Metabolic and Mental Health
Low-Fat Diets Gave Me Nightmares
My Mediterranean uncle wisely advised me that no girls would be interested in me. Yet I resisted stubbornly and suffered deeply in my younger years.
Who could have thought a skinny and pimply vegan boy in college years consuming six meals a day would become a keto-carnivore, consume 200 grams of healthy fat, and thrive with one meal a day as he got older and wiser.
The First Fight with My Mediterranean Uncle
The first fight with my uncle started as a nightmare bringing more nightmares later. His caring behavior formed instant hatred in me.
Yet, ironically, the hatred turned into beautiful love after I found the truth and got rid of nightmares replacing them with pleasant dreams.
Showing his impressive muscles and pointing to my skinny face, shoulders, and legs in contrast with my bulging belly, my muscular Mediterranean uncle said:
“Look at me and look at you, boy.”
He was twice my age. I got intimidated and felt intense envy inside. However, later I turned envy into admiration.
Furthermore, my feelings got hurt when he said:
“Stop passing wind all the time in my house! It stinks. Get a life, boy! No girl will like a skinny and farting man in their arms!”
I was overeating beans as my only viable protein source in those days.
It was my early twenties when I was following the low-fat craze in Germany while studying Informatics on a scholarship selected among gifted students.
I thought I was clever and my uncle was dumb.
Ironically, German men of my age in general, were more muscular and livelier than me.
I didn’t know German people ate average 86.5 grams of fat in those days.
So my uncle felt I was a shame in Germany, creating a bad reputation for my Mediterranean ancestors with stupid new-age diets.
I was following a vegan on a low-calorie diet refraining from healthy fats. And my uncle followed a Mediterranean diet eating eggs, meat, fish, vegetables, a few fruits, and lots of healthy olive oil.
I thought he was crazy, consuming too much cholesterol and saturated fats from animal products, and would die from a heart attack or stroke soon.
I never knew I would have metabolic syndrome and be prediabetic with insulin resistance in low-fat and low-calorie diets.
It was because I had no clue about the cholesterol paradox in those days.
My craziness brought five nightmares.
As my uncle was an esteemed family member, a business owner, supporting me by paying some of my study expenses, I showed respect to him externally.
However, my psyche opened an interval war against my uncle.
My next revenge was to stop all vegetables and eat only fruits. So I transitioned from vegan to fruitarian.
My college friends swore by fruitarian as the best diet on earth.
They asserted vegetables, grains, meat, fish, and eggs were unethical food and environmentally unfriendly.
They believed only fruits were meant to be eaten by humans to stay healthy and ethical.
My high IQ did not prevent me from believing this nonsense.
So I started eating fruit six times a day to remain ethical assuming to be healthier.
But, of course, the more I ate, the hungrier I felt.
My nervous system was a mess warning me by giving me scary nightmares.
It was because I had no clue about the sugar paradox in those days.
My First Nightmare
Even though I always felt hungry, my energy levels were excellent.
So, I thought the fruitarian diet was working.
I was going to prove to my uncle how healthy and happy I was, and many girls would be interested in me. Ignorance can paradoxically increase confidence.
When I mentioned my new diet to my uncle, he said bullshit, dumb arse.
My parents also got worried as I looked skinnier on my face, arms, and legs. Yet my belly was bulging due to excessive sugar and frequent insulin spikes.
It was because I had no clue about insulin resistance in those days.
I was still mentally sharp yet emotionally weak, feeling hungry at all times.
Leptin resistance was not in my vocabulary yet. I didn’t know ghrelin or CCK hormones either.
My anger, frustration, resentment, annoyance, and guilt increased. Small things agitated me. My sleep pattern changed. I couldn’t sleep more than four hours.
I felt depressed and even felt anhedonia, giving me suicidal thoughts. Life became meaningless.
It was because I had no clue about the cortisol monster mocking up all hormones and neurotransmitters in those days.
Due to sleep deprivation, my belly started growing while my shoulders, arms, and leg muscles were shrinking. I was losing my precious muscles. I felt weaker. I had no idea my bones also got softer.
The first nightmare was the loss of muscle and bone density in the early twenties.
My Second Nightmare
The second nightmare started when I started smoking due to extreme stress. It was cool to smoke with college friends.
They thought smoking was ethical but eating animal products was not.
Within a few weeks, I got addicted to tobacco smoking. In addition, while smoking with friends, I started drinking alcohol which made me sad.
When my uncle caught me smoking in his backyard with a bottle of German beer secretly at night, he got so upset that he decided not to cover my expenses anymore as smoking was unhealthy and a waste of money.
My hatred and anger toward my uncle further increased, encouraging me to smoke more. Fortunately, I stopped alcohol due to sadness and never had a chance to try illegal drugs.
However, I had no clue about the dangers of toxins in the human body and brain in those days.
