The carnivore diet is a high-fat, low-carb/zero-carb diet that involves consuming only animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy if you tolerate it well. While it may seem extreme to some, the carnivore diet has exploded in popularity recently due to its potential health benefits. I’ve also learned that there are many people like me who transitioned from low-carb or keto to carnivore for simplicity, and affordability, but mostly to eliminate the addiction to sweet keto ‘treats’ to which they are finding themselves still addicted.
1. Weight Loss
One of the most significant benefits of a carnivore diet is weight loss. Since the diet eliminates all plant-based foods and carbohydrates, it forces the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose. This metabolic shift can lead to rapid weight loss, especially in the first few weeks of the diet. The caveat being that the rate of loss and success depends on several factors. The metabolic health of individuals, their consistency, the damage they need to repair, and for many people, like it or not – energy intake and expenditure.
2. Improved Gut Health
Another benefit of a carnivore diet is improved gut health. By eliminating fiber and other plant-based foods that can irritate the gut, the carnivore diet can reduce inflammation and improve gut health. This can lead to a reduction in digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and constipation. I personally know people who were able to reverse chron’s disease, IBS, and many other conditions that you may not realize are directly related to gut health. Skin issues and autoimmune diseases, for example!
3. Increased Energy Levels
Following a carnivore diet can also lead to increased energy levels. Since the diet is high in healthy fats and protein, it provides sustained energy throughout the day. This can help improve focus, productivity, and overall well-being. Additionally, eliminating carbs keeps glucose levels steady, so there are no dips and crashes that are associated with carb intake, insulin spikes, and the inevitable drops in glucose.
4. Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is a contributing factor to many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The carnivore diet’s high-fat and low-carb nature can help reduce inflammation in the body, which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
5. Improved Mental Health
Following a carnivore diet may also improve mental health. Studies have shown that a high-fat, low-carb diet can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, the increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in animal products can improve brain function and mood. This is also related to inflammation caused by cabs and plant matter. An inflamed brain that is flooded with glucose and chemicals from processed foods can’t function optimally.
6. Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
The carnivore diet’s high-fat and low-carb nature may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Studies have shown that a low-carb, high-fat diet can improve blood sugar control, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, and type 2 diabetes.
7. Eliminating Food Addiction
The carnivore diet is nutrient-dense and eliminates the processed foods in the body. Processed foods are scientifically designed to be highly addictive. We know that large food companies employ food scientists to accomplish exactly that, regardless of the safety and potential health risks of the compounds used to achieve the highly-palatable and addictive foods on our shelves all over the world. These companies use the same business models and are in some cases a subsidiary of, tobacco companies. We’ve seen first-hand how little care and concern these companies have for the consumers of their products. Food addiction easily lends itself to binge eating, compounding the health risks of eating processed foods.
As with any diet, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a carnivore diet. Though most physicians will rail against this way of eating, they are often open to a low-carb diet. Try it for yourself! What health improvements might you see in a week, a month, or in 90 days?
I don’t like to focus on weight or size as a goal anymore. I used to think those numbers would mean I’m healthy. I now know that isn’t the case.
Once you begin to heal, those numbers change. But it’s always the comparison, the before and after, that gets our attention, right? We all want to look better, and that’s ok.
What I want people to understand is that there is so much freedom and life available to us when we break free of sugar, carbs, processed foods, and the strain it puts on our bodies and minds.
And when you begin that healing, THEN the physical changes happen!
The impulse to eat garbage, the feeling that I was POSSESSED by sugar and carbs, is gone.
Autoimmune symptoms are decreasing all the time and meds have been reduced 3 times this year.
Hair stopped falling out and is growing back – with less gray!
Nails are strong, not bendy. Skin is smooth and clear. No more constipation! No random aches and pains. Steady energy throughout the day. Mental clarity and mood are greatly improved. Depression is gone. Anxiety is greatly improved. Hirsutism is diminished. So many things….
The best part – I have more LIFE in me. I’m lively, creative, goofy and fun-loving. The worst part – I wish I had known all of this when my kids were young…
No matter what stage of life you are in right now, the information is out there and easily accessible. But if it seems too overwhelming, it’s ok – there are so many wonderful support groups and coaches out there! Amy Labbe, aka @amysketolife73, and I have openings in our small zero-carb focused groups called Beyond the Scale: Zero Carb Healing, or you can work with me one-on-one – register for either at www.thecandidcarnivore.com or go to the link in my bio!
