True Health Stories

True Health Stories

I Cured Myself of Multiple Sclerosis

In 2003 Terry Wahls, M.D., was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and soon became dependent upon a tilt-recline wheelchair. She now uses intensive directed nutrition in her primary care and traumatic brain injury clinics. Dr. Wahls is the lead scientist in a clinical trial testing her protocol in others with progressive MS. Watch this video for her personal story.

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I Had Ulcerative Colitis

Your call for folks to contact you after having had a monumental change in their diet includes myself. I believe you were referring to the diet change with regards to autism. My experience is not with autism but with Ulcerative Colitis.

I'm not sure if you remember, but the very reason I became one of your customers was because I was suffering from this chronic disease. The importance of change was really brought home to me when my doctor told me I only had a couple days to live unless I had a physically and emotionally devastating operation. The operation, which would remove most of my colon, was not really a cure. It would just allow me to live longer while carrying a "sack" for my remaining days. As you know, instead of having the operation, the very day I received the bad news I did an Internet search and learned that it was most likely the foods I ate that was the problem. Therefore, in desperation I immediately started to change my diet. Today my diet is nothing like it was back in the "good old days."

While the food industry (and I include food supplements, more on this later) is not allowed to state that nutrition will CURE people, I can say that I am cured. I can say this with impunity as I am not trying to sell anything. I am CURED !!! Such a simple statement, so much weight. When I tried to tell the Chrohn's and Colitis foundation, they did not want to hear it. "You're in remission, and the problem will recur." Well obviously they are either totally ignorant - which is your position (with which I agree), or in absolute denial, which is my position.

If I was the only person cured from this nasty disease, it may be considered a random condition - not readily explained by diet. I personally know of 10 people who have been CURED. I also know of a few others who cling to their paradigms (as you point out) and while they have made the halfhearted attempt at changing their diet, once the immediate symptoms subside, they go right back to their old ways, and wouldn't you know it, the symptoms return. Now, these folks have flat out admitted to me, that they know it's their diet. They have told me that they would rather hover in this terrible chronic state of inflamed bowels, just to be able to continue to eat the grains they so dearly love. Amazing - they have the personal evidence, yet lack the will to cure themselves. This is absolutely mind-boggling.

With regards to the all or nothing approach - that is somewhat severe for most folks - me included. I have my weaknesses, and from time to time do eat food in restaurants, but I make the attempt to ensure the fish is wild, not farm fish. I have cut out any restaurant that does not know where their fish originates. Not quite so easy with beef, so occasionally, I will eat a steak in a restaurant that I know is grain fed. I will NOT eat the chicken. So my health is greatly improved from where I was when I had Colitis. In order to counter the effects of the grain-fed foods that I occasionally come into contact with, I supplement those foods with wild caught fish oil, super green foods and also populate my gut with the live cultures so necessary for good health. Simply put, on those few occasions when I indulge in foods high in Omega-6, I counter that with high Omega-3 foods. Is this ideal - no, but I am able to stick to a healthy diet for 95% of the time, and every so often, I enjoy some of the delights that are bad for the body. Surely, you can see that constant denial for the majority of the population will lead to dietary failure. The counter measures to this failure is to further indulge in forbidden "foods," making the problem ever worse.

I do understand that sometimes, the 5% becomes 6% and then 7, 8, 9 until the whole diet is back to where it started, but with the additional feeling of failure. I liken this to social alcohol drinking. The majority of folks will not spiral into alcoholism, thus the behavioral pattern can be checked for most. The unlucky few need help. I understand your point though, in that folks won't even admit that there is a diet problem. Thus without taking the first step of acknowledgment, the journey cannot begin.

Well, that's my two cents. Thanks for being there for me to provide the meats and the guidance I so needed to be cured and continue to improve my health, even with the occasional indulgence.

Regards, Steve Jones

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I Was Overweight With Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis

This is my story about how my life changed once I got on the Caveman/Paleo diet.

