THE RESULT'S ARE IN!!!!

Hello Everyone,

I finally had my blood work done.  Today I am going to share with you the results of my cholesterol panel. I will show the changes over 4 years and try to break it down.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance our bodies need to make hormones and digest fat. Our bodies make cholesterol but we can also get it from foods like meat, poultry and dairy. In general the doctors want your cholesterol under 200 but under 150 is optimal.

In 2020 my total cholesterol was 184. That's ok but not optimal. This was when I started to lose weight and in 2021 my number dropped to 183. After that I started carnivore and in 2023 it was 165. Today in 2024 it is 147.  Under 150 which is optimal.

HDL is one component of cholesterol also called the good cholesterol.  You want that number to be 50 or higher. In 2020 mine was 39 not too good. In 2021 44, 2023 50 and today 2024 54.  I am loving these numbers because they are where they should be. 

LDL is called the bad cholesterol and you want that number under 100. In 2020 mine was 126. In 2021 it was 117, 2023 106 and today 2024 87. 

VLDL is next. This is a type of blood fat and is considered a bad form of cholesterol along with LDL and Triglycerides. It is recommended that this number be under 30.  How did I do? 2020 it was 19. 2021 it was 22. In 2023 it was 9 and 2024 it is 6. 

Let's talk about Triglycerides.  This is another component of cholesterol,  This is a fatty substance called lipids.  Your liver packages this with cholesterol and proteins called lipoproteins to move cholesterol through your body.  The FDA say's it is best to have your Triglycerides under 150. In 2020 mine was 95 and in 2021 it was 108. In 2023 it went down to 47 and today in 2024 it is 28.

It may seem like my lipid panels were not that bad. Since going carnivore and losing weight now my numbers are optimal for my health.  These numbers also make me a below average risk for stroke or heart disease. 

We can all benefit from knowing our health markers and live long prosperous lives.

Remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

MY TEETH

Hello Everyone,

Today I am going to talk about my teeth both the good and the bad.  Sadly, there is more bad than good. That is all about to change. Starting tomorrow I am starting the process of fixing all that is wrong with them.

Let's go back to my childhood that would be the mid late 60's and early 70's.  Dental insurance was a pretty new thing back then and we were blessed to have it. So, I went to our local small town dentist every 6 months like you are supposed to or that's what we were told. 

 There weren't the regulations that there are now and it turned out this dentist took advantage of it. Every 6 months I had 8-10 cavities. Did you get that every six months!!!  Whoever has that?! Now I don't blame my parents because they didn't know better and thought that they were doing the right thing by me.  This dentist was filling all my molars then knocking out the fillings and re filling them. You can imagine the damage that was done.

As I got older a married my molars started to go bad one by one over time. Not having the money to properly fix them I did the least expensive way and got them pulled a little at a time.  Now I do still have some of them but the majority is gone.

I know that I have spoken about my Gastroparesis several times. The reality of it is this has had a negative effect on different aspects of my health including my teeth. I didn't even realize how much damage this condition can have on your teeth until I recently did research.  The chronic acid eats away at your enamel.  Fortunately, we now have a good dentist who says her job is to save my teeth.

Over the years I noticed the bottom of my 2 front teeth were becoming translucent. I also was frustrated that no matter how well I always brushed or flossed I always had bleeding gums and tooth pain.  Since eating carnivores for the past 2+ years , my front teeth are no longer translucent and I no longer have bleeding gums or tooth pain while brushing.  I also noticed my breath is better.

I look forward to having my oral health back.  Carnivore has started me on that journey but my dentist will finish it. Wea lol need good oral health so that we can eat the proper human diet and be healthy.

Remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

CAFFEINE

 Hello Everyone,

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for me.  I have been suffering with my Gastroparesis a lot. My sleep has been disrupted because of it so when I get sleep I cherish that. 

I have a lot of negative impact on my eating and sleeping because of this condition.  Waking up very sick to my stomach and fighting the urge to vomit. I know that's TMI but it is also reality. Our guts are like our second brain. When I am sick I feel bad all over.  It has become difficult to eat even with my medication. 

I take Protonics for stomach acid and Reggalin to help with my stomach motility. Having nerve damage to my stomach is unfortunately a permanent condition. How I got this we are not for sure but it might be related to having been on pain meds for a long time. But like I said we are not sure.

I eat carnivore and that has been helpful but there are times when any kind of food will not sit well with me.  I do know from experience that if I were to eat high fiber and high carb food I would be up throwing up all night 100%.  I am currently eating OMAD as eating at all has been difficult.

I have discovered recently that eliminating caffeine has brought some relief for me.  I am not going to give up coffee but I switched to decaf and that has had a positive impact. This slow elimination of things is what has brought me to the way we eat now.

I understand that caffeine can impact other things in your body like increased heart rate, breathing insomnia and the big one for me nausea. I used to say that caffeine didn't affect my sleep but I will say Gastroparesis does. 

We see our doctor at the end of this month and I will have a frank conversation with her about what has been going on.  I am afraid that I might need to increase the dosage of my meds.  There are 4 levels of Gastroparesis and I am at level 2.  Praying that this does not advance.

Remember that Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

REBOUNDING

 Hello Everyone,

I recently got a rebounder!!  What is that you ask?  It's a mini exercise trampoline
It's 40 inches wide and I got one with a handle bar since my balance isn't the best.  It is fun to bounce on and I am surprised at the workout you get.

This is the one we got but that's not me lol...  I couldn't get the image to transfer.  It wasn't hard to put together. I actually did it by myself. I did suffer much back and hip pain afterwards and was not able to walk the rest of the night due to my disability.  Those are the breaks but I did it!!

I just bounce on it without getting air under me and I walk on it only lifting my heels off the tramp.  My legs and bum really feel it after 10 minutes. I was surprised at how your heart goes up because you think that it's just bouncing but the G force and activity is really surprising.

NASA developed rebounding over 50 years ago to help astronauts recover bone density after returning from space. What NASA found was that 10 minutes of bouncing burns MORE calories than 30 minutes of running.

NASA also found the jumping provided the body benefited on the cellular level like your lymphatic system. This helps move toxins out of your body.  It also helps increase bone density and strength reducing the risk of osteoporosis. I like the sound of that.

Along with that comes improved physical strength, muscular development and balance. I need all the help with the balance I can get. Being a low impact exercise you have minimal impact on your joints.  I have read that it stimulated smaller stabilising muscles around our joints. 

Other areas that benefit from this are weight loss, lower blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity. I have seen my weight stall break this past week from using it a few days.  I have been down and out with my Gastroparesis but I am on the mend and getting back into it.  That said my weight is down to 182 lbs. That makes me 76 lbs down, whew hoo!!

I will report back more after having the opportunity to use it for a period of time.

Remember, Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

GASTROPARESIS

Hello Everyone,

It's been a little while since I posted.  I am having some dental work done.  This will be an ongoing for the next month or so.  I want to talk a little bit about it and the cause.

About 3 years ago I was diagnosed with level two Gastroparesis.  I know that I spoke of this before but for those who are unaware this is what it is. 

Gastroparesis is the delayed emptying of the stomach. It's a disorder that slows or stops the movement of food from your stomach to the small intestines.  It is nerve damage to the stomach which is how I was told.  

One in 100,000 people have this condition.  I went undiagnosed for years thinking it was other things like GERD or my gall bladder.  I finally found the right doctor and had a nuclear test study done which revealed the condition. There are 4 levels I have level 2. When you eat food generally moves out of the stomach within about 3 hours. For me I still have almost 50% of my food still remaining. 

I had great discomfort when I ate and pain that would leave me bedridden. Now I know it was because food was pulling up and not able to move out so I had loss of appetite and other issues like IBS.

I of course asked what has caused this condition. Mostly people who have diabetes, hypothyroidism, nervous system disorders and so on get this condition. I don't fall into any of these categories except for having damaged nerves from an injury. I suspect I have had some form of this for years. The doctors don't seem to know why I have it.

I take medication to help with stomach motility and acid build up. It helps and I have discovered that the carnivore diet aids with managing the acid in my stomach and I no longer have issue with IBS. It turns out that low fiber diets help with may gastrointestinal conditions and contrary to popular belief you don't need fiber in your diet.  My  husband and I do just fine without it.

Because meat, especially, red meat, is the most nutrient dense food I am able to maintain my health better with a healthy weight ,lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. I still find it difficult to eat enough protein some days because of this condition but I am getting better at it. 

One of the sad results of having this is the deterioration of my teeth.  I had no idea this would cause so much harm to them.  The acid reflux and vomiting over the years has really taken a toll on my mouth. I am fortunate to have found a good dentist who says it's her job to save my teeth and not judge me. What a breath of fresh air.  So I am currently moving forward to do all that can be done because oral health is important to overall health.  I want to continue to enjoy steak, chuck roast and other meats as we are meeting our health goals.

Remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!! 

