Tag: eating disorders

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My 2023 (Resolutions) To-Do List

My 2023 Resolutions To-Do List

Many people say that New Year’s resolutions have a negative connotation for them. But I don’t think the word choice really matters. If you make a resolution, a goal, a commitment, or a plan….it’s all the same thing. No matter what word you use, the idea is the same and if it isn’t always at the forefront of your mind, it can become a passive attempt at a loose concept. Not to mention, if you just set the goal without the steps to get there…it’s probably not going to go great for you. I don’t remember the last time I even made a New Year’s resolution. But I make the hell out of to-do lists. Like daily. So that’s what I’m doing for this year. The items on my 2023 To-Do list are things that I will need to take action on daily, weekly, or monthly in order to be able to check them off my list this time next year. 

  1. THE WHAT: Get strong AF – at the young, tender age of 50, my family is already beginning to treat me like I’m fragile. Let me tell you, that pisses me right off! Just because I had to have a rotator cuff repair and a week before the surgery I tore the other side, does not make me fragile. It makes me independent, and maybe a little impatient and dumb. But not fragile!
    • THE HOW: Weight lifting at least 3 days per week at an incrementally challenging load and duration. 
  1. THE WHAT: Prioritize sleep – I love my sleep. Always have. But I have struggled with it a lot lately due to dopamine antagonist withdrawal. That’s a story for another time but if I could go back to 2016 and not take some recommended medications, believe me, I would. This is a misery you don’t want to mess with.
    • THE HOW: End phone and computer time by 6 pm daily unless I have a coaching session, group, class, or meeting. 
    • Also, no phone or computer time at all on Sundays. This will be great for my sleep and my mental health!
  1. THE WHAT: Get ready for the day, every day.
    • THE WHY: Because of my poor sleep, I have a tendency only to make myself presentable when absolutely necessary. I feel like this has made me so freaking lazy over the last 6 months since I left my government job. To clarify, I think a lot of work-from-homers get trapped in this. Getting a quick shower and switching from PJs to other equally comfy clothes doesn’t really motivate me. I comb my hair but do not style it. I put on clothes, but nothing I would leave the house in. I want to eliminate any excuse for not putting myself out there more.
  1. THE WHAT: Drink more water. I forget to drink water. Can anyone else relate? I know this is a big issue for those with ADHD, which I have learned I probably have but have not been formally diagnosed.
    • THE HOW: I downloaded an app on my phone already. It’s helpful, but I may need something a little more extreme – like an alarm on my phone every few hours. The app makes a noise, but when I’m hyper-focused on something (which is almost every minute of every day) I ignore it. Not on purpose, I hear it but it doesn’t really register in my brain and the reminder only sounds once at each designated interval. I almost need something that will ensure I can’t ignore it. 
  2. THE WHAT: Continue my education – to better serve my clients, the plan is to watch, read, and/or listen to educational content every week.
    • THE HOW: I will schedule time for this every week. I may join a group hosted by a trusted mentor, watch a webinar, read or listen to an audiobook, or enroll in free and paid courses. All of which will be related to zero-carb, low-carb, keto, carnivore, food addiction, etc. 

I will track some of these habits each day, week, or month so that I can check them off my list at the end of the year! None of these items will be automatic – meaning I’m obviously not going to be strong AF tomorrow, but I will be making progress toward each to-do item every day, week, or month. 

I feel that saying, ‘ok, starting today I am doing X’, can be a recipe for failure. I know I need transitions. 

Another thing that helps me is the reminder to act like who I want to be. By that, I mean I will start ‘identifying’ as the kind of person who is productive and ready for every day. I will ‘identify’ as the kind of person who stops working and puts the phone away at 6 pm each day. I won’t beat myself up if I can’t do that due to something that is scheduled, like a meeting, a client session, or something going toward my continued education. But on the days I do not have something planned, I will be sure to have screens off by 6 pm. This is a small measure that will go toward my to-do item of prioritizing sleep. So small steps toward a larger, overall goal is my strategy for success. Knowing I love to cross items off a list means making this a to-do list rather than a lofty goal or resolution is less daunting, and will (hopefully) lead me to success. 

See, it always, ALWAYS goes back to individuality. Knowing yourself and what you need to do to succeed is the key. You can’t copy someone else’s goals or systems and expect to get the same results. It might work, but you really need to consider the process of achieving the goal and not just the goal itself. 

If that seems overwhelming, reach out! I can help you pick an attainable goal in a realistic time frame, and help you break that goal down into a process toward progress. 

There are two options available!

