From Active to Prediabetic
Patrick described himself as very active before discovering the carnivore way of eating, but he noticed his health deteriorating. Patrick is from Australia but has lived in the Philippines for a time. Though he was active, Patrick had put on quite a bit of weight and, at his heaviest, weighed over 145 kilograms (300 pounds).
Discovering the Keto Diet
Patrick was also diagnosed with high blood pressure a few years ago but said he didn’t want to take statins. Patrick loved to go cycling and says he would go on what he calls “hash” runs quite often– running in the outdoors and through the woods. One day Patrick was socializing with a friend at a bar, and Patrick’s friend pointed out that he had scratches and sores from his outdoor running that were not healing.
Patrick also began to notice he was developing edema, or swelling, in his ankles. Patrick decided to get his blood tested and found out he was considered prediabetic. His doctor wanted to put Patrick on Metformin, but again, he didn’t want to take any medications. Patrick went home from the doctor’s office and began doing research. He says he found Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. Ken Berry online and began understanding the link between his nutrition and his conditions.
Transitioning to a Meat-Based Diet
Patrick and his daughter decided to start following a ketogenic diet. Patrick and his daughter both had a lot of success with the keto diet. Patrick lost almost 50 kg (100 pounds). Patrick’s transition into the carnivore diet happened quite naturally. Patrick describes he has never been a person who enjoys vegetables.
He says, “meat tastes good.” And so, through his keto diet journey, he ate more meat until his diet was utterly meat-based. Patrick describes having some gastrointestinal issues at the beginning of his conversion to an all-meat diet, but eventually, those issues disappeared. He also says he struggled with some bread and sugar cravings, but those have become easier to ignore over time.
Overcoming Health Issues
Patrick says that living in the Philippines made his diet more difficult as quality meat took a lot of work to come by. Still, he was able to find some steaks and started drinking bone broth regularly. Patrick describes his prediabetes, high blood pressure, and edema are all gone now, thanks to his carnivore lifestyle. He also says he has incredible stamina and can keep up with his daughter during her workouts.
Embracing the Carnivore Lifestyle
Nowadays, Patrick enjoys listening to Dr. Shawn Baker’s podcasts and says he has learned a lot from him about maintaining a meat-based diet. In 2019,
Patrick and his family returned to Australia to work toward his daughter’s citizenship, and through the covid-19 pandemic, they ended up getting stuck in Australia. Patrick says that though his situation is different from what he planned, sourcing quality meat is much easier in Australia. His wife has even converted to the carnivore diet and has improved her Hashimoto’s syndrome.
Sourcing Quality Meat in Australia
Today Patrick describes eating a lot of beef, eggs, and bacon– he loves bacon. Patrick does eat a dill cucumber every once in a while but says he prefers meat over vegetables. Patrick is grateful he has discovered the carnivore way of eating, and he can eat the foods he enjoys while improving his health. Patrick says, “My mouth doesn’t water over a carrot. It waters for a ribeye.”