INFLAMMATION

 Hello Everyone,

Today I am going to touch on the subject of inflammation. What is it and how it affected myself and my husband and how carnivore lifestyle is helping it.  You may find similarities between our experience and yours.

The definition of inflammation is: a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot,and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection.

That's a pretty complete definition but inflammation also affects the gut and weight fluctuation. Joint pain is another area of inflammation that many of us suffer with. Having had 3 back surgeries my  spine is often in pain.  This past year my husband experienced terrible knee and shoulder pain.

Last year I noticed my weight having big fluctuations of 2-4 lbs on different days.  I was counting my calories back then and couldn't account for this.  I knew I was not over eating and I was walking regularly. I felt like a 2-4 lb weight gain overnight didn't make sense to me since I tracked what I ate and how much to only lose it the next day or two. 

I started searching YouTube for other carnivores who experienced the same thing. My Zero Carb Life is an excellent channel ato follow. Kelly Hogan has been a carnivore for over 13 years and she is a coach who collaborated with other doctors and coaches. Go check her out .She has a wealth of knowledge. There are many others like Belle the steak and butter gal.

This is when I started to learn how food can cause inflammation in your body. I can show up as weight gain, swollen hands, feet and so on. 

I started tracking the what food I ate and how I felt and what the scale said the next day. I know that many people say weighing yourself daily is not good. This time it was because now I have working knowledge of the effects of different foods on me.

Now, food affects everybody differently. What you can eat I may not be able to and visa versa. I discovered that grains, sugars, all carbs and nuts inflamed me. Eliminating these foods led me to the carnivore diet. I believe this is the ultimate elimination diet.  As I started to remove foods I thought I just can't give up peanut butter. Well, I noticed big weight gain the days I had it. finally February 2022 I said ok no more peanut butter or anything else that's not meat based. 

Now I was in a stall at this time. Up and down even as much as 5 lbs overnight!! That month I dropped 7 lbs of pure inflammation.  I didn't change my calories just the type of calories I was eating.

My husband started carnivore this past year and so much inflammation came off of him that his wedding ring slipped right off his finger. Fortunately, he was in the house when that happened. He also noticed his knee pain greatly improved.

Give it a try. start eliminating processed foods and sugar and see if you experienced any benefits like we have.

Remember, Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!! 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Hello Everyone,

Happy Valentines Day fellow carnivores.  We will be celebrating at home tonight.  We did go out for breakfast and I enjoyed a meat only omelette.  I did not have any of the sides as they were bread and potatoes.  

You can go out to eat and make good choices for yourself and enjoy the company of others while they enjoy their food. Like I said previously, being a carnivore for us is not a diet but a lifestyle. We do not push it on others but we also don't apologize for the way we eat.

We have run into people who say to us , oh, but you are missing out. The question is what am I missing out on? Being sick and vomiting all night? Being bloated and in more pain than usual? My husband is not missing being a type 2 diabetic nor does he miss having high cholesterol. 

Would I say these things to people? No, that would be rude.  We just say that we feel better eating this way.  I might have a talk with family members who persist in asking them to respect what we are doing to improve our health.

Let's face it family or friend gatherings shouldn't be about food but fellowship. So, we usually bring extra meat with us to eat because we don't expect others to cook to our dietary needs. We have never had any issues and if I find myself in a position where I was not able to bring or find carnivore foods I simply abstain.  A little fasting never hurts anyone.

This Valentines Day enjoy being with the ones you love.  We need to do that every day. We will be enjoying a Tomahawk steak for dinner tonight.

Remember, Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!

EATING MEAT

Hello Everyone,

After my attempt at being vegan I decided to add meat back into the equation.  I listened to people like Dr. Ken Berry, Dr. Anthony Chaffee. Dr. Shawn Baker. Dr Jason Fung and many others before going all in on carnivore.

It was during the second year of my journey that I stopped eating other foods.  I thought that I could not live without peanut butter.  I still had it on a limited basis but it was my Achilles heel.  I really thought that I could keep on eating it and lose weight and I did but boy did it slow me down and I finally gave it up.

Going on an all meat diet was not as hard as I thought.  I had some aversion to red meat having been eating  a SAD diet for so long.  I had no idea how sugar and processed food would dull your tongue. Actually, I believe those foods kept me addicted to them and caused me to crave them and not healthy food. 

I went through strong withdrawals about 2 weeks into my diet change.  I actually had the shakes!!! I found myself crawling into bed so sick I thought something was really wrong.  After a couple of days I started to feel better.  I stayed on course and after a month my cravings slowed.  

