While some parents find keeping babies on a vegetarian diet to be questionable, what about a strictly carnivorous diet?
One mom has sworn off giving her child anything that isn’t meat. 30-year old Gloria Zasso and her husband, Thomas Zasso, keep their 2-year old son Isaac on a strictly carnivorous diet, The Sun reports. The toddler isn’t allowed any sort of vegetables but rather gets his nutrients from meaty things like bone marrow, raw beef fat, liver, and even raw brains. The child is sometimes allowed fruit, however.
What makes this controversial diet even more interesting is that Gloria was a vegan for the majority of her life. She told the publication that she swore off meat at the young age of 12, explaining she never liked the taste of it.
Gloria became a full vegan at age 24 after she continually kept getting sick with the flu, UTIs, and bronchitis. It immediately helped improve her immune system.
"It was at a time when lots of people were talking about veganism as a way to improve your health, and so I thought I'd give it a go,” the German-based mom explained. "And it worked. I didn't get sick as much, and just generally felt much more energised. I was happy and thriving."
Butt things began to change when she got pregnant in 2017 and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her hands and feet. She was wary about taking medication for her condition and instead looked for more natural ways to cure her pain. This is when Gloria decided to introduce animal products back into her lifestyle.
When she started eating meat again in 2018, she says her arthritis and overall health immediately began improving, though it wasn’t without difficulty. "The thought of eating a steak made me feel like vomiting but I knew I had to try everything to get better, so I went for it," she explained. She later transitioned to a fully ‘raw carnivore’ diet after reading about its benefits in treating autoimmune illnesses online.
"It didn't sound particularly pleasant, but I wasn't eating meat for pleasure anyway, so I thought I might as well try it,” Gloria said. "The first time I did it, I really had to force it down and hold my nose while I ate it - but after that I began to feel better."
Now, her whole family abides by the raw carnivore diet. Gloria says her family only consumed ethically sourced products (like livers, hearts, and lambs) from local butchers. “I feel so much better now. I can live my life again and am able to function, which for a while I could not,” she explained.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t sound like Gloria has grown much fonder of meat. “I still don't love the taste of eating meat - I still see it as a kind of medicine, but one day it might be one I enjoy,” she added. “Now, Isaac and Thomas eat almost the same as I do, and they seem to both enjoy it.”
However, despite Gloria and her family seeing many benefits from their strict diet, experts do warn about the risk associated with eating raw meat, particularly in children.
“In a diet such as this there is no fibre which is not considered healthy at all, especially for a child in early days of development,” Daniel O’Shaughnessy, a nutritionist for The Naked Nutritionist clinic in Harley Street, told The Sun. “Children need nutrients from plants to thrive and grow and ward off deficiencies.
He added, “I would not recommend this diet be mimicked if someone is suffering pain from rheumatoid arthritis. I would suggest someone seeks advice from a health professional before changing their diet to support a diagnosis.”
Before making any major changes to yours or your family’s diet, it’s always wise to consult your healthcare practitioner beforehand.