Chandler, 57, shares his incredible journey to recovery from chronic pain and inflammation associated with vasculitis, tendinitis, piriformis syndrome, and temporal arteritis. Chandler is 6’1”, and has gone from 245 pounds to 178 pounds in just over a year.
“I was in bad shape, really,” Chandler recalls. “None of my doctors were able to help me, except to put me on steroids which only helped temporarily. Due to the temporal arteritis, I had a headache for 10 months that wouldn’t go away.” Vasculitis and temporal arteritis are both conditions in which the blood vessels and arteries become inflamed, and blood flow is restricted, resulting in organ and tissue damage. “And the piriformis syndrome showed me nerve pain like I’d never had before, and coupled with tendinitis, I was basically crippled.”
After visiting several doctors who were unable to provide answers or a clear recovery plan, Chandler turned his attention to the low-carb community. He attended Low-Carb Denver in 2019, and was introduced to Dr. Shawn Baker and the carnivore diet. “I started down that path at 245 pounds, and 9 months later, my weight had gone to about 190 pounds, and I was nearly symptom free,” Chandler shares. “My diet gradually evolved, and since then, I have gone to about 90% carnivore, and my weight has settled at 178 pounds.”
During his interview with Revero coach Brooke, Chandler describes what his diet looks like now. “I truly believe carnivore is the ‘medicine’ that fixed me. I began with one meal a day, but now have added lunch back in, usually sardines or salmon. I keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge, and I buy ribeye at Costco, which I can vacuum pack and freeze. I don’t think too much about it, and it’s delicious and sustainable.”
Since making the shift to a meat-based diet, so many health markers have improved for Chandler. “My waist-to-height ratio is less than 1/2, my cholesterol is 187, my HDL went from 54 to 92, and my LDL went from 113 to 86. My triglycerides are at 44 and my CAC score is a zero! I feel fantastic! I’m 57 years old and feel 35 again.” Chandler led an active lifestyle, but found he didn’t need to exercise to lose the weight, something that surprised him. “I’m the same weight now as I was at age 19. How about that? I reversed 40 years of weight creep!”
Living a pain-free life and experiencing a calmer overall mood has been a game-changer for Chandler. “For me, it’s been an 180-degree life change,” Chandler says. “There’s no ‘falling off the wagon’, it’s just the way it is for me from now on.” He’s also set a powerful example for his family. Chandler’s 27-year-old son has lost 50 pounds since following the carnivore diet, inspired by his father’s success.
“If anybody is out there suffering from arteritis or other inflammatory conditions, give carnivore a try. For me, it was an alternative to steroids, and I think it’s definitely worth trying.”