And to illustrate just how goofy I am sometimes, I’ll admit that while I’m writing this, the quote from the Terminator keeps rolling around in my head – “Come with me if you want to live”…no, like REALLY LIVE 😂
An often overlooked benefit of the carnivore diet is dramatic improvement in mental health. We carnivores know this to be true, but most people don’t come to this way of eating for that specific benefit. Some do, but most are looking for physical changes and/or healing some medical issues. What brought me to carnivore? A couple of things: disordered eating, weight, autoimmune disorders, food addiction, and just being really fucking sick and tired of counting and tracking every damn thing I put in my mouth. But wait, there’s more…
Cleaning out my home office today, I came across a notebook that I had used for many different things. As I flipped through the pages to see if anything important jumped out at me, I noticed I had scribbled some thoughts onto a couple of pages at some point in the last year or two. Maybe three. There are two entries that caught my eye – and both of them completely shattered my heart. I cried for the woman who wrote those thoughts. The version of me who wrote these things is still here, but she has healed so much since then.
One entry was probably written within the last six to twelve months. It’s a whole blog entry all on its own, so I won’t share it here. It’s very similar to my first blog post CARNIVORE MISSION: FOOD ADDICTION AND RESTRICTION, WITH A DASH OF HASHIMOTO’S AND A SIDE OF SHAME. Food addiction, as I write about often, is cruel and sinister. You need food to live, you can’t just avoid it. That causes a whole other issue. I’ve gone that route, too. I’m better now – thanks to carnivore. I will take each day as it comes, but I have zero desire to ever take that ride again.
Masking Personality
The other entry I found, is in regard to something I am still struggling with. But I am so much better than I was when I wrote this:
“It’s exhausting. Being the person people expect you to be. It’s a lie. Every time I flip the switch it drains my soul. I WANT to be that person – that happy, fun, bubbly person. That person who makes a connection with everyone I meet. Maybe I am that person, somehow, somewhere deep, DEEP inside. But the chains, the weight of not being able to act what I feel, to look how I feel when I want to shut out the world. Sleep. Think. Dream. Plan. Heal. Then maybe I could be that person. But for now, the pretending, on-off, on-off, on-off… it’s torture.”
Masking, in my case, has been a way for me to cope with anxiety and depression. I crave friendships and connection but the thought of social situations crippled me. Holidays with extended family was excruciating for me. I dreaded them from the moment the invitation was extended. Smile, converse, look amused, know you’re being judged but pretend you don’t. Or maybe that part was just in my head. Working with the public was exhausting. Smile and greet people, validate them whether they are right or wrong, pander to them because they might be well-connected. I was always completely exhausted. I’ve done this all my life. But get ready, because the mask is about to come off!
Don’t be scared, it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Unmasking
Trauma gets buried under expectations and layered under the day to day. The pain, ailments, work, family, obligations pile up, covering the initial major trauma(s) and we forget it’s there. Too busy to deal and heal. But your body remembers and acts out in ways we cannot ignore. Once we begin trying to heal the physical problems we have created for ourselves, heal the very cells and nourish each one of them so that we can be whole again, those deeper traumas may be revealed and demand to be dealt with.
Through that healing, I’ve discovered a lot about myself and still am discovering more. I’m recognizing my past traumas, naming them, and releasing them. There is no room for them in my life anymore. I’m removing all things from my life that do not serve me in a positive way – including my government job. That is the place where I have had to mask the most. Even though I now feel I am me again, completely authentic. That authenticity is happiness now and I no longer feel like I’m flipping a switch. I have room for joy. My mind is healing along with my body.
How Does the Carnivore Diet Heal?
A carnivore diet means eating only animal products. So many complex things happen in your body in reaction to what you consume, apply, and inject. Yet, it really is very simple. I think of it this way: we are what we eat. Humans are animals. Humans are not plants, we did not sprout up from the ground. We are not manufactured or made up of lab-produced chemicals. Human cells require replenishment with the correct building blocks. We need to replace animal protein with animal protein. You can’t rebuild a brick house with cardboard boxes or sugar cubes and expect the same stable structure. This seems like common sense to me.
