I keep walking by the mirror to check to make sure I am not dreaming. For the longest time, I wished to live in someone else’s body because I was so disconnected from my own. My legs finally have shape instead of being tree trunks. 
 
Now, I say what, when and how often I eat are instrumental to my success. Fasting is just as important as what I feast on. Fasting lowers my insulin like nothing else and keeps me metabolically healthy. I was so damaged from all the dieting I did in the past. If I eat too many days in a row, my blood sugars start to creep up. I can also feel that my body is now craving a fasting day here and there.
 
 
I am now almost to my ultimate goal. I expect to be there by the end of June. I get my blood checked every 6 months due to malabsorption issues I no longer have. I take no supplements nor medication. The plan, once I get to the final goal, will be to continue fasting 2 days a week, both combined and spread out, to keep my blood sugars stable and insulin low. This will be the first time in my life that fat loss will no longer be a goal. Fasting for me, is a sustainable and vital part of my health  journey.  It is my mindset. I am furious that I had been lied to and brainwashed my entire childhood on faulty, unproven science. Once I figured out the insulin was the problem I have been unstoppable. The first half of my life was filled with pain and self doubt, but the last half will be medication, inflammation and disease free. 
 
The bottom picture was me as a teen vs me now. It has been an amazing journey for sure. 
Posted on by — 4 Comments

Trudy lost weight, and came off medications on a carnivore diet

Shortly after we were married, my husband and I found out we were already expecting our first baby. I wasn’t really “overweight”, but I wasn’t thin either. I weighed about 140. I’m 5’ 5”. 

I gained nearly 90 lbs during my pregnancy. Don’t know why, I just did.
 
I lost a little after she was born, but not much. Then my weight started to climb!
By the time our daughter was 5, I already weighed 300 lbs.
 
A few years later, I was 400 lbs, wearing 5X clothes that were rapidly getting tight.
This last photo was taken Christmas 2010.
 
July 2011 I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and spent 2 days in ICU, then 2 more days in a regular room.
 
I immediately quit sugar. It was a shock to my “southern girl” system to give up sweet tea, biscuits, and all the wonderful carb-y goodnesses I grew up on. But I did it!
 
In 18-24 months, I lost 100 lbs!
I was able to maintain that for a few years. Then I started having difficulty walking. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees. I had arthritis in my knee joints and under both my kneecaps. For almost 4 years, I walked with a cane. I was only in my mid-30’s.
 
I gained back about 80 lbs in 2 years.

I was miserable! I tried Atkins/low carb. I just couldn’t lose!

August 2018 I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. I had no idea that obesity could cause cancer!!!
 
September 24, 2018 I had a complete hysterectomy. They removed my uterus, ovaries, and Fallopian tubes. My gynecological oncologist said that my ovaries probably hadn’t worked correctly in years.
 
I recovered from surgery, but still could not lose weight.
 
My primary care doctor and I talked about me having weight loss surgery, but we found out my insurance didn’t cover it so we started trying to raise the money. We asked my doctor if we should try to get on disability. She said that could take years, and I “didn’t have years”. We knew that meant I’d die if something didn’t change soon!
 
Even my oncologist worked to try and help me get bariatric surgery, but I couldn’t find help due to insurance problems.
 
I contacted a hospital in Mexico where several of my family members and friends had gone for bariatric surgery. Even though it was considerably less expensive, I still couldn’t come up with the money.
 
In faith, I started the pre-op diet they sent me. 3 of my siblings had to have bariatric surgery to lose weight so I just assumed I was next.
 
I followed that pre-op diet. It was very strict, but I followed it to the letter. After 3 months on that diet, I had lost only 5 lbs!
 
I was beyond frustrated, and very close to giving up, and just going back to eating whatever I wanted since I wasn’t losing anyway.
I prayed! I asked God to show me what to do.
 
One week after my 39th birthday, I woke up and said “I’m starting keto!”
 
(I had come across Thomas DeLauer on YouTube, and I started doing tons of research on it, reading/watching testimonials about people getting off all kinds of meds, dropping weight, and so much other wonderful side affects of keto. I also started watching Dr. Ken Berry and Dr. Eric Berg.)
 
