Tag: low carb

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Amazing Results of a Carnivore Diet

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?

Get Support!

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

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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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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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Carnivore Cooking: the Grilled Burrito!

The Carnivore Grilled Burrito! Carnivore may be a well-known elimination diet, but it’s far from being restrictive. I have some carnivore recipes to share to help add some spice to your meal time!

I saw someone post a similar video on Instagram – I think. But hers turned out perfectly! Not sure what I did wrong, but it still tasted amazing! And it can be customized based on your taste, preference, goals, and sensitivities if you have any.

Carnivore cooking is really very adaptable. Here, I just used some local ground beef, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, Tapatio Hot Sauce (our favorite!), EggLife Wraps, and a little shredded cheese. But you could add sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, whatever! If you are just focused on gluten-free, this is a great option and you can add any veggies you like. If you’re keto, it works beautifully. And if you’re a carnivore, like me, it’s a nice treat! I have to be careful with dairy and seasonings, so I wouldn’t do this every day. But it adds a really nice variety to my menu. Check out my post on Carnivore Tacos here!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more kitchen shenanigans! If you are curious about how a low carb or zero carb life can help you in your health goals, reach out to me on my socials, email me, or book a coaching session. I’ll help you come up with a plan that fits your life and your health needs.

Click the image to connect!

XOXO

~ The Candid Carnivore

PS: Product commlinks

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Stop Dieting! Why Traditional Dieting Doesn’t Work

Stop Dieting! Why Traditional Dieting Doesn't Work

Dieting in the traditional way is not sustainable. Why traditional dieting doesn’t work, and what do I mean by that? When you go on a diet it’s a temporary solution to a problem that returns when you stop utilizing said solution. Usually, this is some combination of tracking calories, restricting calories, low fat, lots of veggies, fruit, and fiber, and increasing exercise. 

Calorie Restriction Doesn’t Work

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but, candidly speaking, calorie restriction for weight loss is bullshit. It’s not sustainable. Any weight lost will be gained back when you go back to eating ‘normally’. You can’t lose weight to become healthy. You must become healthy to lose weight. Weight gain is a metabolic disorder that can be reversed. 

Dieting Doesn’t Make You Healthy

I’m currently reading Dr. Ben Bikman’s book, Why We Get Sick. It’s really fascinating and confirms a lot of my suspicions and answers a lot of my questions about insulin and insulin resistance. I’ll share more insight from what I learn from him in future posts. If you’d like to read it for yourself, you can find it on Amazon

Dr. Bikman is a professor and metabolic scientist whose work really speaks to me. An analogy I recently heard Dr. Ben Bikman use went something like this: He asked his students to imagine he had invited them to a huge buffet celebration dinner. It would include all of their favorite foods. A smorgasbord of palatable delights. Now if you want to make sure you are good and hungry so that you can enjoy all of this food I’m providing, he asked, how would you prepare for that? How would you ensure you’re hungry enough to sample all that food?

The majority of his students explained that they would eat less for a couple of days. Some also said they would exercise a bit more. This was sure to make their bodies able to indulge in everything they wanted. Dr. Bikman’s reply? But isn’t that exactly what you do when you’re trying to diet? Therefore, the strategy of reducing calories or food intake and exercising more innately sets you up for failure because your body naturally then wants MORE. If you deprive your body of nutrition and then use up its energy stores by exercising more….guess what? You are going to be hungrier than usual! A great strategy for preparing to binge, but not great if you want to lose weight.

Extended restriction of calories initiates a change, slowing your metabolism. This may then trigger you to overeat and the cycle continues. Maybe you are able to attain weight loss in time for whatever event you’re dieting for and when that is over you go back to your old habits. Well…of course you do, you’ve been starving your body, your hormones, and your brain! You may very well be malnourished even when you’re eating whatever you like and overeating. This is what causes some of us to overeat in the first place. Your stomach is often full, and yet you always have a notion to eat. I mean, there’s always room for ice cream or a few more chips, right? Why? Lack of actual nutrition that is bioavailable to your body. See my blog post here on this topic – Obese and Malnourished/Stuffed but Starving. 

Love Yourself By Healing Yourself

Now, let me set the record straight once again – this is not about punishing yourself for not being a certain size or weight. Yes, you should love your body at any size – but love your body enough to nourish it and move it. That’s not self-loathing. THAT is loving the body you have and wanting it to function optimally so that you can live a long, beautiful, and fulfilling life as God intended. Not to be sick and miserable, putting on a brave face and telling yourself it’s ok to be this way. Stop abusing your body with nutrient-void, addictive garbage. This is not about a beauty standard. It’s about health. Physical, mental, and metabolic health. 

