A bodybuilding grandmother-of-three has credited her meat-only diet for helping her recover from colon cancer.
Architect, Eva Birath, 62, from Gothenburg, Sweden, says she is in the shape of her life after switching to the carnivore diet – which sees her eat over two pounds of the stuff a day.
Eva first started bodybuilding and competing professionally when she was 40, and followed the high protein low carbohydrate ketogenic diet, which included mainly chicken and rice and protein drinks.
But in April 2017 Eva was diagnosed with colon cancer, and underwent an operation in July to remove the tumour and almost 12-inches of her colon.
Keen to speed up her road to recovery, Eva started to investigate other diets to boost her health and came across the carnivore diet which involves consuming only meat, fish, eggs and water – and a year after overhauling her diet she says she feels better than ever – and it has even affected her libido.
Architect, Eva Birath, 62, from Gothenburg, Sweden, says she is in the shape of her life after switching to the carnivore diet – which sees her eat over two pounds of the stuff a day
Eva has been following the carnivore diet for a year now and says that it has helped her recovery from cancer as her diet is free from sugar and starch, which some claim helps cancerous cells thrive.
Almost instantly Eva says she noticed improvements to her health as her pollen allergy was relieved, her blood pressure went from high to normal, she started to sleep better and had more energy and felt less anxious.
Eva eats around 2,000 calories a day but fasts until midday, only having coffee in the morning and her diet is now 80 per cent beef. She works out four times a week and has gone from 15st 3lb to 12st 12lb.
‘The carnivore diet is only meat, fish, eggs and water, coffee without milk is okay,’ she said.
‘You eat when you are hungry and eat until you are full and drink when you are thirsty. No supplements are required.
The bodybuilding grandmother-of-three has credited her meat-only diet for helping her recover from colon cancer, seen working out with a fellow bodybuilder
Flashback: Eva is seen modelling in the eighties when she would have been in her twenties – around 20 years before she started to bodybuild
‘Before I was on a ketogenic diet with not too much protein, 70g maximum from meat, fish and eggs, I ate lots of butter and cheese and loads of vegetables, berries and nuts.
‘Now, I eat around one kilo of meat and water with intermittent fasting. I only have coffee in the morning and food at midday.
‘I’m so much better off without any fibre. For the first time in my life, my stomach gives me no worries at all. Carnivore is the natural and effortless way to lose fat and get in good shape,’ she claimed.
Recalling the changes she saw, she said: ‘My improvements started after just a couple of weeks, even though I did have some issues with the transition in the beginning.
‘The first thing I noticed was that my allergy for pollen completely disappeared, and after that everything has successively improved.
In April 2017 Eva was diagnosed with colon cancer, and underwent an operation in July to remove the tumour and almost 12-inches of her colon. She is pictured in the year following her recovery
Eva prefers not to cook her meat for very long and says that 80 per cent of her diet consists of beef, pictured
Eva eats chicken hearts as part of her strict meat-only diet, which sees her eat two pounds of the stuff a day
Eva even claims it has improved her sex life, adding: ‘My blood pressure has gone from high, 150/95, to normal, 112/77, my cravings are gone, I’m losing fat, my sleep is much better.
‘I have no more leg cramps, I’m feeling more energetic and at the same time more calm, my stomach is now perfect, my skin, hair and nails has improved, I’m getting more muscular, feeling younger and have more libido.
‘My hypothyroidism is slowly getting better, no cravings whatsoever – only natural hunger.
‘One and a half years ago I was diagnosed with colon cancer and was operated on for that. I had been eating low carb, high fat for about 10 years but not until a year ago I started to feel great with my carnivore diet.
Eva has followed the carnivore diet for a year now and credits it for helping her recover from colon cancer
Eva, seen working out, has been following the carnivore diet for a year now and says that it has helped her recovery from cancer as her diet is free from sugar and starch, which some claim helps cancerous cells thrive
Almost instantly Eva noticed improvements to her health as her pollen allergy was relieved, her blood pressure went from high to normal, she started to sleep better and had more energy and felt less anxious.
‘Cancer cells live off sugar, so to avoid everything with sugar and starch helps to avoid new cancer cells, also avoiding all vegetables has helped to heal my guts.’
The initial change of switching from a ketogenic diet to the carnivore diet caused Eva to struggle with fatigue and light-headedness but this subsided after the first week.
‘I went from a strict ketogenic diet, so all I did was skip the veggies, nuts, berries, dairy and vegetable oils but I felt tired and a bit dizzy for the first week,’ she said.
‘Ribeye is my favourite meat as it tastes delicious and has a good fat balance. I’m about eighty per cent beef but I do eat chicken and shrimps sometimes.
‘People who are overweight, have any health issues or mental problems, should try it. They will be surprised.’
However despite Eva’s claims, some experts have warned against the meat-only diet, with excessive amounts of red meat previously linked to bowel cancer.
The NHS states: ‘Red meat – such as beef, lamb and pork – is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and can form part of a balanced diet. But eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer.
‘That’s why it’s recommended that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat per day cut down to 70g, as this could help reduce your risk of bowel cancer.’
Eva eats a strict meat only diet of which 80 per cent consists of beef. Pictured: The chicken she had for brunch
Pictured: Eva with one of her children, taken approximately 30 years ago before she started bodybuilding
Eva eats around 2,000 calories a day but fasts until midday, only having coffee in the morning and her diet is now 80 per cent beef