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Alex manages type 1 diabetes, retinopathy, and gastroparesis on a carnivore diet

November 15, 2022 No Comments

Alex is 33 years old and has been a type 1 diabetic since she was 3 years old. She found Dr. Bernstein’s book when she was 26 and started following his methods the next day. Since then, she has reversed most of the long-term complications that she was told were progressive and irreversible and has turned her health around completely. Now, she is very active in the online diabetes community, helping other diabetics find their way to what living a good life with type 1 diabetes looks like for them.

Kat heals from ulcerative colitis, asthma, and Lyme disease on the carnivore diet

October 12, 2022 No Comments

Kat’s battle for her health has been a fierce one, and she has fought bravely her whole life to find relief from the crippling asthma and ulcerative colitis that has plagued her since she was a baby. “I had ulcerative colitis from day one, ear infections, and asthma. Back in the day—they just really didn’t know any better—they gave me round after round of antibiotics, and then they gave my mother access to steroid injections; so she gave me an injection every month for the first couple years of my life.”

At the same time, Kat says she was born to be an athlete, and by the time they invented rescue inhalers, you could find her running happily on the track—inhaler in hand. Still, the years were filled with trips back and forth to the hospital for both her ulcerative colitis and asthma. “I just remember—from the time I can remember—being on the toilet in tears… just all by myself and my parents are helpless…they don’t know what to do. It was really hard—but I persevered and I just kept going. I was very much into sports. I had a horse; I rode. I played tennis, I rode my bike and I just relied on the medications to keep me going.”

In her 30’s, Kat discovered that if she took enough supplements, she could mitigate some of her symptoms without as many drugs, but that came with the hefty price tag of $500 dollars a month. In her 40’s she came across the keto diet which helped her successfully lose 30 pounds, but flare ups and rescue inhalers were still the norm.

On top of all of this, she received a Lyme’s Disease diagnosis in 2008, which complicated matters even further. Throughout all of this time, she never stopped searching—regularly listening to health podcasts and reading the latest books. When she started to hear about the carnivore diet, she mentioned it to her functional medical doctor at the time, and he said she should give it a shot.

“When I met you guys for the first time, it was my 60th birthday—it was May 7th of 2020. I’ll never forget it—that [membership to Revero] was the gift I gave myself for my birthday. Oh my gosh… it’s unbelievable what happened to me.” After a day or two on the carnivore diet, Kat says she was able to take what she considers to be the first full breath of her entire life. “Literally within the first week of eliminating plants, I was breathing and it was remarkable…the colitis cleared up—it still leaves me speechless sometimes to think about what happened just by getting rid of foods!” In the past, mosquito bites would leave painful welts that lasted for weeks, and would also activate her Lyme’s symptoms. A month and a half after going carnivore, she was swarmed with bites. They cleared up after a few days, and there was no adverse Lyme’s reaction. Now off all medications, Kat is incandescently happy to be free from the health problems of the past.“I honestly can say right now I have nothing wrong—and I cannot believe I’m saying that—it’s nothing short of miraculous!”

Coach Danny’s heart is doing well on a carnivore diet

October 9, 2022 No Comments

An avid athlete, firefighter Danny Smith would work out twice—sometimes even three times—a day. In 2016, after a few bouts of what he thought was gastritis, he went to the hospital on a day he was experiencing particularly acute symptoms. He was admitted right away, and while the nurse was asking him about the situation, Danny passed out. The next thing he remembers is being jolted awake by an electric shock to the chest. Looking up at a room now full of people, he realized he had just been defibrillated. His heart had stopped for seven whole minutes. The doctor informed him that he had suffered a major heart attack at only 39 years old.

Diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia, Danny suspected another culprit as well—his diet. It was most certainly a wake-up call, and he was willing to do or try anything to make sure it didn’t happen again. Encountering only vague dietary advice from his primary doctor, he decided to give veganism a try. It lasted only a year—Danny never feeling well due to achey joints and a lack of energy—and culminated in the painful tearing of his ACL.

As he started doing research on his own, Danny observed that the guys at the firehouse on the keto diet were looking and feeling pretty good, so he jumped on the bandwagon too. As he continued searching for answers, he kept seeing carnivore pop up, and since he gravitated towards meat while eating keto anyway, he decided to take the plunge and give it a try. “I went on the carnivore diet, I was like—‘I’m never looking back. I feel so great.’ Everything was getting better!”

Now 45, Danny has been doing carnivore for two years and feels fantastic. His cholesterol numbers are all in a healthy range, he enjoys better stamina and muscle gains at the gym, and his heart doctor says he’s in such great shape that he only needs a yearly checkup. His diet consists mostly of beef, with Danny regularly enjoying ribeye steaks, beef ribs, burgers, bacon, eggs and the occasional piece of cheese. He was also able to shed some extra weight he had been carrying around—dropping from 245 pounds to a healthy 180 pounds.

