Janice solved her digestive problems and anxiety on a carnivore diet

Hello, my name is Janice. I am 42 years old and I have been carnivore since July 2019 (19 months now). Prior to carnivore, I was vegetarian and then a lacto-ovo-pescatarian for over a decade. When I was a vegetarian, I was depressed and anxious all day, every day. One of my therapists “diagnosed” me as having obsessive anxiety.
 

My family has bipolar on one side and paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder on the other side. Knowing my predisposition to mental illness, I always tried to manage my own depression and anxiety through diet, sleep, and exercise, but it never seemed to work as a vegetarian. I was a roller coaster of emotions.
 

I also suffered from many physical ailments. I was perpetually cold and was known to wear a down coat in the hot summer months of California. I would feel “chilled to the bone” day and night. I had circulatory problems to the point where I couldn’t put my feet in cool water without experiencing severe nerve pain like my feet being stabbed by a thousand needles.
 

I also had migraines, severe allergies (my nasal passages were completely obstructed and I had no sense of smell), no sense of smell, chronic urinary tract infections, yeast infections, topical fungus all over my body, dry skin, dandruff, eczema, athlete’s foot, and toenail fungus. My farts and feet literally reeked and could stink up a whole room.
 

Not to mention my digestive woes…I was incredibly bloated and gassy 24/7 because I thought eating high fiber was super important. Ironically, I was always constipated and had to strain to poop and ended up with hemorrhoids and some bleeding. I also experienced itchiness and possibly a fungal infection from where my poop was exiting–very unpleasant!
 

I must have been severely insulin sensitive because after eating any carbs in my meals, I would become incredibly tired to the point of having to take a nap in a parking lot on the way home if I went out to dinner with friends or family. I thought I had narcolepsy. I would routinely fall asleep in a bar or restaurant when out with friends. I was chronically tired and I used to sleep almost the entire weekend.
 

If that wasn’t bad enough, I would get crippling abdominal pain to the point where I couldn’t even walk as well as horrible hives and welts all over my body after eating a meal. Even my inner ears would itch. I just accepted this as part of normal living.
 

I was very scrawny fat and obsessed with being skinny. I now believe that I had orthorexia. Even though I was skinny, I would binge eat and then try to not eat. I was literally obsessed with food and I think about food around the clock, trying to micromanage everything I ate. I would plan out every day of my life around food.
 

Even though I had the slender appearance of a vegetarian, I suffered from horrible arthritis in all of my joints, especially my knees and hips. My left hip had deep, severe, chronic arthritic pain. I had a general achiness all over my body. All of my tendons would pop, I was very stiff, and I developed tendonitis in my wrists and hips. This is all in spite of practicing a ton of yoga.
 

I was so physically exhausted all the time that I missed out on a lot of life’s activities and opportunities because I simply had no energy. I spent a lot of my time either obsessively worrying, crying, or sleeping. These behaviors along with a tragic, negative, victim mindset wreaked havoc on my relationships at work and home.
 

My dental health was also a mess. My gums were eroding and my teeth were sensitive to just breathing cold air. My gums would bleed like crazy when flossing. My hair was falling out like crazy and thinning. My eyes were dry and itchy. And, one of the worst things, which I didn’t even realize at the time, was I had no libido. I felt like an achy, deteriorating old woman in my 30s.
 

When I turned 40, I did some research and found that many of my symptoms were candida related, so I tried the anti-candida diet for a few months. That diet restricts you to lower carb foods, including fruits and vegetables. I started to have some minor physical improvements and some evening out of my mood instability.
 

Everything changed when I read Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life and I learned about his daughter Mikhaila and her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and autoimmune issues. I saw his interview with Joe Rogan and he talked about his success with a red meat only diet in terms of getting rid of his depression.
 

That was the ticket for me. After struggling for four decades with crippling anxiety and depression and possibly bipolar disorder (I am literally crying in all my baby photos because I was a formula-fed baby), I decided to give the carnivore diet a go.
 

Fast forward 19 months to today. I have had too many profound, life altering improvements to even list:

• No depression/anxiety, glorious mood stability (this is my most important, life-altering change)

• Food freedom – the carnivore way of eating is simple and I no longer have to plan my days around what I will or will not eat.

