Interview with Michaela

1) Introduce Yourself.

My name is Michaela Bileci. I am Scottish but managed to escape the rain and now live in Tuscany with my husband and daughter Ava. I home-school my daughter Ava who has Autism and Epilepsy and am in the process of building a website, which will serve as a support to other families who have children with Autism. I am also currently studying for a degree in Psychology, with the aim to specialise in neurological disorders such as Autism and ADD/ADHD.

2) How did you eat before Carnivore.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, I completely changed both of our diets as we both tested positive for coeliac disease and had various food intolerances. I have eaten a gluten free/ dairy free diet for over ten years and in the past two years, focused on the Ketogenic Diet as a way to support my own health and also support my daughter who was on this diet for seizure control.

3) Why did you try Carnivore to begin with.

I have suffered with many health problems in my life such as asthma, depression, anxiety, coeliac disease, arthritis, psoriasis, chronic fatigue and hypothyroidism. Despite my best attempts at other dietary therapies (GFCF, BED, GAPS etc) and biomedical interventions, I was still on a pile of medications.  If there was a treatment available, then I was first in line to try it. There’s nothing I haven’t “bio-hacked”!

This led me to keep searching for answers. I heard about the Carnivore Diet after listening to the Joe Rogan Podcast with Mikhaila Peterson. At that point in my life, I was in constant joint pain and was on high levels of corticosteroids every day trying to reduce painful inflammation and breathing difficulties related to my Asthma and past episodes of pneumonia. I would also have severe immunological reactions to random foods and some have resulted in hospitalisation for treatment. I really didn’t have anything to lose, yet had everything to gain.

4) How do you personally approach the Carnivore Diet.

I’m currently following the Level 1 Autoimmune Protocol from Craig and Maria Emmerich’s book “The Carnivore Cookbook”.  I will be moving to Level 2 soon to see if that works for me.  I obviously have to be a little stricter with the Carnivore diet than some people due to the severity of my Autoimmune problems.  Most days, my meals are steak, salt and water based. I use beef tallow/suet if I want to add a little fat to my meals. I find steak agrees with my body more than ground beef. I only eat one meal or two meals daily, as I’m incorporating intermittent fasting into the Carnivore Diet too. IF happened quite naturally as I find myself more satiated after eating on the Carnivore Diet. As time goes on, I would like to introduce other things, but for now, this is my happy place health wise.

5) What benefits have you seen since starting the Carnivore Diet.

I’m off all of my medication and have lost 25 kilograms!

One by one, the need for each medication disappeared. The psoriasis plaques that were all over my body have cleared up and all the inflammation around my joints has disappeared. I don’t take inhalers, antihistamines or corticosteroids anymore and I naturally weaned off of escitalopram and clonazepam for depression and severe anxiety.

I recently ran another thyroid panel and all my levels are in the optimal range, which is a stark contrast to how it was before. I had gained 50 kilograms and have now lost half of that in 7 months of eating Carnivore.

However, I think the starkest contrast is in my energy levels. Before the Carnivore Diet, I could barely lift my head off of the pillow and now I’m able to walk, run and hike pain-free, which is just phenomenal. That’s the real blessing. Having the energy to play with my daughter and go on outings with my family- that’s priceless.

6) What negatives have you found with the Carnivore Diet.

I haven’t really found there to be any negatives with the Carnivore Diet or eating this way because I have had such improvements in my state of health.

The only thing I would warn people with severe autoimmune conditions about, is that this is a very potent and therapeutic diet. I made the gargantuan mistake of thinking I was fine and all my health issues had disappeared and ate some gluten free, dairy free pizza. The next morning, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and spent the week there because the immunological reaction was so severe. My father had to bring me out of hospital in a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk. It took a month of strict Carnivore to correct that mistake.  I would caution people with Autoimmune Conditions that this is not something you can play around with. Commit and remain consistent if you have similar issues to me.  That would be the only negative I would say that I have experienced.

7) Do you exercise on the Carnivore Diet, if so how do you find it and what do you do.

Yes, I love to exercise and now spend a lot of time outdoors. Most days, I go for a jog and do a kettlebell workout. I also enjoy wild swimming, hiking and ballet. I wasn’t able to exercise for years due to pain and fatigue and now it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s such a joy to be able to go hiking or jogging pain-free.

8) What piece of advice would you give someone who is interested in trying this diet, but hasn’t taken the leap yet.

I would suggest they read a bit first to help them understand what the diet is about and why removing plant toxins is useful. There are several ways to go about implementing the Carnivore Diet and I personally think it’s important to have that information at your disposal. I would recommend reading anything by Craig and Maria Emmerich, Dr. Shawn Baker or Dr. Paul Saladino. They all put out excellent material and you will find out which approach resonates with you and works for your body. Understand your reasons for wanting to do this diet and don’t become dogmatic. Listen to your body!

9) Do you think Carnivore will ever be accepted as a mainstream diet.

I hope so. My desire would be to see the Carnivore Diet accepted as a healing protocol, if nothing else. However, I do see that the tide is now turning, and many people are returning to ancestral dietary wisdom, turning their backs on the low-fat, sugar and grain propaganda of the past fifty years. Animal products are an extremely beneficial, not to mention crucial component of a healthy human diet.

10) Anything you would like to add, and where can people follow you.

I would encourage people who feel like this diet resonates with them to give it a try. Try it for at least a month, ideally three months and see how you feel. My guess is that you won’t look back.

I am in remission from asthma, anxiety, depression, psoriasis, arthritis, chronic fatigue and hypothyroidism. I gained 50 kilograms in a year when my thyroid function was underactive and within 7 months of the Carnivore Diet, I have optimal thyroid function and have lost a little over 25 kilograms so far. This Diet is a powerful, healing protocol that has given me my life back.

People can follow me and my carnivore journey on Instagram

@michaelabileci

…and if they’re interested in following our Autism/ Epilepsy/ Keto journey with my daughter Ava then they can follow us on Instagram @reimaginingautism_

Ketogenic Endurance – I hoped you enjoyed this post.

If you like what I am about, check out the below.

Amazon

Carnivore Fit Expanded edition – my eBook and Paperback looking at why meat is good for you, why plants are bad, and how to exercise on zero carbs.

Low Content Books – Carnivore & Keto inspired Journals, Notebooks, Diaries, and Planners.

Media

• The majority of my personal journey is documented on Instagram.
• Carnivore Diet Success Stories Facebook group.
• Carnivore Diet Success Stories Newsletter.
• I am an ambassador for the lifestyle brand Descended From Odin, have a look at their apparel and accessories: Click here and get 10% off with the code “ketogenicendurance”