Group sessions offer a community led by two mentors, meetings at least once per week, and group support with the ability for the mentors to give individualized advice due to the small group size. Join us here for just $30 with no ongoing commitment. 

Individual coaching offers a one-on-one, private approach. This allows me to focus solely on you, your goals, and the steps to achieve them. Book a session with me here for just $17.99 with no ongoing commitment.

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A Carnivore Christmas Wish List

As of the posting date, we are coming down to critical timing for placing orders for Christmas! If you’re looking for gift ideas for a carnivore on your list, or if you’re the carnivore that no one knows what to buy, you’re in the right place! I’m sharing a carnivore Christmas wish list to delight and inspire! I’ll break it down into categories for easy reference because I like you – I really do!

Personal Care

Buffalo Gal Grassfed Beauty: Tallow products made in the US from grass-fed water buffalo on a regenerative grass farm – yes, please! I love these products and use them daily! Founder, Shalley Carrell, thrives on an animal-based diet and is passionate about regenerative farming. Check out her line of handmade skincare, haircare, and other beauty products here, then enter code candidcarni10 at checkout to save 10%!

Personal Sauna: Check out this highly rated and affordable portable personal sauna! I don’t have one…yet! I’m asking Santa for it, though!

Grounding Mat: This is the one I have! The cord is super long and it helps with anxiety, sleep, and reducing inflammation. It also comes with a wristband for a very portable grounding option when you can’t get outside to put your feet in the dirt.

Light Therapy Lamp: I purchased this light therapy lamp for my mom, who has circadian rhythm issues. It has over 4,000 reviews with an overall 4+ star rating, it’s very affordable, and she loves it!

Kitchen & Food

Ninja Indoor Smart Grill: This indoor smart grill has been on my wish list for a while! But since I just got a whole new oven with a variety of functions, it may have to wait. But check it out, it would make a great gift!

Equip Beef Protein Powder: If you, or your giftee, tolerate stevia try this beef protein powder. They even have a peanut butter flavor now! Which I dare not try because I would not be able to control myself! 😉 Clean, delicious, carnivore friendly – what more could you ask for?

LMNT Electrolyte Packets: LMNT has been my favorite electrolyte for a while now! Day to day, I use the raw unflavored. But I love the chocolate for a treat in the evenings. I mix it with hot water, heavy cream, and some vanilla-flavored ghee.

Books

I always recommend books and podcasts to my clients to help keep them in the fight, so to speak. What we ingest through our ears is just as important as what we ingest through our mouths. Carnivore podcasts and books, whether in physical or audio form, can play an important role in helping a carnivore stay on track! Below are a few of my favorites.

Click each title to view the link

Why We Get Sick: Benjamin Bikman, PhD

The Carnivore Cure: Judy Cho, NTP

Lies My Doctor Told Me: Ken Berry, MD, FAAFP

Dopamine Nation: Anna Lembke, MD

Anyway You Can: Annette Bosworth, MD

Coaching

One-on-One Coaching:

As you may know, I am a certified health coach, specializing in the carnivore way of eating. I do not sell meal plans, workouts, supplements, or any product many of us have been convinced we need to succeed at improving our health. So what do I provide?

I walk with you, from wherever you are on your health mission, to provide individualized support, recommendations, and make adjustments along the way to help you optimize your health and eliminate chronic disease, and maybe even lose weight along the way. I focus on healing and the steps necessary to achieve your goals. I will always help you see the positive. Every step toward your goal deserves to be celebrated! And any setback is a lesson to be appreciated.

Book your individual coaching session HERE! It’s just $17.99, and trust me…YOU’RE WORTH IT!

Small Group Sessions:

I also have small groups available if you love the sense of community and support along with some lifestyle coaching! Amy Labbe is my partner there and she has years of experience in the medical field, with keto and carnivore, and in the food addiction arena. Together, we make an unbeatable team! Topics will include meat-based nutrition, adaptation, education on the science behind this way of eating, chronic illnesses, eating disorders, food addiction (sugar, carbs, and processed foods), healing and weight loss, mental health, and much more!

In our groups, you get two coaches for the price of one! We keep our groups very small so that we can address individual needs and questions.

  • Two coaches in each group
  • Groups are limited to 20 members each
  • We have at least one live meeting per week each month
  • Each group has its own separate Facebook group
  • You have access to coaches at any time for the month you are registered
  • We will share real-life tips, a positive mindset, and unparalleled encouragement to each and every member
  • You will not be lost in a sea of faces – ever!
  • Challenge yourself, and receive community support and individualized advice all in one place!

