Jessyca shares her inspiring story of recovery from an eating disorder, bladder disease, high blood pressure, migraines, and mental health diagnoses by following a carnivore diet. “It’s so important for people to know there’s hope!” she shares. “I was one of those people who thought I was too far gone and had too many issues. The carnivore diet wound up being the answer for me, and people need to know there’s never a point where it’s too late.”
Before starting a carnivore diet at age 46, Jessyca was on 17 pills a day to manage her mental health. She suffered from agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. “My doctor said they didn’t have anything else to give me and that I needed to go through electroconvulsive therapy,” Jessyca recalls. “I was at a point of brokenness, so I agreed to it. That treatment was a huge mistake that left me with a traumatic brain injury.”
Making matters even worse, Jessyca suffered from bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Her weight reached as low as 115 pounds and ballooned up to 309 pounds on her 5’10” frame. “I was near death. I do not believe I would be here had I not found this solution,” she says of the carnivore diet.
Jessyca’s turning point came after a doctor’s visit that confirmed she had sky-high blood pressure and was at imminent risk for a heart attack or stroke. “At that moment, I started to think about all the things I would miss if I died, and it suddenly mattered to me.”
After that visit, Jessyca credits her husband with finding her support groups to begin a ketogenic diet. She worked closely with her doctor to come off of her medications. Jessyca attended a carnivore conference in Colorado, inspiring her to transition to a meat-based diet, hoping it would heal her remaining gut issues. She only consumes fatty meats, salt, butter, and water. For Jessyca, it was the science behind the healing power of a meat-based diet that has helped her remain committed to this way of eating.
Jessyca was surprised to learn that she no longer requires coffee or any caffeine to have ample energy throughout the day. She also is delighted to be told she looks ten years younger now that her skin has improved and she has lost 145 pounds. “I can fit in one pant leg of my old jeans!” she jokes. Her struggles with interstitial cystitis and kidney stones persisted while on a ketogenic diet, but since making the switch to carnivore, they are no longer an issue for her.
Jessyca recommends that people take notice of how their body responds to different foods, which is easier to do while following a carnivore diet. “I feel a greater sense of satiation while eating fattier cuts of meat. I find my brain functions better on a higher fat diet.” She also stresses the importance of good sleep and stress management on her road to recovery.
“It does not matter how sick you are, how old you are, or how long you’ve done the things you’ve done; meat can heal you!”
