She’s tooting her own horn.
A vegan turned carnivore is crowing that her “high-fat” diet caused her to lose 30 pounds of body fat, cleared her cystic acne, psoriasis and eczema and extinguished her farting, brain fog and premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
Juilliard-trained concert pianist Isabella “Bella” Ma bit into a stick of cold, unsalted butter as she recently explained her juicy secret on TikTok — she pairs baked chicken wings and 80-20 burgers, made from ground beef that is 80% lean meat and 20% fat, with butter and her special “golden jello” recipe.
“The best food for skin, hair, nails and anti-aging,” said Ma, who goes by “Steak and Butter Gal” on social media.
“Golden jello” is made by placing oxtail and chicken drums in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes. The meat is removed, and the remains are chilled in a refrigerator overnight to form a “collagen-filled gelatinous bone broth.”
A previous version of Ma’s diet plan included sunny-side-up eggs fried in beef fat and Gerolsteiner sparkling water to “maintain 30-pound fat loss, clear skin, zero brain fog and perfect poops.”
Ma has embraced the carnivore lifestyle since at least 2019 — it’s recently become more popular as influencers like her share success stories on social media.
But the trend has sparked mixed reactions within the medical community.
Red meat, butter and cheese are high in saturated fat, which can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.
And while it’s good to decrease intake of sugary and refined carbohydrate foods, fruits and vegetables are a rich source of fiber and essential nutrients that can help lower the risk of chronic diseases, manage blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, aid weight management and improve digestion.
In a 2023 post, Ma reported that she had avoided fiber and vegetables for four years. She said she didn’t suffer constipation, though she admitted she needs to use the bathroom less often.
In the comment section of her recent post, Ma’s TikTok followers expressed concern about her claims and pointed out that farting can be a sign of a healthy gut.
“No longer farting is more unhealthy than good,” one person wrote.
“Are you eating your jelly like that as is??? I cannot stomach the smell and taste,” another shuddered.
“Good job at contributing to one of the most polluting industries,” a third declared. “A carnivore diet is sooooo selfish. Our earth is dying.”