Sign up by clicking HERE for just $30 for one month, with no ongoing commitment or subscription required.

Check out some pretty cool gear while you’re at that link above, too!

It’s go time!

Wishing you all the love and light this holiday season.

XOXO

The Candid Carnivore

The above recommendations may contain affiliate links. Affiliate links earn me a small commission with no additional cost to the buyer.

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Addicted to Food vs Addicted to Living

Addicted to Food vs Addicted to Living Life

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 😂

xoxo

The Candid Carnivore

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A Letter to My Former Self

letter to my former self

If only. If only I could travel back in time and show myself how life could be. If only I had learned then what I know now about health, nutrition, and mindset. If only I could take her by the hand, encourage and love her. If only I could send a letter to my former self, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time punishing myself with nothing to show for it but a feeling of defeat and failure.

Dear Me (or You)

I get it. I really do.
You want to feel better NOW.
You want the weight off NOW.
You’re sick. You’re tired.
And you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Your confidence is down. Or maybe it’s gone completely.

You’re ready to try anything and everything to get to the person you are inside.

Baby, just take a breath.

You’re frustrated. I know.

Change is hard.
But please do me a favor.

Do it out of LOVE.

Do it because you’re making your health a priority – not because you hate your thighs or your pant size.

Do it because you want to truly live and love every minute of this short life.

Fuel your body for the life you want to live.
Move your body for the life you want to live – not to punish yourself.
Do it out of love – love for yourself, love for your family, love for life.

Your expectations are high, and that’s a great motivator. But let’s be realistic about it, hm?

You would never decide you’re going to be a runner one day and try to finish a marathon the next.
You would never decide you’re going to start strength training today and walk onto a bodybuilding competition the next.

Can you expect to heal years of health issues in a week? A month? Six months? Probably not.

But if you start today, you’re one day closer to revealing your true self. The version of you that has been hidden from the world for years – hell, your whole life – is suffocating in there.

This is not how God intended you to live. You were not created to merely exist, survive, or take up space. Life is a gift to be experienced every minute of every day, free of suffering.

It’s time to stop hiding under the soul-crushing weight of chronic disease and food addiction. You have the choice to change all of it. It’s not your fault. You didn’t choose to be this way. Don’t worry, I’m on your side. You’re not alone. And I love you.

xoxo

Love,

the version you were meant to be

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Tuning In to My Body, Tuning Out the Noise & Impulses

Tuning In to My Body, Tuning Out Noise & Impulses

I’m taking a break from all the extra things this month. I’m tuning in to my body, tuning out the noise & impulses – discerning between impulses and actual needs. What I am doing and what I am not doing in November 2022…

Let me preface all of this by saying – I don’t see what I’ve experimented with over the last 2 years as jumping from trend to trend. I typically give new things several months and keep a close eye on every detail. If there is something I may have only tried for a few weeks – that’s because the negative effects were insurmountable in relation to the expected outcome. i.e., it just wasn’t worth it.  Like the 6 weeks of straight liquid bowel movements that I experienced in one of these experiments. I may try that experiment again in the future with more measured steps. But for now…

Here’s what I’m doing and what I’m not doing – the things I’m saying yes to and the things I’m saying no to for the month. I am in no way saying you should do these things or not do these things. Please, for the love of God, do the work to find what your body needs – either on your own, armed with books, podcasts, and videos; or in groups or with a coach. But it MUST be individually tailored to YOU. You can find so much support and guidance out there! Here is the link to my groups and one-on-one coaching, but you find the person, people, or groups that best suit you. No hard feelings! I just want people to heal and feel good!

I’m Saying NO…

No to Weighing Myself

Hopping on the scale has been an automatic daily habit for years. It doesn’t trigger me or make me feel bad anymore. I may feel temporarily disappointed or validated depending on the number it shows me, but I don’t think I obsess over it. It doesn’t ruin my day. I have just been using it as a piece of data that helps me measure what is happening with my body. I have a goal weight in mind but I’m not focusing on that as I have in the past. I weigh what I weigh. It’s just whatever. 

I’ve always had a higher muscle mass, just naturally, so the only thing I really want to measure when I do use the scale is my body fat percentage. BMI is honestly the stupidest thing, so I ignore that completely. BMI doesn’t take into account my high bone density, my muscle mass, or my excess skin from losing and gaining 60 – 100 lbs over and over again. 

No to Tracking

Tracking has been a helpful tool in different experiments I have tried. Tracking definitely has its time and place in a carnivore diet on occasion. But it is so easy to get into the habit of using it for the wrong reasons. That can quickly lead to obsessive, restrictive behavior. As someone susceptible to addictions, it’s time for me to let this go for a bit. 

