Nathaniel’s Introduction To The Carnivore Diet
Howdy,
My name is Nathaniel. I’m 24 years old.
Similar to some of y’all, I was first introduced to Dr. Baker on JRE. My first inclinations were that this guy was a complete nut job. All meat? What about healthy people 2020 and MyPlate guidelines? I shrugged it off but began following Dr. Baker on Instagram because I wanted to see all the heat he was going to get.
Nathaniel’s Journey With IBD And Nutrition
At this time in my life, I was eating a light breakfast and two solid meals consisting of 3-4 cups of vegetables (high variety, mixed organic/non-organic), 1 cup of complex carbohydrates, and either baked chicken breast, fish, or pork. Hardly any red meat. I did this all throughout undergrad, was very methodical, and didn’t miss a beat.
My fitness goals at the time were to be as functional as possible (running, swimming, biking, lifting weights). I just cared about vitality and health. I wrestled growing up and never had any problem putting on mass, so my goal was not to put on size, although I felt emaciated on the diets coaches had me on.
I was diagnosed with IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) when I was a senior in high school (2011). Had a colonoscopy and was put on a low-dose Lialda (Mesalamine) to control the inflammation. For those of you that know about IBD, you know that there are certain “trigger” foods – spicy, fried, large amounts of alcohol, and fresh vegetables (if in the acute stage).
The diet became everything to me. So much that I cut out all meat for six months. (There are articles/literature relating processed meats to higher incidences of colon cancer, and this was the logic I used – true or not, I was desperate – I just wanted vitality, and I already had risk factors).
I had labs performed around the same time (insurance does yearly panels), and they showed I was anemic and had high LDL. I remember being very weak and tired all of the time. I concluded that I was taking steps backward and not forward – listening to my body holistically.
Nathaniel’s Experience With Carnivore Diet In Nursing School
I got back on my meal prep spread and started feeling better. All of this time, I was rehabbing a back injury I got in college and was severely depressed because I was in pain every day – doing lots of rehabs and diving into regenerative medicine as well. I was back on track for about four months until I heard about the carnivore diet.
I began straight Carnivore in mid-January 2018, about the same time I started a fast-back one-year nursing program down in Houston. Everything was new for me. New city, new curriculum, less time, no social life, less sleep. In my mind, I needed optimal nutrition in order to function at my peak levels and make the grades I wanted in such a fast program.
I considered all factors – I knew I was going to be sitting a lot (8-10 hours per day), getting less sunlight, and not getting social interaction. At this time, I stopped taking my Lialda because the cost went from $10 a month to $250 a month.
Nathaniel’s Results On Carnivore Diet
It’s been approximately four months on Carnivore, and I haven’t had an IBD flare. I sleep throughout the night. My mental and cognitive functioning has increased (I know this is subjective, but I’m able to sit through 12-hour lectures 2x a week, study 8-10 hours per day on the weekends, and do 12-hour clinics every week as well).
I only have time to work out 1-2x per week, and when I do, I just get my legs moving as much as I can, lift heavy, and work on mobility. Since I’m in school, I haven’t been able to afford all grass-fed, so I just go to HEB or Kroger and pick up steaks, hamburger patties, eggs, and butter. I have not had labs performed, but I plan to do that in June 2018, but I feel better than I ever have.
Thank you,
Nathaniel
