The Carnivore Diet from a Holistic Perspective
Is the carnivore diet healthy, does it work and is it safe?
A lot of people ask me about the carnivore diet and whether it works and whether it is healthy. The quick answer is yes, but…
In this article I’ll discuss both the yes and the but - the caveat that is and what to watch out for.
The carnivore diet definitely works when done right. Not only does it work, but many people who are on a carnivore diet notice multiple health benefits including recovery from serious and chronic diseases such as diabetes type II, osteoarthritis, skin conditions, digestive disorders and cancer. I think it’s important to notice that, while the results cannot be denied, the reason why it works is not because we are eating meat but rather because we are not eating all the other things that makes us sick and lead to weight gain. Meat is relatively unprocessed compared to most of the other foods we eat. While not all meat is created equal, for the most part meat is not raised with artificial fertilizers or artificial pesticides, and contains no starch at all. On a zero carb diet our body goes into ketosis - which means burning fat instead of carbs to produce energy - and this is how we lose weight. We burn up the fat.
The things that make us fat or unhealthy are all eliminated in a carnivore diet when it is done right. The ingredients that make us fat and unhealthy, and are not typically contained in a carnivore diet, include:
Sugar and white flour
Corn
Preservatives, artificial colors, thickeners, emulsifiers and other chemicals
Glyphosates, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers
Highly refined and processed oils such as cottonseed, canola and corn oil - the common components of most oils labelled “vegetable oil.”
Fried foods
Later on in this article I will talk about what to watch out for and how to improve our results by the addition of very low carbohydrate foods. But if we are determined to go full carnivore, doing it right is imperative if we want to be successful in losing weight and getting healthy.
Firstly, we should understand that to do the carnivore diet successfully we must be willing to eat more than chicken breast and lean steak. The diet consists of meat, fat, meat sinews, ligaments and organs. In other words, all the icky bits that supermarkets generally do not sell. So first we must seek out a good source of (preferably) grass-fed, pasture-raised, humanly-raised meats that will sell us more than just the lean bits. The fat, sinews and organs are essential if we are going to get enough nutrition from an all animal diet. Grass fed meat is important because corn finished meats lack sufficient levels of omega 3 - an essential fatty acid that supports cognitive health. Fats are important because they are good sources of the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. Fat is also essential to burning fat. Our bodies cannot burn fat without fat. Most of us, who have been indoctrinated into the low fat way of life, do not get enough fat. And that contributes in no small part to making us fat (counter-intuitively). Organs, especially the liver, contain concentrated amounts of vitamins and minerals because that is where they are stored. When pack animals go for a kill, it is often the alpha male who gets the liver! This is true of wolves and wild dogs. In the lion family, the female gets the liver because she does most of the hunting and has first access to the most nutritious parts. The liver is considered the most nutritious part of the kill.
In the past, liver was regularly included as a diet staple. Traditionally liver has been served with bacon, because liver is very lean and low in fat, whereas bacon is rich in fat, and the combination is powerfully nutritious. Bacon is a good source of protein and contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12, as well as minerals like selenium and zinc - and it is most nutritious if we don’t cook it to a crisp but leave some fat in the rasher. Liver, particularly beef liver, is exceptionally nutrient-dense. It is rich in iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, copper, and folate. It also provides a significant amount of vitamin B6, phosphorus, and zinc. Together this combination gives us loads of essential minerals and vitamins.
Fish is also a primary ingredient on a carnivore diet. Look for fresh, wild caught versus farm-raised fish. Just like with meat, farm-raised fish is lacking in nutrients and sometimes has added coloring (in the case of salmon), antibiotics and chemicals to enhance flavor, prevent disease, and overcome the unnatural conditions of growing fish in holding tanks rather than the ocean. Just under the skin is often the richest source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, and so eating the skin as well as the flesh of fish can add to the nutritional value. If you don’t like fish skin, try frying it up really crispy on high heat for a few minutes.
So, if you want to go carnivore, do lots of research, source your protein wisely and make sure you can do it properly. Otherwise it could backfire.
