米哈伊拉·彼得森 (Mikhaila Peterson) 讲述了她通过爱、母爱和拯救她生命的独特饮食而实现的转变历程。她也不避讳谈论她和家人面临的强烈批评，以及他们如何学会克服这些批评。
作者：Carmen Schober 2024 年 7 月 16 日
米哈伊拉·彼得森已经成为家喻户晓的名字，不仅因为她是世界著名心理学家乔丹·彼得森的女儿，还因为她作为一名 拥有超过一百万订阅者的 播客主持人、一位女商人以及一位坚定地倡导将健康掌握在自己手中的倡导者，开辟了自己的道路。
在经历了痛苦的离婚和单身母亲的生活后，米哈伊拉与 乔丹·富勒找到了第二次爱情的机会。今年，他们迎来了儿子乔治，与姐姐斯嘉丽一起开启了他们人生的新篇章。与此同时，米哈伊拉的影响力也达到了新的高度。
米哈伊拉·彼得森： 我认为我注意到他最大的一点是他让我感到安全。我想我从未经历过一段让我感受到如此强烈“安全”氛围的恋情。和人约会，很兴奋，但同时又有其他的氛围，或者可能有一种危险的氛围，当年轻时，会忽略，诸如此类。但他是我遇到的第一个让我感觉“哇，身上有这种安全感”的人。
所以我注意到了这一点，他非常有干劲。他非常能干。他有惊人的道德准则。他是一名基督徒，而我当时对基督教并不熟悉。但我认为我也从他的安全感中察觉到了这一点。他想要孩子。他想结婚，他很快就明确表示了这一点，这非常浪漫。他很有趣。他很聪明。而且他很帅，所以这很有帮助。
CS： 是的，这有帮助。
MP： 我想，他基本上就是我所寻找的一切。所以这很明显，这就是我们这么快结婚的原因。
MP： 我想他认识我三天后就意识到他想娶我。然后就很快了。几周后，我们通电话时，他问我是否想结婚。当时我开车，差点撞车。我列举了一大堆理由，说结婚是个坏主意。
我说：“你不知道自己会遇到什么。首先，我们认识两个星期了。其次，我一直在工作。我和我爸爸关系很亲密，这很奇怪。我不想帮你洗衣服。”我马上就告诉了他。不过，事情已经变了。但一开始，我说：“我不知道你是否想让我成为……
CS： 传统妻子？
MP： 是的，传统妻子。如果这就是他想要的，而我当时想，我不会那么做。但我确实想要孩子和所有这些事情，但我想，“我有工作。我不会就此转为全职妈妈。”所以我试着给他很多理由。我还说，“我离婚了。”这是一个重要的原因。“我有一个孩子。”另一个重要的原因。
当我离婚时，我不知道再开始一段感情有多容易。我想那时我 29 岁，我想我已经有点放弃了。所以我给了他一大堆理由，告诉他这不是一个好主意。他说：“是的，我知道。不过没关系。”
CS： 他这么快就知道了？
MP： 他都知道。无法阻止他。没有什么可以阻止他。
MP： 我想是的。我当时已经到了完全不需要隐瞒自己身份的地步。而他，无论出于什么原因，都说了实话，也许这与基督教有关，但他知道自己想要什么。所以我们俩都对彼此坦诚相待。我认为，如果他直接告诉他是谁，就可以省去很多时间去了解对方。
CS： 没错。现代约会中，很多人只是试图猜测对方可能想要什么。都会想，“嗯，我想要这个，你想要那个。这些是同一件事吗？”
MP： 是的，确实如此。这样就省去了很多时间。我们很快就结婚了，但在此之前，我们几乎每天 24 小时都见面。所以，我们并不是随便约会几年来了解对方。我们经常见面。
我们俩都坦诚相待。我认为，如果他直接告诉他是谁，就可以节省大量时间去了解对方。
MP： 两周后他就求婚，这让我很吃惊，但我真的很喜欢他，所以这似乎是个好主意。我觉得我也在考验他，就像问他 “有多想要这样？” 之类的。我也觉得和猫王结婚很有趣。后来我们举行了一场盛大的婚礼，邀请了家人和朋友，但他也想快点结婚，因为他是基督徒。我们不想做错事。我们认为这比去法院要好。
CS： 嗯，这些照片很有代表性。你穿着那件漂亮的彩虹色连衣裙，还有猫王的标志。我只是想知道是否有特别的原因，比如你是猫王的超级粉丝吗？
议员： 我喜欢猫王。这肯定起了一定作用。我从小到高中一直听猫王的歌。我知道他所有的歌。所以这确实是一个因素，但我并不是一个狂热的粉丝，我不会说“我需要一个假猫王来帮我结婚。”
CS： 你喜欢 奥斯汀·巴特勒主演的猫王电影吗？
MP： 我觉得他的经纪人的角色很有趣。我不知道他基本上不能离开美国，而且有点受经纪人的支配。这很可悲。我没想到他的经纪人有这么大的控制力。就像，都知道猫王的故事很悲惨，但那绝对是黑暗的。
MP： 不要急于和任何人上床。这是最重要的。不要到处上床。不要急于和别人上床，列出自己在寻找的东西。我小时候，我爸爸教我写下一份清单，列出自己需要别人具备哪些特质才能建立良好的关系。可以是任何自己想要的，但要在脑子里明确这个想法。然后相信自己的直觉。我认为，当年轻的时候，这一点更重要，因为没有太多与人交往的经验，甚至只是与人共事。相信自己的直觉。
如果在寻找人或吸引人方面有困难，那就努力改善自己。变得更健康，有规律的睡眠，自我教育，提高自己，就会被吸引。
我小时候，我爸爸教我写下一份清单，列出需要别人具备哪些特质才能与你建立良好的关系。清单可以是任何想要的东西，但必须在脑子里明确这个想法。
MP： 我认为不必太过认真地审视自己就知道这感觉不好。尤其是作为一个女孩，我不知道这对男孩来说是什么感觉，但作为一个女孩，感觉就是不好。我认为应该注意这些事情。还有怀孕的风险，这是需要认真对待的事情，特别是如果没有采取避孕措施，也不应该采取避孕措施。
但大多数情况下，只会伤害自己的灵魂，不会让人认真对待自己。不会让人更喜欢。作为一个年轻女孩，会想，“哦，如果和他睡，他会更喜欢我。”我甚至不认为会这样。可能起到相反的作用。
