Gina is a 52-year-old dental hygienist who began the carnivore diet in November 2022.
She began running in her 40s and did really well for the first few years, completing 5Ks and ultramarathons. In 2019, at 49, she entered a 50-mile race for her 50th birthday.
By the end of 2019, Gina started having health issues. While running, she would get really tired; her legs felt as if she were running in cement; and she had trouble breathing. She developed tingling and numbness in one of her feet, bone and joint pain, and vision problems in one eye. One morning, she woke up with one side of her torso numb. Gina was mentally drained, always tired, and suffered from anxiety.
Despite many diagnostic tests, they never found anything. She felt “old and crummy” and thought it was her age.
For six months, Gina had a pity party. She did nothing physical, ate whatever she wanted, and gained 15 or 20 pounds. Then she had enough and started walking, with the goal of running again.
Her running partner is a vegan. Gina saw that her friend was doing well and decided to rebuild her health as a vegan. She studied nutrition, earning a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University. She remained vegan for 18 months.
At first, Gina felt pretty good, but after a year, her health declined.
A visit to the ER after she woke up panting with her heart pounding revealed she was extremely anemic. She then had her gallbladder removed and later had a hysterectomy. Gina developed severe IBS and nearly lost her job because of it. Initially, her running performance was good, but once again, she lost the ability to run.
At this point, Gina felt defeated; she ate whatever she wanted. Her rationale: “What difference does it make if I feel miserable?”
After several months, Gina came across a blog post by a former vegan. This was the first time it occurred to her that a vegan diet wasn’t right for her. She delved back into nutrition and eventually learned about the carnivore diet. From there, she found Dr. Baker online and began following his content.
Gina says it took her about six weeks to go full carnivore and had no problems transitioning from her former diet to a carnivore diet.
“I can’t get over it,” Gina remarks about her improvements. Her digestive issues are gone, and she claims the diet saved her job. “My brain was always consumed with my stomach and what it was doing.” Now her stomach is quiet, and it doesn’t interfere with her life.
Her joint and bone pain are gone. Her hair is thicker, and her nails grow fast. Her anxiety is gone.
She “bounces through” the day and feels like she’s reset the clock. “I’m upbeat and happy. I feel amazing.”
Gina eats three scrambled eggs with goat cheese for breakfast, hamburger patties with butter at lunch, and rib eyes or hamburger patties in the evening. She eats according to her appetite.
Now more focused on muscle strength, Gina and her friend lift weights together. She feels as strong as she did in her 20s.
With a grandmother and mother who both developed Alzheimer’s at a young age and a family history of diabetes, Gina is very motivated to prevent metabolic disease. She feels this is the right path for her.
