Craig’s Struggle with Migraines
Craig has spent almost forty years struggling with debilitating migraines. Craig is someone who has always been into health and fitness. Craig is a bodybuilder and says he thought he was eating clean, but he followed a high-carbohydrate and low-fat diet for most of his life.
Craig’s first migraine occurred when he was just twenty years old. Craig says his migraines occurred about once a month for the first two to three years. He thought his migraines were due to his sinuses and sought help from his doctor. Craig’s doctor told him a deviated septum was the cause of his migraines, which Craig had surgery to correct; however, the surgery did nothing to help with Craig’s migraines.
Craig’s migraines started to become more frequent in his mid-twenties. It was at this time he discovered Exedrin Migraine pain medication. Excedrin Migraine is made with high amounts of caffeine. At the time, Craig was experiencing migraines at least once per week and often took three to six pills per migraine. The high amounts of caffeine from the pills wreaked havoc on Craig’s body, and he often struggled with insomnia. Craig then started taking Zzzquill to help himself sleep. He says by the time he was thirty, he depended on Excedrin Migraine and Zzzquil.
When Craig was in his thirties, he developed sleep apnea and was put on a C-pap machine at night. He also had half his thyroid removed while in his thirties. His health continued to decline into his forties, and he began to experience migraines almost every day. Still, Craig continued to “eat clean” and bodybuild. Once Craig retired at fifty-one, he decided to see a neurologist for his migraines.
Craig says the doctor tried nerve-blocking medications and Botox injections, but his pain worsened. He then stumbled across Angela Stanton, who leads a group online dedicated to healing migraines through nutrition. Craig says at the time, Angela’s approach was ketogenic, so he began to follow a keto lifestyle. As Craig followed the keto diet, he says he began to feel like he was getting his health back.
Finding Relief with the Carnivore Diet
Then, in June 2018, eight months after Craig started the keto diet, Angela began discussing Dr. Shawn Baker and his carnivore lifestyle with her online community. Craig decided to give the carnivore diet a try.
He says he had to tweak the diet for the first few months for his gut and electrolytes to balance themselves out. However, the number of migraines he has had since following the carnivore diet is significantly reduced– approximately one every four months instead of every day. Craig also says his sinuses and sleep have greatly improved. He went from hardly sleeping to getting a whole night’s rest.
MeatRx Community and Coaching
Today, Craig eats two to three meals a day, depending on if it is a training day or not. He says he eats a lot of ground beef, sardines, liver, and sometimes a ribeye. His son is also a carnivore diet follower, and his wife follows a ketovore way of eating, so it has been a family affair for him.
Craig is a member of the MeatRx community, and he is also a MeatRx coach. He loves the MeatRx community and its many resources. Craig says his wife and son are both “foodies,” so they use the site for recipes. Craig says he enjoys reading success stories as they help keep him motivated.
As a coach, Craig says his philosophy is very laid back. He recognizes everyone is “broken differently,” and their goals may differ from his. However, Craig says his number one advice to anyone looking to start this way of eating is to keep going. He recognizes healing takes time, and he is grateful he was able to tweak what works for him to achieve optimal health for his body.