Today is March 1, 2011 and I am 40 years old. For many years my dad told me I needed to change my eating habits. Like a broken record he would preach the same line: “Get the grain out of your diet and eat grass fed meats.” I listened, but I thought it was all a little nutty. Well, he was getting old and maybe he had snapped already. Besides, as a trained athlete in college with a Business degree followed by many hours towards a Sports Management Master, I figured I probably knew more about food than he did. Heck, he's a rancher and stock market analyst. No food training there.

I figured if I worked out and ate correctly (the regular USDA Food Pyramid diet of balanced foods that many Americans follow) I would not have a weight problem and would maintain relatively good health. So I kept on living my normal life style. But I did not maintain my weight nor lose weight when it increased. Instead I just kept gaining. My workouts became less frequent and less strenuous. The weight was getting worse.

Then a watershed moment in my life came along. My husband and I separated and eventually we divorced. We had been living in the northeast part of the country, too many miles from dad's ranch in Texas. So I decided to make an even bigger change. I moved down to Texas to help my brother on his ranch and help my dad if the need arose. Looking back I can see that's when my life really took a change for the better.

I had not visited Texas for far too many years. And my dad was always ranch bound. You know the story, he's one of those guys who works seven days a week. So when I arrived and my dad first saw me, he exclaimed, in subdued amazement, “Wow Sandra, you've gained a couple of pounds.”

Well, yes, I weighed about 190 pounds and wore size 16 clothes. I am 5' 3" with an athletic build – at least it used to be athletic. That was May 2008 and at that time I was much bigger than my dad! But, unbeknownst to me, my body was going to change.

My brother lived alone in a big four bedroom house. So that's where I moved in. He ate like a caveman to a fault. Bachelors seem to have a way of keeping life so simple in the kitchen that meals are more like feeding the dog rather than enjoyable sit-down events. About the only food item in the house was grass-fed meat. Even veggies were mostly scorned. So I started eating grass-fed meats and of course I just had to add vegetables. And since it was sacrilegious to have grain, sugar, high glycemic fruits, and concocted foods around – my diet was restricted to The Real Diet of Man. That was by the force of circumstances mind you, not choice.

So what happened while I was eating all this food? I lost 75 pounds! Now I weigh 115 pounds, the same as my high school weight when I was a gymnast and ran track. I am back to wearing size 2 and I look great. I feel great. I can run again. I can do flips off the diving board.

But that's not all of the changes. Before I started eating like a caveman, which also means you eat rather than starve yourself, I had to use an inhaler all the time (asthma) and keep a box of Kleenex handy. Well, guess what, I no longer take my inhaler with me. I am not kidding. No more asthma. It's the first time in many, many years. My allergic rhinitis (hay fever and more), which used to require medication, has almost completely disappeared. It is such a relief to go out in the spring and fall and not have a red nose and carry a lot Kleenex in my pocket. I can even mow the lawn and my old allergies no longer bother me. This is all due to eating grass-fed meats, staying away from grain, grain-based foods, grain-fed livestock products, sugar, high glycemic foods, nuts, and dairy products from grain-fed cows.

Now I must admit that I cheat every once in a while, but not very often. When I do cheat I actually gain weight back, so it's rather irritating these days to see my body respond so fast and so negatively to just a little back sliding. It quickly reminds me to toe the line. Consequently, as you can imagine, overall I've made some major changes to my eating habits.

Just like with my weight, when I do go off the diet just a little my asthma comes back quickly. It's not fun when you can't breathe. This really makes me believe my asthma is caused by grain (corn, rice, wheat, oats, barely, etc.). Dad says it's caused by two conditions. If I eat grain and/or high glycemic foods, the fungus in my body shoots out mycotoxins causing asthma, allergies, and other disorders within hours and sometimes just minutes. Also, allergies are a result of a dysfunctional immune system responding to natural environmental conditions. That condition can be traced to an Omega-3 deficiency which damages the immune system. Whatever it is, when I stray and symptoms recur that is a rude awaking which inspires me to get back on course with The Real Diet of Man and toe the line.

