Former vegan claims eating organ meat has helped her get her 'life back'
A long-time vegetarian and sometime vegan who switched to eating fresh meat and organs has made some big claims, saying it’s helped her anxiety, depression and acne.
Liz Seibert, a model and influencer from New York, first gave up meat when she was nine years old.
Since she was in her early teens, Liz had suffered from acne, depression and anxiety. She also suffered from insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and headaches.
Liz felt like she’d tried everything she could to feel better, and it was suggested she take medication, but it wasn’t until she started eating organ meat that she says she started to get her ‘life back’.
Now 23, she’s left vegetarianism and veganism behind under the advice of her nutritionist, who recommended she take organ meat supplements.
She said: ‘I had been eating vegetarian or vegan my whole life thinking I was keeping myself healthy.
‘I felt like I had tried everything. Numerous different mental health medications, countless types of therapies, physical health medications, and even multiple different diets.
‘I think poor diet and lack of proper nutrition were a huge contributing factor to many of my health issues.’
These days, Liz consums organ and ‘high-quality meat’ every day.
In the first month of doing so, she claims that her anxiety, depression, and stomach issues all improved, and within three months, her acne cleared up.
She also says she stopped getting headaches and began sleeping better, and her period also returned after about four months.
Is a meat-heavy diet really linked to better mental health?
Interestingly, there are studies out there that suggest meat eaters may experience reduced instances of anxiety and depression compared to vegans. However, as this study by the University of Southern Indiana points out, it’s hard to conduct research on the topic without reporting bias from meat eaters creeping in. They say more robust studies are needed.
There’s certainly not enough evidence to suggest that being a vegan or vegetarian is guaranteed to make you depressed or anxious. Some people swear that becoming vegan changed their lives for the better, while others very strongly feel the opposite.
That being said, a balanced diet and getting regular exercise have long been associated with improving mental health.
As the Mental Health Foundation puts it: ‘The relationship between our diet and our mental health is complex. However, research shows a link between what we eat and how we feel.’
The Mind website also points out that protein contains amino acids, which are your brain uses to make chemicals called neurotransmitters, which in turn help to ‘regulate your thoughts and feelings.’
So if you are going vegan or veggie, you’ll probably want to make sure you’re still getting amino acids from somewhere, such as:
- Legumes (peas, beans and lentils)
- Nuts and seeds
- Soya products
As for acne and meat consumption, a journal in JAMA Dermatology actually suggested high levels of meat consumption correlated with increased cases of adult acne. But again, different people have different experiences.
The moral of the story? Speak to a registered doctor or dermatologist before taking medical advice from social media.
While Liz thinks her diet is a major factor in how much better she’s feeling, that isn’t the only thing she changed – she’s also incorporated routine exercise, limbic and nervous system retraining, and daily laughter.
The organs she eats the most are heart, brains with eggs, liver, and bone marrow.
Liz said: ‘My whole entire life has changed. I feel alive again. I had been severely anxious and depressed my entire teenage/adult life.
‘This came with eating disorders and other mental health conditions. Not even therapy or medication helped very much or for very long.
‘My relationship with food is incredible. I don’t get headaches, pain, bloating, IBS, my periods are back – I lost them due to low weight – and painless.’
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Liz also takes organ supplements and eats other whole, unprocessed foods on top of her organ-heavy diet.
She says it doesn’t come cheap, but it still costs less than what she spent as a vegetarian, and she’d also needed medications and doctor visits.
Now, she buys her food from farms, which have organs on sale for cheaper than ‘normal’ meat.
She can get a cow heart for about £16 ($20) and a packet of supplements for £41 ($50), both of which can last her almost a month if eaten alongside other meats and food.
She said: ‘My old diet was expensive. I used to eat all of the fancy vegan baked goods, cereals, and almond milk.
‘My new diet is also expensive because I focus on really high-quality animal foods. However, now I don’t have to pay nearly as much for medications and doctors.
‘I’m learning to use food as medicine, and live in a way that supports my body, mind, and soul.’
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