Within 3 weeks of going strict Keto, I was off my diabetes meds, thyroid meds, and I no longer needed my cane!!! (I haven’t used it since! That was August 2019!”)
 
Within 6 months, I’d lost 60 lbs! That wasn’t a lot for most keto people, but that was a LOT for me!
I felt great, better than I had in years, but I still had high blood pressure, severe anxiety, and some joint pain.
 
I had heard about Carnivore/Zero Carb, and I had been doing research. I’ve always loved vegetables, and it had been drilled into me all my life, and on Keto, “EAT YOUR VEGGIES!” So I was struggling with the “only animal products” way of eating.
 
I came across Judy Cho, Laura Spath, Kelly Hogan, Dr. Shawn Baker, Charles Washington, and a few others in my YouTube searches.
 
After LOTS of research, I decided to go without veggies one evening for dinner. Then I didn’t have veggies the next day. Then I realized I hadn’t eaten veggies in a week or so, and I was feeling great!
 
In that first week, I lost 10 lbs that I’d gained after stalling on Keto.
I’ve lost 2 lbs since this last pic was taken. I’ve lost a total of 99 lbs from my highest weight!
 
Since going ZC, I’m now off my blood pressure meds (Lisinopril 30mg) and nearly off my anxiety meds (Lexapro 20mg). When I do feel I need something, I take only half a Lexapro, and only once a week or so. I also only need my acid reflux meds (omeprazole 49mg) every few days instead of every single day!
 
I continue to watch and read everything I can to learn more about why we thrive on this WOE. I’ve had hundreds of people contact me since I started losing weight. They all want to know what I’m doing, and can I guide them. As I learn, I share my new-found knowledge and wisdom!
 
My husband and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. I came across a photo from our 10th anniversary. I weighed 400 lbs, could barely walk, on TONS of meds, and I was wearing 5X clothes from Catherine’s (which is 6X most places), and they were almost too small.
My husband has lost about 40 lbs, even though he’s not 100% ZC.
 
I am so thankful to have found this WOE, and I share this with anyone who will listen!!! We can hardly wait to see where we’ll be down the road!

Trudy size 6X 34/36

Joseph, size 60 suit
The Miller’s 20th Wedding Anniversary 03/04/2020
Joseph, size 58 suit (and it’s way too big).
Trudy, size 24 dress (and it’s too big).
 
7.5 weeks ZC/Carnivore so far, and life/health gets better and better and better!
Posted on by — 2 Comments

Mark lost weight, improved his joint pain, hypertension and gained muscle on a carnivore diet

Hi, my name is Mark, aka The Carnivore Grandpa. I would like to start by thanking
meatrx.com for inviting me to share my story. Thank you for all you do.

I am 56 year old husband, father, and grandfather. Married to the love of my life for 36 yrs,
father of six wonderful children, and Grandfather of 12. They are all my whole world, and my
greatest movtivation for staying healthy. My wife and I live in Northern Ontario, in what I think is
one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I grew up on a farm and was physically active and fit when I was younger. I am 5’10, when I
graduated high school I was 155 pounds. Two years later I married my highschool sweetheart
and we began our life together. Graduated collage as a Registered Nurse. During my training
we had minimal teaching on nutrition other then to refer to the Canada food guide.

At the age of 24 I was advised by my doctor to change professions due to joint pain which he
believed was brought on by shiftwork. At this point I had gained alot of weight due to poor
eating habits. I felt miserable, tired, no energy, and achy joints. Ironically, I started more labour
intensive work and was able to lose some weight and began to feel better. As the years went by
and I got older and continued to eat whatever I wanted gaining and loosing weight sporadically,
in spite of this I remained in realitively good health, I thought….

