Everyone Called Me Crazy! How The "Salmon Queen" Healed Her Autoimmune Disease | GiGi Ashworth

I'm the Sand Queen. I don't care what other people think. My practitioner was like, I have never seen zonulin levels this high before in my life. What on earth do I eat? The problem is everyone is so unique. There's no one-size-fits-all. My kids eat microwaved pizza and chicken nuggets. When I was a kid, I ate whatever I wanted, and here I am, extremely healthy.

As a chef of 20-plus years, I've always been about taste, but it was becoming a father that made me really start to think about function, because I want my kids to thrive and I want to be around long enough to witness it. And it was when my daughter became ill, my wife and I, we struggled to get the right nutrients into her. It was a true wake-up call. That experience is why Pluck was created. So Pluck is a superfood seasoning made with 100% grass-fed beef organ meats blended with organic spices and herbs. The beautiful thing is it doesn't taste like organ meats. It just tastes like the seasoning you're already using, But better, because when you add it, you're adding these bioavailable nutrients that your body can actually use. If you can salt it, you can Pluck it. Learn more at eatpluck.com and save 15% off your first order using code EA15. You're the Salmon Queen. Why salmon?

Salmon is the one food that I turn to for every purpose. So I was diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. I have ulcerative colitis. I have no large intestine. I've got IBS. I've got leaky gut. I've got Crohn's disease. And, when I learned about all of these diagnoses, I was like, what on earth do I eat? So, I went through this elimination phase. And, this was back when I was around 14 years old, which is why I adopted a ketovore diet back then. And now, just fully carnivore for 24 years. I just gave away my age, everyone. Um, that being said, the one food that I found that always made me feel really good and was also delicious was salmon, specifically farm-raised salmon. The wild-caught salmon and I, we're not like best friends because it's not as fatty as farm-raised salmon, and I love fat. So that's why I turned to salmon.

I mean, in my world as a chef, like, it's always about wild salmon. You know, they're always talking about that's the more nutritious. And I noticed that you, you're very pro-farmed. So is it just the fat?

Well, you know, I have visited a lot of salmon farms, and the reason why farm-raised salmon gets such a bad reputation is because back in the 1960s when it first started becoming a thing, there was no rules and regulations whatsoever. Salmon farms were just feeding salmon whatever the heck they wanted and then injecting it with hormones and pesticides and all of that kind of stuff and antibiotics to make it healthier, kind of like conventionally raised cows. And they would just try to fatten them up as quickly as possible and then just selling it. So, they had a lot of different chemicals in them. It just was not regulated. So, after the FDA became aware of such situations and proclaiming that farm-raised salmon is the worst thing on the face of the planet, these farms started to clean up their act. So, a lot of salmon farms, I'm not going to say all salmon farms, have really changed their ways. And now, they feed their salmon things like mackerel and sardines and other healthy fats to really enhance the property of the salmon. And then, on top of that, they live in very clean environments and they test the waters and they use different methods, not antibiotics, in order to make sure that the fish is healthy. So, everything that people are seeing is all dated research or they found maybe 1 or 2 farms that are still practicing negative ways of raising salmon and decided to basically sensationalize those headlines because everyone's trying to find a click these days. But I have my sources of farm-raised salmon that I turn to all the time. I mean, I'm healthy. I get all my blood work done. I got my omega-3s and my omega-6 checked. And if anything, I need to eat more omega-6 fatty acids because my omega-3s are so high.

You're known for eating salmon exclusively, right?

Yeah. I mean, I do, I do put in some beef there here and there. My husband's a hunter, so we have a lot of caribou and moose in our freezer. That has to be eaten because everybody in this house except for me eats out pretty much all the time. I have to force-feed them, which is really sad because this meat is very good. Typically, I exclusively eat salmon. My body only wants salmon. Whenever someone says, what do you want to eat? I'm like, is that even a question? Why are you asking that? Because all I want is salmon. So I'll go in the freezer, I'll see these frozen meats like caribou and moose and bear and elk. And then I see my salmon and I'm like, I'm going to grab a salmon now.

The list of kind of health ailments you, you have experienced and continue to experience from autoimmune, you mentioned celiac, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis. You have no large intestine. You have a host of food allergies, which I have to wonder if that's just connected to the other things, right?

I would assume so. I, I mean, I had lactose intolerance long before I was diagnosed with everything else, but at the same time, you know, I feel like Everything kind of goes hand in hand.

But you're not someone I think on the outside that people go like, oh, she's got a, she must have a host of health issues, right? Where do you see these health issues stemming from? Have you identified that yet?

You know, not really. So when I had my large intestine removed, they couldn't quite figure out what the issue was. They did mention that I had a longer than normal large intestine, and my mom also has that as well. I think it is genetic though, because my mom has very similar digestive issues. I have to God do not really know. My focus though is just making sure that I feel my best every day. Back in like December of 2025 even, that's when I had like a very pivotal moment that made me just all of a sudden do a 180 and I just feel tremendously better. Like from the age 14 until now basically, I had been, you know, toying with different options and different supplements and all of that kind of stuff. And then December just was like a flip of the switch because I got a stool test done and the stool test told me that I had extremely high zonulin levels, which means I have leaky gut. And in fact, my practitioner was like, I have never seen zonulin levels this high before in my life. I highly recommend everyone get a stool test because if you have high zonulin levels, Which means you're going to be bloated after anything that you eat. Like, I'm over here eating a ketovore lifestyle, mostly carnivore, now fully carnivore, and I was still getting bloated except the salmon. That was the one thing that I never got bloated from. And I was feeling terrible and I just felt heavy and exhausted by the end of the day. I mean, I get up very early in the morning, so that could play a factor, but— Then, I started to treat my zonulin levels and I feel like a new woman.

What were those steps?

Yeah. So, when I was talking to my practitioner, she recommended mastic gum, DGL, which is licorice root extract, and zinc carnosine. And then, I did my own research because I was also suffering from really bad back pain and I actually posted a photo of my my X-ray on Instagram and I was like, look at me, I'm screwed up, everybody, because I had fractures all over my back and it just wasn't a good look. And, I actually have scoliosis, believe it or not, didn't even know. And, someone messaged me and she was like, you need to try BPC-157 and TB-500. And, I'm like, what on earth is this? At this point, I'm so desperate, I will try anything. So, if people don't know what that is, it's a peptide. Everyone's talking about peptides these days. They're obsessed. And I have to admit, so am I because I have no back pain anymore whatsoever. And those 2 peptides also helped with my gut health. But I introduced a different one as well called KPV, which is specifically for leaky gut and just inflammation in your body in general. So, those are the peptides that I do and they have completely, completely changed my life.

You were working for like E! Entertainment. You're in front of the camera. You're beautiful. You glow. You like, you have this look that I think people associate with like healthy, you know, got it all together, you know. And yet here you were like suffering. Where did it all kind of start, this path of trying to get healthier?

You know, what's interesting is I have a mentality of Something always worse could be the situation. So, I'm always blessed to have all of my limbs and be alive and all that kind of stuff. So, when I'm suffering from my ailments, I tend to just put a grin on and bear it. And, I've done that my entire life. I don't try to put on this facade of like, woe is me, everyone feel bad for me. I don't need sympathy. That's the word I was trying to get at because I can motivate myself. And I can make sure that I am on the right path. And I know that everybody— not everybody, but I know a lot of people out there have it a lot worse than me. So I'm never going to complain about my issues. I will certainly talk about them and discuss them with other people who might have similar issues. That's why I talk about any of my ailments that I've had in the past is because I wanted to make it a conversation. I wanted people to realize that gut issues, as embarrassing as some can be, need to be spoken about so you can find a remedy for them. Otherwise, you're going to be suffering in silence or you're going to be suffering out loud, and both are not fun. But I started my journey of trying to figure this all out when I was 14. I was actually in boarding school for snowboarding, and I remember just feeling completely terrible. My mom sent me a book about the ketogenic lifestyle because she had been doing the ketogenic lifestyle ever since I was born. I read it, it made perfect sense, and then I went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with all of my ailments. And then I adopted that lifestyle, but then I threw my own tweaks in there because oftentimes the book that I read or that anybody reads, a specific diet book in general, is like a one-size-fits-all mentality. But I think that we are all unique individuals, so we have to take pieces from each book or each article that you're reading. And adopt them, see if they work, treat yourself like your own guinea pig. And if they work, amazing, keep doing that. And if they don't work, get them out of your life and try something new or just stick with what you know works for you. I mean, again, it's all trial and error. Every single day is trial and error. Like tomorrow, I might not feel good like I do today. And if that's the case, well, I'll analyze what I was doing today and see if that's why Tomorrow, I don't feel as good. But oftentimes what happens is something from 3 or 4 days ago that I might have ingested or come in contact with or whatever is now affecting me 3 or 4 days in the future. And I didn't really realize that until I realized eggs and I do not get along. And I remember I got an allergy test and all of these allergy tests tell me, you know, all of the things I'm allergic to, obviously. But eggs was on this list, but I was eating eggs and I like didn't feel off. And then I just like put two and two together because a couple days later I would feel absolutely terrible, tired, bloated, such the worst stomach pain ever. And I would wonder like, what is the reasoning behind this? And then because I'm so in tune with my body and how I process things, I realized that eggs was the culprit. And then I got rid of them, and I am fine now.

Here you're dealing with all these ailments which other people are also processing, right? They might have a skin issue, they might have their hair thinning, there might be a host of things going on. But what sounds different about your story is that it's almost like you have this driving force of like penetrating through all the noise and just going, I'm going to try this, or I'm going to do that. And I think most people are getting stopped in the I don't know where to start. So, where do you recommend people start when they are recognizing all these ailments and just not knowing what to do?

I mean, that's a tricky question to answer purely because there's so much noise. There's so many people talking about these things. I know the answer. I know the answer. I know the answer. But, the problem is everyone is so unique and so different that, like I said, there's no one-size-fits-all. So, what I would recommend Is someone take one symptom that they're feeling right this very second and do a little bit of research on that one symptom in particular. And believe it or not, I have a feeling that what you'll find out is that one symptom might be a couple of different causes. And those couple of different causes might also have the symptoms that you're experiencing, like other symptoms that you're experiencing. So then you have to put 2 and 2 together. Oftentimes this gets a little overwhelming for people though as well. So they tend to need guidance. And if that's the case, you have to go and do your due diligence online if you want to find someone to help you that actually cares about people. They're not trying to sell you something. They have a great track record. They have great reviews. And then you have a conversation with them. Get consults from a million different practitioners or people who have gone through similar issues. And really see which one you connect with. For me personally, like I said earlier, I'm my own motivator, my own self-driver. I don't need guidance from other people. I have my master's in nutrition. I know how to do research for myself, and I am A-okay with treating myself like my own guinea pig. And I think part of it is because I'm really passionate about food, health, nutrition. I was raised by a doctor who was equally as passionate. So, I am very lucky that I was brought up in this world where food, nutrition, health, and cooking things from scratch was the thing in my life. But, I can understand where it can be very overwhelming for someone who's got a 9-to-5 job, has 3 children, has to cook dinner every single night, has dogs, has other extracurricular activities, they can't sleep at night or whatever it is. I mean, I'm not gonna toot my own horn, but if you guys want to talk to me, I'm here for you because I love to help people kind of navigate where they're supposed to go. Uh, and oftentimes I do get DMs from people really asking for any sort of guidance whatsoever because they know that I've gone through it and they know that I am a no BS kind of person. I will tell you straight up how I feel about Your lifestyle and if it is affecting you. And one thing that people don't really realize is stress is one of the biggest factors for your health. One of my girlfriends, she was going through marriage issues. Let's just call it that. She was taking all of these different prescription drugs. And as she finally realized that her marriage was the true cause of a lot of issues, She stopped taking these drugs and she started to feel better. And then she ended that marriage and now she takes no medications whatsoever. And her, I think it was fibromyalgia, is completely gone. Her joint pain is gone. So stress can really do a number on people. But finding a remedy for stress when you're in the thick of it, Is almost impossible because the world is just so go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go these days. You know, you have to, you know, take minutes for yourself. You have to treat yourself with respect and put yourself before other things. You just do. It sounds selfish, but in order for you to be the best for other people, you have to be the best for yourself.