Two years in and now I don't have those cravings. If I slip and eat corn chips or something those cravings all come flooding back. Some people can moderate.  They have no trouble eating just a little and walking away.  I am not that person and I am not alone. It's all or nothing with me so I choose nothing and I feel better for it. As long as I don't taste it I can abstain from it.

I begane carnivore with eating a lot of bacon and eggs.  Hamburger was also on the menu as was pork and chicken. I still keep a few hard boiled eggs on hand if I feel the need for a snack. 

I still feel into the mindset that boneless and skinless was the way to go as was low fat.  I have learned otherwise.  Saturated fat is not our enemy polyunsaturated fats are. Going meat based is going whole foods. Any time you eliminate sugar and carbs you will feel better. The thing is to track how you are responding. Better sleep, reduced inflammation, better focus and of course weight loss are some of the benefits I have experienced eating only meat.

My husband has also gone carnivore this year and the changes in him are amazing.  He used to be type 2 diabetic, used to have high cholesterol and his high blood pressure is reduced.  He also lost weight and the inflammation that has come off of him is amazing. last year he had to get his wedding ring cut off because his hands were so inflamed.  We got him one of those rubber wedding bands people are wearing now. Well, so much inflammation came off of him that the ring slipped right off his finger and is now big for him to wear.

Our doctor was very skeptical when I told her how I was eating. My first seven months in she wanted to check my cholesterol. She thought I was going to have a bad number but it actually came down.  After 2 years she is looking forward to taking my husband off of more medicine. He is off 4 of his 7 medicines. 

I will be getting my yearly blood work done this coming week and will share those numbers.  

Remember, Jesus is Lord God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!!

IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS!!

 Hello Everyone,

Today marks 3 years since I started this journey to lose weight and regain my mobility. I have had my ups and downs but overall I feel blessed and successful.  

I began this journey realizing that I needed a change if I wanted to age gracefully and enjoy what years The Lord has left for me on this earth before joining Him in heaven. Being able to be up and about with my loving husband, children and grandchildren is priceless.

Three years ago I realized how bad my situation was. I was 59 and losing my mobility. I weigh 258 pounds and could believe that I had gotten that far gone. I needed help getting out of a chair, in and out of the bath.  Standing and cooking was a struggle. Doing household tasks was very difficult.  I felt like I was losing parts of my life.  Thank you Lord that I now have them back.

The first year I lost 30 lbs. I began walking and could not walk far. I persisted and started to walk my neighbor's dog and by the end of that year I was walking 3-5 miles a day.  Because of my three level fusion and nerve damage I should only have been able to walk 1/2 mile.  

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The second year I lost another 20 lbs and continued to walk daily. 

The third year I have lost another 24 lbs. My disability has decided to try and bring me down .  Long walks have been difficult but I am walking 2 miles. 

Beside the weight loss there are a number of non scale victories.  Being able to bend up and down easily, doing housework, riding in a car, cooking and enjoy the fresh air outside and my husband's company. These are only a few victories.  Yes, they are victories when you have felt like a burden.  No more, I participate in life and not watch it go by.

 Now, 62 I went from 258 pounds to 184 pounds. That's 74 pounds gone!!  I went from a  2-3X shirt to a large.  I wore 22 pants and now wear size 13/14.  I have more to go but I am getting there. 

Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on Carnivores!!

VEGAN OR NOT TO BE VEGAN

Hello Everyone,

When I decided to take more control of my health one item on that agenda to tackle was my digestive issues.  i knew that I had IBS but no diagnosis about what was going on with my stomach.  Over the years I saw different doctors with no answer.  Finally, we now have an internal medicine doctor who sent me to a GI doctor for further help. 

This doctor did not repeat the tests that were already done but looked them over and decided on a nuclear test. This turned out to be a 2-3 hour test.  I had some food that was sprinkled with a nuclear drug and they scanned my stomach to view the contents. Every half hour they would rescann my stomach to see how much of the contents my stomach was able to move out. This went on until the test was completed.

I returned to learn the results of that test and I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis level 2.  Normally when you eat your stomach has motility and moves all its contents out in about 2 hours. In my case I still have over 40% of the content still sitting there.  I have nerve damage to my stomach. She started me on 2 medications. One for stomach motility and another for overactive stomach acid.

She recommended that I eat very soft foods. So, I decided to try vegan and eat very cooked vegetables thinking that meat would be harsh on my stomach.  I was wrong. My daughter who is vegan was very happy for me to try this.  I did enjoy my food but my body didn't enjoy eating it.  The high fiber caused all kinds of trouble with my stomach and IBS. I did this diet for several months and became too sick to continue it.