At 35 I had reached my heaviest weight yet at 205 pounds. I put on the weight and could no
longer take it off. After a visit to my doctor I was told I had high cholesterol and needed to make
some changes. I was sent to a dietition who told me to cut back on red meat and fats but that I
could eat all the pasta and starches I wanted to fill me up. I was informed the I needed to
increase my fibre in the form of fruits and vegtables. I now know this was terrible advice.
However, it was what the dietition had been taught and the misinformation continues.
A few years later with my cholesterol levels increasing I was also diagnosed with high blood
pressure. At this time I was still eating from the food guide, but decided I should include some
weights to try and help get this under control. In spite of adding 20 to 30 mins of exercise a day
it did absaloutely nothing to change my health or my body composition. By this time I was also
experiencing increased achey joints and had also developed occasional gout. I was still
suffering from fatigue and fluctuating moods and energy levels. I was on a roller coaster. I now
know that at this point I was extremely metobolically unhealthy. It was a wake up call.
In 2017 my wife and I discover the ketogenic diet through Dr. Ken Berry. We jumped on the keto
train and have never looked back. I lost 45 pounds, most of my joint pain, and my energy
increased. My toes although still stiff did not ache from gout. I felt like a new man. I went to my
doctor for my annual check up and after taking my blook pressure she asked me what I had
been doing as my blood pressure had dropped substantially. I informed her I was on the
ketogenic way of life, and she was extremely supportive. I was sent for my bloodwork and my
lipid panels were much better. NO MEDICATIONS NEEDED! In hind sight I wish I had
consumed more protein as to prevent lean muscle loss on keto. I felt good but I felt I was a little
too thin, I felt I had lost to much lean muscle mass. I know there is some contradiction out there about this, I can only share from my own experience.

After a year on keto I began to become interested in what was called the carnivore way of
eating. I decided to try it for a month, seemed extreme but I was open and intrigued and not
afraid of a paradym shift. As I was only eating 20 carbs a day on keto, I thought removing those
last 20 and switch to meat and animal by products couldn’t hurt. After a month on carnivore I
noticed the rest of my joint pain and the stiffness in my toes disappeared. I also noticed that I
was putting on some muscle, and felt my body compasition was changing and become more
define without added exercise! I was motivated! I made the decision to continue for 6 months.
I again went in for a check up as we have been monitoring since starting keto every 6 months.
After taking my blood pressure my doctor asked me, okay what are you doing now. I hesitantly
explained my new way of eating as a carnivore. My doctor who was pleasently suprised and
happy to inform me my blood pressure was in the low normals. She then proceeded to grab a
lab requisition and enthusastically began checking off all the things she wanted my blood

tested. We were both thrilled to see the all my bloodwork came back excellent.
Due to my excellent lab work and how great I was feeling I decided to remain on carnivore as a
way of life. I have been on eating carnivore since May of 2018. During the first year of carnivore,
aside from my physical job as a builder/carpenter, I didnt do much extra exercise. In the last six
months I have begun to incorporate some dumbell weight training and I have seen some
fantastic results, unlike when I was eating all the food groups and had added exercise where I
saw no results.
To date; I have decided to up my exercise regine to see how far I can take this.
I want to encourage those who are reading my story, if a 56 year old Grandpa of 12 can do this
and see such wonderful results so can you. I highly recommend this way of eating, it has been
a game changer for me.

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Donna improved her headaches, skin, fitness and is off all prescription drugs thanks to a carnivore diet

I am 71 years old and have been carnivore for 2 years. I initially used it as an elimination diet to find triggers for my psoriasis and migraines. After 4 weeks of carnivore, both psoriasis and migraines disappeared. I have continued carnivore and am no longer on prescription meds. An added bonus is that I have become much stronger. I’m now
(1)doing 200 pushups in less than 20 minutes;
(2)have finally done a full pull-up;and
(3) am stronger in my yoga poses.
I am stronger at 71 than I’ve ever been…even the younger years. Many thanks to @shawnbaker1967.
Donna

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Rebekah improved her autoimmune issues, gained muscle, improved sleep and has better energy on a carnivore diet

Hello!
 
I wanted to share my success story thus far. My life has changed and improved drastically- and I wasn’t sure I was going to be alive less than a year ago. 
 

My name is Rebekah. I’ve always had a passion for health, nature, Fitness, and holistic nutrition / medicine. 

