When Kelsey (@carnivore.kelsey on Instagram) embarked on the carnivore diet, it wasn’t just a dietary change; it was a leap of faith into a journey of healing and discovery. As someone who witnessed her husband’s harrowing health decline and battled her own set of health issues, Kelsey’s story is not just about dietary transformation; it’s about resilience, learning, and the power of self-advocacy.

Kelsey’s pre-carnivore days were marked by a variety of diets, from the standard Canadian food guide to Paleo and Keto. Despite her efforts, she found herself grappling with migraines, cystic acne, pre-diabetes risk, and other health concerns. But her turning point came when conventional medicine failed to address her husband’s severe health issues. This prompted a deep dive into the carnivore diet, driven by intensive research and a determination to find a solution outside the traditional medical narrative.

Since January 2019, Kelsey’s commitment to the carnivore lifestyle has been unwavering. Her approach is not just about excluding carbs; it’s about embracing a way of eating that aligns with our biology. Her story is one of transformation, not just in physical health but in overall life quality. It’s about breaking free from old habits, exploring new culinary horizons, and most importantly, it’s about regaining control over her and her husband’s health.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into Kelsey’s inspiring journey, exploring how the carnivore diet brought significant changes to her life and health. From the challenges and adaptations to the remarkable benefits, Kelsey’s story is a testament to the potential of dietary intervention in transforming lives.

Kelsey’s Path to Healing: Embracing the Carnivore Diet

Kelsey’s journey into the carnivore diet began as a supportive gesture for her husband, Dan (@itchy.dan on Instagram), who was struggling with severe health issues, including exacerbated eczema and leaky gut syndrome. Her own health concerns, such as migraines, cystic acne, pre-diabetes risk, and exercise-induced asthma, further fueled her interest in this dietary shift.

Before the Diet: A Varied Culinary Past

Growing up in a family that followed the Canada food guide, Kelsey’s early diet was typical, with a penchant for processed foods and sugars. This pattern continued into her adult life, marked by a love for sweet treats and a foodie lifestyle. Despite experimenting with various diets like Vegetarian, Paleo, Keto, and AIP (Autoimmune Paleo Protocol), she faced a plateau in her weight loss journey and persistent health issues.

The Shift to Carnivore

The decision to adopt a carnivore diet came as a last resort after witnessing the limitations of conventional medical treatments for Dan’s health. Inspired by the success stories in the carnivore community and the advocacy of health professionals, Kelsey dived into this new dietary world with an open mind and a committed heart.

Dietary Approach and Adjustments

Kelsey’s approach to the carnivore diet was methodical and adaptive. Initially focusing on meat and water, she gradually introduced other elements like egg yolks, whole eggs, and dairy, paying close attention to her body’s reactions. Her diet primarily includes grass-fed meats, with an emphasis on beef and liver for their nutritional benefits.

Remarkable Benefits and Challenges

Since starting the carnivore diet, Kelsey has experienced a plethora of benefits: significant weight loss, reduced migraines and cystic acne, improved skin tone, stronger nails, better sleep, and a reduction in neck and back pain. However, she also acknowledges the social stigma and the challenges of eating out while adhering to such a strict diet.

Enhanced Energy and Physical Well-Being

One of the most striking benefits Kelsey experienced on the carnivore diet is a substantial increase in energy and an improvement in her overall physical health. Before adopting this diet, she struggled with a variety of health issues, including migraines and exercise-induced asthma. Post-transition, there’s been a noticeable change in her energy levels, allowing her to engage more actively in physical activities like swimming, yoga, and jogging.

Elimination of Migraines

Migraines, once a frequent and debilitating part of Kelsey’s life, saw a significant reduction. The carnivore diet, by eliminating potential trigger foods, has made it easier for her to prevent these attacks, transforming what used to be a 1-2 day ordeal into a rare occurrence. This benefit alone has greatly improved her quality of life, allowing her to engage in daily activities without the looming threat of a migraine.

