I asked an 85-Year-Old Carnivore HER Best Advice
In a Nutshell
An 85-year-old farmer named Maggie credits her carnivore diet with saving her life and enabling her to maintain an active farm lifestyle despite severe injuries and advanced age. Her core philosophy centers on self-accountability over external judgment—"don't bother judging others, judge yourself"—while holding strict standards for personal responsibility and rejecting the need for others' approval. She emphasizes that physical health must be addressed first to heal mind and soul, and warns that losing either land or children threatens human survival.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Maggie shares that her mother taught her: "Don't bother judging others, judge yourself." She emphasizes the importance of not caring what other people think, stating "Don't worry about what other people think. That's not important." She reinforces this by saying "It doesn't matter what others think of you. Don't judge them. Don't worry about how they judge you because people will always judge you." She adds that even children judge their parents, but "What matters is what you think about yourself. Hold yourself strictly accountable. Don't be too lenient with yourself. Yes, love yourself, but, as you know, hold yourself accountable. Fix the problem if it is broken."
Maggie was born in March 1941, making her 85 years old. She has been following a meat-eating regimen for more than six decades, with her mother providing help during the war. Despite having her back broken in two places and 14 broken ribs, she was back on her tractor after 10 days. She continues to work in livestock farming and maintains an active lifestyle, waking up at 5 AM daily to work with cows - even at age 82, she was working four hours before others arrived at 9 AM.
Maggie is presented as an ideal role model for Emma, who has been following a carnivore diet for two years. Maggie offers to buy gloves for Emma and invites her to bring two sisters to help build fences on the farm.
Maggie acknowledges her own addiction to coffee, which they grow on their farm in Colombia. She drinks 9 to 12 cups per day and expresses the need to stop, showing empathy for those addicted to carbohydrates, sugar, drugs, or soft drinks. She notes "I have a lot of sympathy for people who are addicted to carbohydrates, sugar, drugs, soft drinks, or anything, because I am addicted to coffee and I need to stop."
At 82 years old, Maggie states that changing her diet completely saved her life. She explains: "I was so excited to be alive again. Changing my diet completely saved my life. Quite simply, I wouldn't be here today. I got my life back." She notes that her family, including Mac, likely wouldn't have survived the hardest year after losing Allison without following the carnivore system.
Maggie has sayings posted on her bathroom wall, including the former "be nice or leave," though she notes the people who visit now are "really great." She expresses gratitude for meeting the family and watching their children grow. She emphasizes that "there is nothing more important than children" and states: "We only have two origins. We have our land and we have our children. If we lose either of them, we will cease to exist as a human race." Her children used to say "Well, what Mom cares about is cows, crops, and children."
Maggie finds no greater joy than seeing children succeed and start young families, whether her own or others'. She quotes: "All things work together for good" from the Bible, though she cannot recall which book.
Maggie wakes up every morning feeling grateful and blessed, stating "I'm very well" and "I am wonderful, grateful, very grateful, and blessed." Despite the difficult year after losing Allison, she maintains: "We will not stop. We have people to feed. We have 60 families that we support through our own cows." She views each day as new, noting that even during busy periods like birth and harvest times when working around the clock, "the sun rises exactly on time every morning. Even if the sky is gray, you know there's a rainbow somewhere, and this is your day."
When asked if she would trade her life for anyone else's, Maggie responds "impossible" multiple times, indicating complete satisfaction with her life despite its challenges.
Maggie affirms the statement: "When the body is sick, the mind is sick, and the soul is sick." She explains: "You cannot fix the mind or the soul unless you fix the body first," noting that many people lose their hearts, souls, and spirits without addressing their physical health first.
Maggie mentions her 17-year-old Border Collie named Tess, who has been a carnivore since birth and is "still doing her best." She draws a parallel: "It's just like a goat; if you feed it properly, it works hard, and if the animal isn't fed properly, it won't survive. If we don't eat properly, we also won't survive." She concludes that proper nourishment enables anyone to achieve what she has accomplished.
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