I want to thank my dad and brother for getting me on grass-fed meats and a proper diet of real food that I can eat without skimping and still maintain good health and optimal weight. I would never have made the transition without essentially being forced into it after having moved into my brother's caveman lifestyle. I would not be at my optimal weight. I would not be experiencing the freedom I now have from asthma and allergies.

Sandra Slanker


April 2008 190 pounds	November 2008 150 pounds same as Dad!	July 2009 135 pounds	July 2012 120 pounds
Yes, today my weight cycles up and down between 115 and 120 pounds.

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Statement from a Participant in the Nutritional Profession

I have been eating grass-fed meat for 10 years now. This is really very simple. Cows were meant to eat grass and not grains. I work for a Doctor in the nutrition industry and our whole company, when referring to grain fed meat, calls them "barf burgers." Picture if you were an alien and you came down to eat earthlings. Would you go for the guy who eats McDonald's everyday, or would you go for the earthling who has eaten a plant based, grass-fed meat, all natural diet? This is the same comparison to cows eating grain versus plants. I think the answer is easy. Just the Omega-3 fat content alone in the grass-fed meat being higher is worth the switch from grain fed. The average person 100 years ago had a 3 : 1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3. Now it is 20 : 1. To top that off some people hardly have measurable levels of Omega-3 in the bloodstream. I also agree with Slanker's stance on no grains or breads. Man was meant to eat nuts, vegetables and grass fed meat.

Sean

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I Contemplated SUICIDE!

I use the word “suicide” here to, yes, get your attention, because that’s what I was feeling before I started the Paleo/Caveman Diet.

My husband Todd and I really felt we ate better than most people until I started getting ill. I didn’t understand it. I exercised, weight trained, did yoga, and did cycling ever other day. We also walked three miles just about everyday and yet I couldn’t lose that hanging gelatinous fat. My doctor ran a CRP test because I was losing muscle mass. Yes, it was low. I look back on the last twenty years of eating and realize I always ate my protein last, if I had any at all. So you can imagine that eating protein sources at every meal was going to be a big concern for me.

I was 45 when I “hit the wall” that Ted Slanker writes about so often. For some reason, all within one year, I was diagnosed with an onslaught of chronic diseases. Here’s the run down! An inflamed gallbladder, IBS, gastritis, hiatial hernia of the esophagus, inflammation of the throat, acid reflux, abnormal EKG caused from moderate heart palpitations of the upper chambers of my heart, a kidney stone, a tumor on my liver, moderate/severe spinal stenosis of the neck and lower back, inflammation of my cervix, overactive bladder urinary incontinence, and went post menopause in one year (what happened to menopause?). Yes, and recently I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Forgive me if I have left something out. There’s just too much to remember.

As you can tell I was faced with a lot. My husband Todd could see I was suffering so he was determined, as he always is, when it comes to helping me. Therefore he set out on a mission to see what he could do to help. Last Christmas (2010) he ran across The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. He was so excited for me to open my gift on Christmas Day. When I opened his “most important gift” I was disappointed. This was his idea on how to change my life for the best? A book asking me to change everything I knew and loved.

Let me tell you my anxiety and deepening depression took hold, but Todd said let’s give it a try for one month. I’m thinking to myself, he wants me to eat protein three times a day (FAT!!). Isn’t that what caused my low functioning gallbladder in the first place? So I went into the kitchen, looked in the pantry, and then proceeded to throw myself on the floor yelling, “I can’t do it! There’s nothing to eat in here.”

We ended up throwing almost everything out and bought fresh. I threw out all flours, pasta, sugar, honey, maple syrup, canned goods, frozen corn, soybeans, peas, legumes, soy sauces, salad dressings, popcorn, brown rice, etc. Everything that lasted more than a couple of days. Scary huh? I tried to complain about the cost of fresh food but Todd set me straight! You’ve spent more than $15,000 on medical testing and doctors so where are you now Melinda? I couldn’t argue with that so I “crawled” on board.

Todd found Slanker’s website and ordered half a beef and that’s all she wrote. I can honestly say that almost all my health issues have disappeared since the first of the year! This approach to food is life changing if you stick to it, which means no cheating. I found out about that the hard way.