Improvement in Exercise-Induced Asthma

Kelsey’s exercise routine has also seen a transformation. Pre-carnivore, her exercise-induced asthma was a limiting factor in her physical activities. The diet change has remarkably curbed these asthma attacks, enabling her to explore a variety of exercises that were previously challenging. This improvement in respiratory health is not just a physical benefit but also a psychological boost, enhancing her overall wellness.

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Skin Health and Weight Management

Another area where the carnivore diet had a profound impact is in Kelsey’s skin health and weight management. Her journey reflects the diet’s effectiveness in addressing dermatological issues and aiding in sustained weight loss.

Reduction in Cystic Acne and Skin Tone Improvement

Kelsey’s battle with cystic acne saw significant improvement after she started the carnivore diet. Along with the reduction in acne, there was also an observable improvement in her skin tone. The diet’s elimination of inflammatory foods played a crucial role in this transformation, leading to clearer and healthier skin.

Effective Weight Loss

Weight management has been an ongoing challenge for Kelsey, but the carnivore diet provided a breakthrough. Along with losing the last stubborn pounds, she found the diet to be effective in maintaining her weight loss, a struggle with previous dietary approaches. This consistent and sustainable weight loss is a testament to the diet’s effectiveness in regulating body weight and promoting overall health.

Conclusion: A Journey of Transformation and Empowerment

Kelsey’s journey with the carnivore diet is a compelling narrative of transformation, resilience, and empowerment. By making a bold shift in her dietary habits, she not only addressed her own health concerns but also became a pillar of support in her husband Dan’s health journey. This diet, which started as a desperate attempt to find a solution outside the conventional medical framework, turned into a life-altering experience.

The benefits Kelsey reaped from the carnivore diet extend beyond physical health. She found a newfound sense of control over her well-being, an aspect that is often overlooked but is crucial in any health journey. Her story is a testament to the power of dietary intervention and the importance of listening to one’s body.

Moreover, Kelsey’s experience underscores the significance of challenging conventional wisdom and being open to alternative approaches in health and nutrition. Her journey is not just about the physical changes but also about the mental and emotional growth that comes from overcoming health obstacles.

Kelsey’s story is a beacon of hope and inspiration for many who are grappling with similar health issues. It demonstrates that sometimes, the key to healing lies in going back to the basics of nutrition and embracing a diet that aligns with our biological needs.

Disclaimer

Please note that the experiences shared in this blog post are specific to the individual and may not be applicable to everyone. The carnivore diet, like any other dietary change, should be approached with caution and preferably under the guidance of a healthcare professional. This post is not intended as medical advice but rather as a sharing of personal experiences and insights.

Interview with Kelsey

1) Introduce Yourself.

My name is Kelsey (@carnivore.kelsey on instagram) and I’m loving the carnivore diet so far as it has improved my life an incredible amount. I love learning about the topic and creating recipes that fit within the parameters. My husband has struggled with health issues for over 4 years – I have watched him go from seemingly healthy to almost dying. It was terrifying because doctors could not help, everything that was suggested made it worse. We had to take his health into our own hands, and I’ve been researching about the carnivore diet constantly since January 2019 to see if it would be right for him. After we saw that it is possible for him to thrive without carbs I figured why not? It would be easier to support his new way of eating if I joined and I’ve got some nagging health issues of my own such as migraines, cystic acne, pre-diabetes risk, exercise induced asthma. As well as some old injuries like an old slipped disk in my lower back and pain at the base of my neck and I also still had some weight to lose.

2) How did you eat before Carnivore.