I went back to Google and Youtube and watched videos from various doctors to get more answers. I found the carnivore diet.  Now most doctors and dietitians tell you not to eat to much meat.  These doctors said something else. Meat was part of the proper human diet. I went to The Bible to see what God had to say.

Genesis 9:3

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.  I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

Here God gave the command to eat meat and plants.  No where did He ever rescind that.  I am not anti vegetable.  On the contrary if I could I would eat them. Having a diet of only meat had healed me of IBS and greatly helped my Gastroparesis.  It has also healed my husband of Type 2 Diabetes, and high cholesterol. He is off 5 of the 7 medications he was on.

Is a carnivore diet a cure? No, I don't know what is but this way of eating has made a positive impact on our health.

God Bless you.

Rock on carnivores!! 

THE BEGINNING

Hello Everyone,

In February of 2021 I really started my journey. This is how it looked for me at the beginning.  I did a lot of research on different diets.  Now, many people don't like the word diet because it connotes diet culture. I like to think of it as different ways of eating because that is what a diet is the way you eat. 

There's a lot of talk about calories in and calories out. to lose weight you need to eat in a calorie deficit. That word DEFICIT sounds a little scary to me but that is what it takes to lose weight. Well, I was not sure what my caloric intake was then and I wasn't sure what it should look like.

Thanks to Google and BMI calculator I discovered that I was morbidly obese!!! Yikes!! My BMI was 41.6!!  It was a wake up call and a good one.  I was never over weight until my injury and I still thought of myself as that smaller person even though I could see in the mirror that I wasn't.  Funny how we trick ourselves into justifying the things we do. 

I came back to reality of my situation and purposed to change.  I was getting myself into a position of being a burden to others because of my weight gain that inhibited my mobility and inability to take very good care of myself or others.  The realization that I need to lose weight to get around and function became stronger than the need to "look good".  We all get our whys which push us to change and I got mine.

The first thing I did was get a free app to track my calories since I didn't have a good idea of what 1200 calories looked like. I didn't start my journey as a carnivore. At first I just began eating less and tracking what I was putting into my mouth. All the food was on the table then. I cut out sugar and processed foods.  What a positive impact that had.  

I lost 11 pounds in the first 2 months and my doctor was concerned that I was sick.  I laughed at that and said I lost it on purpose.  I guess she had gotten used to people not wanting to change and was pleasantly surprised. 

 Looking back I can see now how people just want the doctor to fix them with medication and go on their merry way.  I wanted to change that and I hope you do too.  There are those out there who have been overweight their entire lives and think that is how it is I can't change nor do they want to.  I am not talking about people with extreme situations that are a challenge to live with. But, then again I am also challenged and am making the change.  You really have to get your head in the right place to make the switch from unhealthy to healthy.

 Having always been an active person I know how freeing it is to not have the extra weight.  I remembered those days and am working on getting back to them.  Not to worry I am winning and getting my mobility and life back.

God Bless you all and remember that Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on Carnivores!!!

GETTING SERIOUS

 Hello Everyone,

 I talked previously about my weight loss and health journey starting in 2020. Well, that's not entirely true. I tried off and on cutting out sugar but never controlled my portions.  That pushed my weight up an additional 20 lbs.

I go see my doctor every three months because of being on pain management due to my disability.  In January of 2021 I couldn't believe that my weight had sky rocketed to 258 lbs!!!  How did this happen?  Was I really that lackadaisical about what I ate? Yes I was and I was in denial about it.  

Oh, I justified what I did. I can't walk very well so exercise was too hard, you only live once so eat the cake, my husband doesn't mind so enjoy yourself.  What a load of BS.  I had to get real and do it fast before I gained any more weight. 

We use to go out for lunch every Friday and get Mexican. We would have lunch and I ate the whole thing.  Then we would order a to-go plate for dinner so that I "didn't have to cook that night" blah!! I can't even imagine how many calories I was taking in and worse yet I let my husband do the same thing and he was type 2 diabetic, high blood pressure and high cholesterol!! We clearly had blinders on.

That weigh in at the doctor kept needling me and I started to pay attention to how much of my mobility I was losing.  Doing simple things was becoming hard like doing the dishes, cooking, getting in and out of the shower and going to the bathroom. It was really awful if I had to use a public restroom as I could not twist or bend very well at all.  I could not pick anything up if it fell on the floor.