Secondly, we must understand that we can eat more than just meat. Eggs, cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and butter are all animal-derivatives and can be incorporated into the diet. Margarine is not and should be eliminated on a carnivore diet (and any diet for that matter). Eggs yolks alone are rich sources of essential omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins K and D and some B vitamins. They are also rich sources of essential minerals such as selenium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iron and they provide some essential micronutrients such as choline, choline, lutein and zianthin. That’s quite a power house for a tiny egg yolk. Many people take expensive and mostly ineffective supplements to replace those nutrients whereas all they have to do is make sure to eat a couple of eggs every day. Yes, eggs do contain cholesterol but a healthy brain needs cholesterol! If you are nervous about eggs and cholesterol, read my article about the importance of eggs in a healthy diet.
Note that many people who choose to go carnivore eat only one meal a day. Eating too much meat can be just as bad as eating too many carbs when it comes to weight gain. All unwanted calories ultimately go to fat in the body. However, because the diet contains so much fat, many report that one meal a day keeps them satisfied and they don’t go hungry.
Watchpoints on the Carnivore Diet
While being in ketosis can have benefits—like weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and increased mental clarity for some people—there are also several potential drawbacks, especially if we’re in ketosis for an extended period:
A Low-Fiber Diet: The first thing to know is that the carnivore diet is low in fiber. Bowel movements may become irregular, hard and difficult to pass. This is fairly easy to overcome if we are willing to include some greens that are low in carbs and high in fiber such as cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, lettuce and cauliflower. Cook them well and add butter or meat fat since fat helps to slow down the metabolism of carbohydrates. Hollandaise sauce (not the packet kind, the kind we make at home) is a perfect accompaniment because it contains only egg yolks and butter rather than flour and other thickeners. A healthy serving of cauliflower served with hollandaise sauce and a couple of hard boiled eggs is a highly nutritious and super low carb meal that will leave you full and satisfied.
A Low Vibration Diet: Too much meat can lower our vibration and cause us to become depressed. Plant-based foods contain high vibrational energy from the sun directly through photosynthesis but meats can contain the low vibration of animals raised in distress. This is especially true if we use supermarket meats that feature mass-produced meats from caged, ill-treated and factory raised animals that live lives lacking in joy, sunshine and freedom. These energies can permeate the meat itself, making us feel as they did during their pitiful lives. This is why it is important if we are going to eat lots of meat, to make sure it is sourced from animals who are raised humanely and on the diets that nature intended for them.
No Sweets: There are absolutely no sweets on this diet. While this is the healthiest part of the diet and a large part of the reason why it works, human beings have a need for sweet flavors from time to time. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) talks about five essential flavors that not only satisfy our palettes as humans but also play an essential role in our overall health. The flavors are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and pungent. Sweets are helpful for the spleen (essential to the immune system) and stomach (essential to digestion). Too much sugar will create a fungal condition in the digestive system which is typically labelled as candida, but relatively small amounts of sugar are helpful the digestive system and also keep us energized. I’m not talking about white table sugar, but the sugar that is derived from foods like rice and beans. For those who crave sweet foods on the carnivore diet (and you will most likely at first) try using a half teaspoonful of honey or organic unrefined sugar in a cup of hot water, herbal tea or a cup of milk, depending on your food preference and tolerance.
Nutritional Deficiencies: A strict ketogenic diet involves eliminating many food groups (like fruits, whole grains, and legumes). While meat contains most of the vitamins and minerals the body needs, if not done with meticulous attention to detail, it can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals (e.g., vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and fiber). This can result in fatigue, muscle cramps, and other health issues.
Muscle Loss: In some people, prolonged ketosis can lead to muscle loss, especially if protein intake isn't adequately adjusted. Without carbs, the body can break down muscle tissue for glucose (through a process called gluconeogenesis).
Hormone Disruptions: Long-term ketosis can impact hormone production like thyroid hormones, leptin (the hormone that controls hunger), and insulin. For women, it can sometimes interfere with menstrual cycles, especially if caloric intake is too low or the diet is too restrictive.
