From Chef to Carnivore: A Rural Australian’s Health Transformation
At 67, Mick lives in a small country town about an hour south of Canberra, Australia. As a retired chef who previously managed ski lodges with his wife Jenny, he’s no stranger to good food. Living in an area known for beef cattle and fine wool sheep with mostly natural grassland grazing, Mick is surrounded by quality animal products that have become the foundation of his diet.
Decades of Mysterious Joint Pain
Since his mid-thirties, Mick has battled persistent joint and muscle issues. Despite being active as a competitive cross-country skier, he struggled with what felt like chronic inflammation. Morning stiffness became a daily challenge – he would wake up needing to walk slowly and carefully before gradually warming up throughout the day. This pattern continued for nearly 30 years, progressively worsening despite visits to rheumatologists and various medical tests that never identified a specific cause.
The Nutritional Journey
As a chef, Mick has always eaten what most would consider a healthy diet. He and Jenny cooked their own meals, focusing primarily on Mediterranean and Asian cuisines while avoiding processed foods. Over the years, Mick experimented with different nutritional approaches, including “pretty good” diets, vegetarian, and briefly vegan options. During the 1990s, he tried the low-fat Pritikin approach, particularly while working as a trek leader in Nepal. He describes this carb-heavy, low-protein, low-fat period as “the most unhealthiest I’ve ever been.”
The Turning Point: From Running Problems to Solutions
In 2021, Mick faced a performance issue during ultra trail running events. At around the 30-kilometer mark, he would “hit the wall” or “bonk” despite following conventional carb-loading advice. Sometimes his vision would even go white. After medical tests ruled out heart problems, Mick began researching fat metabolism. His wife Jenny tried a ketogenic diet first and saw quick improvements, prompting Mick to follow suit.
Keto to Carnivore: The Evolution
While keto brought improvements, Mick noticed the most significant changes after transitioning to a carnivore diet in 2022. His inflammation gradually reduced, and his running performance improved dramatically. He describes the shift as “an evolution, not a revolution,” noting that his body adapted to the new way of eating over time.
Unexpected Benefits Beyond Joint Pain
One surprising improvement came with Mick’s glaucoma. Diagnosed years earlier with high eye pressures in the low twenties, he had been using prescription drops to maintain pressures in the mid-to-low teens. After adopting a carnivore diet, his pressures dropped even further to around 8-9, which he describes as “quite good and manageable.”
Daily Meals: Simple Yet Satisfying
Mick’s typical day includes two meals. Breakfast usually consists of meat and eggs—steak, lamb, or ground meat mixed with eggs. For dinner, he enjoys similar fare, sometimes with slow-cooked brisket. He occasionally includes dairy in the form of homemade yogurt, hard cultured cheeses, and sometimes berries. He and Jenny also supplement their diet with wild game, hunting goats and pigs from the surrounding area.
Performance at 67: Better Than Ever
The carnivore lifestyle has transformed Mick’s athletic performance. At 67, he completed the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a 176-kilometer race circumnavigating Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. For training, Mick follows an approach inspired by other low-carb ultra runners, training primarily without carbs and only using 30-40 grams of carbs per hour during his most important competitive events.
The Remarkable Result
After decades of struggling with joint pain and inflammation, Mick now enjoys significantly improved mobility and athletic performance. The morning stiffness that plagued him for 30 years has disappeared. He continues to run ultra-marathons and trail events with better results than before. His experience transitioning from keto to carnivore demonstrates how dietary changes can sometimes resolve chronic health issues that conventional approaches couldn’t address.
