In this episode, I sit down with Charlene Anderson — carnivore coach, official Steak and Butter Gal-certified coach, retro model, and owner-designer of the Etsy shop Handmade Retro Top Shop. Charlene has been eating a carnivore diet since 1998 — decades before it had a name, a community, or a hashtag — and she's used it to fight over 100 health issues, the four biggest being Lyme disease, amenorrhea, degenerative disc disease, and trichotillomania, along with binging and purging.

Charlene brings something rare to this space: nearly three decades of lived carnivore experience that began out of pure necessity, not trend. Her story starts almost at birth — weaned off breast milk at three months, reacting to every formula, then a childhood of recurring strep throat, constant antibiotics, asthma attacks, and allergy shots, all inside a family steeped in conventional medicine that never felt right to her. It's a story of what it actually costs to heal — financially, socially, and emotionally — and what a life rebuilt on the other side can look like.

Here's what we cover in the episode:

Charlene's childhood health foundation — formula reactions at three weeks old, a doctor grandfather with an overflowing medicine cabinet, preventative antibiotics every winter, and severe allergies to almost everything
The day in second grade when trichotillomania began — pulling out every eyelash and eyebrow by the end of story time — and how it followed her through school, college, and working life for decades
How she and her husband Joe finally landed on a way of eating that quieted her conditions — and what changed
The real cost of healing: downsizing from a big house to a 360-square-foot condo, keeping one car, and being among the last to get a cell phone so they could afford to eat the way their bodies needed
Losing family members who stood against their lifestyle — and why Charlene urges anyone without family support to find community among the many types of carnivore and animal-based groups
How deconstructing clothes with zero sewing machine experience turned into a handmade retro clothing business — from first eBay listings to movie producers, calendar shoots, and professional models wearing her designs
Why her Rosie the Riveter-style hair wraps became her signature product — something anyone of any age, size, or gender can wear
Returning to roller skating after decades away — the wobbles, the falls, the weekly videos set to a song that matches the feel of the week, and the joy of losing all track of time

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

Connect with Charlene:

Instagram: @charlene_anderson_andersen

YouTube: @charlene_anderson

Etsy: Handmade Retro Top Shop

Timestamps:

00:00 – Find Your Carnivore Community

00:58 – Meet Charlene Anderson

02:23 – A Rough Start: Formula & Antibiotics

03:37 – Second Grade: Trichotillomania Begins

04:40 – Asthma, Allergies & Hated Shots

05:50 – Teen Years: Acne, Back Pain, Fatigue

07:04 – Summer Camps & a Tick Bite?

09:01 – College: Periods Stop, Darkness Sets In

09:58 – Chemicals, Stress & Meeting Joe

12:32 – The Meds That Triggered Binging

15:58 – Steak & Eggs: Old Hollywood's Secret

18:07 – Allergy Shots That Paralyzed Her

20:13 – The Lyme Disease Diagnosis

21:03 – Healing Hurts First

22:27 – Egg Yolks Bring Her Period Back

24:20 – Binging & Purging Before the Wedding

26:32 – August 1998: Going Full Carnivore

27:10 – Six Years to Find Ribeye

30:26 – Her Exact Protocol Today

34:42 – Meat Storage Secrets

37:38 – Meal Timing & Family Rhythm

39:35 – Losing Family, Finding Community

41:02 – Failures Are Trophies

43:55 – Building Handmade Retro Top Shop

49:22 – Roller Skating Joy

52:08 – Where to Find Charlene

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.