On top of all of this, Danny has experienced extraordinary mental health benefits as well. The shock of the heart attack left Danny reeling with PTSD and major depression, so he started seeing a therapist. “Two weeks into the carnivore diet, I told my therapist, ‘I don’t think I need you anymore, because I’m not thinking the same way as I was.’ And I didn’t need him anymore—and that was only 2 weeks into the diet! The depression really got better—the PTSD…was totally gone.”

Now, Danny enjoy plenty of energy to train, spend time with his family, and play the bagpipes at firefighter events. He may enjoy the odd piece of cake at his children’s birthday parties, or an occasional beer with friends, but he says he really doesn’t crave those things anymore—and is happy to share his story with the hopes that it will help others too.

Lycia and Family Heal On Carnivore Lifestyle

September 22, 2022 No Comments

Lycia is a retired 72-year-old living in Florida with her husband of 53 years and their 49-year-old mentally handicapped son. She refurbishes furniture as a hobby. Occasionally she rides a motorcycle with her husband. They dabble in vintage cars and just enjoy their family and life as much as possible.

Lycia suffered from depression, anxiety, eczema, arthritis, sciatica, severely dry skin, brain fog, and hair loss. After voluntarily discontinuing statins, she chanced across a video of Dr. Ken Berry and eventually ended up adopting the carnivore lifestyle. She and her family members have benefited tremendously, with her son finding relief from IBS, and do not consider going back.

Heidi Manages Type 1 Diabetes on Carnivore Diet

August 28, 2022 No Comments

In 2009, Heidi thought her blood sugar problems were over as she welcomed the birth of her son. While still recovering in the hospital, she was assured by the staff that her first meal of Lorna Doone cookies was perfectly fine—the gestational diabetes she had while she was pregnant was now a thing of the past. Three years later, Heidi was diagnosed with mature adult onset type 1 diabetes. From 2012 to 2018, she desperately tried to get a handle on her blood sugar, while managing the highs and lows that go along with the condition. Then, in 2018, a well-meaning friend recommended a vegan, low fat diet advertised to “master your diabetes.” Unfortunately, after trying it, not only did her diabetes problems continue, but she ended up struggling with exhaustion, inflammation, brain fog—and newfound joint issues.

“To make matters worse, I started to have joint issues which I didn’t expect—you know, people from the vegan community never tell you that you’re going to have joint problems—but I started having trouble going upstairs and I’m like, ‘I’m not that old! I may be in my 50’s but I have a long life to live and I can’t hobble down the stairs for 50 years!’ So out of desperation I first went into keto, but then I started to see videos about carnivore.”

Keto is a common pitstop on the way to the carnivore diet, and Heidi was no different. “I saw a couple carnivore videos and at the time—I’m sure we can all relate to this— it was a little bit of cognitive dissonance. I was like ‘How do people really just only eat meat?‘“

After launching into carnivore at the beginning of 2022, she noticed after two weeks that the joint pain she had been experiencing was completely gone, her focus was returning, and as of today, she is currently down 35 lbs. Not bad considering the year isn’t even close to being over yet! On top of all that, her blood sugar has become more stable, she’s been able to halve the amount of medication she uses to manage her diabetes, has better skin, better sleep, and is just generally more vivacious. “My whole world’s different,” she says happily, “And I actually love my food now!”

Heidi says she prescribes to the beef/bacon/butter/eggs approach to carnivore. An added bonus? Her 16 year old daughter has also joined her on her carnivore journey! Heidi says the carnivore diet also gives her the freedom to not eat first thing in the morning—a time when sugar is usually highest for diabetics—and opts to start eating around 3:30 or 4pm in the afternoon when her blood sugar is naturally lower. “Not only do i feel subjectively better, but I do have objective numbers to say my blood sugar’s in so much better control now—and I have the presence of mind to actually enjoy life…I’ve never felt better. I’ve not felt better in literally probably decades.”

Article by Jennifer McDowell

Claire Reverses Osteoporosis and Puts On Muscle In Her 60s On A Carnivore Diet

August 21, 2022 No Comments

An educator for over 20 years, school principal Claire needed more energy to keep up with her busy schedule. After being diagnosed with osteoporosis nine years ago, she started on a fitness journey that led her to crossfit classes coupled with weight training, but after experiencing less-than-stellar results, her coach encouraged her to take a closer look at her nutrition. Up until that point, she ate the Standard American Diet, regularly enjoying pasta and bread. When she heard about the carnivore diet, she decided she’d give it a try for a few weeks. Fast forward four years later, and she’s still on the carnivore bandwagon—experiencing the myriad health benefits that go along with it.