这也是一条很好的界限，可以判断某人是否真的对自己感兴趣，因为如果真的感兴趣，而你又设下了一些界限，比如“我想等”，那不应该成为阻止他和你约会的原因。如果是这个原因阻止了他和你约会，那么他就不是那么认真。所以，从逻辑上讲，这不是一个坏界限。
MP：狮子饮食只吃反刍动物的肉，也就是任何有蹄子和四个胃的动物。牛、羊、野牛之类的。所以狮子饮食法就是只有那种肉、红肉、盐和水。我把这推广为一种排除性饮食法，帮助人们弄清楚食物敏感性。
我之所以会这样想，是因为我从小就患有幼年型类风湿性关节炎。我 7 岁时被诊断出患有此病，这让我非常痛苦。我忘了提到这，但我生命中确实有一段时间坐在轮椅上。我没有提到那段时间，因为那段时间很短，而且我猜那段时间并没有真正对我的心理造成影响，所以我忘记了那段时间，但我昨晚一直在想这件事。我生命中有两个时期坐在轮椅上。17 岁时，我做了髋关节和踝关节置换术。
我从 7 岁开始接受主流医学治疗，直到 23 岁才开始注意饮食，但病情却越来越严重。23 岁时，我开始服用抗生素治疗慢性皮疹。我服用抗抑郁药治疗严重的抑郁症，抑郁症比关节炎严重得多。我患有特发性嗜睡症，这是慢性疲劳的别称。我一直从头到脚发痒。后来我又患上了关节炎，而且一直没有好转，我服用了一堆药物。
后来，我的一个表妹死于自身免疫性疾病，她的皮疹与我开始出现的皮疹相似，我想，“这会要了我的命。”患有自身免疫性疾病的人死得更早。其中许多人不能生孩子。这真的很残酷。我当时就处于那种境地，我想，“如果我不弄清楚并解决这个问题，我会死的。”这也是医生的预测。
我开始研究饮食，希望能有所帮助。我戒掉了大部分食物，开始采用原始饮食，主要吃肉、蔬菜和一些水果，这改变了我的生活。我的许多关节炎症状消失了，皮肤也开始愈合。三个月后，我精力充沛了。这是由于我采用了自免原始饮食法，但限制性更强。开始这种饮食法一个月后，我就开始停止服用所有药物。
一个月后，我瘦了三磅，但裤子尺码也小了三个号，因为不再腹胀了。我的腹肌显露出来了。腹肌显露出来是因为之前食物敏感导致的腹胀。
然后，时间飞快流逝，我怀上了女儿斯嘉丽，不幸的是，我所有的自身免疫症状又复发了，开始悄悄地复发。当时我还没有服用任何药物，但我非常沮丧。我又开始出现慢性疲劳。
我当时想，“这必须靠饮食。这必须靠饮食。我通过饮食控制了病情，所以这必须靠饮食。”所以我在八个月内戒掉了一切，我能吃的东西越来越少。我当时想，“我知道肉不会让我生病。”我只吃肉，然后想，“我会坚持六个星期。我会试着控制住关节炎。”然后我这样做了，关节炎得到了控制。一切都恢复了，重新引入食物又带来了症状。所以到十一月为止，我已经这样吃了七年了。
患有自身免疫性疾病的人寿命较短。我曾经也属于这一类，当时我想，“如果我不弄清楚并解决这个问题，我就会死。”
MP： 我尝试重新引入高压烹饪、去皮的有机苹果，基本上就像婴儿食品一样，看看是否有效。最终，我的关节炎又复发了，还有一些皮肤症状，所以我停止吃水果。我试过鸡肉，比如健康的鸡，鸡吃的食物是正确的。鸡肉并不可怕，但并没有让我感觉那么好。鱼并不可怕，但也没有让我感觉那么好。所以，多年来，我定期仔细测试，但没有什么比坚持这个饮食更好。
CS： 坚持下去很难吗？还是你只是觉得，“这就是我的生活，我感觉很好，我做到了？”
MP： 我的意思是，坚持了那么久之后，其他食物就不再重要了。一开始，这真的很难，而且很孤独，我觉得自己疯了，有点担心自己会死于维生素缺乏症。一开始并不理想。
但他们开始对此进行研究。哈佛大学的克里斯·帕尔默医生正在研究生酮饮食对精神疾病的作用，所以他们实际上已经开始研究这个问题了。他们并没有专门研究这种饮食，但至少他们正在研究生酮饮食。我认为效果非常好，以至于那些恢复健康的人会告诉所有人，因为他们会想，“这不是很疯狂吗？”就像，如果你在经历了这一切之后感觉好多了，你就必须告诉别人。
大约三个月后，食欲就会完全消失。吃东西只是为了饱腹，然后就饱了，然后就这样了。没什么特别的了。我很怀念出去吃寿司或去可爱的小餐馆的社交活动，但我只去高档牛排馆，所以情况可能会更糟糕。
CS： 我在你的故事里看到你去牛排馆，你让他们不要在牛排上放任何东西，对吗？他们只是把牛排煎熟，然后你把对你有益的调味料放在上面？
MP： 是的，我们通常会点一堆牛排，然后说：“我们有过敏症和自身免疫问题，所以不要黄油、油、盐、胡椒、调味料和装饰。”说实话，在牛排馆里，人们通常知道这种饮食或知道肉食，因为这是牛排馆。所以很多时候他们会说：“哦，肉食者。”
MP： 如果我不必坚持这个，而且健康根本不重要，我几乎可以靠便当盒里的天妇罗、寿司卷、虾、馄饨汤和粉丝生存。
MP： 我认为最大的教训是，如果生活中有问题，包括健康问题，那么必须自己去解决，而且可以去解决。即使当人们来到我的狮子饮食网站 liondiet.com 开始关注健康时，他们要做的最重要的事情就是说：“我将尽一切努力来解决这个问题。”然后他们必须愿意尽一切努力，这可能非常困难。
这是个人责任。必须克服医疗机构强加给人们的心态，即个人无法控制。我小时候就被告知，“你无能为力。我们可以给你这些药物。药有点用。但你什么也做不了。什么也做不了。”
必须摆脱这种心态。总有事情可以做，改善自己的生活，让自己更健康。然后要相信自己能找到答案，然后努力去解决。
CS： 我认为很多人都需要听听这句话。我们经常习惯性地认为，无论做什么事情，我们都需要更多的“许可”，但有时这只是你自己在为自己争取。
MP： 生病的悲哀之处在于，这是你的生命，而不是医生的生命。他们可能关心你，可能想帮助你，但你才是受苦的人，所以你需要自己想办法。这可能需要去看很多不同的专家，但不要只去找一个说“我什么都知道。你不必去找其他不能解决你问题的医生。”要不断寻找。