When I was using a tracker during my low carb/keto phase, I was using it as a means to restrict calories. I was so hungry and miserable all the time. Sure, I lost weight, but I still felt like shit physically and mentally. It was an exhausting battle to deny my needs just to fit into a calorie limit. Seriously, I’d like to go back in time and smack myself for restricting to 1200 calories a day, while working out 3 times a week for 1 – 2 hours each time. I never got in enough fat because my calories were set so low and I was so addicted to sweet tastes during that time that I would prioritize getting to eat a fake sweet keto treat over eating fat. I thought that if my carbs were low enough and I ate foods labeled ‘keto’, that I was keto. Rookie mistake!

I stopped tracking for a long time when I went carnivore and that was so freeing. I recommend tracking for a very short time to my clients to make sure they are not under-eating. I want them to hit a minimum number of calories for their specific needs, especially if they have a history of dieting and restricting. Never ever do I want them to use that as a tool to limit their calories when their bodies are demanding nutrition. 

I began tracking again this year for a different purpose. When I tried the higher fat and moderate protein version of carnivore to see if it spurred any fat loss for me, tracking was serving a different purpose than it did before, yet it still felt a little obsessive. Rather than tracking to stay below a certain number of calories, I was tracking to make sure I had the exact right number of grams of fat and protein based on a general calculation. I would find myself eating when I’m not hungry, or using the excuse that if I still have ‘x’ number of grams of one macro or the other I can eat more even if I was not hungry. 

Conversely, I sometimes would not allow myself to eat when I really was still hungry because I had already hit those limits. So for this month, I’m not tracking. It’s kind of making me panic a little, to be extremely honest. My brain and my body have been at war for so long, there is no trust between the two. I’ll spend this month working on repairing that relationship!

Next month, I may track intermittently. Just to see what the data is. Not to hit a specific number or stay below a certain number. But just to observe…’I wasn’t all that hungry and this is what that looked like and what resulted at a later date’. Or, ‘I was super hungry and I ate until satisfied the thing that I craved and this is what that looked like and here is the result’.

I’m also not tracking blood glucose or ketones this month for the same reasons. I have to give my body back the control over what it needs and stop trying to hack it into what I want it to do.  In short, I’ll listen to my body, do what it wants, observe that as data and wait for results.  

No to Eating on a Schedule

I’m trying to really tune in to what my body needs. When I set an eating schedule for myself, much like tracking, I find I will eat even if I’m not hungry because it’s time to eat. Or I will not allow myself to eat because it’s outside of that schedule. 

How many times a day will I eat? Not a clue. Eating one meal a day was nice for a while, as it gave me that feeling of fullness I love so much. But it wasn’t great for my digestion or for my binge eating behavior. Eating 3 – 4 times a day was a pain in the ass. I don’t have time for that. I naturally tend to lean toward 2 meals a day. Then a little snack if I am truly hungry. 

Eating on a schedule makes living life and being spontaneous very difficult. I have been so stressed about random things that come up when eating on a schedule. I freaked out if I wasn’t going to be able to eat due to a meeting or some appointment or obligation, so I would eat early when I wasn’t hungry. But then freaked out because the schedule was messed up and I didn’t want to throw my tracking off – over- or under-eating any of my macros. 

This is going to be the hardest part for me. Because it means being present and truly allowing my body to guide me rather than allowing my brain to control things. At this moment, 11:15 am, I’m not all that hungry. I don’t want to stop what I’m doing to go eat. Normally, I’d be getting ready to eat my second meal of the day. I’m not intentionally fasting or intermittent fasting. I’m just actively listening. 

No to Following or Trying New Things to Force Weight Loss

Eating all the meat didn’t work for the weight loss result I wanted – but I healed a bunch and let go of the guilt and nourished myself! Eating high fat also didn’t give me that weight loss result. Though I know my body responded better to higher fat and moderate protein with lower glucose and measurable (not high) ketones. But I found anything under 90 grams of protein made me feel horrible. This version also gave me severe and prolonged gastric distress making me feel depleted and defeated. 

I never quite fit into any one way of doing anything. I’m learning to take bits and pieces from various ideologies within carnivore and using what works for me and throwing out what doesn’t work. In the end, this tells me that there is still healing to do and reminds me to not focus on weight. Goal weight does not equal goal health. 