Kidney Stones: Diets high in protein are hard on the kidneys. There’s some evidence suggesting that ketosis can increase the risk of kidney stones, as the kidneys have to filter more ketones and waste products. Staying hydrated and maintaining proper electrolyte balance is crucial to minimizing this risk.
Decreased Physical Performance: The carnivore diet should be modified if we are engaging in strenuous physical activity such as running a marathon or if our job involves a lot of physical labor, such as the construction business. Muscles called into action prefer glycogen (sugar) from carbs rather than from ketosis otherwise we may experience muscle loss (see point 5 above).
Bad breath and stinky perspiration: When people maintain ketosis for a long period of time they develop an odor that is strong, unpleasant and distinctive. This may start with bad breath and overtime our whole body will emit a strong smell. If you find this happening, consider cycling off the keto diet for a while by incorporating a few more carbs into your diet. When the body malfunctions it is trying to tell you something.
Fat content: Some people don’t enjoy meat fat and so they may not get enough on a carnivore diet. If this is the case for you, then make sure to get plenty of butter, cream and whole fat milk or yogurt.
A carnivore diet, especially if we go for the pasture raised and wild caught proteins, is more expensive than a plant-based diet or a diet of pizza, pasta and bread. However the expense (in my opinion) is worth it from the health perspective and will save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on health care bills now or in the future.
Healing Crisis:
When we start the process of returning to good health, we can experience a variety of unwelcome symptoms such as flu, runny nose, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, irritability, muscle cramps and nausea. This so-called “healing crisis” is actually a sign that our bodies are returning to good health but it can be temporarily worrying or uncomfortable. We can also experience the appearance of rashes, acne and other skin conditions as well as any kind of illness we suffered from earlier in our lives. This is especially true if we medicated illness with antibiotics, cortisones, anti-histamines, steroids or anti-depressants. This is because most modern medicines, including over the counter medicines, are suppressive and encourage conditions to embed deep in our cells, tissues, joints and organs. Eventually the suppression contributes to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, gout, cancer and most other chronic illnesses that we associate with aging (cataracts, sciatica and so on). When our bodies start to heal, these toxins slowly release and on their way out the door, so to speak, they come into our awareness as our body rebalances itself. It is smart to be careful and consult with a doctor if you experience a great deal of these symptoms or if you are worried, but for the most part, if you are taking actions to become more healthy, whether this is through diet, reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture or other means, your new symptoms are most likely healing symptoms and you should do as little as possible to suppress or eliminate them other than hydrating, stop worrying, and most of all, resting. Illness needs to express. We get ill because our body is trying to make us better. Pause and consider this for a moment. When we have a headache, our body is trying to tell us that something is wrong - we are likely worrying about something or stressed over something. When we vomit or experience diarrhea our body is trying to get rid of a poison. Most people don’t understand that many of our symptoms are the body making itself well again and instead we feel the need to take a pill whenever our body takes action to express a toxin or present a pain. Our skin is especially susceptible to manifesting healing symptoms through rashes etc. because the skin is the last barrier between the inside and the outside and so toxins loosen on the inside and express through the skin as they pass out of us. As a homeopath, I am always encouraged when clients exhibit skin conditions after taking a remedy because it means the remedy is acting at a deep level.
Sugar Withdrawal
Most of us don’t realize that sugar is addictive. Our diet is so rich in sugar that most of us are completely addicted to it, soft drinks, cakes, cookies ice-cream and all kinds of desserts are extremely over-sweetened and consequently our taste buds are ruined for sugar. Because sugar is addictive, we will go through some withdrawal symptoms when we give it up. These may include sleep disturbances, restlessness, irritability, mood swings, headaches and other symptoms commonly associated with withdrawal of addictive substances. The only way out is through. Toughing it out is the easiest and best way to get to the other side of our sugar addiction. Once we have gone through it, try not to backslide or we have to start over. For more information read my article on the effects of sugar in the 21st century.
Eating out and Eating with Friends
I love to eat out, and I don’t mind paying for high quality meals but, sadly, if we want to get healthy, eating out should be seriously avoided as much as possible. Learn to cook at home. Even expensive restaurants are likely to serve bread made with regular white flour, tantalizing desserts full of sugar, and fried foods that are breaded or battered and cooked in cheap vegetable, seed or corn oil. Sticking to a diet while eating out requires a discipline that is not only hard in itself, but almost impossible to execute given most food choices in restaurants. Just because food is delicious does not mean it is healthy.
Eating with friends is even harder. The pot luck is one of the worst inventions society could have possibly come up with. First we are presented with a vast array of food choices hard to resist. Then, we feel compelled to eat a lot of foods we probably wouldn’t eat at home so that we don’t offend people. But if we want to get healthy it is best to avoid all foods if we cannot identify exactly what is in them. Just because something is home made does not mean it contains healthy ingredients. Many people think just because they bake cookies at home they are somehow better for us. And it’s true that they probably don’t contain preservatives and additives like commercial cookies but they use the same white flour and the same white sugar that commercial bakers use. The best way to combat peer pressure when eating with friends is simply to explain that we are following a special diet and no offense is intended. We still need to bring our self-discipline with us. I can’t count how many times I have eaten at a restaurant with friends who claim that they are gluten intolerant and then eat the bread, or say that they need to be on a salt free diet and then order the saltiest item on the menu. If you eat in a Mexican restaurant, ask them not to bring the tortilla chips. If you eat in an American restaurant ask them not to bring bread to the table. I have also found that it is most helpful to order an entree and eat just the parts I need while leaving the parts I don’t want to eat. This is easier for me than asking them to adapt the plate to my particular desires or search for the perfect menu item - which probably doesn’t exist. I typically order off the appetizer menu where portions are smaller and sometimes I order more than one appetizer so that if the food arrives and is not what I expected, I will get enough to eat by picking at them both. If they both show up highly edible, I can always take one home with me.
It is useful to get over feeling guilty about wasting food (and consequently money) rather than feel like we have to “get our money’s worth.” Ill health is going to cost us a lot more that what we spend on any restaurant meal. Think of the cost of your meal as paying for the whole experience of dining out and not just the food that is put in front of us. And remember that the starving children in Africa won’t benefit in any way from you making yourself fat and unhealthy.
It is hard to have self discipline. But it is especially hard to have self discipline when it comes to food. So if eating out and restaurant dining taxes your willpower, buy yourself a good cookbook, identify recipes in it that support how you want to eat and then learn to cook them. Cooking is a relaxing hobby until itself once you get into it.
Conclusion:
While the carnivore diet can offer benefits, especially for weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity, it might not be suitable or sustainable for everyone in the long run. It's also important to make sure we’re getting enough of the right nutrients, staying hydrated, and monitoring our health markers regularly if we plan on staying in ketosis for a long period. Some people may benefit from cycling in and out of the carnivore diet rather than staying on it continuously. If you are thinking of trying it, I recommend staying on it long enough to overcome sugar cravings and lose a bit of weight and then cycle it with a keto diet where you include vegetables, and maybe even beans, legumes and fruit in small portions. Give your body a period of time to stabilize to its new weight as well as pack in more nutrients from fruits and veggies. Then cycle back to the carnivore diet for a new round of weight loss.
Final Note:
Just as a final note and in the interests of full disclosure, I will mention that I have personally been unable to sustain the carnivore diet even for a single day. I find a life without vegetables too hard to bear and a diet of nothing but meat too heavy on my soul. So I have learned to maintain weight and good health by living on a low carbohydrate diet (less than 50 grams per day) that includes moderate amounts of vegetables, lots of fish, butter and eggs, some meat and very small portions of fruit and nuts. I mostly eat at home and make all my own everything including sauces, dips and salad dressings. To satisfy my sweet tooth I use small amounts of maple syrup, honey and dried fruits.