The Carnivore Protocol

I've always been a meat-eater. From my childhood to the woman I am today, my go-to food is something meaty and filling. Like a chunk roast baked inside of an oven for four hours, which I ate often growing up when my Grandma Betty (my mama) was alive.

Because of a series of health issues I've faced for years, I decided, after many failed attempts from healthcare professionals, to take my health into my own hands. After three months of studying, in April I made a choice that has done more good for me than anything a doctor has recommended.

I stopped eating plant-based foods.

No vegetables, no fruits, no nuts or beans. From the start of April, I have done my best to eat a diet composed of animal products. Most of what I eat is beef, though I eat salmon and chicken on occasion. Beef, however, is the main staple of my current lifestyle. And the changes I have had in these three months have been a blessing I have chased after for years.

Growing Up, Meat Was Part Of Every Meal

When I think back to my childhood, I can see that meat was a large part of my family's diet. We were a Meat n' Potatoes family. Chicken or beef every day was the norm for us. On the days we didn't eat those things, it was fish:

Tuna, tilapia, or salmon.

Like most families, we also had plenty of bread (wheat), veggies (mostly green beans or peas in a can), and fruit (berries). And, like most families I knew growing up, we also had a lot of McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC.

My family had a thing for soda (and candy), too. For the most part, we drank Coke (the preferred choice for me and my mama), but it was common enough to find Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, and Root Beer in the house.

I can't remember which my sister or Great Grandmother Sanders drank when they had a soda, but I do remember that coke was generally a staple in my house. When it came to meals, we usually cycled through the same menus regularly. Hamburgers, baked chicken, spaghetti, baked fish, and eggs paired with whatever veggie we decided on for that day.

Things on my end were a bit odd, however.

My Eating Preferences Were Strange

While the rest of the family ate the veggies and fruits, I was, more often than not, eating only meat. I had an intense aversion to vegetables, but I did enjoy fruit; when it came to the fruits I ate, I can honestly say I viewed them more as a snack than anything else.

My preference was sour apples or berries.

Oranges were okay if nothing else was in the house.

During dinner, I often paired my meat with potatoes. I knew I was expected to eat the vegetables. I was well aware that my mama would send me back into the kitchen if I sat down with only meat on my plate, and I enjoyed baked potatoes smothered in butter. It was a tradeoff I enjoyed, though I was generally inclined to leave everything else on the kitchen counter save the hamburger or chicken I was eating.

Not All Illnesses Are Easily Defined

Honestly, one of the biggest things I've come across as I've grown up is that my health isn't what it should be. In 2019, I learned I have Autism and ADHD (ADD, really, but it isn't a standalone diagnosis anymore). I came to learn that my excess weight was due to a medical condition called PCOS, which is shorthand for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. So, not only was/am I overweight, I don't have periods (haven't had once since 2015), and the likelihood of having children is slim to none.

My health kept getting worse. For over a year, I had a rash across my face. Red, flaky, and generally made worse by contact with direct sunlight. This, my family and I came to suspect, was due to an autoimmune disorder that many people in my family suffer from. Without dozens of medical tests, all of which could be a false negative at any point, there wasn't a sure solution.

Insomnia and irritability were even common.

I was going downhill, and going downhill fast. I needed to do something, and the things doctors recommended didn't work. If anything, it was obvious the problems I was having were getting worse. So, in response, I made the choice I made after some careful research.

Three Months: Meat Only (With A Few Fails)

In April, I cut out plant-based food. I had done a lot of reading, a lot of research, into what our bodies need to function. Diving deeper, I took an interest in what our nomadic ancestors would have eaten. I was curious about their practices, about the way they would have survived in a world where they had to hunt all day to survive.

It was enlightening.

Science already shows that the human body has two fuel sources. Our bodies burn fat and carbs for energy, though it is often said carbs are the primary source of energy and fat is a secondary source used more in emergencies. History, however, would say otherwise.

Our ancestors didn't have access to gardens or methods to store food for long periods of time. I remember one discussion my class had in college was about how every vital function the brain performs needs healthy fat.

Fat from an animal.

I learned about the Carnivore Diet, and I've been eating that way for three months. I'm in my fourth month. In that time, many things have changed.

My skin has cleared up. The awful rash I've had on my face has gone away, though there is still the redness from the sun staining the skin. I've gotten my weight down by twenty pounds. I sleep a bit better, though I still tend to be awake during the night than during the day.

I have more mental energy than I've had in years. My periods are absent still, but at the moment I'm more focused on getting my gut healed. I've also started pinpointing which foods trigger negatives reaction in my body, to know which foods create inflammation and indigestion. Bread, mostly, but corn is also a culprit.

Despite Everything, I'm Human. I Mess Up.

I have a hard time keeping away from soda and chocolate. Everything else is easy to manage, but those two things bring me comfort when I'm upset or if I'm struggling with something I'm working on.

I tend to get rashes when I consume either of them, but not as bad as other foods I've eaten throughout the week. Part of this is learning what my body can digest fully, and the foods that will break it down and make me ill.

It's a learning process. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to forgive.

These last few months have bore witness to many ups and downs, but it's an experience I've enjoyed quite a lot. It's an experiment to better health that I'm invested in continuing. It helps that I like eating meat, too.

This kind of eating isn't for everyone, but it's right for me.

And that, my friends, is all that matters.