• No yeast infections

• No urinary tract infections

• No hives/welts/rashes, no itchy ears

• My skin all over my body is far more supple and not desert dry anymore, no more rough patches.

• I tan easily and naturally and do not ever get a sunburn anymore. I don’t wear sunscreen, even on my face.

• Topical fungus is almost completely gone except a couple lingering spots on my torso

• My nose is completely clear and I can breathe through my nose (both nostrils) freely

• No sneezing or seasonal/environmental allergies

• I can smell for the first time in my life and have a very keen sense of smell at that.

• I feel warm body temperature wise and I can withstand cold (wear shorts and tank top outside in the winter).

• I have muscles now! I don’t do any exercise other than occasional walking.

• No tendonitis, no popping joints/tendons

• Rapid healing – I broke my elbow in a roller skating accident in July 2020 and had a steel plate and six screws installed. The surgical wound healed very quickly on carnivore.

• Zero knee pain, joint pain (my deep left hip pain finally went away in the last month)

• Shiny hair, no gray hair, hair is thickening again

• Strong, healthy teeth, no gum erosion, no bleeding gums, teeth are no longer sensitive

• Zero body odor, my feet don’t stink at all (I know because I put my nose between my toes to check.) I can rewear the same pair of socks every day now. I used to not be able to process vegetables properly and I had constant bad breath. My breath is fine now.

• Super clear, supple skin on my face, crows feet reversed and are almost completely gone. I hardly need to wash my face and skin glows and is hydrated from the inside out. My age spots are disappearing.

• I need WAY less sleep (5-7 hours) and I wake up super energized. My energy lasts all day with no caffeine and I don’t need naps anymore. I used to be the queen of napping.

• Clear-headed, focused, decisive, confident (I used to struggle with ADHD, brain fog, indecision, and low self-worth, that I now believe were dietary issues.)

• My libido is completely back!

• Zero gas (I mean I never fart anymore), no straining, no hemorrhoids, no bloating, no abdominal pain EVER

• Improved performance in every area of life due to mental clarity and energy. I am like a completely different person. People remark on how calm I am now, where I was previously an emotional roller coaster. All of the relationships in my life have improved.

• Strong, thick, healthy fingernails

• My hands are never dry or cold anymore. I used to put on tons of hand cream.

• Regular menstrual cycle

• Significant improvements in my ability to manage stress. I am ultra-resilient now.

• Boosted immunity – I almost never get sick or get a cold sore and if I do, it resolves almost immediately.

For 16 months, I was a carnivore, but only about 95%. For 2 months, I was strict carnivore (100% animal foods) and moved toward higher fat. For the last month, I have been on ribeye and water only (no salt). I had incredible benefits for the first 16 months, but my performance and mental clarity have gone to a whole new level in the past 3 months when going to 100% carnivore.
 

I think I can do just fine on a simple carnivore diet with my five core foods (beef, mainly ribeye; eggs, butter, scallops, and occasionally bacon), but I get to an optimal level with ribeye only. The main difference I noticed with ribeye only was a complete absence of any anxiety/worry and a level of CALM carnivore zen that I had never gotten to with “clean carnivore” alone.
 

My partner, Aaron, has also been carnivore with me for the past 19 months, and our relationship is off the charts! Carnivore couples can reach unbelievable heights of true intimacy and passion for life and each other.
 

I truly believe that the carnivore diet saved my life. My mental and physical health have improved in every way imaginable. I’m sure I didn’t even capture everything here. I will never go back to any other way of eating. If you are looking to heal a broken body and mind, the carnivore lifestyle is the key! I am forever grateful to Jordan and Mikhaila Peterson for their courage in sharing about carnivore. If they had not had the courage to speak up about their discovery, I would not have had access to this incredible life!
 

Dr. Baker’s book was also instrumental as it came out very close to the beginning of my carnivore journey and gave me the confidence and certainty that the carnivore diet was a viable lifelong way of eating. I joined the community in December 2020 and it has helped me greatly in fully embracing this optimal way of life.