Interview with Rose
Introduce Yourself.
“Would you rather be right? Or happy?” This was the question I had to ask myself when I made the transition to the Carnivore diet 3 and a half years ago. My name is Rose, I’m 35 years old and I am an autoimmune warrior of over 10 years. I have fibromyalgia, celiacs and arthritis. Luckily I also have an answer to my earlier question that has given me an extraordinary improvement in my quality of life.
How did you eat before Carnivore.
My diet before going Carnivore was full of extreme choices. I became vegan when I was 14, not a junk food vegan but whole food based “super food” obsessed vegan. Autoimmune conditions run in my family and I thought if I adopted an “ultra healthy” way of eating and avoided modern medicine I could avoid developing an autoimmune condition of my own. Unfortunately I was wrong, as I got older I developed many symptoms we now relate to plant intolerances and inflammatory reactions. I tried many different extreme versions of elimination plant based diets over over the next 11 years. I spent thousands of dollars on supplements and detoxes and natural treatments to cure my reactions, not understanding the reactions were directly related to what I was eating. It didn’t make sense to me at the time…because I was “doing everything right”. Finally by the time I was in my late 20s I was beat down. None of my choices were providing lasting relief, so I gave up and adopted the SAD diet. I felt like at least if I was in pain I could enjoy a cupcake! Of course that choice only inflicted further harm to my sensitive system, and I became very sick. That health bottom led me to try Keto and opened my mind to Carnivore.
Why did you try Carnivore to begin with.
I always had an intuitive sense there must be a way of eating that could optimize health. It seemed rather sensible to me that eating less processed foods might give ones health an advantage. I just happened to be very wrong about my choice of unprocessed food for a long time. Trying Carnivore for me was like grasping a life raft right before going under. My health was eroding and my metabolic system was clearly out of whack. Beyond that depression and anxiety I had been dealing with since I was a teenager was starting to really make coping with my physical experience difficult. I became very open to any change that might give me any way out of that cycle. Thank goodness!
How do you personally approach the Carnivore Diet.
I personally approach Carnivore like its an adventure. I like learning, about biology, about hunting and field-dressing/butchering, about different cultures, about animal husbandry and my role in it as a Carnivore. As a vegan I did the same thing, I read a great deal about Biodynamic farming and rotation farming during that phase of my life. I understood animals had a part to play in sustainable farming. But I’m happy now to have a healthier relationship with the circle of life which I believe is a great advantage to life and a greater understanding of how much respect I have for food that heals me and the stewards of that care take that cycle.
What benefits have you seen since starting the Carnivore Diet.
Hmmmm it might seem unbelievable if I list all the benefits I’ve experienced since adopting Carnivore, but I will do my best. Firstly relief from constant gastric discomfort, colitis, ibs, intermittent constipation, bloat and interstitial cystitis. Manageable monthly cycles instead of debilitating cramps. Reliable muscle strength and relief from chronic muscle exhaustion and cramping. Full range of motion without pain in my hands and other joints affected by arthritis. Relief from myofascial pain/ nerve pain in trigger points. A reliable reduction in my inflammatory response overall. Much more energy. Reduction in my overall anxiety and depression. Balanced endocrine hormones. More joy. More desire to be active and seek out challenging physical activity. More hopeful mental outlook. Better memory, focus and overall mental clarity. Clear, younger looking skin and healthier hair. Weight loss over all but more importantly dramatic body composition shifts without much effort. I’ll stop there!
What negatives have you found with the Carnivore Diet.
Any negatives of the Carnivore diet that I’ve noticed don’t really have so much to do with the diet so much as how practicing the diet outside of the home can impact me personally. I’m still very sensitive to polyunsaturated fats like canola or soy oil, so if I eat out and my burger or steak gets contaminated that can really negatively impact me. How diligent I have to be can be annoying to waitstaff and awkward socially. But its a small price for health. They don’t have to be in my body. I have noticed the diet does illicit strong reactions from people. Far more frequently than when I was vegan, I have had to stand my ground with people who care about me who want me to eat a few veggies “to make them feel better”… but again they don’t have to live in my body. I’ve learned to have firmer boundaries about that kind of exchange about my food. Those are negatives of perception, not that diet itself. Honestly I can’t think of any!
Do you exercise on the Carnivore Diet, if so how do you find it and what do you do.
I do exercise on Carnivore. It’s one of the many joys of the lifestyle to me. Because I have much more available energy and the stress of activity doesn’t send me into a flare straight away I can actually enjoy being active. I can freely follow the natural impulse to move and build strength. I dance, I love resistance training, plyometrics and hiking.
What piece of advice would you give someone who is interested in trying this diet, but hasn’t taken the leap yet.
Meat is not bad for you. It doesn’t make you a bad person to eat it. And it doesn’t make you a bad person to prioritize your health by eating what will optimize it. Get to know a rancher or farmer through a meat CSA or farmers market if you feel any shame about eating animals. Learn about regenerative agriculture if your worried about the environment. Otherwise… dive in! Let the diet do what it does best by breaking the carb/sugar addiction. Eat till you’re full! Your pallet will change naturally, just wait and see!
Do you think Carnivore will ever be accepted as a mainstream diet.
Gosh its hard to say if it will go mainstream. I think as more people catch on to regenerative agriculture it might be possible. I hope so. I think with the hard work of people like Shawn Baker, Nina Teicholz, Peter Ballerstedt to name just a few Carnivore luminaries anything is possible.
Anything you would like to add, and where can people follow you.
Just try it for 30 days. Seriously. And come see me over on MeatRX.com where there is heaps of research and support available. I just recently became a coach. I will be debuting a cooking channel called “Rose’s Recipes” on Youtube later in June and You can also find me on instagram at www.instagram.com/wild_bk_alchemy
Ketogenic Endurance – I hoped you enjoyed this post.
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