chronic disease Archives - The Candid Carnivore

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?

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One-on-one coaching and accountability groups are available here: https://thecandidcarnivore.com/links/

a diet for everybody: reverse and prevent chronic disease

I know, I know – I’m always saying there is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss or healing. I still mean that. Your nutritional needs will always depend specifically on your past health, present health, and future goals. Your genetics, your relationship with food, your activity level need to be taken into account. The amount of damage your body has sustained from eating processed foods, chronic dieting, and many other factors go into what exactly you should be eating and how much. But there is a diet for everybody…and that diet can reverse and prevent chronic disease.

Why I’m a Carnivore and You Should Be Too

It’s easy for me to explain to friends and family that I eat only meat and eggs because of my autoimmune disorder, or because of my history with dieting and eating disorders, or due to my food addiction. Those are simple terms they can understand without feeling like I’m trying to induct them into some sort of cult. If they express interest, well then they are in for a full sermon on the gospel of meat – can I get an Amen??

Allow me to explain why this carnivore way of eating, this carnivore diet, is beneficial for everyone. See the foods we have been eating since the inception of processed/manufactured foods were not meant for us. I could go on about the evils of the processed food industry creating hyper-palatable foods in order to create an addiction to their products using the same addiction model used by the tobacco industry. I could go on and on about how the pharmaceutical industry cheers for the food industry because they are the vultures who feast on the carcass of people addicted to processed foods that create disease as a by-product, ensuring the pharmaceutical industry has customers for life.

But I digress.

Reverse or Prevent Chronic Disease

There is one, plain, simple truth: What you eat is either making you sick or is making you healthy, it’s either helping you or harming you, it’s either building you or tearing you down. If you have excess fat, if you are on medications for anything other than a congenital condition or accident, you are eating the wrong things.

Species Appropriate Diet

We also need to take a look at the word diet. There are two different meanings – first we have the word as it has come to be defined in the last few decades. That definition of diet being a temporary means to achieve a specific goal. Then we have the conventional definition that describes a specific way of eating for any living creature. This is the definition to which I am referring. For example, a rabbit is an herbivore, meaning that animal eats a species-appropriate diet of plant material on a daily basis in order for it to function optimally. Wolves are carnivores, meaning they derive all of the nutrition their bodies require from meat.

So are humans more like rabbits or wolves? Judy Cho, who is a certified nutritional therapy practitioner, creates a lot of really great infographics that show the nutrition profiles of various foods. (check out her book, the Carnivore Cure, here) So there are varied nutrient density values in different foods, but we must also consider the ability of our human bodies to extract those nutrients from the source.

Sure, kale may have a high level of vitamin A, but the bioavailability of vitamin A from this source for our human digestion is just not there. We cannot physiologically extract that nutrition. Liver provides a higher level of bioavailability for our human cells. Add to that the fact that many plants have naturally occurring toxins that actually harm us, negating any nutritional value they may hold, and making them inappropriate for human consumption. See, the species matters. A rabbit’s digestion was created in a way that allows it to extract the nutrients it needs from the food it prefers. As does a wolf, as do humans.

Aren’t Humans Omnivores?

The general consensus is yes. But I, along with many other carnivores including medical experts disagree. While humans are physically able to eat fruits and vegetables and not die immediately, the damage that is being done even by these whole, natural foods, along with processed foods proves we probably should not. People who have eaten only animal foods for 10, 15, 30+ years are thriving effortlessly. Not to mention there are people like the Inuit who historically did not have easy access to plants.

Down to the Basics

I can’t stress enough that we should ALL be eating this way, at least for the purpose of finding out what may be causing issues in our health. This truly is a diet for everybody.

I can say with certainty that cutting out processed foods and all forms of sugar will greatly improve your health. Whether you chose paleo, low carb, keto, carnivore, or just eliminate the bad stuff, your health will improve. People have found it keeps insulin low, resolves chronic disease, eliminates sugar cravings and addiction, reduces inflammation, allows the body to heal and rids it of toxins. It works beautifully for EVERYONE as an elimination diet. Strip it down to the bare minimum – meat. See what resolves, then add back other items like eggs, cheese, etc. to see what happens. It is absolutely sustainable long term, but at the very least you’ll find out exactly what other foods you can and cannot tolerate.

Get Support

So, in short, a meat-based diet is for all humans. However, the various ways to go about it all depend on the very unique parameters that make you, you. There is a ton of information out there. That is both something wonderful and something a bit overwhelming. Find the voices in the carnivore/keto/meat-based space that feel right for you. And if it’s still too noisy, get yourself a carnivore coach! I help people all over the world to narrow it all down to create a plan focused on that one unique human. Are you ready to reverse and prevent chronic disease? Book a session today to start your mission for better health!

Tag: chronic disease

Amazing Results of a Carnivore Diet