Nevada was able to heal from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a rare spinal injury, and prediabetes on a carnivore diet.
“I struggled with PCOS my entire life and was given a diagnosis of prediabetes after reaching my highest weight of 220 pounds on my 5’4” frame,” Nevada shares. “This was the year I graduated pharmacy school, and as a healthcare provider, I felt like a failure because I was implementing everything I was learning in school and following my doctor’s instructions, but I kept getting fatter, sicker, and more exhausted.”
PCOS is a hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges.
Symptoms include menstrual irregularity, excess hair growth, acne, and obesity. Fertility can be next to impossible, and many women who have PCOS are not aware of their diagnosis. As with many other conditions that accompany a diet high in carbohydrates, some health professionals believe that symptoms of PCOS can improve by following a carnivore diet.
Frustrated by her lack of progress, Nevada hired a personal trainer, joined a gym, and started the paleo diet. Lowering her carbohydrate intake, she was able to drop 50 pounds over the course of a year. However, that same year, she herniated a disc in her back and was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord injury called cauda equina syndrome, affecting the horsetail of the spinal cord. A disc herniation occurs when the jelly-like core of a disc herniates, or shifts out of position, putting pressure on nearby nerves in the spine.
Nevada began a rehab program after her spinal surgery, and started a strict ketogenic diet to implement the neuroprotective and neuromotor effects of ketosis. “Within the first year, I was able to regain sensory and motor function in my legs, but I was still weak and unable to feel my right foot on the ground.”
From there, Nevada’s health gradually improved once she began the carnivore diet. She explains, “After two years on the carnivore diet, I was able to regain 100% of my sensory and motor functions in my legs and increase my strength, endurance, and confidence. Recovering from cauda equina syndrome was considered an absolute miracle by my doctor!”
In addition to her miraculous healing, Nevada got down to her leanest weight, 127 pounds, for a total of 92 pounds lost over the course of her journey. Notably, she also put her PCOS in remission, and eradicated her lifelong battle with eczema.
“At 42 years old, I am in the best shape and in the best health of my life,” Nevada shares. “I’ve never been happier!”
