After lifelong eating disorders almost killed her, an Ohio woman said switching to a carnivore diet saved her life.
Valerie Smith, 54, has struggled for decades in a variety of physical and mental health conditions, including anorexia.
She told Fox News Digital that at one time, Smith’s (5’9) dropped to 70 pounds and had a BMI of 11.
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In 2017, she followed a strict plant-based diet for most of her life, and she slowly began to transition to an animal-based ketogenic diet that she thought would heal her body and mind.
At one point, Smith (5’9 inches here) lost 70 pounds and had a BMI of 11. (Valerie Smith)
Before switching to animal food, Smith tried numerous other treatments for her anorexia and other diseases.
“I’ve been actively receiving treatment all my life,” she said in an interview. “I’ve been seen by hospitals and doctors. I have more than a dozen psychiatrists. For three to forty years, I’ve been in different psychiatric medication cocktails.”
“I spent my whole life under traditional therapy and never got better.”
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Smith said the hospital recommended a plant-based diet “without any animal protein.” She sticks to their meal plan but works hard to maintain a healthy weight and suffers from digestive problems.
By the time Smith was 47, she had lost 70 pounds, suffered a fracture due to osteoporosis, and had surgery to prolapse multiple organs. Her mental health is also at an all-time low.
“I will never survive for a year again,” she said. “I desperately need weight gain, but mental illness prevented me from getting anything permanently.”
“I spent my whole life under traditional therapy and never got better.”
“And I also know that even if I weigh more, it won’t help my brain because I’ve been through many times in those decades.”
While conducting the research, Smith discovered some metabolic psychiatrists and learned about the benefits of a ketogenic diet.
“I understand that animal food and animal fat are a priority in the brain,” she said.
Valerie Smith makes up photos after 35 years of not eating any animal foods, after reaching a healthy weight on a ketogenic diet. (Valerie Smith)
“Our brain has more than 100 neurotransmitters, most of which rely on amino acid profiles of complete animal proteins,” Smith continued. “If we don’t have the basis of animal products, our brains will not function properly.”
After 35 years of not eating any animal foods, she decided to try adding them to her diet.
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Smith started slowly, with only one bite of meat a day. Every week, she takes another bite. It took her eight weeks to eat 8 ounces of meat.
On the three-month mark, she began to see progress – not necessarily weight, but mental health.
“My depression and anxiety are being relieved,” Smith said. “At that time, I haven’t gained any weight yet, so I haven’t recovered my brain yet to gain weight — that’s a ketogenic diet.”
As the months continue, Smith continues to look and feel healthier. She said that after a year, all the anorexia symptoms disappeared. (Fox News)
As the months continue, Smith continues to look and feel healthier. She said that after a year, all the anorexia symptoms disappeared.
“Even my body malformation disappeared – I also had no motivation to starve to death,” she said. “All the obsession with thoughts, negative self-talk, brain dysfunction – completely disappeared.”
“I don’t fight myself anymore. It’s effortless.”
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Today, Smith consumes 2 to 3 pounds of meat (mainly red meat) as well as eggs every day. She also occasionally eats chicken, pork and wild fish.
Since the start of the animal food diet, Smith has added 50 pounds of muscle. She said she hadn’t encountered any health problems that had plagued her for decades in eight years.
“For me, it’s about healing – I feel that the ultimate recovery of the body and mind is an animal product in the diet.”
Doctor’s voice support
Dr. Georgia Ede is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in nutrition and metabolic psychiatry and often talks about her support for the predator diet.
“In my clinical work, I found that carnivores eat well and are very helpful for stubborn cases of overeating, such as overeating and food obsession,” she told Fox News Digital.
Since the start of the animal food diet, Smith has added 50 pounds of muscle. She said she hadn’t encountered any health problems that had plagued her for decades in eight years. (Valerie Smith)
“Some patients usually get the relief of ‘food noise’ and the welcome feeling of fullness for the first time in years.”
Ede said studies show that a carnivore diet can be “very useful” in treating severe malnutrition anorexia.
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She continued: “Meat contains all the nutrients we need most, and they are naturally found in plant foods in the most bioavailable form without antinutrients and defensive toxins.”
“Medical-supervised clinical trials are needed to help us better understand the potential risks and benefits of carnivorous diets in the management of anorexia.”
One doctor said studies have shown that a carnivore diet may be “abnormally useful” in treating severe malnutrition anorexia. (Valerie Smith)
Harvard medical student and researcher Nick Norwitz recently completed a case study of three people who used a ketogenic diet to overcome their eating disorders.
He also recently released a video that uncovered eight myths surrounding the diet of carnivores. (See the video at the top of this article, and more videos from https://www.youtube.com/@nicknorwitzphd.)
Novez said there is no dietary solution that is “a piece of size for all sizes”, adding that “background and nuance are essential.”
“But I do feel that the diet of predators is misunderstood, red meat and Animal-based food He told Fox News Digital that it is often unfairly replaced under “large food buses.”
Experts require caution, more research
Margot Rittenhouse, a licensed professional clinical consultant in Alsana, California, said that any diet or method used to treat eating disorders is “absolutely crucial.”
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“While some studies have shown that a ketogenic carnivore diet may be beneficial for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, there is no substantial evidence that this can be used as a viable treatment option at present,” she told Fox News Digital.
“There is little evidence to support maintaining all the vitamins and nutrients the body needs through a ketogenic diet, aiming to eliminate most or all plant-based foods and carbohydrates,” Rittenhouse said.
Experts believe that people suffering from poor diet should not try to treat this condition without professional help. (iStock)
Tanya Freirich, a registered nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, said she is a lupus nutritionist and she does not recommend a carnivore diet as a means of treating disordered diets.
“Nuts, seeds, beans, grains, fruits and vegetables are important components of a balanced diet and provide a variety of important nutrients,” Frerich told Fox News digital numbers. “For optimal health, you also need a variety of vitamins and minerals found in other food groups as well as in fiber and carbohydrates.”
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“In general, diet, especially restrictive diets like carnivore diets, are factors that increase the risk of disordered diets,” she added.
Rittenhouse also warned against any type of restrictive diet that has shown to be “harmful to food.”
“Some patients usually get the relief of ‘food noise’ and the welcome feeling of fullness for the first time in years.” (iStock)
“Just eating animal protein is not a complete diet because people will consume almost completely saturated fat and protein,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Experts believe that people suffering from poor diet should not try to treat this condition without professional help.
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Rittenhouse recommends seeking support from a multidisciplinary team that includes dieticians, therapists, psychiatrists and doctors for eating disorders.
“These mental illnesses are complex, biopsychosocial, and can only be treated by only one provider or discipline,” she said.