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 6th grade. In seventh grade, I ran into chronic pain. I was rushed to the emergency room with severe chest pains, and left with a diagnosis of costochondritis and degenerative disc. I was then diagnosed with OCD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, Narcolepsy, and a myriad of digestive issues such as gastroparesis, IBS, IBD, slow transit colon, Celiac and diverticulitis. I started regular Chiropractic treatments to address scoliosis and chronic pain. I went through multiple rounds of physical therapy, but symptoms continued to worsen. Shortly after graduating high school, I ran into chronic adrenal fatigue, crippling anxiety and pain so bad that I was bed bound. I had difficulty breathing, with frequent episodes of near- suffocation.

 

Desperate and afraid, I knew that I needed to dig deeper. I ventured to uncover the root of my issues, working with multiple functional medicine doctors, and embarked on a more strict/ personalized version of the ketogenic diet. I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, colitis, Addisons, Hashimotos hypothyroid, CREST scleroderma, and a central nervous system disorder called Central Sensitization Syndrome (see youtube video by Dr. Sletten of Mayo Clinic). With Keto, various supplements, and support I was able to get off of Adderal, Clonazepam, and Ambien after being dependent on them for 13 years. I gained energy and focus, and reversed Hashimotos! My cystic acne also cleared completely. I was only just beginning to break free from the cage that I became burrowed into after years of quick “fixes” and excessive rounds of antibiotics ordered by traditional med doctors. I have continued to strip off the band-aids to uncover the sources and contributors to systemic disease that almost took my life, and more importantly my hope and joy.

After losing a severe amount of weight, I was diagnosed with chronic chlostridium difficule (C-Diff). I am resistant to all of the antibiotics, and have now had 3 fecal transplants. I was told that I should consider removing my colon, and that I needed a feeding tube. I refused and instead decided to commit to the one thing that I avoided trying for so long… Nothing brought relief or nourishment back into my body until I started the carnivore way of eating.

 

I have gained back 30 healthy pounds of mostly muscle, and have overcome almost all of my autoimmune issues. I have broken up deep layers of scar tissue that was taking over my body and limiting mobility; now there is new, strong, healthy muscle. My mood has never been more stable, and I am mentally resilient. No more swollen ankles or strange skin rashes/ hives. My energy is steady and dependable, and I’m sleeping the best I have in my entire life. I have gained so much freedom in this journey thus far and I am passionate and thrilled to help others overcome their battles, and reach their goals -beyond expectation!

 

I’m so grateful for all that you are doing. You are such a refreshing voice amongst the sea of noise out there. Thank you! 

 

Sincerely

Rebekah 

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Becky improved her digestion, hormones, cardiovascular health and relationship with food on a carnivore diet

Hi I’m Becky! I’m 38 and I started my weight loss journey in 2002-03.

After the birth of my first child, I was at my highest weight–over 200lbs. I was suppose to be a happy new mom, but I was anything but. I hated what I saw in the mirror and was depressed I allowed myself to get to that point. You know, eating for two and all. I attempted calorie restriction, but I was going through alot of stress (divorce) and instead found myself eating my feelings until they were numb. This started a vicious eating cycle and no doubt damaged my metabolism. I did managed to lose some weight, then I got pregnant with my second child in 2005 and remarried. In 2006, I joined Weight Watchers in hopes of reaching my goal weight. I didn’t feel comfortable in my body eating predominantly plant-based and lean protein that Weight Watchers encourages. But let’s face it, those food items were less points, and I could eat more.

I started to have some health issues–orthostatic hypotension, asthma, and heart issues. I had to see a cardiologist and pulmonologist and under went a stress test, echo, lung function test, etc. All the doctors wanted to treat the symptoms with medication instead of getting to the root cause of what was actually wrong.

Our town lost our local WW meeting place and out of frustration, I ended up going to more of a Standard American diet. My weight yo-yoed. I had my third child in 2008.  At my follow up, I had a subpar pap screening result. Because I had a strong family history of ovarian/uterine cancer, I ended up having an hysterectomy with BSO in 2011. This basically put me into surgical menopause. My hormones were out of balance, and my physician wanted me to do HRT but it made me sick. I had bad brain fog and headaches. And it definitely didn’t help weightloss efforts with all the inflammation and bloating. In 2015, I started doing the Trim Healthy Mama diet which was a struggle due to its complexity.  I found myself eating fatty meals along with carbs which was a no no. I ended up falling back into the Standard American diet again and the cycle continued.