然后我鼓励人们进行排除性饮食法，只是为了将有的食物从清单中划掉。我知道现在有成千上万的人这样做了，这很疯狂，但这可以缓解疯狂的慢性病、严重的慢性病、自身免疫性疾病和精神疾病。他们中的许多人也能够重新恢复食物，只是确定了是什么引发问题。钻研每一个兔子洞，直到找到答案。
在 Instagram 上查看帖子 > > 必须克服医疗机构强加给人们的这种心态，即个人无法控制。
MP： 她正在这种饮食。我爸也是。我一直在寻找根本原因。为什么我全家都有这些问题？我们找不到遗传问题。我们目前的理论，我认为是准确的，是多伦多一所房子长期接触霉菌。我对霉菌的研究令人担忧。我们认为我妈妈、爸爸和我身上出现的所有自身免疫问题都是霉菌暴露引起的。所以，也许，在未来，我将能够再次吃很多食物而不会出现随机反应。但就目前而言，这种饮食控制一切。
MP： 六个月前我生下乔治后，整个孕期我都坚持吃狮子饮食法。这可不是什么乐趣。我哭过好几次，比如，“为什么我不能吃黄瓜一样的东西，否则会得关节炎？”像吃黄瓜一样的东西，让我休息一下。我认为我认识的人中没有人真正坚持狮子饮食法，特别是整个孕期，因为这真的很难，但我尝试吃其他东西，感觉比有更糟糕。所以，我整个孕期都坚持吃狮子饮食。
CS： 你产后的转变令人难以置信。我看到了乔治出生两周后你的照片，你看起来棒极了。你认为这是狮子饮食的功劳吗？
MP： 哦，是的，当然。这太疯狂了。比如，我有一个 6 岁的孩子，对吧？七年前我怀孕了，但产后恢复得并不像现在这么快。这太疯狂了。这种饮食确实有帮助，但我并不一定会推荐，因为食欲太强烈了。我不认为这是女性在怀孕期间应该做的事情。而且我讨厌吃肉。我很确定我不会因为我的这种饮食而吃肉，但那太残酷了。但我一点也没有增加体重。然后我发现了腹部束带，而我第一次怀孕时没有这样做。所以，狮子饮食和腹部束带产生了巨大的影响。
MP： 如果要我选一个人的话，那可能就是玛丽莲·梦露。我相信每个人都会选她。这是一个很典型的回答，但崔姬也有很酷的风格，但玛丽莲·梦露才是偶像。我从小就喜欢她。
CS： 我认为很多女人都被她吸引。你爸爸有什么时尚偶像吗？他有一些标志性的时尚造型。
MP： 我知道。有些服装我会觉得，“爸爸，这太离谱了。我不喜欢这个，这太离谱了。这个可能太离谱了。”但我认为他从未提到过任何人。
CS： 那么，他只是在做自己的事情。一切都是他自己。这更令人印象深刻。
MP： 我的意思是，他是一个非常令人印象深刻的人。
MP： 我在家里接生了两次孩子。我对医疗系统非常反感。通过饮食让病情得到缓解后，我的医生们一直对此嗤之以鼻，我生气了大约三年。我怒不可遏。我和其他患有自身免疫性疾病的人交谈时也怒不可遏，他们说：“我无能为力。我只能终生服用这些药物。”而我说：“不，你可以改变饮食，而且有效。”
所以，一开始我真的很生气，然后我开始害怕医院。我爸爸说：“说实话，从你经历过的事情来看，这还算合理。”我做过很多手术，所以如果我去医院，我就会开始恐慌。当我生第一个孩子的时候，我还是处于那个时期。然后，我开始研究在家分娩的安全性以及在医院可能发生的所有事情。我想，“我觉得在家分娩更安全。”如果年轻健康，认为自己可以忍受疼痛，心理上也没什么问题，那么接受医疗干预的风险就会更小，因为需要保持冷静。
但我很喜欢。我会再做一次。只是因为没有硬膜外麻醉，所以很疼，但我的意思是，女人要生好几次孩子。你会忘记疼痛。如果真的生了孩子，无论如何都会很疼。如果在家生孩子，那么马上就可以和宝宝待在家里了。
CS： 很多人都想听到更多这样的分娩故事。他们想知道除了医院之外，他们还有更多的选择。
MP： 我做了大量研究，让自己对在家分娩感觉更好。催产素水平会上升，宫缩会变得更强烈，婴儿就会出生。如果皮质醇水平上升，会降低催产素水平。所以，如果在分娩时感到压力，分娩时间就会延长。对我来说，我知道压力较小的地方是家里，而不是医院，医院那里有奇怪的哔哔声和气味，还有人在催你。
MP： 嗯，我可以说，对于我的第一个孩子，我当时的情况一点也不理想。我当时病得很重，身上也没有钱，压力很大。当时我还在上大学。但斯嘉丽给我的快乐比我以前经历过的任何事情都要多。生孩子有一种神奇的感觉，无法用其他任何东西来代替。这太疯狂了。我想说，对于那些担心生孩子的人来说，如果想要孩子，需要关注的最重要的事情就是建立一段良好的关系。当有了孩子，需要有人支持，所以重点应该是找一个好男人。这是最难的一步。但正如我之前所说，人们可以通过努力提高自己，让自己更讨人喜欢、更健康、穿得好、优雅，以及为某件事而努力来做到这一点。因为如果找到了一个男人，一个合适的男人，那么生孩子就不成问题了。通常情况下，应该能够解决问题。
斯嘉丽给我带来的快乐比我以前经历过的任何事情都要多。拥有孩子是如此神奇，你无法用其他任何东西来代替它。 > > 在 Instagram 上查看帖子
MP： 我一点都不在乎，所以这不会困扰我。我记得在 2019 年左右，我对 Twitter 和 YouTube 上的一些东西感到恼火，所以这曾经困扰过我，但已经过去很久了。我在母亲节那天和乔治一起发布了这张照片，乔丹拍了这张照片，所以我把它放在了 Instagram 上，每个人都说：“哦，母亲节快乐。”我放在了 X 上，第二天我又上了 X，到处都是。我当时想：“哇，人们太生气了，这是这样。”就像一件无肩带的太阳裙。我当时想：“哇，这些人真差劲。”但这也没有困扰我。我只是觉得，“这很有趣。”
CS： 你刚才就想到，“这就是上网的本质。”
MP： 是的，我也不想像那些对别人做这种事的人一样。如果真有这种事，那也只是来自心怀怨恨、嫉妒、地位低下的人。所以我不知道我为什么要在乎他们的想法。