Yes, I have slipped up! A week ago Todd and I felt comfortable enough to take a trip camping. We cooked all our healthy food the day before and were off. Halfway through the trip we ran low on food and drove into town for some Veggie. I had been feeling so good, I thought what could it hurt to pick up a bag of “healthy chips,” organic cookies, and a small bag of marshmallows to go with my smores? The first day I didn’t notice anything different, but by the next day I had a headache that lasted several days. I also experienced a tremendous amount of gas and bloating and a bladder that needed to go every 20 minutes. I was delirious with pain! So as soon as I entered the house I was on the phone in a panic trying to get an appointment with the first available Urologist at UT Southwestern Medical. Needless to say I got right back on the diet. Amazingly, I improved so quickly I canceled my doctor’s appointment that was set for next week.

As you can imagine I’ve discovered that going out to eat is a whole new ball game! I know this sounds extreme but I refuse to go out to restaurants if I can’t bring my own food. I take eggs (Christopher Eggs) recommended by Slanker’s. I just bought five dozen today for 99 cents marked down! I won’t eat any other egg knowing the one to one essential fat ratio my body needs.

I do take egg’s to Mimi’s Restaurant and have them make me an omelet on Sunday mornings with broccoli, onions, and tomatoes. Delicious! They even have Cholula sauce. Now days we save so much money eating at home with friends that we can afford the slightly higher cost of grass-fed beef. I’m hoping that my teenagers will get on board with this lifestyle as I wish not to outlive everyone.

The Diet of Man is amazing! I’m like the Energizer Bunny. I don’t seem to need as much sleep. Life seems good again, especially since I know I can control my health. Ted, we are so happy that there are farms like yours out there that we can buy from. We’re looking forward to our next order.

Yours truly, Todd and Melinda Jach, April 2011

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I Had Rheumatoid Arthritis

At the ripe old age of 30, I was stunned when I learned I had arthritis. I started treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, in hopes of stopping the autoimmune disease in its tracks and staving off any long-term effects. I tried a variety of medications, all ineffective, except for Methotrexate (a drug originally developed for chemotherapy).

Here's one warning about the drug's side effects:

Methotrexate should be used only in life threatening neoplastic diseases, or in patients with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis with severe, recalcitrant, disabling disease which is not adequately responsive to other forms of therapy. Deaths have been reported with the use of methotrexate in the treatment of malignancy, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Doctors, including my prescribing rheumatologist, were concerned that I was taking such a toxic medication. Avoiding treatment was not an option, as the daily symptoms went beyond excruciating pain. At one point, before I started taking Methotrexate, my joint inflammation was so bad that I could not move my middle finger at all. This particular setback forced me to get a cortisone shot so I could move my finger again.

In addition to the dangers of the drug's toxicity, there was another issue – it was only moderately effective. Even though I was functional, I still had pain. And the short-term side effects were not that pleasant either – nausea and fatigue being the most prominent for me. I'd ask myself: Are these small gains worth the large risks? Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know of any other options.

I actually started the Paleo/Hunter-Gatherer/Diet of Man nutrition regimen to relieve an entirely different problem. After suffering a shoulder injury that wasn't getting better, I decided I needed to try something different to help my body heal. I had been doing Crossfit for a while and heard quite a bit of positive buzz about the Paleo Diet. Folks were claiming it helped their bodies recover from intense workouts. At first I didn't take it that seriously – since I knew I ate a healthy diet all ready, right? And it sounded kind of extreme (funny how I now think anything that isn't Paleo is so unnatural and foreign). Anyway, after a while, I put my skepticism aside and decided to give it a try.

I gradually worked my way into the diet and noticed that my shoulder started to feel better. As an added bonus, my arthritis was improving too. With these promising results, I slowly started reducing my Methotrexate dose, which was 15 mg a week.

Over time I followed the diet more strictly, to the point that I didn't need to take any Methotrexate at all. (By the way, the last time I visited my rheumatologist, he had never heard of the Paleo diet or nightshades.)