In 2016 after doing some research, I stumbled across keto. I cut my carbs down to 20g, ate moderate protein, and high fat. I consumed fat bombs, steaks, chicken thighs, bulletproof coffee, full fat dairy, and salads with full fat dressings, etc. I lost weight, but I still had bloating, inflammation, and menopausal type symptoms. After a while, I started to notice how certain foods affected me. “Ketofied” junk food, fat bombs, and baked goods caused bloating, inflammation, and cravings. I stalled which caused more depression and frustration.

Out of desperation, I started to become even more proactive and continued to eliminate foods. In January 2019, I came across World Carnivore Month that Shawn Baker started. I honestly thought he was nuts eating just Ribeyes, but I figured what the heck. It’s just a month. In June, I had a genetic test done and found out I have health traits/variants for Type 2 diabetes as well as having a family history of diabetes and hypertension. After finding out this information, I knew I was on the right path with carnivore.

I’m currently still carnivore. Yes, I’ve had a few slips throughout the year but as time goes on, it becomes easier to recognize what nutrients my body needs. I still battle the mental struggles of carb and sugar addiction, but I have learned I need to be an abstainer. I knew I needed to change my relationship with food and now view it as nourishment instead of using it to fill an emotional void.

I seek my nourishment from animal based food thanks to Dr. Baker! I feel better than I have on any other diet I’ve tried, and I don’t foresee any change to my eating lifestyle. My 2019 focus was nutrition and healing.  I took a break from exercise in order to heal. I feel better than I’ve felt in years! With the healing of Carnivore, I’ve had a 30+lb weightloss. But an even bigger positive effect is my hormones are more balanced–no night sweats, mood swings, or hot flashes. My sleep is better and deeper than it has ever been. I have no issues with any of the previous asthma symptoms or any cardiac/heart issues.  And, I’m no longer taking any prescription medication.

Another huge benefit is FOOD FREEDOM! I don’t track, weigh, or log my food. I’m not tied to any book or app telling me when I can or can’t eat. I eat when I’m hungry, and I stop when I’m full.

My food based Carnivore focus has been sourcing local meat I can afford. I lean towards beef and lamb. Being from a hunting family, I consume venison including the heart. I don’t routinely eat  organs such as kidney and liver. We also raise chickens for farm fresh eggs.
Posted on by — 3 Comments

Larry improved his diabetes, congestive heart failure, and fatty liver on a carnivore diet

Hello,

I am a U. S. Army Veteran Sgt., GI Bill College graduate, and a retired aerospace engineer.

I had a heart attack and died while riding my bicycle 10 miles from my home. A truck drive broke several of my ribs reviving me. Two weeks later, I woke up in a commercial hospital staring at a blue wall. I was then transferred to the VA hospital where I got a triple bypass heart surgery done. My VA primary care doctor failed to notice any symptoms previous to my heart attack.. My type 2 diabetes got worse. I got a fatty liver, fatty pancreas, and stage 3 kidney disease. He had me on 14 drugs many which were statins, and he told me to eat a high carbohydrate, low fat diet, with lots of vegetables, and very little salt. I decided to eliminate salt completely from my diet, because it was so bad for my health. This resulted in muscle spasms and vomiting. Then I got congestive heart failure. My neighbors took me to their hospital emergency. The hospital removed 20 pounds of water from my legs.   My VA primary care continued the medications. I had brain fog so bad that someone thought I had alzheimer’s disease and took advantage of me. That is when I decided to take charge of my own health. I started searching the internet for answers. I found an 1863 weight loss diet by William Banting (LCHF). I finally put together a low carbohydrate/high fat diet of my own. I have since then transitioned to a ketogenic diet that resulted in me going through Sugar Addiction Withdrawal which gave me an itchy rash for 2 weeks. I am finally on a carnivore diet that I patterned after neurobiologist and clinical researcher, Dr. Zsófia Clemens recommendations. I am 4 pounds away from my high school football weight. I am walking, and lifting weighs again. In a recent appointment, Cardiology could not find anything wrong with me. This resulted in me giving 3 extemporaneous lectures. The last one included a professor from UCLA. I sent her a pdf file of my experiences and research. Meanwhile, I was able to convince my Primary Care to include a fasting insulin in my lab test. My Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) is 0.50!

