From Standard American Diet to Carnivore Lifestyle
As a military member, Zack reaps the benefits of living a carnivore lifestyle daily. Zack describes his eating before the carnivore way of life as the Standard American Diet. Zack says he was a bit on the bigger side, even as a child. He lost weight in his teens to join the military, but his old habits followed him well into his 30s.
Struggles with Bodybuilding Lifestyle
Zack says he used to live a bodybuilding lifestyle. He spent many hours at the gym lifting weights and trying to build muscle. And though he tried to eat “healthy,” he often got bored eating rice and broccoli. He describes going out and eating junk food like pizza and beer regularly with his friends.
Dealing with High Blood Pressure and Inflammation
Despite working out and lifting weights regularly, Zack struggled with high blood pressure and inflammation. He says at the time, he accepted both as his fate. His mom and other family members have high blood pressure.
And the pain and inflammation he was experiencing in his body, particularly in his knees, are common for military members. It wasn’t until he had a dear friend pass away from cancer at age 35 that Zack began to take his health more seriously.
Discovering the Carnivore Diet
While on a military bus on a long road trip, Zack listened to the book “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola on Audible. He felt convicted by the book and began to understand how eating a high-carb diet is linked to many ailments like cancer and dementia and can cause inflammation in the body.
At that point, Zack began a ketogenic diet. He describes his experience with keto as successful but not sustainable. His blood pressure and inflammation decreased, but he still found himself craving foods and struggling to stay in a ketogenic state.
Success with the Carnivore Diet
While listening to a podcast one day in November of 2018, Zack learned about the carnivore diet from Dr. Shawn Baker. Zack was deployed at the time and decided to try the diet. Within just a few months, he lost 30 pounds, and any issues he had with blood pressure and inflammation were gone.
Zack has since maintained this lifestyle and says his bloodwork is stellar. He jokes that his doctor doesn’t ask him about his blood pressure any more since it has been at such an astounding number.
Sustainable and Preventative Maintenance
Zack feels the carnivore diet has been much more sustainable than the keto diet and treats it as “preventative maintenance.” He finds that he is rarely hungry and even unintentionally fasts. He typically skips breakfast and enjoys two meals a day.
He says his diet primarily consists of black coffee, eggs, and beef. He finds that he has enough energy to keep up with his military life and work out daily. Zack says if he feels he could use more energy, he focuses on fueling his body with fat, not carbs.
Advice for Starting the Carnivore Way of Eating
His advice for those looking to start the carnivore way of eating is, “life is too short… And you are what you eat.” He also says, “short-term pleasures aren’t worth it in the long run.”