This will be challenging for me, because my brain wants a certain outcome and has a certain goal in mind. I’m not a patient person and I’m extremely stubborn. Rather than trying every trend and every hack, I’m just going to sit back and let my body lead me. I’ll take any new information I see out there in the webiverse and examine it very carefully before deciding if I want or need to try it. 

This is what I want to stress to literally every single person trying any method of changing their health. Just because it worked for person A, does not mean it is right for person B. If I see person A is doing X and achieving a goal I seek – does that apply to me? Does that person A have a similar health history? Was their metabolism damaged in the same way and for the same length of time? Is that person in the same age range, or have the same muscle mass? The answer to most of these will probably be no. You’re the only you, and I’m the only me – go figure!

I’m Saying Yes to…

Yes to Movement

Listen, I require dopamine. If something doesn’t give me dopamine I want nothing to do with it. The idea of working out does not give me dopamine. I get so bored during a workout that I want to scream. But as in the rest of my commitments for this month, I’m taking my brain out of it. I can’t get to my goal of a healthier, more metabolically fit version of myself without going down that road. Working out is the path to that goal. 

Getting stronger and more flexible will make me less prone to health issues and injuries as I get older. Being in the habit of exercise and daily movement is going to go a long way to ensure that I can still do all the things I want to do well into my old age. I plan to live for a very long time, but I don’t want to spend my golden years just sitting around. I want to live –  truly live and love every minute until the very end. Which hopefully is at least 100 years old!

I am really going to try to love exercise again. I’d rather just do a lot of physically intense labor, honestly. But I don’t live on a farm (yet), and winter is fast approaching, so doing labor-intensive work outside will have to wait until summer home improvement projects roll back around. 

Yes to Habits That Make Me Feel Good

Going outside – The cold does not make me feel good, but maybe I just need to learn to love it. The sun, on the other hand, does make me feel good! I feel more energized, more focused, and feel more gratitude when I go outside and get sunlight into my eyeballs. It transforms me. Oh the things I wish I had known in my darker days of depression!

Praying and practicing gratitude helps calm my chaotic brain and ease my anxiety. This is an easy habit to stick to when I’m outside seeing all the beauty in nature and focusing on breathing. It puts me fully in touch with my intentions…

Yes to Focusing on My Intentions

I have been so very blessed to have many incredible opportunities this year. I left my government job of 12 years to follow my passions – writing and coaching people to better health. Now there’s a YouTube channel and interviews and my platform to reach others is growing! This makes my heart so happy! All of the ‘No’ items listed above, those things I am breaking up with for at least the month of November actually were taking up so much time and energy. 

If you pay attention to my blog at all, you’ll know it’s been several weeks since I posted last with the exception of reposting something I put on Instagram last week. It’s always been my intention to post to this blog once each week. Trying to do all the things and hacks and tracking took a big chunk of my time. 

I want more than anything in the world to help pull people up out of that place I was in for so many years. That despair inside me that I literally sugar-coated my entire life has been replaced with clarity and joy. I intend to use that new-found energy and outlook to show others the way. I want to be the Rafiki to your Simba! Does anyone else get that reference, or is it just in my head? Hard to say. The point is, I want to show cab addicts, food addicts, sugar addicts, binge eaters, and anyone struggling to just not feel like crap that it IS possible. I’ll be there to guide them, cheer them on, and celebrate with them. There are no small wins – only WINS. 

If you’re looking for your very own cheering section, you can find my groups here. 

If you’d prefer your own coach/cheerleader, you can sign up for individual one-on-one coaching here. 

You CAN do this. You can take back control of your health. You can heal. You can lose weight. You really can live a long, beautiful life. 

I’m here to help. 

Love you!

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The Long Road to Health

I have a few ‘then and now’ images to share. My story isn’t a glamorous one, but all stories are important ones, right? The long road to health may be winding, bumpy, steep, and seemingly never-ending. I haven’t found the end yet, myself. And I don’t know if that’s even the goal. Because…then what? My goal is to seek out new challenges and never stop improving.

How Did I Get Here?

I didn’t have shocking results with one specific plan, carnivore or otherwise.

The list on each side of the photos above, me at 40 and me at 50, is not the whole list. There’s so much more…depression, anxiety, brain fog, PCOS, hirsutism, insulin resistance, OTHER eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia, muscle and joint pain…the list goes on and on.

I tried all the diets, and all the advice, and felt like I must be broken beyond repair.

Slowly, when one daughter was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I started looking into “food” as a cause of chronic health issues. We started with gluten-free, paleo, whole food. Then I discovered low carb. Then keto. But I was still addicted to sweet tastes. Still am, to be honest. I have to be very deliberate and strict with even carnivore-ish sweet foods.