I’ve had so many different stages of my life regarding my food habits. Growing up my family followed the Canada food guide, and we would always demand the fun processed foods and lots of sugar. I was so addicted to junk food, I would sneak it whenever I could. As I started to work, I found I could support my own bad habits and eat whatever I want. I was working in bakeries, or coffee shops. Unlimited sweet drinks and discount treats and I was so happy getting fat. People would always tell me that I was going to give myself diabetes but I never listened. When I moved in with my husband we continued to eat badly, drinking and eating out often, especially because it was the first stage of our relationship and we lived blocks from Main street in Vancouver with the best restaurants. It did inspire me to learn to be a better chef and I definitely became a foodie. I was determined to cook and master every one of my favorite foods at least once. Let’s just say I had a lot of favorite foods. We tried multiple diets: Vegetarian for a bit, then Paleo for the most part, as well as Keto, and AIP -Auto Immune Paleo protocol. Before carnivore I was trying to lose weight for a year so I was trying lowish carb paleo without dairy. I was able to lose 49 lbs on those diets over 3 years but I had plateaued, and carnivore helped me with the last 10 lbs I needed to lose. I was able to reverse prediabetes and don’t get me wrong – I love fruits and vegetables, but they aren’t worth it to me anymore. I started the diet thinking I would use it as an elimination diet tool but I don’t feel the need to introduce anything yet because I’m so happy with how I feel.  I don’t believe in calorie in calorie out, or calculating net carbs. When I was keto I had too much lower quality dairy and I would try to replicate all my old favorite desserts with keto recipes and I went overboard. Any form of sweet seriously messes with me now, I know that this is realistically the only thing I can’t compromise on – carbs are poison to me and I have never been able to control myself.

3) Why did you try Carnivore to begin with.

My husband already had eczema then he got gastroenteritis which I think started the severe leaky gut issues – he gradually became allergic to most foods it seemed. His eczema was worsened by the dermatologist’s recommendations and his health spiraled out of control (his story is much more interesting than mine, he suffered for many years but has found incredible progress on this diet . His instagram @itchydan has it all documented over the years so there are extensive progress pics). When he was given high strength topical steroid creams with instructions that said “apply liberally as needed” of course he did just that. However these creams stop working, they end up chasing eczema all over and then it spreads fast. Some people go through topical steroid withdrawal, a painful process usually lasting between 3-5 years of pure suffering – constant cycles of flares and terrible side effects from those steroid creams. We were 4 years in and the end did not seem near, things were just as bad as ever so this was literally our last ditch effort we were out of ideas. Dan wishes he found this way of eating years ago as it could have prevented all of this.

After seeing how many legitimate health professionals advocate for this way of eating I investigated. I learned more about how our government’s health recommendations are bogus thanks to the work of Nina Teicholz who does a great job at exposing how corrupt nutrition science and policy has been lately. I was also convinced after seeing the digestive systems of other carnivores compared to our own, it just clicked in – why are we fighting our own biology? We know what we have been doing with low fat has been wrong – why have we not embraced high fat? After I learned about Dr Zsófia Clemens and how the Paleomedicina clinic is having so much success healing people with autoimmune issues with the Paleo Ketogenic Diet it was clear that we needed to try something drastic that goes against western medicine since the Canadian medical system has failed us.

I’ve been following the reddit community r/carnivore and r/zerocarb as well as people on instagram. I love carnivore aurelius’ webpage as it goes over so much of the important information in a way that is both scientific and easy to digest. One of the most inspiring things I found was just reading about how others have fixed their health. I honestly never thought that I would be approached and be considered a success either. Now with all the results we have seen we can’t help but put it out there so hopefully the more people see it maybe we can prevent someone else’s suffering.

4) How do you personally approach the Carnivore Diet.

My husband, Dan is on a more strict version of carnivore – meat and water only (including non ruminants like fish and chicken, but mostly beef). I believe it is best to stick with this for at least the first month, from there try introducing egg yolks, then whole eggs, dairy, etc. The more healing you have to do the more likely it’s best to stay on basic carnivore (it is very important to supplement with raw grassfed liver)  until your health is under control again so you can really tell when you’re getting a negative reaction from the food. If you do this in a controlled way while documenting any negative effects it will be the best thing you will ever do for yourself. At the end of it all – all we truly have is our body so prevention is very important, even if you don’t have as much healing as us to do.

