A woman says she is healthier than ever despite not eating fruit or vegetables for over a year.
Laura Sliazaite shared her experience after a new study revealed yesterday (7 August) that the average Brit can go as long as three weeks without eating a single green vegetable, and up to one month without fruit.
A former vegan, she once ate a diet of raw plant-based food, largely consisting of uncooked vegetables and fruit, but says she struggled with high blood sugar levels and being unable to sleep properly.
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The 39-year-old, from London, now eats an extremely limited diet of just meat, fish, eggs, cheese and fats reports noticeable incredible health benefits.
“I am living more than a year with no fruits and no vegetables,” the IT professional told What’s The Jam.
“Fruits and vegetables are highly GMO [genetically modified organism], sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, glyphosate and that causes a lot of issues in our digestion system.
“Meat has all the nutrients we need, so you can go way longer without fruits and vegetables.
“It’s definitely possible to stay away from fruits and vegetables forever.”
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The research, conducted by MyFitnessPal, found that half of Brits (50%) suffer digestive issues.
One in 20 suffer from regular heartburn (17%), while constipation (15%), IBS (15%) and diarrhoea (14%) are also common issues.
But Laura insists her extreme carnivore diet has made her healthier than ever.
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She claims her eczema, joint pain and inflammation have gone, the bleeding in her gums has stopped, and she noted positive changes to her mood and anxiety levels.
Laura said: “After the first 30 days [of this diet], I started feeling so amazing, full of energy, and my digestion was better.
“I decided to do 100 days, and by the time that had finished I knew this was going to be my lifestyle.
“Now it’s been more than a year, I can definitely say that for the first time in my feeling, I’m feeling like a human being.
“I can see how my body has healed and is continuing to heal.”
After not touching meat for 13 years, Laura slowly introduced different food groups back into her diet, before deciding to commit to a carnivore diet for 30 days – to see once and for all if meat was the enemy.
While critics said she would “die from a heart attack” if she continued the extreme diet, Laura said the benefits have been endless.
She added: “I feel the carnivore diet changed something in my brain.
“My sleeping issues completely disappeared, so now I touch the pillow and I am out, and I wake up before my alarm – whereas before I would barely sleep three hours a night.
“I had eczema and body itchiness my entire life, sometimes so bad it felt like my body was on fire – this has disappeared.
“My body shape has improved – I didn’t really lose any weight, but my inflammation went away.
“All my digestive issues like bloating, cramps and acid reflux have gone.
“My hair has never been more shiny, and even my eyesight has improved.
“My energy is always stable now – I don’t have the dips where I need a snack or get coffee.
“I used to get colds quite often and get cold sores on my lips, but haven’t had that for the last year – even with people around me and at work getting sick.”
Dr Nabeel Arshad, of The Brooke Surgery in Greater Manchester, said: “A diet with no fruit or vegetables is not advisable.
“The reason is that fruit and vegetables are packed full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients such as folate, potassium, vitamin C, etc.
“They also have a great source of fibre and water, so you’re getting essential vitamins for the body and also the right support for your bowels to move and keep your body healthy.
“Fruit and vegetables can also help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and even some specific types of cancers.”
Dr Arshad warns that people not eating fruit and vegetable may face health risks, adding: “In the short term, you might have constipation and poor bowel movements which can leave you feeling sluggish, less energetic and even affect your mood.
“Your skin and nail health can also be impacted by the lack of fruit and vegetables in your diet in the short term.
“In the long term there are also health risks – for example, if you look at the past, people who didn’t have vitamin C used to develop scurvy.
“If you’re not having fruit and veg and having a balanced diet, your risk of heart disease can be greater as well as strokes and some types of cancers.”
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