I lost weight doing a lot of these different things. But I didn’t start HEALING and optimizing my health until I found carnivore.

My 2-year carniversary is coming up on January 1, 2023. Even that wasn’t a linear journey! I had a few ‘cheats’ in the first year. I got hooked on keto ice cream for two weeks when I had surgery in September of 2021.

But, MAN! Look how far I’ve come!

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A Diet for EveryBODY: Reverse and Prevent Chronic Disease

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!

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Navigate Holidays with a Carnivore Coach

Navigating Holidays – a Carnivore Coach Can Help 

Always on the lookout for inspiring content, I happened upon Dr. Lisa Weiderman’s latest video last week. CarnivoreDoctor, as she is known on YouTube and Instagram, takes us on a beach walk with her as she talks about what she calls ‘the excuse trifecta’ and how it’s so important to have a plan to navigate holidays with a carnivore coach or other support. You can check out her video here!

Holidays are Hard!

We all know trying to stay away from carbs and sugar during the holidays can take a toll on us especially if we are coming from food addiction or disordered eating. It’s a well-known fact that holidays are just really hard when trying to stick to a particular way of eating that excludes traditional foods. I won’t call them treats anymore, because poisoning yourself should never be considered a treat! Like my t-shirt says, ‘Eating sugar and calling it a treat is like getting punched in the face and calling it a gift’. (You can find that and other carnivore merchandise in my shop here)

Dr. Weiderman made an excellent point in her video – the time to plan for those holiday temptations is NOW. Halloween candy is out in stores. Thanksgiving and Christmas won’t be far behind. Then you’ll start seeing all the weight loss gimmicks making their way into your life to ‘help you’ with your New Year’s resolution. 

Have a Plan!

Excuse season is upon us! Make your plan now to deal with those things when they come up! There are lots of free Facebook Groups and various levels of paid groups on other platforms. You can watch carnivore YouTube channels and listen to carnivore books and podcasts, or enlist the expertise of a carnivore coach to help you one-on-one or in a small group setting.

When you have a group of people with similar goals and challenges, your strength is multiplied by them. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals in a place you feel safe to share, ask questions, give and receive support. Yes, even if you are just starting out, you can lend support to others. Your experience and your struggle, or just being there for someone to lean on, is valid and important. In turn, when you lend support, you strengthen your own resolve.

If you need extra help, or if groups get to be too noisy for you, maybe you just want to focus on your own goals and challenges, then navigating the holidays with a carnivore coach may be a better fit for you. A carnivore coach will understand your struggles and work with you to develop strategies for success. Working with a coach will give you the confidence to say no to foods that may sabotage your progress while still enjoying gatherings with family and friends. You’ll have a tailored plan to combat cravings and temptation that fits your life.

Find the Right Support Tools

You can do all the things – large groups, support groups, one-on-one carnivore coaching, podcasts, videos, books…it’s all about resolving to only put the right things into your body and into your brain.

These things will help keep you on track, giving you a suit of armor for the holidays that assault us with sugar and carbs.

Follow the links below!

Facebook Group: Beyond the Scale

Why We Get Sick by Dr Ben Bikman

One-on-one coaching

Join now to inoculate yourself from the temptations, and have a personalized plan!

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5 Things I Learned as a Carnivore

My healing mission looks different today than it did 20 months ago – it’s changed even in the last six months. Hell, I’ve changed things up in the last two months! Here are some key items I’ve learned along the way. 

Slowwwww and Steady

5. It’s ok to make gradual changes. We always hear about how people just want instant gratification these days. Let me tell ya, when you add that societal trend to my life-long glaring lack of patience, I get a bit frustrated. I’ve learned that our bodies just can’t keep up if we change too much all at once. Aside from potential adverse effects, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what worked and what made no difference at all. If you change too much all at once how do you know what is helping or hurting your progress? Wanting instant gratification gets in the way of that.

I know my clients get frustrated when I tell them that I have several suggestions for them, but only give them one or two at a time. It’s not that I’m trying to stretch out their time with me. I want to take the one or two things that are likely to make the biggest impact and have them work on them for one or two weeks. Then we can gauge their progress and adjust as needed. 

Addiction Began in Childhood

4. Sugar and carb addiction is just as real as any other addiction. Maybe it doesn’t damage relationships or cost you your home or your job, but it does destroy your physical and mental health. I had this revelation somewhere around 1992. Man, that was a long time ago! I was sitting in my apartment, just 20 years old, fighting a mental battle no one else knew about. This unyielding urge to scrape up what change I could find to go to the store and buy whatever cakes and candy I could get. Not just once, not just some days. This was every damn day. It always felt like I was possessed. I remember talking to my mom about it and she was sympathetic, if not a little confused, but had no solution for me. I had no idea what to do about it.

A solution didn’t come for a few more years. Though the solution I chose out of desperation ended up being more disordered eating and I was still addicted. Rather than being obsessed with consuming these foods, I became obsessed with counting and tracking fat grams. Low fat was all the rage at the time. I became very thin but I was only eating carbs and sugar, very few calories. No fat or protein, no nutrition at all. I began developing arrhythmia, urinary problems, I was sick all the time, and lost my period. My moods were horrendous and I could barely function. 

Binging on Carnivore Foods

3. Binging absolutely can still happen on carnivore. I’ve heard so many influencers say that you can’t overeat on carnivore. That’s a dangerous claim for a binger. I’m trying to get used to smaller meals since people in the high-profile carnivore communities have been telling us to just eat as much meat as we want because it absolutely did trigger my binge eating disorder. It gave me the freedom to binge without guilt. Yes, I needed to actually nourish my body and not fear weight gain so I can begin to heal. But it also gave me permission to continue the disordered eating habit of binging.

I’ve heard some say it’s not possible to overeat fat. Somewhere in my subconscious, my brain said, “Challenge accepted! Hold my steak and watch this!” This was not a conscious decision. In some circles, it’s believed that the concept of priming is supposed to break the binging habit. That was not the case for me. The act of eating is a comfort for me. Doesn’t matter what the food is. The feeling of fullness equates to love, dopamine, and a really nice high. 

High Fat and Gut Health

2. High-fat carnivore may be the ideal approach for you – but you may need to heal some gut issues first. If you are not seeing results, or if your blood glucose increases dramatically when taking the ‘eat all the meats’/high-protein approach, you may need to adjust. If your body is converting more protein to glucose for energy, it’s fighting against what you’re attempting to do.

I think this happens a lot in those of us who are severely damaged metabolically. I put my body through hell with a lifetime of a very high-carb diet, chronic dieting, eating disorders (binging, restricting, bulimia, and a brief bout of anorexia), Hashimoto’s, sugar and carb addiction. So when my body takes in protein, it improvises so that it can comfortably continue to do what it’s always done by using glucose for fuel. While I’m healing, I’m not utilizing stored fat for energy. I argue this with my body every day, but we speak two different languages. So it’s my job to try to communicate what I want my body to do.

When I began doing this high fat/moderate protein version of carnivore, my body rebelled in a not-so-pleasant way. We’ll call it gastric distress. After weeks of making 6 – 8 trips per day to the bathroom with this ‘gastric distress’, I also caught some stomach virus – I think. I couldn’t stand the thought of eating any fat. My only nourishment for more than a week was eggs, plain gelatin flavored with electrolytes, and plain full-fat greek yogurt that I also flavored with electrolytes. I’m not recommending this tactic, but I think these foods helped heal and balance my gut microbiome. Now I can eat very high fat and not have any bowel issues at all. Yay for stomach viruses!

I’m joking, of course. It was not fun, I do not recommend it. But it caused an unintentional experiment and I learned something. I didn’t lose any weight at all during my illness, despite the amount of time I was on the toilet and despite the limited intake of food. I think it’s fascinating though! So, if you are feeling that you need to try the higher fat version of carnivore but your digestion is uncooperative, you may be able to add some gelatin and/or yogurt for a short time to balance things out so that you are able to process fats. Start reintroducing fat at a 50/50 fat to protein ratio of your calories and slowly increase the fat from there.

Individuality Matters

‘Just eat meat’ is becoming the new ‘eat less move more’ mantra.

1 . The number one most important this I’ve learned is this: Not everyone can carnivore the same way. Huge companies in the diet industry have been selling diets, supplements, pre-packaged ‘foods’, and the promise of looking good in a bikini for decades. These days, there are some big influencers promoting a one size fits all approach even when it comes to keto or carnivore. Maybe those plans work for the majority, but making a blanket statement urging people to just eat meat could be doing more harm than good. While ‘just eat meat’ is excellent advice, and will absolutely help kickstart the healing process, it’s not always just that simple. The carnivore community stands to lose people that way when they don’t get the same results. Each health mission is different, each body is different.

