Francesco’s Standard Italian Diet
Francesco was born and raised in Italy and says he ate the Standard Italian Diet for most of his childhood and teen years. He ate a lot of bread, pasta, and a little meat– though meat was never the star of the meal. Francesco says his parents unknowingly discouraged him from eating red meat because “it was bad” for him.
Francesco’s Health Issues
Francesco says around the time he turned twenty years old, he began developing psoriasis on his skin and cysts around his eyes, which required cortisone injections and other medications. Francesco’s eye doctor suggested that he try an elimination diet, and through that process, Francesco found out he was lactose intolerant.
The Elimination Diet and the Discovery of Lactose Intolerance
While eliminating lactose from his diet did help Francesco with the cysts around his eyes, he continued to develop other health issues.
Francesco’s Journey with Ulcerative Colitis
Francesco began to have horrible stomach pain in his twenties. The pain was so intense Francesco sought medical treatment from the emergency room twice– on his second trip, he stayed in the hospital for five days. Francesco was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis on that second trip to the hospital. Francesco tried many pills and medications for his ulcerative colitis, but they didn’t seem to help.
The Autoimmune Protocol of the Paleo Diet
Francesco then tried eliminating gluten from his diet and followed the autoimmune protocol of the paleo diet. Francesco says he saw some improvements again, but he still felt very bloated and suffered from many headaches, which had him taking over-the-counter pain medications daily. Francesco says the pain would be so horrendous he would struggle to walk from his bed to the bathroom, and he had lost a lot of weight.
The Discovery of the Carnivore Diet
Then Francesco’s wife heard an interview online with Joe Rogan and Mikhaila Peterson. Mikhaila spoke about her autoimmune disease and how eating a meat-based diet helped her heal. Mikhaila’s testimony led Francesco and his wife to research other carnivore diet advocates like Dr. Shawn Baker and Dr. Paul Saladino.
The Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
After learning about its many benefits, Francesco and his wife decided to try the carnivore diet together. After just one week on the carnivore diet, Francesco says, “I was jumping around the house.” He couldn’t believe how quickly he felt better following the diet. Soon all of his pain was gone, and he began to feel like a normal person again. Francesco also says he built thirty pounds of muscle by eating a meat-based diet, and his moods have greatly improved. His wife also had her own success with the diet, as she lost thirty-five pounds and is now in the best shape of her life.
Francesco’s Version of the Carnivore Diet
Francesco says his version of the carnivore diet was initially stringent– mainly beef, water, and salt. Since then, Francesco has slowly added lamb, buffalo, eggs, a little butter, and mineral water. Francesco also said he has made it a point to eat more fat now that his body has adapted to this lifestyle.
Francesco says he is grateful his wife found the carnivore way of eating. The carnivore diet has completely changed his path, and he is no longer living in daily pain. He says, for the first time, he feels like “I gained my life back.”
