Disclaimer: The following is intended as a discussion and exploration of our personal health and our experience with the carnivore diet, and is not meant to be taken as medical advice, or to suggest a cure or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are interested in this practice, please educate yourself thoroughly. Also, seek advice from a qualified holistic or medical professional. We do not accept liability for damage or injury that may allegedly arise from any information or suggestions herein. As with anything, taking yourself to extremes can be very dangerous unless you are well trained and know what you’re doing.
Could this be the end of cravings? Truly enjoyed the first day of the carnivore diet, but what meat-eater wouldn’t? To be fair, I hadn’t had a ribeye, or any steak for that matter, in the past few months. Over the past few months, as I mulled over the idea of going vegan, the thought of eating all meat never crossed my mind.
About-Face From Almost Vegan
In June of this year, I decided to do a short water fast then move into a more vegetable heavy, or potentially vegan lifestyle. While refreshing my mind on water fasting, I stumbled upon dry fasting. Ultimately, I completed a 48-hour dry fast followed by a 24-hour water fast. In the end, I finished up with 5-day re-feed. I deemed the fast a success and continued eating as planned, minimizing meat.
Over the following weeks, I began to feel quite depressed and tired. Far from my previous experience with longer-term fasting, so I did not attribute it directly to what I was consuming; I figured life’s ups and downs. Still, I am not sure of a real correlation here, but noting it for the record. My measurements seemed to be staying within the same range in the time since. However, cravings increased, and my joints and back became very sore.
Wait, People Actually Do This?
Last Friday, July 6th, while watching YouTube, I stumbled upon a reluctant conversation regarding the positive impact of the guest’s recent change to a carnivorous diet. Jaw dropped, I decided to research further. Quickly, I was able to find blogs, a testimonials website, and even a couple doctors sharing their stories, but they were all quick to admit that this diet has no completed research studies.
The testimonials discussed issues genuinely resembling my own (and my husband’s), only increasing my interest. Instantly, I understood why people simultaneously wanted to share their story while being reluctant to mention such an extreme (taboo) option.
Food Affects Me
I’ve understood for a while now how much impact food has on my body. I’ve come a long way, but never really found something that works thoroughly. Anyone who knows me can vouch for me that I am much healthier than just a few short years ago. However, releasing weight from my body remains a significant challenge. Often, I would have great success short term. Then, I would make a small change, still in line with the plan, and I would react severely.
My reactions varied, but generally consisted of a combination of:
- Increased bloating – measurable inches around the midsection
- Increased weight (which I no longer consider since I removed scales from my life J)
- Allergy type flare-ups – Sneezing/stuffy nose
- Difficulty falling and staying asleep
- Racing mind
- Quick to lose patience
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
- Cravings
- Poor mood
- Arthritic pain
- Joint pain
Fear of exclusionary diets crushed
Over time, while seeking better health through food, I thought I had heard everything. But, this carnivore diet felt like another level. Exclusionary diets, where you eat only a few items, terrified me. The limited choices never looked satisfying making them nearly impossible to maintain. Personally, high (healthy) fat, intermittent-fasting diets work best for me regarding how I feel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the right balance between proteins and carbohydrates to drop weight.
A carnivore diet made sense for me to try considering my experience. I shared the information with my husband. Instantly, his intrigue grew into a 30-day commitment (then deciding how to proceed). We took the weekend to use up all of our perishables in the house. Starting Monday morning, we’ve stuck solely to carnivore acceptable foods.
Carnivore Diet General Rules:
- Meat
- Water
- Salt
Yes, this is a zero-carb diet.
There is limited information available on how much and what to eat, and how often. The typical advice is to pay attention to your body to determine when and how much to eat. In simple terms, eat when hungry until satiated. Consider this diet very individualized: what works for you, might not work for someone else.
What am I eating on the Carnivore Diet?
I will be tracking my reactions to each meal to determine which meat products make me feel best. So far, I consumed grass-fed rib eye, grass-fed butter, coffee, organic eggs, and organic pasture-raised bacon. I will certainly use other cuts of beef, as well. As time goes by, I may try other options, including bone broth, game meats, and organ meats. This decision will depend on if they become available to me and I feel the need for variety. Seafood is unappealing to me, but my husband will be consuming a fish-heavy carnivore diet. Please note, he was born on an island that historically only consumed beef as a delicacy. On the other hand, where my family originates from, northeastern Europe, people tend to prefer land animals. Either way, we always opt for the highest food quality available and find it more valuable on a restrictive diet.
What do I think so far?
Honestly, so far, I feel satisfied and energized. The aches and joint pains I’ve been experiencing are dwindling, already virtually non-existent. I am looking forward to eating a steak dinner but felt no need to eat so far today- 4 PM now as I write this. Yesterday, I split my meals up over the course of the day, but today I will eat in a smaller window with a similar caloric intake.
My morning fasted blood sugar decreased slightly since yesterday but tends to be high in the morning. Possibly related to cortisol activity overnight. This afternoon, the blood sugar tested better by afternoon, and I hit .3 mmol/L for ketones, so I expect to be in nutritional ketosis sometime tomorrow.
The carnivore diet, specifically, most likely does not work for everyone. However, I do think that the concept of an exclusionary diet based on individual needs may end up being ideal for most people. In general, food is a large expense, one that impacts many areas of your life. Nothing works for everyone, but starting with high quality, whole foods benefits all. As of day 2, I am not sure if the carnivore diet will be my lifelong way of eating, but if it helps I am sure meat will remain a major portion of my nutritional intake. In all likelihood, I will find foods that trigger certain symptoms in me and be able to better navigate what foods my body requires. At this point, I don’t have much to lose.
For ultimate personal development, diet and health create a critical backbone for success.
