She Was Eating All the Right Foods. So Why Was She Still So Sick?

One of the things I’ve learned after so many years of eating carnivore is that a person can be doing everything they’re told is healthy and still feel absolutely terrible. That’s certainly how it was for my friend Candace, who recently joined me to share her story. She had studied nutrition, ate whole foods, exercised, and paid close attention to her health. But despite all of that, she was dealing with some frightening symptoms that nobody seemed able to explain.

When Healthy Eating Isn’t Making You Healthy

Candace had experienced digestive problems since childhood, including having her gallbladder removed at just 15 years old. For years, she assumed that bloating and stomach pain after eating were normal. By January 2023, however, she had developed severe acid reflux that barely responded to medication. She was also experiencing blood blisters inside her mouth that sometimes became large enough to nearly block her airway.

Candace is a dental hygienist, so she knew these symptoms were unusual. Even the dentists she consulted couldn’t explain what was happening, and several episodes sent her to the emergency room. After undergoing an endoscopy that offered no answers, she was increasingly frustrated and afraid to eat. She looked healthy, but she certainly didn’t feel healthy.

Her family had also endured years of infertility struggles. After multiple procedures, miscarriages, and three rounds of IVF, she and her husband had welcomed their first child, but they hoped to have another. When her brother suggested trying carnivore, she initially thought the idea was ridiculous. Replacing her chicken breast, broccoli, and brown rice with fatty beef and bacon seemed like the opposite of everything she’d learned about nutrition.

But she was tired of being sick. On September 13, 2023, she and her husband decided to give it a try.

The Changes She Never Expected

Within three weeks of starting carnivore, Candace says her acid reflux had improved enough that she stopped taking her medications. The frightening blood blisters also disappeared, and she hasn’t experienced another episode in nearly three years. A few months later, she noticed that plantar warts she’d had for most of her life were gone, too.

Another significant change involved her husband’s fertility. After approximately 11 years of struggling with low sperm counts, his numbers increased from around three to five million to approximately 15 million. They ultimately chose to pursue another IVF transfer using embryos they already had, and this time they welcomed a baby boy. Candace remained carnivore throughout her pregnancy and continues eating this way while breastfeeding.

These are Candace’s personal experiences, of course, and they don’t establish that carnivore can treat infertility or any particular medical condition. But after years of searching for answers, she was seeing changes that she and her husband had hardly dared to hope for.

What Happens When You Try Adding Foods Back?

One detail I found especially interesting was how carefully Candace had eaten before starting carnivore. She wasn’t living on processed foods or drinking sugary sodas. Her meals consisted largely of lean meats, vegetables, oats, and brown rice, which most people would consider an excellent diet.

Over the years, she’s experimented with reintroducing some plant foods, but she says her digestive symptoms and fatigue return each time. This summer, she and her husband even tried eating cucumbers they’d grown in their own garden. Within a couple of weeks, they were reminded why they’d stopped eating vegetables in the first place.

I think that’s an important distinction. It’s easy to assume that people feel better on carnivore simply because they’ve stopped eating junk food, but that doesn’t explain Candace’s experience. She was already eating what most people would call healthy foods, and some of those foods still seemed to cause problems for her.

Candace also described the freedom she’s found from constantly thinking about food. She struggled with cravings during her initial transition, despite never considering herself particularly addicted to sugar. She eventually recognized how accustomed she’d become to sweet flavors from sugar-free creamers and sweeteners. These days, she appreciates being able to eat satisfying meals without constantly wondering when she’ll need another snack.

Making Carnivore Practical and Finding Your People

I also picked up a few cooking ideas from Candace that I’m excited to try. She cooks ground beef in a glass dish in her air fryer, stirring it as it cooks so the meat gets crispy while retaining its drippings. It’s such a simple idea, and I can’t believe I hadn’t tried it before. I’m already calling it the Candace Method.

She also makes a dairy-free egg bread using whipped egg whites, the yolks, beef gelatin, and salt. Her children enjoy it, and she keeps a batch in the refrigerator most weeks. I especially appreciate that she folds those yolks right back into the mixture rather than throwing them away. We need that good fat!

Something else I appreciated was hearing why Candace eventually joined my coaching groups. She’d already been carnivore for quite a while and knew how to feed herself, but she wanted the connection that comes from spending time with people who understand this way of eating. She found encouragement, practical advice, shared experiences, and a community she genuinely looked forward to seeing each week.

That’s a big part of what I hope people find in My Zero Carb Life coaching. We talk about food, of course, but we also help each other solve everyday problems, stay accountable, and work through the challenges that inevitably come along. Whether you’re brand new or have been doing this for years, having people who understand your goals can make the experience so much more enjoyable. And if you’re working toward that wonderful feeling of freedom from constant food cravings and food obsession, we’d be happy to help you along the way.