By the way, I am 81.

Best of regards, Larry

What do I eat in a day? Sgt. Roat, U. S. Army Veteran
GI Bill College graduate

What I eat is easy to describe. The difficult part is when I eat. The answer to that is “when the ghrelin hormone tells my hypothalamus I am hungry”. When we sleep we go into a state called autophagy (self-eating). This happens when we fast. Autophagy refers to a self-eating process in which our body digests damaged cells. It’s basically a cleaning out process that encourages the proliferation of new, healthy cells. Fasting also allows the body to burn off excess fat. Some people extend autophagy to 18 hours, and eat one meal a day in a 6 hour eating window. I recommend a 36 hour fast once a week, that will give your body enough time to produce sufficient β-hydroxybutyrate to fuel the brain, and clear up any cognitive issues.

What I try to achieve from my meals is low Insulin levels. To get to the diet that I am currently on. I eliminated all processed carbohydrates, sugars, fructose, no sweeteners -they cause Cephalic phase insulin release, starches, grains, fruit (exception -berries), and vegetable oils (exception -olive, coconut and avocado). That left animal fats, protein, and vegetable carbohydrates. I chose to eat one stick of unsalted butter (115 g), 106 grams of sardines in water, occasionally I eat 227 grams of 73/27 ground beef, and 5 very low carbohydrate vegetables (Spinach, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and avocado-100 grams each), one day total serving size 500 grams (total net carbohydrates 14g). Eat the vegetables first, fat next, and then the protein last to lessen any insulin spikes. You can eat this in 3 or 2 meals a day. Walk for 10 minutes after every meal! When I fast, I take Potassium citrate, Magnesium L-Threonate, Sodium chloride, Iodine in colloidal suspension, and zinc picolinate. I only need one meal a day ( I reduce the vegetables to 1/3), when I eat the hamburger patty. It leaves me that satiated! I find that very interesting. Not just for the satiety, but also because I have sustainable energy through out the day. Perhaps I should get a DNA test from 23 and Me. Diets are not one size fits all. We are similar, but we are not all the same. I suspect that my body is designed to eat primarily meat and fats (a carnivore diet, or zero carbohydrate diet).

The diet above has allowed me to drop all of my medications, and return me to a pre-diabetic state.
My advise in changing over to Fat as your main source of energy, is to do it gradually. This is a major change! Do not shock your system. In 1863, William Banting wrote a booklet called Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public the first weight loss diet to actually work. It was a low carbohydrate- moderate protein- high fat diet (LCHF). I might add that many family doctors are now offering a high fat/low carbohydrate diet as an alternative treatment for pre-diabetes.Addendum:
Atorvastatin causes liver damage. It also aggravates type 2 diabetes maladies. I can not find any root cause to the formation of Plaque. It appears to be a process. There is thinning of the glycocalyx after an arterial juncture where there is turbulence. In fact, there are a myriad of mechanisms going on here. Endothelial Progenitor Cells are floating in the blood, so the possibility for repair is there. The body is well designed to take care of it’s self, if we allow it to do so. The dichotomy is that your body is smarter than you are.
Vitamin K2 MK-7 with D3 has been suggested for arterial plaque removal. I have found no real evidence of this. However, taking vitamin D3 along with C is a good idea.
Fructose: Over-consumption of Fructose is the root cause of Insulin Resistance. The liver can safely process about 20 grams of fructose a day. 1 in 3 people have Fructose malabsorption, and 1 in 3 people have Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin does not recognize Fructose as a sugar. Fructose carriers (GLUT5) found in the cells of the small intestines transports fructose to GLUT2 and it transports fructose to the liver where it can be metabolized. If the body does not have enough carriers, fructose can build up in the large intestine and cause gut issues (nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and chronic fatigue). The liver converts fructose into fatty acids which are stored, and triglycerides which flood the blood stream. High triglycerides signals insulin resistance. Hereditary fructose intolerance is even more dire, because these people can die from consuming Fructose. Fructose can not be metabolized, because the body is missing the enzyme aldolase B. If Fructose is ingested, the enzymatic block at aldolase B causes an accumulation of fructose-1-phosphate. This repetitive phosphorylation depletes ATP. The results are hypoglycmia, liver damage and potential kidney failure.
Test for Fructose malabsorption/hereditary intolerance: Hydrogen Breath Test.
Test for Insulin Resistance: HOMA-IR (fasting insulin and fasting glucose), or 2-Hour Insulin Glucose Challenge Test.Industrial (vegetable) seed oils: Why would you want to ingest highly unstable polyunsaturated oils that cause oxidative stress? Use lard, real butter, tallow, olive, avocado, and coconut oil.

