Life has a way of sneaking up on you.
For me, it happened as my kids grew up and I found myself approaching menopause. I assumed I was “just getting older.” A little weight gain. Less energy. Some aches and pains. Nothing unusual… right?
Wrong.
My doctor delivered a wake-up call I wasn’t prepared for: my early-morning blood glucose levels were rising, and I was officially on the road toward Type 2 diabetes. I was sent to a dietitian, handed pamphlets from the American Diabetes Association, and sent home with a blood glucose monitor.
I thought I was doing everything right. I wasn’t.
PHCI Graduate Apryl Parcher regained her vitality through ancestral principles.
Trapped in the Standard Nutrition Advice Cycle
I followed the food pyramid like I always had. I tracked. I restricted calories. I tried Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, and every “sensible” plan I was told should work.
Instead, my weight climbed.
By 2017, I reached my heaviest weight—over 217 pounds. I barely recognized the woman staring back at me in the mirror. I’d been slim most of my life, and even experiencing gestational diabetes with my last child wasn’t enough to break my carb and sugar addiction.
I blamed myself. I thought I was lazy.I thought I lacked willpower.
Meanwhile, my health continued to unravel.
I developed chronic pain, arthritis, and AFIB, which I assumed was hereditary. Brain fog made simple tasks exhausting. Mid-afternoon naps weren’t optional—they were mandatory. My family was worried. Deep down, I knew I was heading somewhere dangerous.
In 2021, a major AFIB episode landed me in the hospital overnight. I spent the next year on medication, still without real answers.
Searching for Solutions That Actually Worked
Determined to fix things naturally, I went all-in on what I thought was “clean eating.” I joined a group of foragers, bought an expensive blender, and drank daily green smoothies loaded with organic fruits and vegetables.
I stuck with it for an entire year.
And somehow… I felt worse.
That’s when everything changed.
My oldest daughter started sending me videos from Mikhaila Peterson, Jordan Peterson, Dr. Ken Berry, and Dr. Anthony Chaffee. They talked about ancestral nutrition, metabolic health, and what Dr. Berry calls a Proper Human Diet—Paleo, Keto, and Carnivore.
At first, it sounded radical.But honestly? I had nothing left to lose.
With grandchildren entering our lives, I knew I wanted to be present, energetic, and healthy. Not sidelined by chronic disease.
Embracing the Carnivore Lifestyle
In October 2023, my husband and I committed to the Carnivore diet.
We already loved meat and weren’t eating many starchy vegetables anyway, so the transition felt surprisingly natural. Within two weeks, something remarkable happened: my blood pressure and heart rate normalized.
Then the lab results came in.
My A1c was 7.6—solidly in Type 2 diabetes territory. My triglycerides were over 300.
My cardiologist panicked and insisted I start diabetes medication immediately, warning me that a ketogenic approach “wouldn’t work.”
I nodded politely.
And kept going.
The Results That Changed Everything
By staying consistent with a carnivore-ketovore approach, my body began to heal.
- My next blood panel dropped me into pre-diabetic range
- By six months, I was down 30 pounds
- By nine months, I’d lost 40 pounds
- Brain fog lifted
- AFIB disappeared
- Arthritis pain vanished
- Diabetes resolved
- Energy skyrocketed
I no longer needed afternoon naps. I felt clear, strong, and fully alive again.
Apryl Parcher's desire to keep up with her grandkids was her motivation for a healthier life.
From Personal Healing to Professional Purpose
As my health transformed, my curiosity turned into passion.
I immersed myself in research and joined Dr. Ken Berry’s Proper Human Diet Community, where I saw story after story of people reversing chronic illness—just like I had.
That’s when I realized something important:
This wasn’t just my healing journey.This was my calling.
I enrolled in the Primal Health Coach Institute and became a Certified Primal Health Coach, driven by one mission—to help others escape the same cycle of confusion, shame, and declining health I’d lived in for years.
Why I Became a Primal Health Coach
The Primal Health Coach Institute gave me the science, confidence, and practical tools to guide others through real, sustainable lifestyle change. Not calorie counting. Not deprivation. Not band-aid solutions.
Real food. Real healing. Real results.
Today, I help clients understand their bodies, reclaim their metabolic health, and believe—often for the first time—that healing is possible.
My Message to Anyone Struggling
If you’re dealing with weight gain, diabetes, heart issues, chronic fatigue, or brain fog—please hear this:
It’s not your fault.You’re not broken.And it’s never too late.
My journey started with fear and confusion, but it led me to purpose, vitality, and a career that lights me up every day.
And this is only the beginning.
Connect with Apryl Parcher
- Web: yourhealthcoachforlife.com
- YouTube: @AprylParcher
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