 House cleaning was almost impossible. It would take me half a day to clean the bathroom and then I would be bed bound or in the recliner the rest of the day. Getting in and out of our vehicle was ruff to say the least.

I started watching videos about weight loss. I studied everything from portion control, veganism to finally a carnivore diet.  Some similarities I found between them all were cutting out processed food, sugar and not drinking your calories. I started with not drinking calories, cutting sugar and processed food.

February 7th 2021 was when I got serious and have never looked back.

God Bless you all.

Rock on carnivores!!

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

 Hello Everyone,

I talked in my last blog about eating off plan for my birthday and how the food affected me.  I thought that I would have lost the weight gain ( inflammation) by the end of the week.  I was well on my way than this happened....

Having had those treats awakened my cravings in my brain.  I was doing pretty good at first beating them back.  Then came Thursday. We had a full day of running around going to the doctor, tire store and the Jiffy Lube.  The Jiffy Lube would be my downfall for the week. 

Now how could Jiffy Lube be my downfall you ask?  It was the Sonic next door that got me.  Normally I would fast and not eat till we got home but it was almost 2 pm and my hubby was hungry so I said let's go.  It seemed harmless as we were waiting for our truck to be serviced.  I should have known better.  Actually, I did know better but ate there anyhow.

We each got a double bacon cheeseburger tater tots and a coke zero.  Like that coke zero made it better. At least it didn't hurt.  Now we did not sit there and eat the burgers only the tater tots.  We saved the burgers for dinner. I only ate 1400 cal that day but the scale showed 4 lbs up the next morning.  I knew I would have bloat and decided to step on the scale  anyway and face the music.

Cravings are a nasty little beast that fills your mind with you really want this or that.  Go ahead you already ate that  burger so might as well have other snacks too.  Temptations like to hold on to some of us like grim death.  I realize some people can deal with food cravings pretty well.  I am not one of them.  Now I feel like I need to white knuckle it through and stay a strict carnivore to get past these cravings.  

I find that staying away from carbs, sugar and processed foods quells the cravings and hot flashes.  Yep, I had some of those since I ate that burger and tater tots.  They always come at night and disrupt my sleep which in turn caused the inflammation to hang on.  

How do we get past the cravings?  First thing is to acknowledge that is what it is.  Am I really hungry or am I bored, mindless eating or bad habits.  We all have different ways of coping with cravings.  Don't have the food in the house that tempts you.  Drink water to fill you up better yet, eat a hard boiled egg or two with that water and it will fill you up. Take a walk do a craft ,call a friend.  Prayer is powerful.  

Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights when satan came and tempted him right away with food.  Now Jesus being The God the Son stood against satan and he could not prevail because He stood on the Word of God.  We can do that too.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will  not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way of escape, that you maybe able to bear it.

Am I going to get past this? Yes!! Will I be tempted again. Absolutely!  Can I be an overcomer and not give in to temptation. With God as my Shepherd I can because He is faithful to make a way to escape it. 

God Bless you all and remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on Carnivores!!

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEEKEND

 Hello Everyone,

This past weekend was my birthday !!  I want to talk about what I ate and how it negatively affected me. Yes, I gained a few pounds. by pounds I mean 5 lbs.

It might sound like I really pigged out for my birthday.  Actually, I didn't.  I had inflammation from the food I ate. What is inflammation?

Inflammation can be weight gain due to insulin resistance and leptin resistance. Inflammation can impair the body's ability to process insulin, which leads to higher glucose levels in the liver.  What can cause this process to happen.  The answer is simple sugar and carbohydrates.

Some people who are insulin resistant develop Type 2 diabetes or can be menopausal. Other things it can lead to are higher cortisol levels which can be linked to belly fat. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates stress response in your body. This can be useful for fight or flight but too much leads to weight gain.

Processed foods , sugars and carbs are a definite culprit for higher cortisol, inflammation and weight gain along with lack of sleep and exercise.

Back to what I ate this weekend.  I am or was down 74 lbs.  So, I thought I could have some cheat foods and be ok.  I really only had two cheat foods some corn chips and cashews.  The rest of the food was carnivore but I did have more dairy than usual. 

Now, I knew these foods would have a negative effect on me. So, why did I eat them? I wanted to. I did enjoy them and had a good birthday weekend.  Today I face the consequences of my actions. I gained 5 lbs!!!  

Sounds like I binged but I didn't. I am not shocked at being fluffy today.  I didn't even eat excess sugar or carbs.  Any carbs or sugars affect me like this. Everyone is affected differently by these foods.  Some people can eat 20-50 carbs and have no inflammation. Others can eat fruits and vegetables and have dairy and not react.  I am not one of those people.

