Memorial Day, Carnivore, Lt Michael Murphy

Honor, Health, Dedication

For the majority of my life, I’ve been health and fitness conscious. Throughout grade school and high school, I played many of the traditional sports such as baseball, football and basketball. I was a pretty good high school athlete--never great, but pretty good.  

In medical school I found time to train, lifting weights and running as often as my schedule would allow.  I made training a priority--not only to stay in excellent physical and mental shape, but also because I was set on impressing a beautiful nursing student who could be seen doing sit-ups from the pullup bar at Observatory Hill gymnasium at The University of Virginia (this nursing student, Ann, eventually agreed to go out with me, and ultimately became my wife and the love of my life).

Unfortunately, as time passed, my commitment to fitness began to wane as I was devoted to raising a family, increasing responsibilities with my medical practice and managing our herd of pure-bred Angus cattle.  My diet also suffered as I ate the standard American diet based on the government-sponsored food pyramid and dietary guidelines (processed foods, sugar, seed oils, grains and many high carbohydrate fruits and vegetables promoted by BIG FOOD). My weight ballooned to over 200 lbs., my clothes fit poorly, and I started feeling old.

I was not satisfied or happy with my appearance or physical conditioning. I distinctly remember seeing a photo of myself in a bathing suit and I looked awful.  While I invested in exercise equipment, ran suicides with my kids at their practices, and continued a somewhat active lifestyle, I couldn’t out-train a bad diet—at least not on my own.

Thankfully, my wife joined a traditional gym and I followed her there. Cross training and lifting weights once again became part of my daily routine.  We would go to the gym as a family, and as my children were older, they proved to be challenging workout partners.

I got in better shape, had more energy, and eventually switched to a whole food, unprocessed diet.  I lost approximately 20 lbs over the next several months. My clothes started becoming baggy and some friends commented that I was losing TOO much weight!

A year or two into my fitness journey, my children started talking about CrossFit.  CrossFit is a strength and conditioning workout that is made up of functional movement, performed at a high intensity level.  Typical classes are divided into two parts: the first focuses on a skill, or strength work, and the second asks athletes to perform the workout of the day (“WOD”).  WODS are structured for athletes to (i) perform a set amount of work as quickly as possible, while safely maintaining proper form, or (ii) perform as much work as possible in a set amount of time (as many rounds as possible “AMRAP).  Athletes are encouraged to compete against other members, as well as their own past performance.

At first, I resisted trying it out, thinking the specialty gyms were over-priced. But with the kids gone, my workouts were becoming stale and uninspiring. I needed some motivation and competition!  When my oldest son was home visiting, he convinced me to go with him to a workout at CrossFit WAR in Warrenton, Virginia. I’ve been hooked ever since, finding that the sport fulfills my competitive spirit, and has allowed me to meet some amazing people in my community, many I now consider to be good friends, and motivators.  I only wish that I had discovered this lifestyle and community years earlier!

As time passed, I worked out harder, and trained more than I ever had before.  I signed up for competitions with my sons, competing in divisions with much younger athletes. I also competed in the CrossFit Open, and with the help of Crystal and Justin (from CrossFit WAR) and my family, I ranked in the top 100 athletes for my age group world-wide.

Unfortunately, an old shoulder injury from years of hard farm/ranch work, traditional sports and self-neglect hindered my abilities to perform certain overhead lifts.  While CrossFit greatly improved my body composition, gave me more endurance, strength, and energy, it could not heal my shoulder. I eventually underwent an arthroscopic “clean out” procedure. The surgeon said it looked like an IED had gone off in my joint, and he recommended shoulder replacement surgery due to all the osteoarthritis.  As the patient in this situation, I respectfully ignored this medical opinion.

During this time, I became the Vice President of the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA).  Dr. Shawn Baker was an invited speaker at the annual meeting in Billings, Montana.  I had heard of Shawn prior to the meeting and knew he was a proponent of a total CARNIVORE diet. Until I met Shawn, I had dismissed this diet as it was contrary to the nutritional ideology that we were taught in medical school (fat bad, carbs good, and other lessons from the very misguided Dietary Guidelines). 

Thankfully, Shawn was able to change my mind.  His speech at the annual meeting was very inspiring, and he is a true believer and friend to the BEEF industry. He is also an absolute physical specimen of a man who holds several world records and consumes primarily RED MEAT.

I left this meeting, and my conversation with Shawn realizing that while I was in the best shape of my life and could hang with the young guns in a CrossFit class, I was slacking on my diet.  At that time my weight was sitting around 190 lbs, my triglycerides were elevated, with a low HDL cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure (even while on medication).  Despite working out regularly I was developing METABOLIC SYNDROME. Well, Shawn convinced me to go FULL BORE CARNIVORE! Thank you Shawn Baker!

Ann and I started our Carnivore journey on January 2, 2019, and can attest that it is an amazing anti-inflammatory diet. Within weeks my weight was dropping (increase lean/fat), my mood and sleep had improved, and my body was feeling great with loss of stiffness and arthritic pains, my GI bloating and acid reflux symptoms resolved. I also noticed that my mental clarity, speed of recall and memory dramatically improved on CARNIVORE.

Three months in, I became lightheaded and dizzy when working in the yard. Ann checked my blood pressure which read 86/50. I immediately stopped taking antihypertensive medication and my BP has remained normal ever since. My weight dropped to a to a lean 175 lbs., my Triglycerides went from over 300 down to 70 and my HDL (protective) cholesterol rose from 33 to 78.  My total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol stayed the same (in the 220 and 140 range respectively) -- I couldn’t care less about TC/LDL , but that’s an issue for another substack.

While misguided dietary alarmists might claim that I’m going to die from heart disease because I eat a diet primarily consisting of red meat, they could not be more wrong.  The CARNIVORE diet literally saved me from chronic hypertension, pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome and many other potential chronic illnesses.

In addition, my shoulder has improved tremendously by following a mostly carnivore diet (yes I do cheat some but usually with lower carb fruit).  The combination of a meat-based, carnivore-ish diet, rehab exercises done before each workout, and avoiding the overhead exercises that flare up my arthritis has allowed me to live a healthier life, free of pain.

This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day. As is the annual tradition in the CrossFit community, I took part in The Memorial Day MURPH. CrossFit athletes from all across America do MURPH (a hero WOD) in honor of LT. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL that gave his life to save fellow SEALS on a mountain in Afghanistan, June 28, 2005. (Also honoring all the American hero’s that have paid the ultimate price for our liberty and freedom) This grueling workout consists of:

1 mile run

100 pull-ups

200 push-ups

300 air squats

1 mile run

Performed in a weighted vest- 20 lbs. men, 14 lbs. women

Well, I “did” MURPH on Saturday with other members of CrossFit Culpeper and at 61 years old, I recorded a personal best (no weighted vest for me this year) time of 34:05. Lord knows if all that red meat had clogged my arteries, I’d have killed my self well before completion.

We honor you LT Michael Murphy as well as all our service men and women! You are our true heroes! Our nation is indebted to all your sacrifice! May GOD BLESS you!