Michelle Hurn’s Personal Shift in Perspective
Michelle Hurn shares how her life and career as a registered dietitian were shaped by a major health crisis. After following conventional guidelines for years, she found herself in constant pain, plagued by anxiety, and struggling to maintain her physical and mental performance. Her turnaround began when she radically changed her diet, removing processed carbohydrates and adopting an animal-based approach. What followed was not only physical healing but also significant improvement in mental clarity and emotional stability.
How Michelle Hurn Challenged Nutrition Guidelines
Michelle outlines her early experience questioning conventional nutritional advice during her clinical training. Her doubts grew from observing patients who weren’t improving despite compliance with standard recommendations. From tube feeding formulas in ICUs to standard advice for diabetes, she noticed contradictions between what she was taught and what her patients actually needed. This led her to explore low-carb and high-fat diets more deeply through personal research and clinical evidence.
The Science Behind Hurn’s Nutritional Beliefs
Michelle walks through why she no longer fears red meat, saturated fat, or salt—and why she views sugar and processed carbohydrates as the primary dietary culprits in chronic disease. She explains how LDL cholesterol is misunderstood and why the real danger lies in chronic inflammation and high blood sugar, not naturally occurring fats. She also addresses concerns about vegetables, fiber, and the unintended consequences of plant toxins in people with autoimmune or inflammatory conditions.
Healing From Pain and Finding Performance Again
After suffering debilitating muscle and joint pain, Michelle eliminated carbohydrates and followed a strict animal-based diet. Within one week, her symptoms faded. This dramatic transformation allowed her not only to recover but to return to running at a competitive level. She ultimately won a 44-mile ultramarathon on a carnivore diet, challenging the notion that athletes require high-carb fueling to perform.
Mental Health and Nutrition
Michelle draws a powerful link between poor metabolic health and mental disorders. She explains how ketogenic diets have shown promise in treating depression, anxiety, and even serious conditions like schizophrenia. She shares her own mental health struggles, including suicidal ideation and self-harm, and how stabilizing her blood sugar changed her emotional life. She advocates for offering low-carb diets as a first-line option in mental health treatment.
What Michelle Hurn Learned Writing The Dietitian’s Dilemma
Michelle’s book, The Dietitian’s Dilemma, blends her personal story with an evidence-based critique of mainstream dietary guidelines. She unpacks the origins of these recommendations, tracing back to religious beliefs and corporate influence, and reveals how financial incentives have shaped nutritional education and practice. Her book also includes testimonials from people who improved or reversed serious conditions through diet alone.
Realistic Advice From Michelle Hurn
While she’s a firm believer in the power of animal-based nutrition, Michelle doesn’t advocate for a one-size-fits-all approach. She supports metabolic flexibility and explains how she now uses strategic carbohydrate intake to support her ultramarathon training. For those struggling with health or considering dietary changes, her message is simple—your body has the ability to heal, but only if you’re willing to try something different.
More From Michelle Hurn
https://www.thedietitiansdilemma.net
Instagram: @RunEatMeatRepeat
Twitter: @MichelleHurnRD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedietitiansdilemma