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Yeah, so orthorexia, I dealt with that when I was first diagnosed with all my issues because I didn't know what route to take. So it was very confusing. And also, at the age of 14, you have skinny supermodels in your face and people telling you that you're fat all the time. So you're like, what am I doing here? So I got really, really, really obsessed with trying to figure out the healthiest route for me. And that is what orthorexia is. It's being truly obsessed with finding out how to be as healthy as possible. Overexercise, or you're only eating leafy greens with the tiniest bit of chicken on top, or whatever it is. But that mentality takes over your entire life. It is all-encompassing, all-consuming, and you can't live a life outside of it because all you're doing is thinking about your next meal, your next workout, or feeling guilty about potentially overeating at your next meal or overeating in your previous meal when, in fact, your body needed some of those calories. So I did deal with that for a long time. I did go through anorexia. I have to pride myself, pat myself on the back, because I have a very, very, very strong mental— I guess, uh, mentality. And my willpower is extremely strong. So I was able to talk myself out of it and give myself pep talks every single day. I have to say, it's probably my favorite trait about me— my drive, determination, me being my own cheerleader. That's what we all have to be for ourselves. And that comes from self-esteem, having higher self-esteem and loving yourself. And a lot of people don't love themselves, and it's because they compare themselves to other people and they think these other people have everything that they want. Comparison is a thief of joy. I learned that a long time ago, probably around the age of 14, 15, when I was diagnosed with these issues. And I realized that I always focus on the positive attributes of myself. Sure, as I get older, I might look in the mirror and I'm like, oh my God, there's some wrinkles, you know? But at the same time, like, I'm still so happy that I feel vivacious and happy and alive. And sure, I've gone through depression in the past. When I lived in Georgia, I now live in Arizona, but when I lived in Georgia, I went through a lot of depression, but it was all environment-related. I was in a city town that Just I didn't fit in with. I felt like I had no purpose. I felt lonely and isolated, and sometimes that's all it takes to get you out of that depressed mental state. Sometimes, I'm not going to say all the time because I do know that depression can really be ingrained in your brain, and you just feel like there is no way out of it. But to go back on what you're saying in regard to someone or some people adopting carnivore lifestyle to. cure their bipolarism or their split personality. Your gut is your second brain. So if your gut is unhealthy, you will most likely have some sort of mental instability because your gut is trying to work hard to figure out its problems. I know when I have stomachaches or pains or whatever, I am not mentally all there because I'm so focused on not feeling good. And not feeling good doesn't exactly translate to a positive mindset. I've done my best to do so. I live with a glass half full perspective and I always have. So I always, you know, smile whenever I don't feel good, but I haven't felt bad in a while, which is great. However, that's not an easy thing to do. Like I said, my willpower is my, my favorite attribute. That literally is the thing that shines in my life because I'd always turn to it. It's not something a lot of people have and it's something that a lot of people need to work on. But, you know, There's just so many factors and layers when it comes to that.