Diets that actually work 

Fructose malabsorption: FODMAP diet (substitute glucose for fructose). This is not a weight loss diet! 

Hereditary fructose intolerance:*Carnivore diet. 

Type 2 diabetes and weight loss: *Low carbohydrate High fat (LCHF) diet, and *Ketogenic diet. 

Extreme weight loss and excellent health: *Carnivore diet. 

Autoimmune disease, and type 1 diabetes. I refer you to neurobiologist and clinical researcher, Dr Zsófia Clemens.: **Strict Carnivore diet. 

Minerals: I take Potassium chloride, Magnesium L-Threonate, Sodium chloride, Iodine in colloidal suspension, and zinc picolinate, when I fast longer than 24 hours. 

*These diets are more difficult, because the changes are more drastic. Processed foods are designed to be addictive, so you are going to go through an Addiction Withdrawal Period (3 to 10 days). I went through Sugar Addiction Withdrawal and got an itchy rash that lasted for 2 weeks. ** Strict Carnivore diet: No dairy. Water, salt, meat & organ meats, and fat. Fat to protein (meat) ratio 35 grams of Fat to every 100 grams of Meat. 

+Note from Sgt. Roat: I am finally on a Carnivore diet that adheres to my personal body design. With a carnivore diet you eat fatty meat until you are full. For me that is one meal a day. There are no ratios or macros. I eat Calves Liver twice a week. I also had to eliminate all dairy. I take a supplement that contains freeze dried Beef Liver, Heart, Kidney, Pancreas, and Spleen. I supplement the minerals, when I fast for 24 hours. So what do I drink? Water, maginesium bicarbonate water, bone broth, organic coffee, and matcha green tea. Exercise is an important component of every diet. I walk at least 30 minutes every day. I also lift light weights at 8 to 10 reps per exercise at 3 sets each. Walk 10 minutes after every meal! This is from a randomized control study involving 3 groups of Type 2 Diabetic individuals and Metformin. Walking and Metformin got the same results. Save your money, and go for a walk! 

I want to address this question before it comes up. “You are not a medical doctor, what are your qualifications?” The answer to that is, if someone does something successfully, by virtue of doing it they then become qualified. Everything that I have suggested here has been researched, and I do not need a medical degree to do research. Quite frankly, I didn’t do this much research, when I was in college. Yes, it’s true, I have a degree. It is a shame that I must bear.

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Douglas improved his digestion and treated his ulcerative colitis on a carnivore diet

 

The carnivore diet saved my life, I was on the vegan train to try to heal my colitis that was putting such a stop to my life but after 6 months went keto then started making my plates meat and fermented vegetables. I found relief but it wasn’t like it is today. I went back listening to these idiots saying I need greens and didn’t feel right doing that. I made the decision to go 100% carnivore and I have never felt better. The colitis stopped me from living my life. I was literally withering away when I was sick. I was on 4 pills of Lialda, 40mg of prednisone, suppositories, and 6mp (the low does chemo). My life was an absolute wreak. doctors were telling me there was really nothing more they can do except surgery. Happy I made the connection earlier on my own but once I came across Shawn Baker on the Joe Rogan podcast I went full speed on the carnivore diet and loving it

I have never felt better, looked better, or felt stronger. Please feel free to use this testimonial to show the success of the carnivore diet for other people suffering from ulcerative colitis because this story is not anecdotal and I have the labs to prove it.

Below is my initial diagnosis:

Below are the colonoscopy and pathology reports after being a carnivore:

As you can see they gave me a clean bill of health and even reversed the initial diagnosis. Thank you everyone for the help to bring this way of eating to light. It saved me and will save others.