MP： 嗯，我当然明白。特别是，我认为这取决于你面临的风险，比如你的工作是否面临风险？如果是这样，比如说你被困在一个超级觉醒的机构里，你开始反击，我可能会说，如果这是你的工作，那就试着找点别的事做吧，因为要么这样，要么你就是在牺牲自己的灵魂去撒谎。你只是在撒谎。如果你处在这种真的不信的氛围中，如果可以的话，想办法换一种赚钱的方式吧。
对于那些只是在网上露面并担心遭到反对的人来说，总会有反对的，但情况永远不会像你想象的那么糟糕。通常，如果你说的是真话，那么好事就会发生在你身上。人们会站出来支持你。其他人会说，“哦，我也不想说什么，但我的想法完全一样。”但最重要的是，如果你继续不说那些你知道是真的，就像还在你心里一样，那只会伤害你的灵魂。这就像陷入一场争论，不说出你想说的话，只是说，“那会消失的。”那永远不会消失。
这就是我们现在处于这种状态的原因，因为那不是突然出现的。多年来潜移默化，主要是因为人们什么也不说。然后到了这样的地步，你认为你周围所有保持沉默的人都同意那些大喊大叫的人的观点，但事实并非如此。现在我们处于这样的境地。如果你不说实话，不勇敢行事，你最终会陷入谎言和混乱之中。
通常情况下，如果你说实话，那么好事就会降临到你头上。人们会站出来支持你。
MP： 我可以试着想出一个逻辑框架来解释我的想法是如何改变的，但我认为只是在精神层面上发生了变化。就像，我真的得救了。2021 年，我遇到了乔丹，他是一名基督徒。我说：“我认为这是圣灵的光芒。”我说：“你身上有这种光芒。这里发生了一些我非常感兴趣的事情。”他基本上告诉我这是圣灵。
我当时想，“哇，这太酷了。”我想要这个，但无论出于什么原因，你都不能只是想要它，然后随时得到它。所以在 2021 年，我认为我相信了。我在祈祷，我在读圣经，什么都做。我认为在道德上我做得更好了，但直到最近我才有了这种精神体验，感受到了与耶稣的关系，这是我以前从未有过的感觉。
我没有在网上谈论这件事，因为我还在想办法。我不知道其中有多少是我能控制的，哪些不是，但直到最近我才意识到，“哇，好吧，这就是基督徒说他们得救的意思。”这更像是我的心变了。我仍在想办法，是我做了什么导致了这种情况，还是这只是我无法控制的精神上的事情。我甚至不知道我是否会得到答案。
我想乔丹也帮了我大忙，但我终于比以前更深刻地认识到我需要帮助。我在很多方面都犯了罪，这些事情你可能会认为是小事，但直到我获得了这种天堂般的视角，我才意识到这些是缺点。突然间，我意识到，“哦，这些都是我生活中积极助长邪恶的领域。”
比如，你对某人有负面想法，或者嘲笑某人，而其实你不应该这样做。对我来说，最大的一个就是看不起家务，我确实看不起家务很长一段时间，因为我觉得“我喜欢工作，我喜欢做智力工作”，但我意识到这样做是罪恶的。但大约四个月前，我被展示了一切。就像是，“看，你这个坏人有多可怕。”我当时想，“哇哦。我不知道。”然后我感到一种压倒性的宽恕感。就像是，“哦，这就是他们所说的得救。”这两者有很大的不同，但如果可以的话，我需要再多想一想，然后我会制作一个视频，告诉人们更多发生的事情。但这真的很有灵性。我的整个世界都颠倒了。
CS： 有人说基督教是对自己最悲观的看法，但同时也是最乐观的看法。既意识到罪恶，又知道爱和宽恕的深度。沉重、轻松、悲观和乐观，所有这些融为一体。
MP： 有深度。有快乐。有平静。就像是，“看看你是多么糟糕的一个人，但我还是爱你。一切都会好起来的。”
MP： 我的朋友大多不是基督徒，尤其是多伦多的朋友。我甚至不知道基督徒是什么。我有我的父亲，但他从未自认为是基督徒。我从心理学的角度了解圣经，但我甚至不知道基督徒是什么。
我认为与未得救的人沟通的最有效方式是充满圣灵，这样当你与他们交谈时，你就会感到光彩照人。现在有人来找我，说：“你给人的感觉非常好。”我认为这是一种感觉，我不认为我天生就有这种感觉，但通过得救，我有一种良好的感觉。特别是对于那些不理解并且真的没有基督教观点的人，像基督徒一样和他们说话，也许这对某些人有用，但我认为这对我没有用。我只是不明白。我不知道得救意味着什么。当你在局外时，很难知道。
所以我想说，要有这样的优雅和爱心，这样人们就会说，“我喜欢你，怎么了？”然后你可以说，“你知道吗？我知道这听起来很疯狂，但事实就是这样。”他们会更认真地对待你，而不是你试图恶意地说服他们。我认为这是最好的方法。
可以通过收听 Mikhaila 的播客来了解她的工作和智慧，她在播客中深入探讨了健康、保健和个人成长等话题。在社交媒体上关注她，了解她转型之旅的最新动态以及备受期待的 Peterson Academy的推出，
Peterson Academy 是一所由最优秀的教师授课、适合所有人的负担得起的教育选择。
Exclusive: The Evolution of Mikhaila Peterson—How She Found Love, Faith, And The Diet That Saved Her Life
In this exclusive interview with Evie Magazine, Mikhaila Peterson opens up about her transformative journey through love, motherhood, and the unique diet that saved her life. She also doesn't shy away from discussing the intense criticism she and her family face and how they've learned to rise above it.
By Carmen SchoberJul 16th 202415 min read
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imageCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
Mikhaila Peterson has become a household name, not just for being the daughter of world-renowned psychologist Jordan Peterson, but for forging her own path as a podcast host with over a million subscribers, a businesswoman, and an unapologetic advocate for taking your health into your own hands.
Courtesy of Mikhaila PetersonCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
After a painful divorce and life as a single mother, Mikhaila found a second chance at love with Jordan Fuller. They welcomed their son, George, this year, joining big sister Scarlett and marking a new chapter in their lives. At the same time, Mikhaila's influence is reaching new heights.
Mikhaila Peterson: I think the major thing I noticed about him is he made me feel safe. I don't think I'd been in a relationship where I had felt this kind of overwhelming vibe of “safe.” You date people, and you're excited, and there are other vibes going on, or maybe there are danger vibes that you ignore when you're young, that kind of thing. But he's the first person I met that I was like, “Wow, you've got this aura of safety.”
So I noticed that, and that he's incredibly driven. He's extremely competent. He has an amazing moral compass. He's a Christian, and I wasn't as familiar with Christianity at the time. But I think I was also picking up on that in his safety vibe. He wanted kids. He wanted to get married, and he made that clear very quickly, which was super romantic. He's funny. He's smart. And then he's gorgeous, so that helps.
CS: Yeah, that helps.
MP: He was basically everything I was looking for, I guess. So it was pretty obvious, and that's why we got married so quickly.
MP: I think he realized he wanted to marry me three days into knowing each other. And then it was fast. A couple of weeks later, we were on the phone, and he asked me if I wanted to get married. I was driving, and I almost crashed my car. I went off on a list of reasons why it was a bad idea.
I was like, “You don't know what you're getting into here. First of all, we've known each other for two weeks. Second of all, I'm working all the time. I have a very close relationship with my dad, which is weird. I don't want to do your laundry.” I told him that right off the bat. Things have changed, though. But initially, I was like, “I don't know if you want me to be some…
CS: Tradwife?
MP: Yeah, tradwife. If that's what you're looking for, and I was like, I'm not doing that. But I did want kids and all these things, but I was like, “I do work. I'm not just going to switch to a stay-at-home mom.” So I tried to give him a bunch of reasons. I was also like, 'I'm divorced.” That was a big one. “I have a kid.” Another big one.
When I got divorced, I didn't know how easy it was going to be to get into another relationship. I think I was 29 at the time, and I'd kind of given up, I guess. So I gave him a whole bunch of reasons why it was a bad idea. And he was like, “Yeah, I know. It's okay, though.”
CS: He knew that fast?
MP: He knew. You couldn't stop him. There was nothing that could stop him.
Courtesy of Mikhaila PetersonCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
MP: I think so. I was at the point where I didn't have to hide who I was at all. And he, for whatever reason, told the truth, maybe that has to do with Christianity, but he knew what he wanted. So both of us were being blatantly honest with each other. I think you can cut out a whole bunch of time getting to know the other person if they just tell you who they are.
CS: That's true. A lot of modern dating is just trying to guess what the other person might want. And you're both like, “Well, I want this, and you want that. Are those the same things?”
MP: Yeah, exactly. It cuts out a lot. We got married pretty quickly, but we also saw each other like 24/7 leading up to that. So it wasn't like casually dating for a couple of years to get to know the other person. We saw each other all the time.
Both of us were being blatantly honest with each other. I think you can cut a whole bunch of time getting to know the other person if they just tell you who they are.
MP: I was so taken aback by being asked to be married after two weeks, but I really liked him, so it seemed to be a good idea. I think I was kind of testing him too, like a How badly do you want this? kind of thing. I also think getting married by Elvis is pretty funny. And then we ended up having this big wedding with family and friends later, but he wanted to get married fast too because he's a Christian. We didn't want to be doing things wrong. We figured it was better than going to a courthouse.
CS: Well, the pictures are iconic. You're in that beautiful iridescent dress, and you've got Elvis. I just wondered if there was a special reason, like are you a huge Elvis fan?
MP: I love Elvis. That definitely played a role. I listened to Elvis growing up and in high school all the time. I know all his songs. So that was an element, but I'm not a big enough fan that I would have been like, “I need to get married by a fake Elvis.”
CS: Did you like the Elvis movie with Austin Butler?
MP: I thought the role of his manager was interesting. I didn't know that he basically couldn't travel out of America and was kind of under the power of his manager. It was sad. I didn't realize his manager had that much control. Like, you already know Elvis's story is tragic, but that was definitely dark.
MP: Don't rush into sleeping with anyone. That's the biggest one. Don't sleep around. Don't rush into sleeping with people, and make a list of what you're looking for. My dad taught me when I was young to write down a list of what you need in another person to have a good relationship. That could be whatever you want, but make that idea clear in your head. And then trust your instincts. I think that's more important when you're younger and you don't have as much experience meeting people, even just working with people. Trust your instincts.
And if you're having trouble finding people or attracting people or something like that, work on yourself. Get healthier, get your sleep organized, educate yourself, improve yourself, and people will be attracted to you.
My dad taught me when I was young to write down a list of what you need in another person to have a good relationship. That could be whatever you want, but make that idea clear in your head.
MP: I don't think you have to look very hard within yourself to know that it doesn't feel good. Especially as a girl, I'm not sure how it feels to a guy, but as a girl, it just doesn't feel good. And I think you should pay attention to those things. There's also the risk of pregnancy, which is something to take seriously, especially if you're not on birth control, which you shouldn't be.
But mostly, it just hurts your soul, and it doesn't make people take you seriously. It doesn't make people like you more. As a young girl, you think, “Oh, if I sleep with a guy, he'll like me more.” I don't even think it works like that. It might work the opposite way.
It's also a good boundary to have to see if somebody's actually interested in you, because if they're actually interested in you and you put up some boundaries, like “I want to wait,” that shouldn't be what dissuades them from dating you. If that's what dissuades them, then they weren't that serious. So, just logically, it's not a bad boundary to have.
MP: The lion diet is just ruminant meat, which is any type of animal that has hooves and four stomachs. Cows, lamb, bison, stuff like that. So just that kind of meat, red meat, salt, and water. That's the diet. I've popularized it as an elimination diet to help people figure out food sensitivities.
The reason I got into that is because I had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis growing up. I was diagnosed when I was 7, and it was l crippling. I forget to bring this up in interviews, but there were periods of my life when I was in a wheelchair. I don't mention that because they were shorter periods, and I guess they didn't really mentally impact me, so I forgot about them, but I was thinking about that last night. There were two periods of my life when I was in a wheelchair. I ended up with my hip and ankle replaced when I was 17.
I'd been treated through mainstream medical treatment from the age of 7 to 23, when I started to look into diet, and I was just getting sicker. By the time I was 23, I was on antibiotics for this chronic skin rash. I was on antidepressants for crippling depression, and the depression was way worse than the arthritis. I had idiopathic hypersomnia, which is a fancy name for chronic fatigue. I was head-to-toe itchy all the time. Then I had arthritis on top of it, and it wasn't going away, and I was on a bunch of medications.
Then one of my second cousins died from an autoimmune disorder, and her rashes looked similar to the rashes I was starting to get, and I thought, “This is going to kill me.” People with autoimmune disorders die younger. A lot of them can't have kids. It can be really brutal. I was in that camp, and I was like, “I think if I don't figure this out and fix this, it's going to kill me.” And that was kind of the prognosis from the doctors as well.
I started looking into diet just on the off chance it would help. I cut out most foods, and I went to a paleo diet, which was mostly meat, vegetables, and some fruit, and that turned my life around. A bunch of my arthritic symptoms went away, and my skin started to heal. Three months later, I had more energy. This was because of an autoimmune paleo diet but more restrictive. I started getting off all my medications just a month after that diet.
After a month, I lost like three pounds but I went down three pant sizes from not being bloated. I had abs show up. They just showed up because it was all bloating from food sensitivity.
Then, fast forward a little bit, I ended up getting pregnant with my daughter, Scarlett, and, unfortunately, all of my autoimmune symptoms came back. They started creeping back in. I wasn't on any medications at that point, but I was horribly depressed. I was starting to get chronic fatigue again.
And I was like, “It's got to be diet. It's got to be diet. I got it under control with diet, so it has got to be diet.” So I cut everything out over like eight months, and the number of things I could eat just kept getting smaller. And I was just like, “I know meat doesn't make me sick.” I got to only eating meat and was like, “I'll do it for six weeks. I'll try to get the arthritis under control.” And then I did that and the arthritis got under control. Everything cleared up again, and reintroducing foods brought back the symptoms. So I've been eating this way for seven years in November.
People with autoimmune disorders die younger. I was in that camp, and I was like, “I think if I don't figure this out and fix this, it's going to kill me.”
MP: I tried to reintroduce pressure-cooked, peeled, organic apples, basically like baby food, to see if that worked. Eventually, my arthritis would come back, and some skin symptoms, so I stopped with the fruit. I've tried chicken, like the healthy chicken, where the chickens are fed the right things. Chicken is not terrible, but it doesn't make me feel that good. Fish is not terrible, but it doesn't make me feel that good, either. So no, over the years, I've periodically tested carefully, but nothing is as good as just staying on the diet.
CS: Is it hard to stick to? Or are you just like, “This is my life, and I feel good, and I got this?”
MP: I mean, after you've been doing it for that long, other food stops mattering. In the beginning, it was really hard, and it was isolating, and I thought I was crazy, and I was kind of worried I was going to die from a vitamin deficiency. It wasn't ideal at the beginning.
But they're starting to do studies on it. There's a doctor named Chris Palmer from Harvard, who's doing studies on ketogenic diets for mental illness, so they're actually starting to study this. They're not studying this diet specifically, but at least they're looking into ketogenic diets now. I think it works so well that people who get healthy tell everybody because they're like, “Isn't it crazy?” Like, you have to tell people if you can feel better after all of that, you have to.
And the cravings after about three months of eating this way go away entirely. You just eat to be satiated, and then you're full, and then that's it. There isn't a lot more to it. I missed the social aspect of going out for sushi or going to cute little restaurants, but I go out to fancy steakhouses, so it could be much worse.
CS: I saw in your Stories that you went to a steakhouse and you asked them not to put anything on the steak, right? They just cook it, and then you put your seasonings on it that are good for you?
MP: Yeah, we just usually order a bunch of steaks and go, “We have allergies, autoimmune issues, so no butter, no oil, no salt, no pepper, no seasoning, no garnish.” Honestly, in steakhouses, people usually recognize the diet or know about the carnivore diet because it's a steakhouse. So a lot of the time they go, “Oh, the carnivore diet.”
MP: If I didn't have to stick to this and health didn't matter at all, I would be pretty much surviving off bento boxes like tempura and maki rolls and shrimp, wonton soup, and maybe vermicelli noodles.
MP: I think the biggest lesson is if you have a problem in your life, including health, it's on you to fix it, and you can fix it. Even when I send people to liondiet.com to start looking into their health, the biggest thing they have to do is say, “I'm going to do whatever it takes to solve this problem.” And then they have to be willing to do whatever it takes, which could be a lot.
It's a personal responsibility. And you have to get over the mindset that the medical establishment pushes on people, which is you don't have control. That's something I was told as a kid, “There's nothing you can do. We can give you these medications. They kind of work. There's nothing you can do, though. Nothing.”
You have to get rid of that mindset. There are always things you can do to improve your life and to make you healthier. Then have faith that you can figure it out and then work at figuring it out.
CS: I think a lot of people need to hear that. We are often conditioned to think we need more “permission” to do whatever the thing is, but sometimes it's just you fighting for you.
MP: And the sad part about being ill is it's your life. It's not this doctor's life. They might care and they might want to help you, but you're the one suffering, so you need to figure it out. That might involve going to a bunch of different specialists, but don't just go to one who says, “I know everything. You don't have to go to anybody else that doesn't solve your problem.” Always keep looking.
And then I urge people to do an elimination diet just to check it off the list. I know there are tens of thousands of people who have done this now, which is insane, but it can put crazy chronic issues, serious chronic issues, autoimmune disorders, and mental illnesses into remission. A lot of them have been able to reintroduce food too, and just identified what was triggering it. You go down every rabbit hole until something clicks.
You have to get over the mindset that the medical establishment pushes on people, which is that you don't have control.
MP: She's on the diet. So is my dad. I've been looking for root cause for a long time. Why does my whole family have all these problems? And we couldn't find a genetic problem. Our current theory, and I think it's accurate, is mold exposure in a house in Toronto for a very long time. The research I've done on mold is alarming. We assume that all the autoimmune issues that kind of have sprung up in my mom, my dad, and me were from mold exposure. So, perhaps, in the future, I'll be able to eat foods again without having random reactions. But for now, the diet keeps everything in check.
MP: So when I had George six months ago, I did it throughout that pregnancy. It was not fun. I cried a number of times, like, “Why can't I eat like a cucumber without getting arthritis?” Like a cucumber, like give me a break. I don't think I know anybody who's actually stuck to the lion diet, specifically, throughout pregnancy, because it's really hard, but I tried eating other things and then felt worse than just having cravings. So, I stuck to it throughout pregnancy.
CS: Your postpartum transformation was incredible. I saw a picture of you two weeks after George was born, and you look amazing. Do you think it was the diet?
MP: Oh yeah, definitely. It was crazy. Like, I have a 6 year old, right? So, I was pregnant seven years ago, and I didn't recover as easily as I did this time. Like, this was nuts. The diet definitely helped, but it's not something I would necessarily recommend because the cravings were so severe. I don't think this is what women should be doing during pregnancy. And I had a meat aversion. I was so sure I wasn't going to get one because of my diet, but it was brutal. But I didn't gain excessive weight at all. And then I discovered belly binding, which I didn't do with my first. So, the diet and belly binding made a huge difference.
MP: If I had to choose one person, it would probably be Marilyn Monroe. I'm sure everyone chooses her. It's such a typical response, but Marilyn Monroe. Twiggy had a cool style too, but Marilyn Monroe is just iconic. I've liked her since I was a little girl.
CS: I think lots of women gravitate toward her. Does your dad have any fashion icons? He's got some iconic fashion looks.
MP: I know. There are some outfits that I'm like, “Dad, this is getting really out there. I don't like this, this is out there. This one might be too far.” But I don't think he's ever mentioned anyone.
CS: He's just doing his own thing, then. It's all him. That's even more impressive.
MP: I mean, he's a pretty impressive guy.
MP: I did two home births. I was so turned off by the medical system. After I got the illness into remission with diet, which my doctors had always scoffed at, I was so angry for about three years. I was livid. I was livid talking to other people with autoimmune disorders who were like, “There's nothing I can do. I'm stuck on these medications for life.” And I was like, “No, you can change your diet, and it works.”
So, first I got really mad, and then I got a phobia of hospitals. My dad said, “Honestly, from what you've been through, that's kind of reasonable.” I'd had so many surgeries and things that if I went in there, I started panicking. And I was still in that period when I had my first baby. And then, I started doing research about the safety of home births and all the things that can happen when you're in the hospital. And I was like, “I think it's just safer if I'm at home.” And there's less risk of medical intervention if you're young and healthy and you think you're going to be doing okay with the pain and you're okay psychologically because you need to stay calm.
But I love it. I'll do it again. It just hurts because there's no epidural, but I mean, women give birth multiple times. You forget the pain. And if you do give birth, it's going to hurt anyway. If you give birth at home, then you're at home with your baby right away.
CS: A lot of people want to hear more birth stories like that. They want to know that they have more options than just the hospital option.
MP: I did a bunch of research to make myself feel better about doing home birth. Your oxytocin levels go up, your contractions get stronger, and the baby comes out. If your cortisol goes up, it down-regulates your oxytocin. So, if you get stressed out while you're in labor, your labor can be extended. And for me, I knew the place that would be less stressful would be at home as opposed to a hospital where there are weird beeping noises and smells and people prodding you.
MP: Well, I can say with my first, the situation I was in was not ideal at all. It was really stressful because I was quite ill and I didn't have any money. I was in university. But Scarlett gave me more joy than anything I'd experienced before. There's something so magical about having kids that you can't replace it with anything else. It's crazy. And I'd say for people who are worried, the biggest thing you need to focus on if you want to have kids is getting into a good relationship. You need somebody to support you when you have a baby, so your focus should be finding a good man. That's the hardest step. But as I said before, people can do that by trying to improve themselves and making themselves more likable, healthier, dressing well, being graceful, and working towards something. Because if you get a man, a proper man, then having babies shouldn't be an issue. Usually, you should be able to work through things.