I imagine it's challenging when you have the type of health ailments you've been, you've dealt with. It forces you to kind of be really sensitive to what you eat, right? I mean, because eating the wrong food thing, as you mentioned, is going to create discomfort. And so that focus could sometimes be seen as obsessive around food, but there's a reason why you're being obsessive. So someone could look at an extreme diet like carnivore And be like, well, that's orthorexia, right? So how do you balance that, the past with the present?

I'm very confident. I— and I own everything that I do. So if someone was to be like, oh, you're— or you're orthorexic, I'll say, if that's what you think, that's great. But I know what works for me. I have my ulcerative colitis, I've got IBS, I've got Crohn's disease, I've got all of the things. Would you like me to go through this for you? But I also— I'm not argumentative about it. I'm not defensive about it. I simply say, I'm the Sand Queen, and I make everything a joke. I make everything lighthearted. I don't get upset if someone points fingers at me. I don't care what other people think. Truly don't. I know what makes me feel good, and that helps me just get through life totally fine. Nobody points their fingers at me and says, oh my gosh, you're orthorexic. If anything, people applaud me and my efforts because they know how hard I work and how much I push myself to be the best I possibly can. If anything, I motivate people. I mean, the DMs that I get are so heartfelt and amazing, and they inspire me to keep going because they tell me how motivating I am and how they're adopting new exercises or incorporating more salmon into their diet because I guess maybe they see me and they see that I'm— healthy individual and I'm always so happy and positive and bubbly. And, maybe I'm something that they want to be and they absolutely can do that for themselves. They just have to adopt a positive mindset and eat more salmon because I swear it's what helps with the mood.

It is interesting though because a lot of carnivore people are not eating fish.

No, they're not. That's what's crazy. I'm in a bunch of carnivore groups on Facebook just because I love to input, like give my input when I can. And people are always like, oh my gosh, I'm so sick of beef and salt and butter, like what do I do? And I'm like, salmon, guys, or other seafood. And they're all in shock that I even said that. They're like, that's not carnivore. I'm like, then what do you think it is? It's literally an animal. Like, what? But that just goes to show how People will listen to one person who says eat beef and salt and butter, and then think that that's the way it is. Then they don't do any more research. But it's like no. Once again, you got to be your own guinea pig, and you have to realize that all animals are included in a carnivore lifestyle. Now, if you're doing the lion diet, I think it's just beef and salt and butter, or maybe it's just beef. I don't know, but I don't do that one, so I don't care about that lifestyle.

Do you tend to default to nose to tail, or are you only eating specific parts of the animals?

Oh no, I'm nose to tail through and through. Yeah, my, uh, what I, I specifically eat salmon skin every day. I eat about 2 pounds of salmon skin, and the other pound of salmon that I eat is the flesh or the neck or the— no, I don't really like tails, I'm not gonna lie. I'll eat all of it. And, I am the type of person that loves to eat the whole thing because I hate food waste.

Hate it.

So, yeah, definitely a nose-to-tail kind of person.

What other ancestral practices do you do?

I like to get outside. I like to be with nature. Moving to Arizona has been great because it's just such a different environment that I connect with. Being in Georgia, it was like a jungle and I don't like dewy climates, so I like dry weather. And I grew up in Wyoming, so I was in mountains and stuff like that. And I just like to just soak in the environment and get away from the city and the hustle and bustle. There's a time and a place for that. And then there's also a time and a place for just being out in nature and just feeling, feeling alive in that way and appreciating the world, what it was before the go, go, go, go, go happened.

Some people probably look at you and say, oh, you're an extreme eater. How does that translate to being a mom with kids? Like, did— do you change? Do you cook more than one thing? Are you just transferring what you eat to them? How do you navigate the household when you are eating what some people might think of as Different or extreme?

My kids eat microwaved pizza and chicken nuggets. They're like, Mommy, you're the salmon queen. Can I have some chicken nuggets?

You're pushing on them the foods that might cause the illness that you know.