I wholeheartedly agree that it shouldn’t be overcomplicated – but it’s potentially detrimental to over-simplify as well. Particularly so if the person has an autoimmune issue, eating disorder, insulin resistance, or gut issues. It’s so important to take your own health issues into consideration, do your research, and work one-on-one with a coach if you have some specific challenges to navigate. Groups are wonderful for their support and camaraderie! Even small groups are great for coaching. But please take what you hear in large groups – or even what I write here! – with a grain of salt and use it as a launching point for your own mission. And if you’d like some one-on-one advice tailored specifically to your challenges and goals, you can reach me HERE!

thecandidcarnivore@gmail.com
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Food Addiction: Abstainer vs Moderator

food addiction abstainer vs moderator

Food addiction….is and always will be a bitch. 

You must eat to live so you can’t just simply not eat in the same way an alcoholic or drug addict would avoid situations that include drugs or alcohol. My original post on that can be found HERE

Why Food Addiction Matters

So in abstaining vs moderating, I’m referring to specific foods that trigger binge eating. No one, in my experience, has an issue with binging on celery or chicken breast. The problem occurs in those processed foods, sugar, and high-carb foods. These foods are designed to ‘light up’ the same part of our brains that causes substance addiction, sex addiction, gambling, and other behaviors that consume us and disrupt our lives. When food is an addiction, it interferes with our health, causes chronic diseases, and contributes to mental decline. While it might not sound like a big deal to be addicted to sweets – it seems harmless to some – those foods are causing our quality of life to spiral out of control, keeping us sick and dependent on pharmaceutical symptom management. 

Abstainers vs Moderators

Something I heard this week really resonated with me. I wish I could give credit to the person who said it, but I’m drawing a blank. Maybe Amy Bellinger? Emily Penton? I feel like it was one of those two lovely ladies. Anyway… ‘Addicts must be abstainers’.

Addicts MUST be abstainers. I believe this to be true of any addict, no matter the substance or source of addiction. Getting to the point of abstinence, however, may look different from person to person. Some addicts, or some addictions, can take a quit-it-an-forget-it approach. Rip off that bandaid and carry on. That can cause more severe adaptation or withdrawal symptoms, but the goal is typically accomplished more quickly. Others may require a step-down approach. This may drag out the process, but adaptation or withdrawal may be less severe and therefore more easily managed. In either approach, the goal and hopefully the result is the same.

Abstaining is Key for Most Addicts

Choosing which method is best for the addict is very personal and requires a great deal of being honest with themselves. My own battle with food addiction is ongoing. It’s been years in the making. I can confidently say my sugar and carb addiction is in remission at this point. Yet I still use food for comfort and that is hindering my progress to some degree. Am I still healing inside? I have no idea. I think so.

So while I do still ‘stress eat’ from time to time, I do not consume sugar or carbs and I do not eat with obsessive, uncontrollable action. I simply eat when I’m not truly hungry. It’s a problem and I’m still working on that. I believe I know what caused it but I’ll leave that for another time. I’m angry with those who suggested a specific practice without knowing my personal issues and angry with myself for thinking I could expect a different result. This is why there should be no specific program for everyone to follow. It’s dangerous and irresponsible. Unethical, even. 

Anyway, my point is that any program should be highly individualized, especially where addiction is involved. 

What About Moderation?

What about the moderation aspect? I don’t think this is possible for an addict. Maybe you have heard of an alcoholic who can just have a drink on special occasions without going on a bender, but I haven’t. Perhaps you know of a drug addict who can partake now and then without spiraling, but I don’t. 

If there is a substance or activity, even if you feel it’s healthy, but it consumes you…I’m sorry to say but that is an addiction. So this applies to anything that has become a source of comfort or a coping mechanism, but it harms you either immediately or in the long run, it’s an addiction. 

Comfort or Self-Sabotage?

If it brings you comfort but it’s contributing to your illness or hindering your progress, is that really comfort? Or is it self-sabotage? Moderating, or attempting to be a moderator, is not helping your progress. So, no. I do not believe in moderation when it comes to addictive behaviors. It doesn’t matter if that behavior is binging on donuts, running, smoking, or any other addiction. 

I know in my heart and soul I cannot ever have cake and ice cream. It will open up an old wound that I have worked far too hard for far too long to heal. It will not serve me in a positive way and I only have room for good and positive in my life. I will not go backward for a few moments of perceived bliss that will potentially drag me back to the hell that was my miserable failing health. Dramatic? Nope. Not at all. Food addiction is real and it ruins lives. 

Help is Here!

If you need help, please feel free to reach out. I can point you in the right direction or I can coach you one-on-one.

thecandidcarnivore@gmail.com
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In the meantime, I wish you all the good things!

XOXO

The Candid Carnivore