Right now I’m eating: beef, pork, chicken, eggs. I am prioritizing grassfed/pastured meats (mostly in the form of ground beef and liver because grassfed cuts are so expensive). I do like white meats but they are not as filling, so I make sure to eat ruminants daily. I try to ensure that I’m eating a rotation of various beef cuts focusing on fatty options, and if I’m having a lean meat I will add some extra fat to it.

At the beginning of carnivore I overate conventional cheese and monitored how my skin healed over a few weeks with an adjustment of switching to a2 dairy and had raw frozen grassfed liver on a daily basis. It was apparent then how important liver is for healing as it really sped up as soon as I introduced it. I found that even the a2 switch didn’t help with my acne in the long run unfortunately. Cheese is great if you can tolerate it but I’ve been in denial and I can’t. I have seen a lot of improvement since cutting it out. I still have grassfed butter, I don’t think it affects me too much but I can cut it out if I notice I’m not progressing.

I don’t find that I have many cravings,  I haven’t been tempted to cheat other than testing out to see if coffee and wine were ok to introduce but both did not work out. I found incredible results after adopting more of a nose to tail type of eating with broth daily, combined with intermittent fasting these are great tools for healing. I’m not completely healed but I can see that grassfed liver as a multivitamin is way better than any other supplement I’ve tried. Most people say you don’t need supplements on this diet but I take ox bile pills with fatty meals, Great Lakes collagen hydrolysate, and Green Pasture fermented cod liver oil. I really like Ancestral Supplements organ meat capsules – my skin was great when I was taking 6 of these a day but they are expensive so I just trained myself to not be disgusted at the taste of liver. I consider servings of marrow and frozen raw liver to be important supplements to a carnivore diet. I really love drinking snake juice as well, it’s something new that I’ve introduced but it feels like it really quenches my thirst how a nice cold coconut water used to.

I’m trying to do this on a budget – It’s probably still cheaper than spending money on all the supplements prescribed by naturopaths as well as other medical costs. If you rearrange your budget and don’t eat out ever it can be doable – you just have to think hard about what your priorities are. If you try to do your own cooking, butchering, and packaging it will really help make this affordable. Think of a whole chicken for example – it’s cheaper to purchase 1 whole chicken rather than get chicken breasts because you have to pay someone extra to process and package it. My gadgets save me a lot of money like my foodsaver vacuum sealer, deep freezer, dehydrator, instant pot, sous vide, blender, and sodastream.

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

• 10 lb weight loss
• I have way more time – spending less time grocery shopping, meal planning and prepping, cooking, and cleaning on this diet.
• Energy to exercise
• I’m happier
• Reduction in migraine attacks – it’s easier to diagnose and prevent them now rather then letting it build into a full blown 1-2 day event.
• Reduction in cystic acne
• Skin tone is clearing up and redness is going away
• Scalp eczema patch at the base of my skull that I’ve had all my life is gone
• My nails would always flake and break but now they grow fast and they’re strong
• Better sleeps and I’m able to go to bed earlier and will tend to wake up at around 6-7 am naturally.
• Reduced neck and back pain
• Stable mood and energy
• I learned discipline
• Working out is easier and I feel more powerful
• Haven’t had an exercise induced asthma attack since starting (but also less cardio).

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

• Social stigma
• Too hard to eat out, but I just pack lunches and fast if I need to.
• I avoid a lot of the things I used to enjoy, but my old hobbies fostered an unhealthy lifestyle and were mostly revolving around food rituals.
• I had to purchase a new wardrobe, some people would say this is a positive though (LPT: if you’re a lady and losing weight, invest in stretchy comfy dresses as they will last you longer than pants will, and also- get lots of yoga pants)

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

I have way more energy and time to dedicate to exercise – I love swimming, yoga, jogging, as well as nature walks, and I hear how great resistant training pairs with this diet so I’m trying to learn more about how to do that properly. I have been doing a lot of infrared yoga lately as well .

