From Childhood Meat Lover to Carnivore Champion
Lori’s relationship with food began in her childhood home, where her mother’s cooking skills shone brightest with perfectly prepared meats. “From as far back as I could remember, I loved meat even when I was a tot,” Lori recalls. She would often ask for seconds of her mother’s roasts and fried chicken. However, alongside this natural preference for meat came a dislike of vegetables and an unfortunate introduction to carbohydrates and sugar that would eventually take center stage in her life.
The Long Road of Health Struggles
Despite being a slender, energetic child who loved riding bicycles, Lori’s adolescence brought unwelcome changes. She began putting on visceral fat and developed a pattern of yo-yo dieting that would continue for decades. Food became her comfort during stressful times, especially as she navigated the early loss of both parents and the subsequent need to grow up quickly.
The real health problems began in her late thirties with a diagnosis of high blood pressure. This first warning sign was followed by the discovery of ulcerative colitis. Her doctor at the time dismissed any connection between diet and her condition, leaving Lori without answers.
“Despite having this very serious condition, I kept on with the carbs and sugar,” she explains. The situation worsened when she developed a kidney infection in her fifties, resulting in two weeks in intensive care. Even this severe health crisis wasn’t enough to permanently change her eating habits.
The Breaking Point
By late 2018, Lori’s colon was severely damaged. Her colorectal surgeon recommended complete removal of her colon and rectum, necessitating an ileostomy bag. In 2019, Lori underwent this life-altering surgery along with a complete hysterectomy.
“I felt like a hollowed-out Halloween pumpkin because I had so many parts removed from my body,” she says. But this moment became a turning point. Lori realized she couldn’t continue eating carbs and sugar if she wanted to stay alive, let alone healthy.
Finding Her Way to Carnivore
Lori’s journey to the carnivore diet began with small steps. She started with low-carb eating, trying 18:6 intermittent fasting, and gradually reducing her carbohydrate intake. A video from Dr. Ken Berry about the “proper human diet” highlighting the nutrient density of red meat resonated deeply with her.
“Something just really clicked with me,” Lori shares. “I thought back on my love of meat and how it had been pushed aside by carbs and sugar, which grabbed center stage.”
The anti-meat messaging of the 1980s and 1990s had convinced her to deny her natural food preferences. Now, at age 71, Lori fully embraced the carnivore lifestyle and has never looked back.
Life as a Carnivore
Today, Lori typically enjoys two meals daily – often bacon or sausage with eggs for breakfast, followed by a late lunch of beef patties, rotisserie chicken, or occasionally wild-caught salmon.
Shopping is simpler now. “I walk in the store, go right to the back where the meat and eggs are,” she explains. “I don’t have to go down the center aisle wondering what kind of junk food I’m going to pick today.”
Wearing an ileostomy bag hasn’t complicated her carnivore lifestyle. In fact, it’s provided fascinating insights about digestion. When Lori occasionally tried vegetables after her surgery, they passed through essentially undigested. Meat, however, is properly processed by her body.
The Benefits Beyond Diet
The benefits Lori experiences extend far beyond physical health. Her blood pressure has normalized, her blood sugar remains steady, and she no longer needs medication for hypertension.
Perhaps most significant is the mental clarity she’s gained. “That is the greatest gift of all for me,” Lori emphasizes. This newfound clarity has allowed her to process grief she never properly addressed and to face life’s challenges—like a recent job layoff—with greater objectivity and resilience.
Lori walks regularly while listening to classical music, finding the activity therapeutic. At 73, she embodies the philosophy that it’s never too late to make transformative health changes.
“Even though I wish I had found this 40 years ago, better late than never,” she reflects. “No matter how old you are when you start this diet, you’re going to realize some benefits.”