It has been eleven months since I've taken Methotrexate. Nor do I take any other pain killing medications. I do medicate for seasonal allergies, but I've cut down the dose and noticed a substantial improvement in those symptoms as well. Interestingly, both seasonal allergies and arthritis are caused by a dysfunctional immune system. Chronic diseases such as those are definitely linked to the Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency Ted Slanker is so adamant about curing.

What I Eat

As mentioned before, I gradually worked my way into the diet and I'm still tinkering and working on a few lingering weaknesses. It took me ten months to get to a point where I was dieting strictly enough to completely stop taking Methotrexate. As of April 2011, it's been eleven months since I've felt the need to take a pill for my arthritis.

In hindsight, I wish I would have changed more quickly but habits are difficult to break. Perhaps my slow progression actually helped me stick with it. Also, to a lesser degree, there is some misleading and conflicting information out there. What I've found is that foods which are debated as being okay: alcohol in moderation, vegetable oils in moderation, honey, green tea, etc., really don't work for me.

My readjustment journey has involved quite a bit of trial and error. If not the most logical approach, it has been effective for identifying foods that work. If I eat something that doesn't agree with my body, I know quite powerfully and instantly – in a matter of minutes. At the moment I'm experimenting with eliminating and reducing foods that may not cause an obvious and immediate negative reaction, but are questionable due to their nutritional content (specifically almonds and certain dry spices).

What I Eat and Drink

The base of my diet is greens. This means not only eating them directly, but also only eating 100% grass-fed meat and wild fish and seafood.

Rather than list out all of the vegetables I eat, here are some of my favorite vegetables:

Greens (spinach, swiss chard, kale, collards, etc.)

Broccoli

Cabbage

Brussel Sprouts

Asparagus

Cauliflower

Onions

Summer Squash

Fresh herbs and black pepper

Mushrooms

Water

Low sugar fruit (berries, prunes, cherries)

Almonds and macadamia nuts

What I Don't Eat

Grains

Legumes

Dairy

Nightshade vegetables

Starchy vegetables

Fatty vegetables and fruits (avocado and coconut)

Sugary vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets, acorn squash, etc.)

Celery (Why this bothers me I have no idea. Maybe it's high O-6 to O-3 ratio.)

Fennel

Added salt

Added sugar (including honey)

Vinegar

Peanuts, seeds, most types of nuts and vegetable oils (including olive oil)

Candy (including gum and chocolate)

Any beverage besides water

What I'm Working On

Refining the fruit I eat is one of my main focuses. I notice that eating some fruit, like apples and pears, bothers me some of the time, but not at other times (I think I have a higher tolerance for sugar post-exercise).

Eating nuts, like almonds, in moderation.

Eating Away from Home

Dining out and getting take-out used to be big parts of my routine. Now I rarely engage in either. I'd rather cook a meal for family and friends. And I no longer miss restaurant food.

When I do eat out now it's all about the social experience, not the food. With regards to the food I order, I keep it very basic. I order from the raw bar or get a steamed fish and vegetables or a garden salad without dressing. I make sure to request they don't add any salt and that they don't cook with butter or any other fats or oils. My experience is that the staff has been very receptive and respectful of my requests.

With regards to traveling, I'll simply take food with me. Foods I've pre-cooked and refrigerated or frozen, as well as canned fish work best. Before taking any vacation, I'll always make sure I book a room with a kitchen.

Yes, these changes have complicated life a bit. But in the end, and I do hope I have reached the end of dealing with the many uncertainties of having RA, I feel much better physically and mentally.

Jason Kirkland, Contact me at jake_08901@yahoo.com, April 2011

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I Developed Crohn’s Disease When Twelve Years Old

Three and a half years ago I developed Crohn’s disease. I was twelve years old at the time. Since I was born, my mom made sure that I ate decent, organic food. However, I ate little meat, and had a fetish for bread and pasta. When I entered middle school, the quality of school lunch also declined. I remember once hitting my grilled cheese against the side of the table, like a brick. It didn't break. Beginning middle school was a bit stressful for me, and I compensated when I came home after a hard day by shoving whatever I could find in my mouth, whether that was Hershey's Kisses or Sunchips or mac n’ cheese. I never thought about how what I was eating might affect me (well, what teenager does?). It shouldn't have been a surprise when I found out that I had developed Crohn’s disease that spring, after months of digestive complaints.