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

Don’t wait until your health is so bad that you have to be desperate about it – prevention is key. If you have any autoimmune type problems please dedicate some time and research into learning about the carnivore diet. Instead of snacking I distract myself by doing research which inspires me to not poison myself with carbs.

If you are going through carbohydrate withdrawal early on make sure to have enough electrolytes, quality salt (redmond real salt), lots of broth, beef and sugar free bacon. Stay full and don’t bother with fasting early in the diet just listen to your body’s hunger signals which will regulate over time and you’ll find the best eating pattern for yourself. Don’t cheat, the only one you’re cheating is yourself. Find other hobbies or projects to distract yourself so you don’t miss the ritual of your old food habits.

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

Yes, Its essentially a strict form of keto and keto is becoming mainstream despite the suppression of information regarding this topic and various people/corporations spreading misinformation and lies. I think though word of mouth and the thousands of anecdotal results from this the information can spread once people see it for themselves. We are in a health crisis and we can either acknowledge that what the government  recommended doesn’t work or we can continue to get sick. If you’re desperate enough you will take control of your health.

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

Eat meat!

Instagram – @carnivore.kelsey and my husband:@itchy.dan

Ketogenic Endurance – I hoped you enjoyed this post.

Thanks for reading, Steven

More Information

If you enjoyed this blog post and want to dive deeper into the carnivore diet, don’t hesitate to check out my other media, sites, and affiliate links for more insights, success stories, and support. Remember, I’m not a doctor, so always consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant dietary changes:

The Carnivore Diet 30 Day Challenge is an excellent way to push yourself to new limits and see what you’re capable of achieving. This challenge is all about following a diet that consists of only animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. By doing so, you can experience numerous health benefits such as improved digestion, better mental clarity, increased energy levels, and weight loss.

If you’re looking for inspiration to start the Carnivore Diet, be sure to check out our real-life Carnivore Diet Success Stories. These stories feature people who have experienced tremendous results by following the Carnivore Diet, including significant weight loss, better health markers, and improved overall well-being. Reading about the success of others can be a great way to motivate and inspire you to keep pushing forward towards your goals.

In addition to inspiration, it’s essential to have a support system as you embark on the Carnivore Diet. That’s why we encourage you to join our Carnivore Diet Success Stories Facebook Group. Here, you can connect with like-minded people, share your experiences, ask questions, and get support from others who are on the same journey as you.

For informative and engaging videos on all things health and fitness, be sure to subscribe to my Ketogenic Endurance YouTube channel. You’ll find a wealth of information on how to succeed on the Carnivore Diet, including tips on how to overcome common challenges and stay motivated along the way.

If you’re active on Reddit, be sure to join the conversation on the Reddit Carnivore Diet Group. This group is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn more about the Carnivore Diet or connect with others who are passionate about this way of eating.

For regular updates and tips on the Carnivore Diet, follow me on Twitter @ketoendurance. I share all sorts of tips and tricks on how to succeed on the Carnivore Diet, as well as updates on my own personal journey.

For a glimpse into my personal journey and tips on how to succeed on the Carnivore Diet, be sure to follow me on Instagram Steven Chasing Goals. Here, you’ll find daily updates, as well as helpful tips and advice on how to thrive on the Carnivore Diet.

For a fun and informative look at the Carnivore Diet, check out my videos on TikTok @ketoendurance. Here, you’ll find short, engaging videos that offer insights and tips on how to succeed on the Carnivore Diet.

Finally, if you’re looking for even more content and community interaction, be sure to like my Facebook Page Steven Chasing Goals. Here, you can connect with other Carnivore Diet enthusiasts, share your experiences, and get inspiration and motivation to keep pushing forward towards your goals.

Let’s continue this carnivore journey together and unlock the health benefits of a meat-based diet.

If you would like to do your own success story, hit me up in the contacts page.

For Carnivore friendly designs, search “Carnivore Diet Success Stories Hub Keto Press” on Amazon.