“The reason I stayed with it after a couple of weeks was, number one: I was enjoying what I was eating—and I was eating as much as I wanted—which was wonderful…but over the course of just four weeks, I gained more muscle than I had gained in months prior to that. I saw fairly quick results in my body composition and my performance—and that was exciting.”

Now 68 ½ years old, her yearly checkups and bloodwork all confirm she’s thriving. “Continuing to do all the weightlifting…and eating meat—I have actually reversed my osteoporosis in my spine to normal, so that’s been awesome! I also have hypothyroid and that has improved as best thyroids can improve. I’m still taking Synthroid but instead of this being a progressive illness, it has actually gone the other way and they had to reduce my meds because it was too much.” Another perk? After six months of eating carnivore, the kidney stones she had been told were waiting in the wings completely disappeared.

When asked what her doctors had to say about her strident health breakthroughs, Claire says they are generally mute on the subject, but had plenty to say when she was initially diagnosed—especially in regards to medication. “I told the doctors, ‘I’m not going to take those medicines. I’m going to exercise and address things from a different perspective.’ They don’t say anything when THAT works!”

Claire’s diet now mainly consists of big old steaks, ground beef, pork, fish and dairy. “I do eat dairy—I know some carnivore people don’t…I found that when I experimented and stopped all dairy, I did see an increase in muscle mass, but I like dairy so I decided I was going to keep doing cheese because I like it.”

Sometimes Claire’s work schedule is so busy that she has to work through lunch, but she finds she is generally able to achieve her goal of eating at least 100 grams of protein per day. Once the pandemic hit, she started working out from home, and without a coach spurring her on, she has been able to maintain an impressive 150lb deadlift. “A few years ago I was eating carbs and working out—I feel like I’m stronger, healthier—feel better—now.”

Article by Jennifer McDowell

James gets off all psych meds on a carnivore diet

August 1, 2022 1 Comment

Hello,

My name is James. I am 27 years old and have suffered immensely from mental health issues since I was 6 years old. I was diagnosed with ADHD and put on psych medication in kindergarten. I also was depressed as a child which progressed as I became a teenager. When I was 17 I was diagnosed with Bipolar and schizo affective disorder. I am now 27 and have been hospitalized due to manic episodes over 200 times. I was told I would never live a normal life and always have to be on medications which caused obesity due to elevating my insulin and blood sugar.

I came across the work of dr. Shawn baker and dr. Chris Palmer. I began intermittent fasting and eating carnivore and within 2 weeks my lifelong depression lifted. I also lost 25 pounds in those 2 weeks. I went from 270 pounds to 245. I had metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, triglycerides and blood sugar) and my labs have all normalized. This is just the beginning of my journey and I am so grateful. I have been on this diet for 1 month and plan to do it for the rest of my life. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. I also check my blood ketones daily to make sure I am in ketosis, usually between 3-5 ml. All of my mental health issues have been put into remission as well as my life long psoriasis that covered my face and scalp.

Thank you Shawn Baker for having the courage to speak the truth. You have saved my life and the lives of future generations by sharing this knowledge. I plan to share my story to try and help heal others who are needlessly suffering. There are no words to express my gratitude.

Ray’s Scale No Longer Dies Beneath Him

June 21, 2022 No Comments

Age: 65

Very Low Carb , meat heavy “Ketovore” for 2 1/2 years.

Was formerly athletic, became morbidly obese, peaking at least 365 pounds I actually don’t know HOW HIGH my final weight went because my scale DIED beneath me one morning. Within half a year of this dietary change (heavy meat ketovore) , I was down to 332 pounds and feeling great.

My food before Ketovore was primarily ‘rice and something’. Lots of veggies, peppers, onions ginger/garlic and often a few slices of meat, but always half a plate or more of Indian Basmati rice or Japanese ‘sticky’ rice. If I ate a pound of meat per WEEK it was unusal. Using Indian spices, the food smelled and tasted terrific. However, my sweet tooth was strong. SWEET coffee, a “healthy” muffin or other snack with more sweet coffee at intervals less than 2 hours. My endurnce was very poor: having to refuel at two hour intervals during the work day or my energy and concentration would decay badly. Being an engineer, concentration and endurance are critically important. My eyes were rapidly decaying (posterior uvitis/”bird shot” Rx = predinisone 60mG/Day) to delay my eventual DIAGNOSED impending blindness!!! Rapidly increasing obesity and blood pressure.

