Florida man says meat-only lion diet cleared psoriasis, ended decades of depression

A 50-year-old Florida man who says he spent decades battling severe psoriasis, pain, and depression credits an extreme “lion diet” with saving his life.Stephen Lashbrook of Pensacola told Fox News Digital that his depression began at just four years old.In his teens, it was compounded by chronic pain and sleeplessness; in his early 20s, he was diagnosed with psoriasis, an immune-mediated skin disease.“I was probably 90% covered in psoriasis,” Lashbrook said.

“My body was just one big, giant, itchy, flaky scab.”Creams, steroids, and other medications did not help, he said. Doctors recommended expensive, long-term injections to combat his inflammation, which left Lashbrook feeling hopeless and suicidal.Then, he came across a TED Talk from Mikhaila Peterson, an influencer and the daughter of Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson, who used a meat-only elimination diet to tackle her own health issues.“It gave me a whole new lease on life,” he said.Lashbrook said he initially cut sugar, grains, fruits and vegetables from his diet. On Jan.1, 2024, he committed to the “lion diet,” a strict carnivore diet variation centered on ruminant animal meat — “your cow, your buffalo, your lamb, your goat,” he told Fox News Digital.Within a week, Lashbrook said his itching and suicidal thoughts stopped and, within a month, his skin began to clear up, and his pain subsided.“I haven’t had one suicidal thought.

I haven’t had any depression.I haven’t had any pain,” he said.

“All my skin issues cleared up.”His current menu consists of only grass-fed ground beef and steak. Lashbrook said he generally eats one meal per day — about 1.5 to 2 pounds of high-fat ground beef, usually cooked in an air fryer.“I feel like I’m reverse aging,” he said.His reported improvements are based on personal experience.Lashbrook said he has not had follow-up blood work or visited a doctor since changing his diet, preferring to judge the ...