Once your cells are healthy and functioning properly, after all of the clutter that is unusable material is removed from your body, you start to think and process more clearly. When your body and your cells are working congruently, your mind can finally deal with everything it needs to deal with – swiftly and clearly.
Me, Revealed
I am very happy to report, that I am actually a very happy person. I’m removing the mask, bit by bit, and I’m finding that I AM that happy, friendly person. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m a ‘people person’, and I still get anxious about social gatherings. but it’s getting easier. It’s not a tremendous effort anymore. I’ve found that the ‘on switch’ is the real me. The off switch was my very sick body attempting to recuperate from any effort I put out and the buried trauma that I had not dealt with properly. I still get tired after a particularly people-y day, but I have the tools to refuel and not shut down at 5pm. I gained the strength to leave my job so that I can earn a certification to become a health coach, and focus on helping others heal so they, too, can live a joyful life.
For several years now, long before I found the carnivore diet – and even before discovering paleo, low carb, and keto – I have seemingly instinctively known that what we eat may be causing health issues. The whole food pyramid and ‘my plate’ graphics seemed off to me. I had no idea why at the time, and it took years of digging into various resources to finally understand that everything we have been taught about diet and nutrition is complete and utter bullshit.
For me, it started with my children’s diagnoses: one with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, like me, which led me to researching gluten and sugar; one with ADHD, like me, which led me to the chemical additives in food; and one with epilepsy, which led me to learning about the keto diet. Now it has taken several years, but I have experimented with so many variations and seen so many improvements in my own health. So much information has come to light regarding root-cause and the reversal of diseases and disorders through the elimination of many different foods.
My Carnivore Healing Experience
Brain Fog
The very first thing I noticed when I cut out grains and sugar was mental clarity. I knew then that I was really on the right track. It’s an extremely scary thing to be mid-sentence, speaking to your boss or co-worker or customer, and completely lose the words and thoughts you’re trying to convey. Sure, everyone loses their train of thought once in a while. But this was more than that.
Brain fog is one of many side effects of Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism. And it isn’t improved upon with medication. It didn’t matter what dose of levothyroxine my endocrinologist had me on, I could not effectively communicate. I was so scared that this was early onset Alzheimer’s or dementia! Come to learn, dementia is referred to as type 3 diabetes and I had been diagnosed as pre-diabetic at one point! More on that at a later date.
I noticed a marked improvement in my mental clarity once I greatly reduced my intake of grains and sugar. Even more so when I started removing all processed foods, including keto approved treats, and began eating only animal products. The elimination of the foods that were harming my body, and therefore my brain, and the increase of proteins and fat – yes, fat! – was the combination my body was quite literally dying for.
Eating Disorders
When we think of eating disorders, we often think of anorexia and bulimia. Those two seem to get all the attention. To a degree, they are almost glamorized. Binge eating disorder is more common than you’d think, and often leads to other eating disorders.
Food addiction and binging began for me at a very young age. I was maybe 4 or 5 years old and can remember sneaking food and hiding to eat it. By the time I was 12 I hated myself and my inability to control myself around food. I was 22 when I became anorexic and was bulimic at age 25. By 35 I regained the 112 pounds I had lost, plus an additional 50 pounds by binging again. Doing what we have always been told is necessary to lose weight, I tried calorie restriction, weight-loss programs, exercise…nothing worked. Until, that is, I stopped eating grains and sugar. Then, the weight began coming off. Dieting, calorie restriction, is disordered eating. Yet that is what we are told is necessary to lose weight.
I continued counting calories and trying to fit into a certain number of macros even while following the keto diet. I lost a lot of weight this way, but my brain was so overloaded and stressed out trying to track everything – and I was so hungry all the time! Now that I am a carnivore, none of that matters. I eat the animal products I want. Counting, tracking, and restricting is not necessary. Meat and fat fuel my body and my brain. I am well nourished and losing weight at the same time.