So here's the thing. When I was a kid their age, 4 and 7, I ate whatever I wanted. I didn't care. I ate donuts, all of these types of things. And here I am, extremely healthy. I know that by my example, my kids will adopt a healthier lifestyle as they get older, but I'm not going to cut them off from anything because, if anything, that's going to cause some sort of eating issue in the future. Because my parents would say, you're not allowed to eat X, Y, Z, Q, R, S. So I would go to my friends' houses and overeat all of that stuff. And that became a very unhealthy relationship. So nothing is off-limits. We do have a sugar day on Saturday once a week because the kids need ice cream. I mean, let's be real, pizza and chicken nuggets isn't exactly the healthiest thing on the face of the planet ever. But, they do eat some of the wild game meat that is in the freezer. But yeah, no, I don't cook anything. Do they eat salmon? No, they don't because my younger child has a lot of weird food allergies as well. And, I think salmon is one of them because it makes them throw up. But I'm not gonna lie, this is gonna sound awful. I hate sharing salmon. So like, if they're not gonna wanna eat it, I'd rather just feed myself.

All right. I have some kind of speed round of questions for you. First thing comes to your head. Food people think is healthy, but you avoid.

Oh gosh. People think that like granola is healthy and I certainly don't eat that.

One ancestral food everyone should eat more of.

Oh, I'm gonna say salmon skin.

I was like literally waiting for it. Salmon. The weirdest reaction you've gotten online?

Oh, this. My eyebrows are weird.

What? How are they weird? What do you mean?

Exactly. My eyebrows are untrustworthy. I'm not one who knows anything about makeup. And I just kind of, when I do my makeup, I put, I just like, you know, darken them. And I guess I do it wrong. I don't know. Oh, I'm like, I never said I was a beauty influencer. So, okay.

Absurd. Absurd. Okay. Best way to eat salmon?

Oh, pan fry it. Make it nice and crispy.

And you would like it with anything specific? Butter or any specific fat or anything like that?

No, because salmon skin is already really fatty. Think like bacon. That's what salmon skin is. So, it's, it's already amazingly juicy and I just like to put some salt on it.

That's it. Raw liver, yes or no?

No.

But you do eat liver, just not raw?

I do eat liver. I don't eat it raw. I'm sorry.

I always ask this of everyone. Um, if you could bring back one ancestral practice, what would that be?

That's tricky. Uh, cooking over fire outside.

Do you ever do that?

Uh, when we're camping, yeah. I think that's fun and it just gives food a different taste that you can't replicate when you're at home.

Well, it's been super fun and informative. I really appreciate Your transparency, and anyone that has not seen Gigi Eats or or any of her channels, you really do have to check her out. I mean, she's unabashedly just candid about who she is, what she does. She's as you can you heard her today. She's very transparent and open. She welcomes questions, feedback, and I think you have one of the healthiest kind of mindsets and just grounded personas that I. Have really met in the influencer space.

Thank you. And I appreciate you wanting me to be on your podcast.

You have 2 cookbooks. Can you just share where people can experience you, where they can support you?

So I have 2 cookbooks on Amazon. Well, actually one on Amazon right now. The other one you can contact me for, 'cause I, I've decided to take it off of there. I started a new YouTube channel called One Tablespoon of I'll Give a F because I don't. But you can also find me at Gigi Eats on Instagram, and same with Facebook. You just Google me and you'll find me somewhere. And I am the type of person that has to respond to every single DM she gets because I can't have an unread notification. So if you want to chat with me about whatever it is, I'm here for you.

Thank you so much for joining me on Everyday Ancestral, and thank you all for joining us as well. Please Let us know what you think. Leave a message. Follow us. Anything just communicate that you are there. We love that. And remember, stay curious. Thank you so much for joining me on Everyday Ancestral. If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe so you don't miss the next one. You can find the show notes, links, and resources mentioned at eatpluck.com. That's E-A-T-P-L-U-C-K.com. And hey, if you know someone who'd get something out of this, share it with them too. Stay curious, live well, and keep it ancestral.