How do I know that this is inflammation?  Experience with these foods and elimination diet like a carnivor has helped me to hash that information out. Being menopausal has made me sensitive to carbs and sugar. I have found, over the past 2 years that if I eliminate carbs and sugar my hot flashes greatly diminished.   Yes, I had night sweats from eating that food over the weekend. Not to mention my gastroparesis acting up.

I am back to strict carnivore and will lose that 5 lbs by the end of the week.  Do I regret eating those foods? Yes and no. No I enjoyed something I haven't had in a year. Yes because of the results and now it has stalled my weight loss for a week or two.  

I made a choice and now I have to live with it. Will I do it again? I like to think not but in a year I might say lets see what happens.  None of us are perfect but don't let that keep you from getting up and going forward.

Rock on carnivores.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hello everyone,

A couple of days ago was my birthday!!!  62 years young and I must say I don't feel 62. 

Reflecting back on this year was a good one. My youngest grandchild turned 1 and I was able to spend some time with the other Grandchildren over Christmas.  We have 7 Grandchildren in total and we feel truly blessed.

I got  what I really wanted for my Birthday. Phone calls from all the kids and spoke to the Grandchildren.  What more could I want. My youngest daughter came over this weekend with a gift really for both of us.  A tomahawk steak!!  Perfect gift for a carnivore!!

My husband had to undergo skin cancer surgery during this time around his eye.  Now, carnivore is not a cure but I believe it is helping with his recovery.  The lack of sugar and processed foods, which can feed cancer, made the tumor removal quick and easy.  We are blessed to have an ocular plastic surgeon near us who did an amazing repair job.   The Lord truly blessed us with this surgeon as he is the only one in 4 states and is only 20 minutes from us. 

Because of my husbands surgery we ate mostly soft foods.  So the tomahawk steak will have to wait for later.  It is easy to stay on track even when bumps in the road come along. We have been enjoying hamburgers,  canned beef and chicken from the local German Baptist who brought it in from the Amish.   So good and in its own broth.

I hope everyone is staying warm during this cold season and enjoy your loved ones.

Rock on carnivores!!

IBS AND GASTROPARESIS

Hello everyone,

In this blog I am going to talk about my stomach issues that have had a negative impact on my health.

Over the years and I mean years, I developed IBS.  We all know about a sluggish gut and how uncomfortable, even painful it can be.  Along with this I began having terrible stomach issues.  I started having trouble keeping food down even horrible pain in my stomach which left me bed ridden.  

I had all the usual tests done upper and lower GI, colonoscopy.  Even had my stomach scoped.  They would find a polyp but not much else.  In 2009 it was so bad I even had my gall bladder removed because it was a little sluggish.  I am now sorry I did that.  Still the pain and illness continued.

Doctors were stumped.  In all fairness I think it was partially due to the fact we were not living in one place for very long.  My husband's job moved us around and when he retired in 2010 we moved onto a boat and lived along the coast line of the Gulf of Mexico for 10 1/2 years. The adventures were irreplaceable but not having a regular doctor prolonged my issues. 

We are off the boat and live centrally to all our children. Now, we have had the same doctors for about 5 years now.  Somewhere between 2020 and 2021 I addressed my stomach issues again with my doctors.  It had gotten so severe that I could not eat or tolerate the pain. I finally was referred to a GI doctor who set up a nuclear test for me. 

Finally a diagnosis!!!!  I have level 2 gastroparesis.  What is that you asked? I asked the same thing.  Never heard of it.  It is nerve damage to your stomach.  Normally, after a meal your stomach will move the food out to your small intestines in about 2-3 hours.  In my case after 2-3 hours almost 50% of the food is still in my stomach.  There are 4 levels of gastropaesis I am at level 2. The excess food sat in my stomach and basically rotted causing pain in my stomach lining. Every time I ate I only added to the problem.

I have medication that helps with my stomach's motility and excess acid.  Doing much better these day's.  During this time I was trying to clean up my diet and help my gut issues.  My youngest daughter is vegan and encouraged me to try it.  So, I did but I continued to be sick and vomiting. I discovered that fiber was not my friend. Neither were nuts or any processed foods.

Eventually, I landed on the carnivore diet and I am doing much better.  Did the carnivore diet heal me. In this instance no.  Some things are permanent and gastroparesis is one of them.  

How did I get this condition?  The doctors don't know as I don't have any of the markers that lead to this. I was never a diabetic or was insulin resistant.  But here I am. The carnivore diet has helped along with my medication.  

