From High Triglycerides to Metabolic Health
As an emergency physician in New Delhi, India, Ankur has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the standard high-carbohydrate Indian diet. What makes his story compelling is that he experienced these effects personally before finding a solution through the carnivore diet.
“My carnivore journey is about two years old,” Ankur explains. “Before that, I was doing low-carb keto for a year when I realized my triglycerides had hit 600.” At 86 kilos and with concerning lab results, Ankur knew something had to change.
He began by eliminating processed foods, junk carbs, and sweets. Within eight to nine months, he lost about 21 kilos. But the real transformation began when he discovered the carnivore approach through podcasts and social media.
“I have always enjoyed my meats,” he says. “The carnivore diet actually makes a lot more sense. So I just went into carnivore cold turkey. And there’s no looking back since then.”
Discovering Nutritional Blind Spots in Medical Training
Despite being a trained physician, Ankur admits he had no formal education in nutrition. “As a doctor, I realized I had no training in nutrition, and I knew that is what is wrong with me.”
This knowledge gap led him to read more extensively about metabolic health. As he educated himself, he witnessed dramatic improvements in his own health markers. His triglyceride-to-HDL ratio dropped from 16 to just 1, and his triglycerides fell from 600 to 110.
“Even after I lost 21 kilos on low-carb, I had inflammation on my face, which I could notice. I still had symptoms, which I did not know were symptoms at that time. But when I went full-on carnivore, those symptoms disappeared.”
Challenging the Vegetarian Paradigm in India
Working in a country where vegetarianism is common and often considered the healthier option, Ankur faces unique challenges. He regularly encounters patients who proudly state they eat “healthy vegetarian food” while suffering from serious metabolic diseases.
“They’re like, ‘We eat healthy foods. We eat only vegetarian food.’ And I ask, ‘Why don’t you eat meats?’ They respond, ‘Because it’s bad for you.'”
Through his emergency department, Ankur has collected data on over 7,000 patients with metabolic disorders. The findings are revealing: 63% of these patients are vegetarians, and the remaining patients who do eat meat consume it only once or twice a week or month.
Despite India having one of the largest cattle populations in the world, per capita meat consumption is extremely low—about three to five kilos per year. This contrasts sharply with countries where citizens consume up to 100 kilos annually.
Transformations Beyond Weight Loss
While weight loss is often the most visible change on a carnivore diet, Ankur emphasizes the numerous other improvements he experienced:
“My heartburns and dyspepsia absolutely disappeared. I had a bout of esophagitis before this, which did not recur. I used to have proton pump inhibitors almost every day after dinner, and I don’t need to do that anymore.”
He also notes reduced inflammation, better recovery from workouts, improved bladder control, better sleep, and resolution of skin infections. Even his temporomandibular joint issues, which developed while he was consuming oats on his low-carb diet, disappeared within a month of going full carnivore.
Advocating for Nutritional Awareness
Now, Ankur is on a mission to raise awareness about metabolic health and the benefits of nutrient-dense animal foods. He’s conducting research to document the connection between diet and disease in his patient population.
“I figured out how much people are suffering because of the standard Indian vegetarian carbohydrate-loaded diets. Nobody from the medical field actually talks to them regarding this.”
When Ankur sees patients with diabetes and other metabolic conditions, he takes the opportunity to discuss nutrition. Surprisingly, many are receptive to his advice.
“A lot of people were receptive to what I was talking about. When I see that there’s a spark of interest, we have a quick fifteen or twenty-minute session together talking about everything. They’re surprised that nobody from the medical field actually talks to them regarding this.”
Through his work in the emergency department and his own podcast, Ankur continues to champion metabolic health in a country where dietary change could make an enormous difference.