My Third Nightmare
My third nightmare started with terrible stomach pain.
I couldn’t even eat my favorite fruits, watermelon, mango, bananas, kiwi fruit, dragon fruit, plums, and papaya that I used to buy from expensive shops with the money my uncle used to give me.
The stomach pain persisted. I was hospitalized. Informing the developing ulcer, the doctor said I had to quit smoking immediately.
Otherwise, they would have no option but to cut the lower part of my stomach. He put me on heavy antibiotics.
This existential threat sufficed to quit smoking permanently. Even though I was angry with the doctor, later, this anger turned to love as it was a blessing in disguise.
I had no idea that tobacco smoking was a risk factor for cancers in those days.
Stopping smoking helped, but the fruitarian diet was causing havoc to my health.
My Fourth Nightmare
My next nightmare was to lose one of my teeth which fell while eating an apple. Unfortunately, it got stuck in the middle of the fruit.
The dentist informed me that my teeth health was feeble. It required significant improvement. Thus, I had to attend the dentist appointments once a week. He offered no alternatives to keep my dental health.
A new expense was added to my student budget. I had to start part-time work to afford the dental costs after school hours increasing my stress.
Teeth pain turned out to be unbearable. The dentist informed me that I also got gum disease which required heavy antibiotic treatment.
When my Mediterranean uncle heard about my teeth problems, he had the compassion to pay my dental expenses if I stopped this crazy diet and started eating properly.
I pretended to agree. He was twice my age and had no teeth problems. Neither was my father, so it was not genetic. Apparently, I was doing something wrong and had no idea.
I had no clue about teeth requiring bioavailable proteins, minerals, and healthy fats on those days.
My Fifth Nightmare
After using antibiotics for a few weeks, I felt more pain in my stomach. I felt nauseated when eating my favorite fruits.
The family doctor ordered antacids. They gave temporary relief but worsened my digestive system. I had a leaky gut syndrome.
I had no clue about the antibiotics and antiacids adversely affecting the digestive system in those days.
There were more nightmares that you might check in a story titled 12 Entangled Health Conditions I Owned and Fixed By Myself.
The First Wake Up from the Nightmares
Stopping the fruitarian diet was the best decision I made.
However, some of my friends thought that my action was a betrayal. They characterized eating eggs and dairy as unethical and non-spiritual.
I was still a vegetarian, not eating meat or fish.
Eating eggs, yogurt, and drinking milk improved my health substantially. The digestive issue was reduced but not fully resolved. The leaky gut persisted despite eating healthier like Anna.
My friends got upset and stopped talking with me, but my uncle got happier. However, my Mediterranean uncle was still not fully happy for me not consuming meat, fish, and healthy fats.
Gratefully, he taught me how to make kefir at home. Kefir improved my digestive system by diversifying my microbiome. I loved its taste and got addicted to it.
I started feeling better. But I still had digestive issues. Kefir couldn’t fix my leaky gut. I needed to add or remove something else.
I had no clue some nutrients could be toxic to the body on those days.
The Second Wake Up from the Nightmares
Upon successfully completing my Informatics degree, I was accepted into a Master’s degree. With a scholarship, I was granted an amazing job in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
This opportunity allowed me to meet remarkable military and civilian high achievers. These people were different than my college friends.
Like my uncle, these professionals had terrific muscles with broad shoulders and no belly fat. Their strong teeth and shiny hair impressed me. I got curious about the secrets behind their physics.
I haven’t met a single vegan professional in that organization. I felt like a sore thumb asking for only vegetables during mass meals.
When they consume delicious omelets with butter and bacon, keeping them vital, I feed myself a bowl of salad, keeping me hungry all day long.
My first mentor was a colonel who also had a farm with cattle as a hobby. When I asked him his secret to a phenomenal body in his fifties, he said eating organic meat. His response internally disgusted me but intrigued my intellect.
When my mentor heard my body was deficient in Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and choline, he did not surprise.
The master’s degree gave me research skills. I had free access to academic and scientific journals. In addition, I decided to take elective nutrition, metabolic health, and anthropology classes to delve into research for alternative lifestyles.
My second mentor was an anthropologist who was following a keto-carnivore diet. This anthropology professor who walks his talk convinced me to try meat.
He introduced me to many scientific artifacts from anthropological literature about the benefits of animal products, especially organ meats and animal fats like tallow and lard.
Inspired by the colonel and anthropologist, I decided to eat meat.
Initially, at the subconscious level, I felt terrible thinking I was doing something wrong against my nature, influenced by the subliminal messages of new-age friends. But physically, I got better and stronger.
Eating both vegetables and meat made my uncle very happy. He started believing I would find the best girl in the world.
He was right. I found an Australian wife who even had the courage to slap a Danish man for her love for me.
