Woman who eats 5,000 calories a day reveals why she removed fruit and vegetables from her diet

Rachel Ashby hasn't touched a vegetable in more than seven years, and says her hair, skin and menstrual cycle have never been better for it.

The 43-year-old, from Hertfordshire, UK, eats up to 5,000 calories a day of meat, eggs and butter, cutting out fruit and vegetables entirely as part of what's known as the 'carnivore diet.'

Ashby, who calls herself the 'Carnivore Coach' on Instagram, told UNILAD the change has completely reshaped her life for the better.

'The biggest benefit has been the transformation in my mental health,' she said, explaining that she used to suffer from severe depression and anxiety and would frequently cancel plans rather than leave the house.

These days, she says that she's 'completely different,' comfortable being filmed for podcasts and photographed for social media.

What does a typical day of eating look like on the carnivore diet?

Ashby doesn't count calories, follow a meal plan or fast deliberately.

Instead, she said she eats intuitively, letting cravings guide her toward different meats or eggs. A typical day might start with 10 eggs for breakfast, move on to around a kilo of chicken wings with salt for lunch, and end with four beef burger patties topped with eggs and cheese for dinner - though she said the amount and choice of food shifts depending on how she feels.

Before making the switch in 2019, Ashby said she dealt with exhaustion, inflammation, joint and knee pain, skin breakouts, thinning hair and blackouts at the gym, along with a menstrual cycle that had stopped altogether.

She claims all of that has since resolved, alongside knee pain that hasn't returned in seven years and a cycle she describes as regular and pain-free.

Is it safe to cut out fruit and vegetables completely?

Ashby argues that plant foods aren't as universally beneficial as they're made out to be, pointing to compounds known as anti-nutrients, including phytates and oxalates, which she says can interfere with mineral absorption.

She also raised concerns about fructose in fruit, referencing research into its possible metabolic and neurological effects, and said she sees no reason to believe she's nutrient deficient after years of eating this way.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend a balanced eating pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Furthermore, U.S. public health agencies and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) echo warnings that a diet high in red and processed meats, combined with a lack of dietary fiber, significantly raises the risk of colorectal (bowel) cancer.

Ashby also credits the diet with visibly slowing signs of ageing, saying her face used to look sunken before the switch and that people now assume she's younger than she is, an effect she says has been boosted by Tallow Glow, a moisturizer brand she founded that uses purified grass-fed cow fat.

She added that her gym performance has improved too, claiming she can lift heavier, train longer and no longer experiences delayed onset muscle soreness.

Asked what might make her stop, Ashby said only one thing would change her mind: "The only reason I would stop eating this way is if it stopped making me feel good and I needed to change it. I'm not part of a cult."

She said the only downside she's encountered hasn't come from the diet itself, but from 'abuse' she receives from vegans online.