🔴 UFC Fighter Goes Carnivore — Here’s What Happened | Kajan Johnson

In this episode of the Plant-Free MD podcast, Dr. Anthony Chaffee interviews Kajan Johnson, a UFC veteran and trainer, who discusses his transition to a carnivore diet. Johnson shares personal insights about his health journey, improvements in training performance, and recovery speed since adopting the diet. He emphasizes the impact of the diet on mental clarity, gut health, and injury recovery, explaining how this nutritional approach can benefit athletes, particularly in high-intensity sports like MMA.

Key Points

Intro to Kajan Johnson

Kajan Johnson introduces himself as a UFC fighter from Canada, now running a gym that trains youth and future fighters. He reflects on his long career in professional fighting, including travel and competing against top-level athletes.

Switch to Carnivore Diet

Johnson explains how he was inspired to adopt a carnivore diet by witnessing his mother's health transformation after overcoming issues from a long-term vegetarian lifestyle. He discusses the potential benefits he seeks from this dietary change, including enhanced performance in competition.

Physical and Mental Benefits

Since starting the carnivore diet, Johnson reports improvements in gut health, faster recovery from injuries, and mental clarity. He mentions that his energy levels during training have remained high without relying on carbohydrates.

Experience with Recovery and Training

Johnson shares that he has experienced quicker recovery times, even after injuries, attributing his fast healing process to the carnivore diet. He mentions less soreness and better performance in training without the adverse effects he previously encountered when consuming carbohydrates.

Discussion on Energy and Performance

The discussion turns to energy levels during high-intensity fights and training. Johnson states he has not experienced a drop in performance or energy on the carnivore diet, feeling mentally sharper and able to focus better than before.

Concussion Recovery

Johnson and Chaffee discuss the role of a carnivore diet in concussion recovery, highlighting how ketones help reduce inflammation in the brain and could assist with recovery from traumatic brain injuries.

Weight Cutting in MMA

Johnson raises concerns about the traditional weight-cutting methods in MMA. He aims to determine how weight cutting works with a carnivore diet, focusing on hydration and muscle mass retention without excessive carbohydrate intake.

Final Thoughts and Goals

Johnson expresses excitement about returning to competitive fighting and the potential advantages of utilizing a carnivore diet while training. He aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of this dietary approach in the cage.