Being a carnivore has also resolved my IBS.  The bathroom is no longer an issue for me and I don't take laxatives any more.  Now, let me be clear this all didn't happen over night.  It took me about a year to start feeling better.  You have to stay the course to see the change.  

Rock on carnivores!!!

SUGAR!!

Hello Everyone,

Last time I talked about my why and my first step on my journey.  I gave up sugar.  I really thought this would be easy and that I would knock it out of the park.  WRONG!!!

At this time I was not yet a carnivore.  I was trying things out to see what would work for me.  I diligently kept sugar out of my diet.  I eliminated the usual suspects like candy, baked goods, breads and so forth. 

 I even gave up coffee and soda for a while and drank only water.  That did not last.  I focused on whole foods but like a lot of people I had my challenges.

After about two weeks of no sugar I experienced what I could only describe as withdrawals.  I was sitting at home working and all of the sudden I got uncontrollable shakes.  I felt sick and weak.  I immediately went to bed and stayed there for a good 24 hours.   I don't remember eating or drinking, I am sure I did and I soon was able to get back up and around.  I was slow for a day or two when I was back to normal.

I didn't realize that sugar was such a strong drug.  It's addictive powers are now clear to me.   Here all this time I thought I was in control but really sugar and processed foods controlled me.  How many people have fallen into the same trap?

At this time we were opening and running a food bank for our local area.  So, being busy was an understatement.  It was very rewarding and many people were helped .

Matthew 25:40 Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me.

 Physically I couldn't keep up because of my limitations due to my disability.  After a year I had to hand it off.  Being around all the foods and baked goods were very tempting 

I had been sugar free for a couple of months when a kind volunteer brought in cookies for us to have.  I was not able to say no thank you so I ate one maybe two. 

 What a jolt my body and nervous system had to that sugar!!!   It felt like an electrical shock ran through me!!  I wonder if that is how drug addicts feel, I don't really want to know. 

I rocked on with my journey.  Struggling back and forth working diligently to beat my sugar and food addiction. 

THIS IS MY WHY.....

Hello everyone,  

                         

I am starting this blog to record my and my husbands journey to better health. I am not a medical professional, trainer or teacher. I am just one of many who have reclaimed their health eating carnivore. Let me start with where it all began.

I was a single Mom for a while before meeting my husband of 27 years. We raised 4 children together and now have 7 grandchildren. What a blessing!! 

It says in Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from The Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of the warrior, so are the children of your youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full.

 Proverbs 17:16 Children's children are the crown of old men. So, as you can see we are full of blessings. 

I was a single Mom for a while and worked to support my family. The Lord provided me with a job in a factory that enabled me to feed, clothe and house our little family. After I met and married my husband I continued to work, as many couples do.

 The job I did was heavy manual labor in a tire factory.  I did not mind it as I was fit and healthy. Then in the year 2000 an accident occurred at work that changed me physically forever. I was hit in my back by a piece of equipment that weighted a few hundred pounds. The resulting injury left me with 3 back surgeries and permanent nerve damage. 

Now, don't fret for me I can still walk with the aide of a cane and live a good life. That job, obviously, came to an end. That was when my weight gain began.

 I slowly put on 100 pounds over the next 20 years. Oh, I did notice it and at times and tried to lose it but, to no avail. I explained it away saying it wasn't my fault. I can't get around or exercise like I used to.  

I even justified my over eating with "you live life once enjoy it". I let myself slip into complacency of how it is so I ignored my weight gain and went about my life.

 I was 38 when the injury occurred, My youth helped me with mobility and stamina. As time marched forward things began to change. Taking care of myself became more difficult. Getting in and out of a chair, climbing stairs and doing household chores were harder.

 My husband, who views me through the lens of love, never complained and was always there to lend a hand. He still is. Thank You Lord for being equally yoked with him.

In 2020 my health took a downward turn. I needed help getting up. I struggled with the bathroom, getting dressed and getting in and out of the car among other things. At this time I had turned 60 years old.

 We were sitting at our kitchen table and I was pondering my condition. I looked across the table at my husband a realized he was older too. He also gained weight and had underlying health issues. How could I expect him to be helping me move about as we both aged. I was being selfish all for food.

 I prayed to The Lord my God about it and decided to start with small changes. What change could I make that I would sustain?  For one, I decided to eliminate sugar from my diet. So, I started there and many changes followed.  

Follow along with our story about improving our health. It was easier than we thought and sustainable. The positive and quick health results surprised us.