A Journey to a Meat-Based Diet: Tavis’ Story
After welcoming his first child in 2015, Tavis and his partner were looking for ways to eat healthier and live more sustainably. They committed to living off the produce grown in their own vegetable garden and raised chickens to supply fresh eggs. “I would describe our approach as an ‘economic vegetarian’ diet,” Tavis shares. “The newspapers were always full of stories about how meat is bad for you, so for about two years I had that mentality.” However, this approach was not working, and Tavis saw his health decline further, having already grown up with a host of autoimmune-related skin and digestive issues.
Struggling with Health Issues on a Vegetarian Diet
“Since I was eight, I suffered from hayfever and allergies that affected both my respiratory system and skin,” Tavis recalls. “My hands and lips would crack and split open, and I had acne and frequent cold sores.” Tavis also had constant dandruff which didn’t respond to traditional treatments, and by the time he reached his early twenties, he developed severe bouts of constipation and diarrhea. Instead of improving these conditions on what he thought was a healthy way of eating, the vegetarian diet seemed to make his symptoms worse.
Discovering the Benefits of a Carnivore Diet
In 2019, Tavis began looking for answers as to what could be causing his decline. He came across several notorious interviews on a meat-based diet, including Jordan and Mikhaila Peterson on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, and Dr. Shawn Baker’s various videos on the benefits of a carnivore diet. Without much hesitation, he committed to a month of eating nothing but beef, water, and salt. Suddenly, his world began to change!
Improved Mental Health and Healing Skin and Digestive Issues
Tavis was surprised to find how much his mental health improved once he eliminated all plant foods from his diet and started to heal his skin and digestive issues. “I’ve had several episodes of suicidal depression throughout my life,” he shares. “Cutting out plants, however, I’m a whole different person. Things can still upset me, but if my skin and gut issues are gone, it boosts my mental health. When those issues are present, I can plummet into some really dark places.”
Experimenting with Different Fasting Protocols
This newfound knowledge about his body’s response to different foods helps keep Tavis on track. In the last six months, he has eliminated coffee, which seemed to trigger some skin irritation. Now, he mainly sticks to fatty steak, water, and salt, and is experimenting with different kinds of fasting protocols.
A Leaner, Stronger, and Pain-Free Life with a Meat-Based Diet
Today, Tavis enjoys being leaner, stronger, and free of locked joints and debilitating back pain. As his body continues to heal, he is grateful to have the ability to notice how different foods affect him, an approach he recommends to others who may choose to implement a meat-based diet. “Be aware that there will be a lot of changes in your body,” he advises, “and not all of them will be fun at first!”
Tavis’ Encouragement for Carnivores
Tavis provides some lighthearted encouragement for his fellow carnivores. A couple of his favorite carnivore phrases: “viva la vaca”, which is a French phrase meaning “Long live the cow, eat the cow!” A hand-drawn sign hangs in his home reads, “Eat Meat, Not Wheat! Feel Happy, Not Crappy!”
