Danni improved her frequent infections, sleep, digestion, tinnitus and sinus issues on a carnivore diet

My Meat-based Diet Journey: From Ranch to Carnivore

Growing up on a ranch, I learned early that meat was healthy. I have been on a meat-based diet my whole life, probably less so during my college years. I contracted Mono during my freshman year. Otherwise, I was healthy except for the occasional low iron reading I’d receive at annual checkups. I attributed it to running and heavy periods.

The Role of Diet in Blood Sugar Management During Pregnancy

Fast forward to my last pregnancy at age 39, when the doctor told me my blood sugar was too high and could lead to complications. She gave me a blood sugar testing kit. I could monitor my blood sugar throughout the day. It didn’t take me long to realize how much what I ate affected my BS level. I began sticking with a mostly meat diet through the pregnancy and never had to use insulin shots.

Battling a West Nile-like Virus: How the Carnivore Diet Helped Me Regain My Health

After pregnancy, I returned to a more normal meat-based diet. In 2013, I struggled through a West Nile “like” virus. The test for West Nile was negative, but my doctor thought it was very similar to it, and for lack of a better idea, we treated it like that. The fatigue was like when I had Mono; in addition, it seemed that each week or two, a different system would be under attack. It was hard to breathe; headaches and fever came and went. I lost over 20 pounds.

After a few weeks, my breathing seemed normal, but my digestive system was challenged. At one point, the doctors thought the gallbladder needed to be removed. When that subsided, I was left with constant loud tinnitus 24/7, along with night sweats and chills.

This gradually improved, and life became more normal; the tinnitus returned at the end of the day or would return 24/7 when I became fatigued from lack of rest. I caught every flu and cold bug that came around. Allergy symptoms were constant, so I took a pill every day to keep symptoms under control. 

I also couldn’t exercise very hard, or my muscles would become very tight, and the tinnitus would return. This resulted in regaining more than the 20 pounds I had lost from the illness, and it was not muscle. I became flabby and gained more weight around my waist than I’d ever had. It seemed like any additional stress brought symptoms back, and I came down with viruses and infections often.

In 2016, I met a trainer who helped me stay focused on exercising twice a week. This helped strengthen my body, and I gained back much of the muscle I had lost. However, I was still about 20 pounds heavier than what was normal for me in my 20s and 30s.

My Experience with the Carnivore Diet: Measurements and Improvements

In September 2017, I began the Carnivore diet. Since then, I have lost the tinnitus and the extra body fat while increasing my energy and strength. My body composition has never been better. I rarely need to take an allergy pill. I have not been knocked down by the flu or cold for days at a time since eating this way, either.

Before (Feb. 2017) and Carnivore Measurements:

Chest: 34.5 to 31 in.

Belly Button: 37 to 30 in.

Thigh: 23 to 21 in.

Hips: 41 to 38 in.

Weight: 160 to 140 pounds

Improvements from eating a Carnivore diet for me:

• Tinnitus
• Allergy symptoms
• Sinus issues
• Fewer colds, flu, and yeast infections
• Fewer aches and pains
• Less bloating
• Better digestion, less burping and gas
• Less body fat more muscle
• Better sleep
• Stable blood sugar

My experience with going Carnivore probably isn’t as dramatic because I grew up on a ranch and have been a lifelong meat eater. However, I can document the benefits of going all-meat compared to meat based.

As of December 2017, I’ve been Carnivore about five days a week and just low carb the other two days since September 15, 2017. Weight down 15 pounds. After a month, my sister, who is in charge of a dialysis unit, told me I’d lost my visceral fat. She said that’s the mid-section fat. I could tell it by my clothes fitting looser. 

In the gym, I’m lifting heavier than I ever have.