So let’s start by answering this question: What is the Carnivore Diet? The simplest way to put it, the Carnivore Diet is the ultimate elimination diet, it’s a diet that restricts every food group that isn’t meat. That typically means no fruit, processed foods, sugar, fiber, grains, alcohol, and most importantly, vegetables. Sounds kinda crazy right? Most people in the western world would assume that eating nothing but meat leads to numerous health conditions, but devout carnivores would tell you otherwise. They argue that meat is the most nutrient-dense and bioavailable food on the planet. Also, lots of people heal from skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. This is believed to happen because while on carnivore, we eliminate all foods that may be causing these issues in the first place.
Arent vegetables supposed to be healthy? Yes, at least that is what we were taught to believe. The argument for cutting out vegetables is somewhat philosophy based, but there is also a lot of science to back it up. Carnivores believe that plants don’t want to be eaten. It makes sense, right? Just like you and I, plants want to survive, and they will do whatever they can to make sure you don’t eat them.
Unlike other animals, plants can’t run or fight back, so what do they do? They release chemicals like oxalates that may be causing these autoimmune issues. Some carnivores make the case that plants want you to eat their fruits as a way to spread their seed, but some people do find autoimmune flare-ups with fruits as well. But now that we’ve established a base as to why the carnivore diet is something you might want to do, let us continue along with how to start this journey.
Here are a few tips to smoothen your transition into Carnivore:
- It’s recommended to try to adapt your body to the high consumption of meat before diving into this dietary change. Try implementing more meat into your diet routine while slowly cutting out fruits, grains, and processed sugar.
- Try Keto. If you’re already on a Ketogenic diet, the transition to carnivore should be a little bit easier since your body will naturally transition into keto while on a Carnivore Diet.
- Plan out your end goal. While transitioning to this meat-based diet it would be wise to plan out your goals and set realistic time stamps for you to reach those goals. Whether it be weight loss, seeking relief from autoimmune issues, or just wanting to experiment with your own body, it’s important to set realistic goals that you know you can accomplish.
- Try to get the highest quality meat you can comfortably afford. Depending on your budget, you might want to stick to traditional grain-fed and grain-finished beef, or possibly go for the higher quality and more expensive grass-fed and grass-finished beef. Both these types of meats have their pros and cons, and I recommend you investigate them before purchasing.
Variations of Carnivore:
Your diet may differ from others depending on your goals so it’s important to know different variations of Carnivore, and which one may be right for you.
- Animal-Based Diet: An Animal-Based diet is simply a diet that involves different types of meats, eggs, fruits, raw dairy, and honey. This diet is great for those wanting to improve their health without having too many dietary restrictions. Typically those who do this diet don’t tend to enter into a ketogenic state, which might impede weight loss
- Lion Diet: This diet is extremely simple. It’s just beef, water, and salt. When doing this diet, it’s important to include fatty cuts of beef so your body has something to fuel it throughout the day.
- True Carnivore Diet: This diet includes beef, pasture-raised eggs, salt, water, and organ meats. Once again, it’s important to include fatty cuts of beef but keep in mind that egg yolks also have a healthy amount of fat in them, so keep that in mind when doing this diet. Organ meats are also believed to be extremely beneficial for health, and if you’re planning on doing this diet long term, adding organ meats would not be such a bad idea. Organ meats provide countless vitamins and minerals that one may be deficient in when doing this diet long term.
Carnivore Diet Plan:
When choosing your variation of carnivore it’s also important to keep in mind that some carnivore foods might also cause autoimmune issues. Some may find that egg whites are problematic, and some find that pork or poultry cause issues as well. Personally, I’d stick to ruminant animal meat like beef or lamb, because they are some of the meats with the least common allergens. While keeping that in mind, here is a “True Carnivore” diet plan to help set a guideline on how to eat.
- Breakfast: 4 pasture-raised eggs cooked in beef tallow, 1/2 pound (8oz) ground beef 80/20 blend, and 1oz beef liver (If chosen to eat raw, educate yourself on the possible risks before doing so)
- Lunch: 1 Pound (16oz) New york strip, 2 pasture-raised eggs cooked in beef tallow
- Dinner: 1 Pound (16oz) Outside Skirt Steak sliced against the grain
It’s a fairly simple diet to follow, just remember to drink lots of water throughout the day, and to salt your food liberally. Remember that the diet plan set above is nothing more than a guide to help you out. Some people may also find that they don’t need to include breakfast in their diet due to how satiating meat is. Feel free to modify it as you see fit, and make sure to add variation to your cuts of steak such as Chuck, Tri-Tip, and Ribeyes.
Seeking additional tips?
- Add more animal fats to your diet. As I explained earlier, the Carnivore Diet will naturally put you in a state of Ketosis, which allows your body to use fat as its primary food source. What I recommend doing is adding beef tallow to every meal as an easy way to add fat, flavor, and calories. My personal favorite is Epic Beef Tallow. You can also stick to fattier cuts of meat like Ribeye, New York Strip, and Chuck Eye steaks
- Salt your food! Don’t be afraid of salt! Carnivores recommend salting your food to taste. I recommend straying away from conventional table salt and looking for something with more minerals like sea salt, or possibly even Redmond Real Salt. Unlike other sea salts, Real Salt is never heat processed, never stripped of its natural components, and contains no additives.
- Save money! Get a Costco membership, go to a Costco business center, and buy bulk cuts of meat. Some cuts go for as low as $3 a pound. If going this route, I also recommend having a Butchers Knife to ease the trimming process if you choose to take this route. I recommend this knife because it is EXTREMELY sharp, and has a comfortable and textured grip to avoid any slips.
- Cook in bulk. One of my favorite things to do is to meal prep throughout the week. There are times when I buy 12-16 pounds of tri-tip from a Costco business center, throw them in the oven at 225* F for an hour and a half, then sear them off and eat throughout the week at work. Keep in mind that when consuming cuts this lean, it is important to add beef tallow from outside sources.
- Buy a grill that suits your needs. A grill is a great option to cook a lot of meat in a short period while also adding flavor through charcoal. I recommend this Charcoal Grill as a fairly inexpensive way to start grilling. When buying a grill, I personally don’t recommend buying anything over $200, which makes this grill a perfect choice for your outdoor cooking.
- If cooking outside isn’t your forte, use a 12 inch Cast Iron Pan instead. Cast iron is perfect for cooking at high temperatures and giving a great sear to whatever streak or roast you decide to cook up
