At age 50, Florida resident Stephen Lashbrook says an extremely restrictive diet built around beef transformed health problems that had followed him for decades. The Pensacola man credits the meat only regimen, known as the lion diet, with easing severe psoriasis, chronic pain and depression.

Lashbrook told said that his depression began when he was 4 years old. During his teenage years, he also experienced chronic pain and sleeplessness, and he was diagnosed with psoriasis in his early 20s.

The condition became extensive, according to Lashbrook, affecting nearly his entire body. “I was probably 90% covered in psoriasis,” he said. “My body was just one big, giant, itchy, flaky scab.”

His search for another approach eventually led him to a TED Talk from Mikhaila Peterson, an influencer and the daughter of Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson. Peterson had used a meat only elimination diet to address her own health problems.

Lashbrook began by removing sugar, grains, fruits and vegetables from his meals. On Jan. 1, 2024, he committed fully to the lion diet, a strict variation of the carnivore diet centered on meat from ruminant animals.

He described the permitted meats as “your cow, your buffalo, your lamb, your goat.” For Lashbrook, however, the current menu is even narrower, consisting only of ground beef and steak from grass fed cattle.

Lashbrook said changes appeared quickly after he adopted the diet. Within one week, he reported that his itching and suicidal thoughts had stopped, while his skin began clearing and his pain diminished within one month.

“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 eating schedule is similarly restrictive. Lashbrook generally eats one meal each day, usually about 1.5 to 2 pounds of ground beef with a high fat content, often prepared in an air fryer.

Despite those reported improvements, Lashbrook has not had follow up blood work and has not visited a doctor since changing his diet. His assessment is based on how he feels rather than medical testing conducted after the dietary change.

He also acknowledged that his approach may not suit others. “Everyone's different,” Lashbrook said. “Not everybody needs to be on a lion diet. ... I'm a very specific case.”

Dr. Michael Aziz, an internist and regenerative medicine specialist in New York City, cautioned that feeling better after removing sugar and highly processed foods does not prove that a carnivore diet treats psoriasis or other chronic conditions. He also warned that immediate results do not reveal possible consequences over time.

“Many people judge this diet by their success, by their weight loss, but they don't look long-term at their lifespan, how it can be affected by those diets,” Aziz said.

Aziz identified the absence of fiber as a major concern with diets centered on carnivore foods. “They can lead to problems like constipation. They can lead to kidney stones. They can lead to increased risks for heart attack and stroke,” he said.

Meat and protein focused diets have recently attracted attention online and in mainstream discussions as people seek to eliminate highly processed foods. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he follows a carnivore diet centered on meat and fermented foods, claiming that it helped him lose weight and improve mental clarity.

Kennedy, like Lashbrook, has acknowledged that his personal approach may not be appropriate for everyone. Medical experts have also cautioned that the effects of following a carnivore diet over an extended period remain unclear.

Lashbrook is scheduled to discuss his experience at Carni-Con, a virtual convention focused on carnivore diets. Running from Sept. 18 to 20, the event features doctors, creators and other advocates of the dietary approach.

For Lashbrook, the personal accounts remain central to the conversation. “The stories are what's most important,” he said, as he prepares to share his own account of severe symptoms, dietary restriction and reported relief.

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