It’s also not immediately about weight loss. It’s about healing. Even if you don’t have a medical diagnosis and you have a waist-to-height ratio greater than 45-50%, you have metabolic issues to correct. This can be done with diet. Autoimmune disorders, diabetes, arthritis, insulin resistance, and many MANY health concerns can potentially be reversed by following a species (human) appropriate way of eating.

How Is That Possible?

Stop dieting! So how, exactly, do I propose you nourish your body and prevent or even reverse chronic disease without calorie restriction and exercise? The answer, my friend, is simple. That’s not to say it’s easy, but it is very simple. Eat what we as humans were designed to eat, and don’t eat what was not meant for us. Hint: there’s a reason every parent fights to get their kids to eat vegetables. 

My 2 rules for starting your mission to better health:

  1. Eat meat and other animal products (eggs, butter, etc.)
  2. Do NOT eat processed “foods” (if it comes in a box or has ingredients you wouldn’t recognize in nature ditch it)

This may be a slow, measured process or you might dive right in. I’ll help you decide which method is best for you! Feel free to email me at thecandidcarnivore@gmail.com if you would like more information on healing your body or losing weight; message me on my social media pages linked below, or click here to find out more about my virtual coaching sessions. I love helping people all over the world feel their best without buying some plan, program, special foods, or having to count or track anything! 

If you’re ready to feel your best, heal your body, get great sleep, and lose weight in the process, what are you waiting for? Contact me!

XOXO

~ The Candid Carnivore

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Nutrition & Hormones

Fertility, menopause, and everything in between.

Over the weekend I was asked if carnivore, zero carb, or low carb can help with fertility and hormone issues.

First, the disclaimer: I can’t guarantee anything or make any promises. I’d bet my life savings, but I can’t promise.

Short answer: YES!

Keeping your carb intake as low as possible will keep your insulin low. Many issues with fertility and hormone imbalance at any age can be traced to a constant flood of insulin. Metformin can help to lower insulin, but this presents two problems from my understanding. 1. It goes back to my analogy concerning diabetics – rather than change your diet, the doctor prescribes another medication. Where if you just reduce the foods that are causing the issue, you wouldn’t need the medication. 2. It simply masks the issue and many women trying to become pregnant do not want additional medications in their system, and therefore the baby’s.

Long answer: YES!

When you consume sugar and carbs, they become glucose in your body. Insulin is released to level things out. If you are having sugar and carbs throughout the day, the insulin and your pancreas never has a break. Insulin is a storage hormone – storing glucose, fat, salt, and water. This is a stressor on your body, also keeping cortisol levels high. Cortisol is a stress hormone.

This is the perfect storm to create insulin resistance. This means your hormones are not receiving the proper signals. It’s like a break in the communication system in your cells. You stop ovulating, or ovulate infrequently. Your cycle may be irregular, you may develop PCOS. All of these things will go against what your body was made to do. With those hormones now being out of whack and receiving no communication, pregnancy loss is also a higher risk.

SO, consuming very low carb foods like berries, spinach, some nuts, etc., will go a long way to reducing your insulin and keeping glucose levels nice and steady. Though carbs are NOT essential even during pregnancy.

Protein’s Role

Consuming more protein will help with muscle support and building another human! Eggs, burgers, bacon, steak, chicken, wings – any beef, pork, chicken, or fish. As we get older, prioritizing protein is even more important. Keeping carbs at a minimum, steady glucose levels, and low insulin, are important to reduce inflammation. Protein keeps muscles strong to protect bones. Low insulin lowers cardiovascular risk.

Fat’s Role

Fat is also essential in healing and supporting hormones in all humans. I’m talking about animal fat – eat the fat on the meat, have some cheese, cook in tallow, lard, butter, or ghee. Healing your hormones and eating to support them is a big deal! Hormones require fat. Every cell in your body requires fat to function properly.

Check out YouTube videos from Kelly Hogan, Neisha Berry, and others who had hormonal imbalances, PCOS, Hashimoto’s, and once they were able to heal, they were able to successfully conceive and have healthy, full-term pregnancies.

This is also helpful information for women who are going through menopause!

If you want to know more, contact me here!

Ready to book a coaching session, click here!

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Benefits of a Carnivore Diet: Reversing Diseases and Disorders

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.

Lies My Doctor Told Me by Ken Berry, MD

The Carnivore Cure by Judy Cho, NTP

The Carnivore Diet by Shawn Baker, MD

The Dietician’s Dilemma by Michelle Hurn, Registered Dietician

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.