Scarlett gave me more joy than anything I'd experienced before. There's something so magical about having kids that you can't replace it with anything else.
MP: I don't care at all, so it doesn't bother me. I remember getting irritated at things on Twitter and YouTube around 2019, so it used to bother me, but it's been so long. I posted this photo on Mother's Day with George, and Jordan had taken the photo, so I put it on Instagram and everyone was like, “Oh, happy Mother's Day.” I put it on X, and then I went on X the next day, and it was everywhere. I was like, “Wow, people were so angry that it was this.” It was like a strapless sundress. I was like, “Wow, these people suck.” But that didn't bother me either. I was just like, “That's funny.”
CS: You just got to a place where you were like, “This is just the nature of being online.”
MP: Yeah, that, and I also don't want to be like the people doing that to other people. If anything, it's coming from resentful, jealous, low-status people. So I don't know why I would care what they think.
MP: Well, I definitely get it. Especially, I think it depends on what's on the line, like is your job on the line? And if so, say you're stuck in a super woke establishment or something and you start fighting back, I would probably say, try to figure out something else to do if that's your line of work, because it's either that, or you're kind of sacrificing your soul to lying all the time. You're just living a lie. If you're in this political atmosphere that you really don't believe in, figure out a different way to make money, if you can.
For people who just have an online presence and are worried about pushback, there's always going to be pushback, but it's never as bad as you think. Usually, if you're telling the truth, then good things happen to you. People will come out and support you. Other people will be like, “Oh, I didn't want to say anything either, but I'm thinking exactly the same thing.” But most importantly, if you continue not to say things that you know are true, like they're still in you, it'll just hurt your soul. It's like getting into an argument, not saying what you want to say, and just being like, “It'll go away.” It never goes away.
That's why we're in the state we're in now because it didn't just suddenly appear. It slowly crept in over the years, mostly due to people not saying anything. Then it got to the point where you assume everyone silent around you agrees with the people who are yelling about something, which isn't true. And now we are where we are. If you don't tell the truth and you don't act courageous, you end up with lies and chaos.
Usually, if you're telling the truth, then good things happen to you. People will come out and support you.
Courtesy of Mikhaila PetersonCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
MP: I can try to come up with a logical framework for how my mind changed, but I think it just changed on a spiritual level. Like, I really got saved. In 2021, I met Jordan and he was a Christian. And I was like this, “I think it was a Holy Spirit glow.” I was like, “You have this like glow. Something's going on here that I'm really into.” And he basically told me it was the Holy Spirit.
And I was like, “Wow, that's cool.” I want that, but for whatever reason, you can't just want it and then get it whenever you want. So in, in 2021, I thought I believed. I was praying, I was reading the Bible, and everything. I think morally I was doing better, but it wasn't until much more recently that I had this spiritual experience and felt a relationship with Jesus, which I hadn't felt before.
I haven't talked about it online because I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't know how much of that was under my control or what wasn't, but it wasn't until recently when I was like,”'Wow, okay, this is what Christians mean when they say they got saved.” It was more like my heart was changed. I'm still trying to figure out if I was doing something that contributed to that, or if that was just something spiritual out of my control. I don't even know if I'm going to get an answer to that.
I think Jordan helped, too, but I finally recognized at a deeper level than I had recognized before that I needed help. I was sinning in a bunch of different areas, things that you would write off as small, but I wasn't even able to recognize those as flaws until I got this heavenly perspective. Suddenly it was like, “Oh, these are all the areas of my life where I'm contributing to evil actively.”
Just, for example, negative thoughts you have about somebody or scoffing at somebody when you really shouldn't. For me, a big one was looking down on housework, which I did look down on for a long time because I was like, “I like working and I like doing the intellectual stuff,” but I realized there was something sinful there. But about four months ago, I was just shown everything. It was like, “Here, look how awful a person you are.” I was like, “Oh wow. I didn't know that.” And then I felt this overwhelming sense of forgiveness. And it was just like, “Oh, that's what they mean by saved.” There's a huge difference there, but I need to wrap my head around a little more if I can, and then I'll make a video and tell people more about what happened. But it was just very spiritual. My entire world just turned upside down.
CS: Christianity has been said to be the pessimistic view of yourself but also the most optimistic view of yourself at the same time. That awareness of sin but also knowing the depth of love and forgiveness. Weightiness, lightness, pessimism, and optimism, all rolled together.
MP: There was a depth. And joy. And peace. It was like, “Look how terrible a person you are, but I love you anyway. And everything's going to be fine.”
Courtesy of Mikhaila PetersonCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
MP: Most of my friends aren't Christian, especially from Toronto. I didn't even know what a Christian was. I had my dad, but he never identified as a Christian. I learned about the Bible from a psychological perspective, but I didn't even know what a Christian was.
I think the most effective way to get through to people who aren't saved is to be so full of the Holy Spirit that you glow when you talk to them. I've had people come to me now being like, “You have a really good vibe.” I think it's a vibe, which I don't think it's me naturally, but through being saved, I've got a good vibe going on. Especially for people who don't understand and really don't have a Christian perspective, speaking like a Christian to them, maybe it works on some people, but I don't think it spoke to me. I just didn't get it. I didn't know what it meant to be saved. It's hard to know when you're on the outside.
So I would just say, have such grace and loving presence that people are like, “I like you, what is it?” And then you can say, “You know what? I know it sounds crazy, but this is what it is.” And they'll take you more seriously than if you're trying to spitefully convince them of something. I think that's the best way to do it.
Courtesy of Mikhaila PetersonCourtesy of Mikhaila Peterson
You can follow Mikhaila's work and wisdom by tuning into her podcast, where she dives deep into conversations about health, wellness, and personal growth. Stay connected with her on social media for the latest updates on her transformative journey and the highly anticipated launch of Peterson Academy, an affordable education alternative for all, taught by the best.
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