I went from doctor to doctor, but each wanted to put me on a cornucopia of medication. I am proud to say that even at such an early age, I was not open to putting toxic man-made substances in my body. How would they “cure” me? And the side effects really frightened me; diabetes, heart failure, liver failure, you name it.

I found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet a few days later, which is intended for people with digestive disorders. It is supposed to “starve” the bad bacteria in the gut that are causing digestive upset. I eliminated all processed foods, grains, and sugars from my diet. I began to eat more meat, fruit, and vegetables. Homemade yogurt with lots of “good bacteria” really strengthened my damaged gut as well.

It was amazing. Within days, my symptoms disappeared. I followed the diet for about a year, and then gradually decided to reintroduce “forbidden” foods back into my diet, i.e. processed junk that I was angry all my friends and family could still eat.

Bad idea.

Within months, my symptoms returned. I felt worse than before. I was dismayed, but since then I haven't wavered from my “real way” eating. I don't follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet any longer. Now I follow a more “Paleo” way of eating, which is very similar, but allows me to include some vegetable starches like sweet potatoes, because weight gain has been an ongoing struggle for me. Since I discovered grass-fed meat and permanently eliminated the foods of the Standard American Diet that are ingredients to disaster, I have never felt better. Some people don't understand how I am able to follow such a “restrictive” diet, but it has become a way of life for me. Now I crave beef and raw milk cheese, not sugar. I have Slanker's to thank. I didn't think I would have access to reasonably-priced grass-fed meat, until I found their website. Their meats are delicious, as are their eggs! Now that I am older, I have come to appreciate what real food looks like. Slanker's is the epitome of real food. They keep me in perfect health. I intend to stay this way for the rest of my life.

I am sixteen years old, and I eat only “real food,” because I know this is how I was meant to eat. If I can do it, you can too!

If I can be of help in ANY way to readers of my story, you can contact me through goodmeat@slanker.com. I am extremely passionate and dedicated to real food.

Julia, July 2011

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The Real Diet of Man Worked For Me

I am writing this e-mail to share my testimony regarding my experience following The Real Diet of Man. Before I start, I want to thank you for your extensive scientific research on grass fed meat nutrition, omega 3 to 6 ratio as well as vegetables. Your analysis about kale has been right in line with what I have experienced when eating it as well. I also want to thank you for your commitment to nutrition and for providing your service to us as consumers. I can't thank you enough for your honesty and care in delivering the highest quality meat because it has impacted my life in ways too difficult to describe in an e-mail. The only way to observe the impact it has had on my life is to have known me and my personality before and now. Everything you mentioned in your article about proper brain function and nutrition is absolutely true. From what I can tell, your experience with The Real Diet of Man are the same experiences I have felt.

Through following your advice I have

- Eliminated intrusive thoughts

- Cured my depression

- Brought back my sense of joy and emotion in life

- Eliminated my social insecurity and anti-social behavior

- Eliminated the need for my brain to be constantly occupied by technology

- Developed the enthusiasm to learn and seek knowledge/wisdom

- Overcome the mental difficulty enduring long tasks, which include both mentally and physically

- Overcome my habits of disorganization and uncleanliness

- Overcome putting my hope and joy into the next meal I would eat (Mexican Food, Italian Food, Desert)

- Overcome awkward behavior

The list goes on and on about how this has changed my life. I can't thank you enough for providing this research for leading me to eat properly and for providing the proper food for us to eat. You have changed my life and I thank Christ for you.

I am only 23 years old and am in college. You are someone to whom I can look up to. I can tell through your articles and website that you truly embody the highest qualities men should strive for. Thank you for all you do. You are truly making a difference in this world. You have inspired me to help others with their nutrition and life, because I have experienced what happens when you follow The Real Diet of Man. It is more than just a change in diet, it is a change in lifestyle. Thank you.

Adam Gravitt, November 2012

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