A London woman who ditched her vegan lifestyle in favour of a controversial “carnivore diet” claims it has not only improved her health but also her finances.
Laura Sliazait, 39, tried a raw vegan diet consisting mostly of raw fruits and vegetables, but suffered from high blood sugar and trouble sleeping.
The IT professional, who was once “obsessed” with diet and exercise, suffered from a variety of ailments including joint pain, vitamin deficiencies, bleeding gums and itchy skin.
After avoiding meat for over 10 years, Laura gradually introduced different food groups into her diet, then went on a meat-only diet for a month to determine whether meat was truly detrimental to her health.
Despite warnings from sceptics that continuing this extreme diet could put her at risk of a heart attack, Laura has only seen positive results and has continued to consume only meat, fish, eggs, cheese and fat for the past year.
Laura said: “After the first 30 days I felt so much better, had so much energy and my digestion improved. I decided to do it for 100 days and by the end of it I knew this was going to be my lifestyle.”
She added: “Now, after over a year, I can confidently say that for the first time, I feel like a human being. I can see my body healing and continuing to heal.”
Since changing her diet, Laura has experienced a significant improvement in her health: her eczema, joint pain and inflammation have disappeared, her bleeding gums have stopped, and she reports positive changes in her mood and anxiety levels.
Laura gave up her vegan diet in 2014 but gradually introduced eggs and dairy back into her diet, before later eating meat and fish.
Laura’s sister had seen her struggle with a strict vegan diet and had been encouraging her to make a change for about two years.
Sharing her dietary changes on social media, Laura said: “I found I wasn’t feeling as healthy and I didn’t have enough energy. I couldn’t sacrifice my body any more.”
Laura had previously suffered from insomnia, a grayish skin tone, and back pain, and these days her typical meal is a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and cheese, followed by a dinner featuring a steak smothered in butter.
Despite her improving health, Laura’s dietary choices have caused controversy, especially at work: “When I first started, many of my colleagues used to laugh at me because I was eating a lot of butter and meat,” she said.
She has also faced criticism online, warning on Instagram that she “gets a lot of nasty comments on Instagram saying I’m going to die soon, my arteries are going to get clogged, I’m going to die of a heart attack, I’m going to get indigestion.”
Nevertheless, Laura is sticking to her decision, citing huge benefits for both her mental and physical health.
She explained: “I feel the carnivore diet has changed something in my brain. My sleep problems have completely disappeared and now I fall asleep when I touch the pillow. Before I could only sleep three hours a night but now I wake up before my alarm clock.”
“I’ve suffered from eczema and itchy skin all my life, sometimes so bad that it felt like my body was on fire, but that has disappeared.
“I feel better. I didn’t lose a lot of weight, but the inflammation went down. All of my digestive issues – bloating, abdominal pain, acid reflux – went away.”
She added: “My hair is shinier than ever, my eyesight has improved and my energy is consistent so I never get so down that I need a snack or coffee.”
“I used to catch colds a lot and get cold sores on my lips, but for the past year, that hasn’t happened, even though people around me and at work have been catching colds.”
Laura also said that despite eating steak almost every day, the diet is easy on the wallet – as a former vegan, she used to spend around £100 a week on nuts, berries and veg, but has now managed to cut her food bill by almost half.
She added: “Before I started the carnivore diet I thought it would cost me a lot of money, but now it costs me a lot less.”
“I go grocery shopping once or twice a week and buy lots of steaks, minced beef, organic eggs, cheese and double cream for my coffee. My food bill is probably around £50 to £70 a week.”
While Laura’s dietary adjustments have proven effective for her, they may not be suitable for everyone, and it’s always wise to seek medical advice before making any drastic changes to your diet.
A medical professional can provide guidance on how to make lifestyle changes in a safe and healthy way.