Insulin Resistance
I am not a medical professional, but I think I understand that insulin resistance is the disorder in which the body is producing insulin with little effect on glucose levels. Glucose levels remain high in the blood and cause type 2 diabetes, which is the need for additional insulin to help the body process the glucose in the blood. The body isn’t able to keep up with the demand. So rather than removing the foods that cause the glucose to rise, we take a pill or an injection.
My endocrinologist told me I was insulin resistant and pre-diabetic and handed me a prescription for metformin. That seems crazy to me. It’s like, if you’re allergic to peanuts, but you continue to eat peanuts and use an Epipen or take Benadryl to stop the symptoms, rather than just no longer eating the damn peanuts. This absolutely blows my mind!
Hirsutism, PCOS, & Hormone Imbalance
Receiving a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s, hirsutism, and PCOS came with prescriptions for each issue also. But I had to learn on my own what each of these things meant.
Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism is an autoimmune condition in which the body produces antibodies that fight off the hormones produced by your thyroid as if they are invading with malicious intent. When in reality, those hormones are necessary for your body’s daily functions – like…well, literally everything. Thyroid hormones are responsible for every cellular activity in your body. Hypothyroid means your body isn’t producing enough hormones. Hashimoto’s means no matter how much thyroid hormone your body is producing, your immune system is fighting those hormones off.
Hirsutism is a condition that causes women to have dark, whisker-like hairs growing on their face – like a beard. This is often caused by hormonal imbalances, like poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, aka PCOS.
PCOS is linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. See the pattern here? PCOS results in ovarian pain, bleeding, ruptures, infections, and infertility. Due to not having been diagnosed or treated for all of these issues until I had suffered for decades, my menstrual cycle stopped in my late 30s. Not that I missed it or wanted it back, but that is just not normal!
But, I’m happy to say that PCOS is not an issue anymore. My beard growth has dramatically slowed. And the hair on top of my heads has stopped falling out – another side effect of hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, and hormone imbalances. I attribute this to my body no longer having to try to deal with trying to process ridiculous amounts of carbs and having the much needed protein and fat to heal.
Anxiety, Depression, & Mood Disorders
Anxiety, depression, and wildly fluctuating moods are more symptoms related to everything that was wrong with me physically. I was malnourished even when I was obese. My whole body ached after the smallest household tasks and my brain was so cloudy. Adding more medication was not the answer. It couldn’t be! It was time to start removing things I was putting into my body.
Allow me to give you a recent example. Five months ago I had surgery to repair a small rotator cuff tear. During that time I lapsed back into keto, eating all the Rebel ice cream, because I had an owie and I deserved it, right? See, I’m not always the brightest bulb. And my sweet, loving, attentive husband will give me absolutely anything I ask for. It doesn’t matter if I tell him not to, under any circumstance, give into my request for sweet tastes. The moment I ask, he caves. Sweet tastes are my weakness. And I, apparently, am his. So while I claimed to be a carnivore, I was feeding my addiction, very literally, for sugar.
The fact that it wasn’t actual sugar doesn’t matter. It still lit up my brain’s dopamine response due to the sweet taste. And guess what! I became addicted to that f-ing ice cream! I ate an entire pint of it every single day. Sometimes two pints. It’s embarrassing.
Between the non-nutritive ingredients and being back on the addiction path, my mood tanked. Anxiety and depression were back. Did I ask my doctor for prescription to combat anxiety and depression? Hell no! I knew where I went wrong and I knew how to fix it. Of course it wasn’t easy. But there is no way I will every hand over my power again. That is exactly what some food does to me. It takes my power. When I eat only animal products, all the power is mine. I am in control.
Carnivore, Low Carb, and Keto Resources
So where do you find all the information I talked about? So many places. If social media and group support is what you need, I really recommend checking out The Steak and Butter Gang over on Mighty Networks. You can join here. There is so much love there, so much expert information and support. You won’t regret joining.
If you prefer books, here is a list that I cannot recommend enough. Many have audio versions as well.
Check them out. Let me know what you think. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my little posts. I truly appreciate it!
xoxo
~ The Candid Carnivore
PS: Link disclaimer – I am an Amazon Associate and while there is never any additional cost to you if you purchase via these links, I may receive a tiny commission from Amazon. For the Steak and Butter Gang link, I receive no compensation to promote this group. The coaches and members just bring me joy, so I like to share and invite others to join.