Meat healed my pain, increased my muscles, and lowered visceral fat from my belly. My bulging belly diminished. Even better, my mood improved.
The high-achieving professionals were wiser than new-age students in fancy colleges.
The Third Wake-up from the Nightmares
My uncle was partially correct and inspired me to eat a Mediterranean diet which created the bridge to a healthier lifestyle.
But my leaky gut, bloating, and autoimmune conditions were not resolved. Arthritic pain was unbearable.
Gratefully, the distinguished anthropology professor, another carnivore mentor with multiple doctoral degrees in physiology, metabolic disorders, mental health, and nutrition, opened a window to my health.
The solution was an elimination diet. I needed to customize my diet. The new mentor inspired me to remove vegetables and vegetable oils and replace them with meat and animal fat.
The new diet was so efficient that I did not even need breakfast. So I cut breakfasts and gained many benefits.
With the help of the anthropology professor, I met hundreds of scientists and biohackers from the carnivore communities. Their best contribution was to introduce organ meats, particularly beef liver.
Finally, with inspiration from the community, I decided to use the keto-carnivore diet as a new lifestyle.
There was not a single sick person in the carnivore communities. Ironically, my vegan and fruitarian friends frequently took sick leaves at the college.
Thus, I said goodbye to vegan, fruitarian, and vegetarian diets with due respect to my friends.
My visceral fat disappeared. Lean muscles and bones got stronger. My dental, digestive, and skin health got spotless. My testosterone and growth hormone levels tripled, and my cortisol diminished. Furthermore, I eliminated loose skin after significant fat loss and gained six-pack abs after 50.
Best of all, with an insulin-sensitive body powered by ketones and increased BDNF, my mental health enhanced my quality of life, opening new windows in my life.
Medical doctors helped me in dire situations and gave me perspectives gratefully. However, wise community members gave me the formula to activate the self-healing capability of my body.
I learned about initiating autophagy naturally and the importance of mitochondrial health from community members who were scientists and biohackers covering both theory and practice.
Epilogue
My Mediterranean uncle was semi-happy. However, he assumed the keto-carnivore diet was a much better option than being a vegan or fruitarian.
However, after seeing remarkable improvement in my health and fitness, my uncle got convinced that the keto-carnivore diet stood the best option for my health.
My uncle stopped teasing me after a while as my physic got better than his. Then he supported my choice after seeing the interpretation of my DNA tests by a genetic consultant.
He understood that my body also inherited genes from other ancestors who lived as carnivores. My DNA tests showed noticeable inheritance from the Scandinavian gene pool.
The mystery was resolved when a specialist doctor identified my carb intolerance. The DNA tests proved the case. Understanding my genes was not a luxury anymore. The information helped me to create epigenetic effects.
In addition, when my hormones got balanced, the picture became crystal clear. Hormones don’t lie.
I loved vegetables and fruits, believing they were the healthy choice for me, but they did not love me. That was fine. Nature gave me other options.
Respecting nature, I am convinced that eating meat is not unethical and non-spiritual. On the contrary, my empathy and compassion for humanity increased with my fantastic metabolic and mental health.
With this experience and understanding, now, I respect all herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores and support them in finding their best versions.
Takeaways from My Poignant Story
I offer seven takeaway points from my story to give perspectives to people struggling with low-fat and low-calorie diets.
1 — Restricted diets can be risky for health. Fruitarian was the worst for me.
2 — There is no single diet type meeting everyone’s needs. We need to customize our diets based on our needs and goals.
3 — Learning from the experiences of successful people and modeling their behavior is wise.
4 — Low-calorie diets are against human nature unless there are underlying health conditions requiring calorie reduction.
5 — Human body needs healthy fat and cholesterol for hormonal balance. The amount varies from person to person; hence it requires customization.
6 — Human body needs bioavailable protein for healthy muscles, bones, and hormones.
7 — Finally, diet is not a matter of ethics and spirituality. It is a health matter.
I had debilitating nightmares when I was a vegan and fruitarian, cutting calories and refraining from healthy fats and animal products.
When I started the keto-carnivore diet with time-restricted eating (fasting) in one meal a day regimen, I had lucid dreams showing me the future of humanity.
Eliminating nightmares and sleeping with pleasant dreams is awesome.
I am grateful to nature for giving me the option to survive and thrive.
I wish I had known about the keto-vegan diet in those days.
If you enjoyed this story and have time, you might also check my experience on other topics reflecting my life lessons.
Healthy, Wealthy, and Happy People Taught Me 10 Valuable Lessons
I wish I had Gone Self-Employed 40 Years Ago for Three Reasons.
Ten Hobbies Enhanced the Quality of My Life over the Past Five Decades
A Glimpse of the 33rd Century Altered My Perspective on Life
I aim to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and write about neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Petechiae, ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
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