My food before Ketovore was primarily ‘rice and something’. Lots of veggies, peppers, onions ginger/garlic and often a few slices of meat, but always half a plate or more of Indian Basmati rice or Japanese ‘sticky’ rice. If I ate a pound of meat per WEEK it was unusal. Using Indian spices, the food smelled and tasted terrific. However, my sweet tooth was strong. SWEET coffee, a “healthy” muffin or other snack with more sweet coffee at intervals less than 2 hours. My endurnce was very poor: having to refuel at two hour intervals during the work day or my energy and concentration would decay badly. Being an engineer, concentration and endurance are critically important. My eyes were rapidly decaying (posterior uvitis/”bird shot” Rx = predinisone 60mG/Day) to delay my eventual DIAGNOSED impending blindness!!! Rapidly increasing obesity and blood pressure.

My good friend Al suggested that I might consider “Keto” helpful (I was morbidly obese) for him, he took off 20-25 pounds his first month and felt GREAT. I am a “why guy” I need to know WHY something works, before I will even consider it valid to test. I studied all I could find online about the theory of why Low Carb WORKs. Internet and books by Drs. Jason Fung, Ken Berry, I began to understand the HORMONAL response to my high carb, refined sugar and “vegetable oils” diet. Nina Teichulz was a wealth of information on fake oils and real meat. Your channel was in there BUT I can tell you that – at that time- I thought that I would never go full carnivore because I was so conditioned to believe that it was unhealthy. Now, here I am.


Initially my dietary rules were simple: zero surgars, absolutely 20gm of carbohydrates or less per day, no fake oils. I measured my morning/fasting blood sugars, blood pressure and more, my Wife (a very good nurse) assumned that if this worked, I would eventurally need to reduce or eliminate some medications: that was indeed a correct assumption. We were both VERY concerned about my eventual ‘need’ for insulin injections looming in my future as a T2 diabetic; we both knew that we could not afford it with my greatly reduced retirement income.

I noticed the loss of fat and was amazed, to be satisfied. If I became ‘snacky’ I’d make bacon and eggs or a burger patty and the problem was solved. I began eating more meat and above ground veggies in rich butter/heavy cream sauces with caramelized red wine for flavor (Remember the “French paradox”? They eat full fat everything and are generally slim. 🙂 I was still doing breakfast, so 3 – 4 egg, butter omelets with some chives and garlic, with cheese started the day with coffee. Red meats at meals were rapidly introduced in increasingly larger amounts. 1 – 2 pounds becoming normal.

 

  1. Ribeyes = I finally understood what being ‘sated’ at mealtime meant!
  2. My energy between meals was excellent – no slumps as when I was carb fueled. It was like having a huge fuel tank once I was ‘fat adapted’. My Wife noticed that my energy level was ‘through the roof’: house projects and more were getting done.
  3. My morning fasting blood sugars dropped from the 200’s to below 100 for the first time since I began monitoring them a year earlier.
  4. Due to light-headedness, I went off Metformin – which required a few tries before I stabilized.
  5. BP was far too low 117/70’ish and I worked with my Doc to get a ‘baby dose’ of Losartan, which I still seem to require. (I’ve been hypertensive since my thirties – high stress jobs…)

 


Before diet change – my diagnosed ‘conditions’ and symptoms were:

  • Severe Sleep Apnea
  • Dangerously high blood pressure
  • Posterior uvitis (“birdshot”) retinal flashes, and bleeding inside my eyes!
  • Retina Doc mentions: “Where is ALL this inflammation coming from?”
  • CPAP required for sleep
  • GERD
  • Constant tooth decay and very red and swollen gums. My dentist hated what he saw.
  • Constant and increasing 2+ pitting edema on shins
  • Fatty liver. Doctor: “Sooo, tell me about your drinking?” and I wondered did where THIS came from?
  • Slow or no healing – example: a hole on my shin remained unhealed for many months. Even routine scratches remained for many weeks or more.
  • Peripheral neuropathy on outside three toes on both feet.
  • Infections in odd places, wound edges, skin folds. (Glycated body was probably TASTY for pathogens?)
  • 6x daily meds – before diet change:
  • Losartan 125 mG w
  • HCTZ 25 ?
  • T2D
  • Metformin 500 mG to increase if needed later – never needed 🙂
  • Anti-inflammatory Rx: Tramadol and more as their effectiveness diminished.
  • Pain meds PRN for knee injury.
  • Couldn’t slide into some restaurant booths, would have to squeeeze behind the car’s driving wheel.
  • Very sore joints and chronic body aches (was told that this is “normal” aging)

Amy Came Off Her Meds On A Carnivore Diet

June 18, 2022 No Comments

Amy is a mom to 9, lost over 115 pounds and got off all antidepressants and anti anxiety medications with diet change after being taken away from her family by her doctor. 

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