Addressing the “Bias”: A Look at Our Founder’s 30-Year Nutritional Evolution

Addressing the “Bias”: A Look at Our Founder’s 30-Year Nutritional Evolution

We recently received a review on iTunes from a user calling themselves the “Bias Policeman.” The critique was harsh, accusing us—and specifically the face of our platform—of cherry-picking studies, ignoring contrary information, and being blindly determined to justify eating meat.

We appreciate all feedback, even the critical kind, but we feel it is important to address this accusation directly. The perspective shared on this channel isn’t born out of blind dogma; it is the result of over 30 years of self-experimentation, clinical work with clients, and a constant review of evolving science. Here is the reality of the journey behind the advice we share.

📋 What’s Inside This Guide

1. The Journey (From Plant-Based to Animal-Based)
2. The Turnaround (Why We Lean Animal-Based)
3. The Science (It’s Not Just Anecdote)
4. Who Should Consider This?

1. The Journey: From Plant-Based to Animal-Based

The bias we are accused of actually comes with a massive dossier of anecdotal evidence and personal trial and error. Our founder didn’t start as a meat advocate. In fact, the journey looked quite different:

• The Early Days: It started in the teenage years with bodybuilding nutrition (chicken, broccoli, oatmeal) and evolved into Atkins and Low-Carb in the late 90s.
• The Paleo & Pre-Med Era: During college (studying biology), the focus shifted to the Paleo diet, influenced by researchers like Loren Cordain.
• The Plant-Based Experiment: While living in Boulder, Colorado—a hub for health trends—he went fully down the plant-based rabbit hole. He was eating raw foods, sprouting seeds, and avoiding red meat.

The Result of the Plant-Based Approach:

Despite the intention to be healthy, the results were alarming. He became incredibly skinny, his blood work did not improve, and his gut health deteriorated. He was experiencing severe gastrointestinal urgency (using the bathroom 6–7 times a day) and had no control over his digestion.

2. The Turnaround: Why We Lean Toward Animal-Based

The shift to a keto and animal-heavy diet wasn’t an ideological choice; it was a survival choice.

• Gut Health: Upon reintroducing animal fats and proteins and removing excessive plant fiber and grains, the debilitating GI issues vanished.
• Bioavailability: We focus on animal products because of the nutrient density—specifically zinc, choline, carnitine, creatine, and Vitamin B12.
• Body Composition & Labs: Comparing photos from the plant-based era to today (in his 40s), the difference is stark. Today, he is leaner and more muscular. More importantly, his blood markers—A1C, insulin, and triglycerides—are significantly healthier now than when he was avoiding meat.

What the Diet Actually Looks Like: To be clear, we are not pushing a dogmatic “meat-only” approach. The diet includes avocados, olives, tubers, fruits, honey, and fermented vegetables. However, the foundation is nutrient-dense animal products: whole eggs, grass-fed meats, and raw dairy.

3. It’s Not Just Anecdote: The Science

The criticism that we “cherry-pick” studies overlooks the nuance in the current scientific literature. We want to highlight a specific paper published in the Journal of Nutrition titled “Friend or Foe? The Role of Animal-Source Foods in Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Diets.”

Notably, one of the authors is Christopher Gardner from Stanford, a prominent advocate for plant-based diets. Even this paper acknowledges:

• Aging & Muscle: Older adults are at risk for sarcopenia (muscle loss) and frailty. Animal-based foods provide the high-quality protein and bioactive compounds (like creatine) necessary to combat this.
• Development: For pregnant women, infants, and adolescents, animal-source foods are critical for proper growth, cognitive outcomes, and bone health.

🧈 The Saturated Fat Nuance

The paper notes that while limiting saturated fat can change lipid markers, no studies have definitively linked it to increased mortality. Furthermore, the food matrix matters—saturated fat in yogurt may act differently than isolated butter or oils.

4. Who Should Consider This Approach?

We believe that while everyone is different, the following groups often see the most dramatic improvements when shifting to a diet higher in animal protein and lower in plant anti-nutrients (lectins, grains, etc.):

• Autoimmune Sufferers: Those with asthma, allergies, or autoimmune conditions often react to plant defense chemicals.
• GI Issues: People with IBS, Crohn’s, or irregular bowel movements.
• Mental Health: Those struggling with anxiety, depression, or mood fluctuations.
• Weight Loss Resistance: The majority of the population is metabolically unhealthy; high-protein, animal-based nutrition is a potent tool for body recomposition.

🥩 Our Final Thoughts

We aren’t dying on this hill because we love the industry; we stand by this approach because we have seen it work—first in our founder’s own physiology, and subsequently in thousands of clients since 2006.

We encourage open-mindedness. If a plant-based diet works for you, that is wonderful. But for those suffering from gut issues, sarcopenia, or metabolic dysfunction, dismissing the benefits of animal products is a disservice to health.

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What has your experience been? Do you feel better with more plants or more animal protein? Let us know in the comments.