Introduction

Are you tired of the never-ending debates about what is a healthy diet? Are you skeptical of cutting out whole food groups or restricting your calorie intake? It’s time to shift your perspective and consider the incredible power of the carnivore diet. By focusing on animal-based foods and eliminating all plant-based foods, this unconventional approach to nutrition has the potential to transform your relationship with food and optimize your overall well-being. The carnivore diet is gaining popularity for its simplicity and potential health benefits. While Carnivore advocates claim that by adopting a diet rich in meat, fish, and other animal products, they have experienced significant improvements in energy levels, mental clarity, and physical performance. But what does the science say? Can a meat-heavy diet really be sustainable and provide all the necessary nutrients for optimal health? In this article, we get a glimpse of the carnivore diet, by examining its potential benefits and risks, and addressing some common misconceptions. We’ll delve into the nutritional science behind it and share tips on how to successfully adopt this approach, if you’re up for it. Get ready to challenge the status quo, expand your nutritional knowledge, and discover the transformative power of the carnivore diet.

Common misconceptions about the carnivore diet

We’ve all been there and have seen the weird looks when you mention to anybody about an all meat diet. It’s a foreign idea. Part of the problem is the information being put out and who controls it. For example if you go to Wikipedia and search the carnivore diet, their site paints it as a “fad diet” and immediately points to all the issues, such as: vitamin deficiencies, lack of dietary fiber and an increased risk of chronic diseases. Wikipedia even attempts to further distance the carnivore diet from humans by indicating “for actual carnivore diets, See Carnivore”. The link they provide takes you to a page that elicits that the carnivore diet is reserved only for an animal or plant that eats meat. 

People who don’t know any better can easily be duped if you rely mainly on what Google and Wikipedia tell, because all of the above myths have been debunked by renown carnivore diet experts like Dr. Kiltz. He has a blog post on his site called “7 Carnivore Diet Myths: Debunked”. Dr. Kiltz is a great resource and an expert in the area of being on a Carnivore Diet. If you like that blog post, he has a book called “Kiltz’s Keto is Carnivore: A Guide for a Fertile Life & Beyond,” where he discusses all of the chronic issues we have today and how we can go about changing that. 

So how do we battle this misinformation? 

We do that by rewiring our brains from the previous propaganda that has been instilled into our way of thinking through the generations. 

What propaganda? 

To start, the food pyramid that we are well accustomed to. In 1992, the USDA introduced the food pyramid that gave us our recommended daily allowance (RDA). As you can see, the largest daily allowance went to bread, cereal, rice and pasta. Lots of whole grains! That’s good, right? Not exactly. A matter of fact, plants don’t want to be eaten. They lack a physical defense system, so instead their only mechanism of defense is a chemical in the form of lectins.

Where are lectins found?

Well, they are found in a lot of foods that have been recommended for our consumption, like wheat, corn, soy, barley and oats. These lectin poisons puncture holes in our gut lining and get into our bloodstream. From there, they start creating issues, like allergies, auto-immune disorders, inflammation, skin problems and neurological issues. 

Risks of the standard american diet

The 1992 food pyramid recommended lots of pasta, grains, wheat, rice, fruits and vegetables. As Dr. Shawn Baker mentioned in his book, The Carnivore Diet, the food pyramid was created as a guess from some “experts” of what people should be eating. What is the issue with all that? It looks like a well balanced guide. Well, there are many problems with this food pyramid. Let’s break that down from the bottom up:

1. Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Pasta (the largest group):
   As mentioned above, this group contains lots of lectins that will tear up your gut lining. Aside from that, here are some other issues:
     – Carb Overload: The high intake of carbohydrates will lead to weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
     – Bloating: Having large servings of this group will cause bloating and discomfort, especially for individuals who have a gluten sensitivity or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
     – Nutritional Imbalance: Many of the items in this group have little to no nutritional value/benefit to your body. It lacks protein, healthy fats, and certain types of vitamins and minerals.
     – Energy Instability: This type of food has a high glycemic index, which will cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash throughout the day. This can lead to tiredness, irritability and craving more carbs to get your energy back up. While Carnivore, you’ll have much more consistent energy with fewer cravings.
    
2. Vegetables:
   We all grew up hearing about how you need to eat vegetables to get your daily vitamin and mineral intake. It’s true, the human body does need nutrients, but does it need all the chemicals and toxins that vegetables have as well?
     – Oxalates: Also known as oxalic acid, oxalates are naturally occurring (defense system) found in plants, which includes the vegetables that people are eating. Some of the issues that oxalates cause include: kidney stones, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, digestive issues and joint pains. If any of those symptoms sound familiar or resonate with you, you may want to think twice before diving into that “healthy” spinach-kale-beet smoothie.
     – Gas Build-up: Vegetables have been known to cause gas and bloating, thanks to their high fiber content and certain indigestible sugars. We all know that sugars are not good for your body. The types of sugars found in plants are raffinose, stachyose and fructans. These can be found in beans, leagues, onions, garlic and wheat. These sugars might be good for plants to maintain the structure of plant cell walls, but when it comes to humans, there’s not much benefit, unless you consider being able to rip the loudest fart at a party a significant benefit.
     – Bitterness: Have you ever put something in your mouth and it tastes a little bitter? Well, that’s your taste receptors telling you that you’re putting something in your mouth that has the presence of potentially harmful chemicals. The Scientific American wrote an article talking about “How Bitter Taste Receptors Defend the Body Against Bacteria”.
     – Pesticides: Everybody knows that many vegetables are grown using pesticides to prevent insects and diseases. Even after washing, you’ll still get traces of pesticides that are “considered safe for consumption.” Some say that this exposure may have long term effects.
   
   
3. Fruits:
   As with vegetables, we run into the issue of pesticides to prevent insects and disease. But with fruits like apples, they’re generally coated with a layer of wax to give it that appealing look we see in the stores.
   
   Everybody knows that fruits are sweet and delicious, and they have a “natural sugar.” Since it’s natural, that means it’s okay to consume, right? Wrong! As with regular sugar consumption, fruit sugar can cause health problems as well. Fructose is the sugar found in fruits, which can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and even heart disease. As with other sugars, fruit sugar can contribute to tooth decay, which is part of the reason why some people While Carnivore have reported better dental health.
   
   
4. Fats, Oils, and Sweets:

The last part of the 1992 food pyramid that is of concern is this section. My concern is not healthy fats, but the types of oils and how they’re processed and made for consumers.

Many oils like soybean, corn, cotton seed and grapeseed oils can cause inflammation and have been linked to the risk of heart disease. Many of these oils are genetically modified and used in almost every processed food on the market today, specifically soybean oil. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “genetically modified,” it doesn’t sound like something I should be putting in my body.

Did it start with the food pyramid?

If the food pyramid was introduced in 1992, then how does that account for the demise of the American diet? Even though the food pyramid was more recent, our diet had changed much earlier. It is believed that our addiction to whole grain yumminess started back in 1894. This is when Dr. John Kellogg invented Corn Flakes, which was the beginning of a billion-dollar industry and the introduction of whole grains into the American diet.

Expert opinions and research on the carnivore diet

Carnivore Diet Healing is a real thing. Judy Cho wrote a book called “Carnivore Cure: The Ultimate Diet to Attain Optimal Health and Heal Your Body,” where she talks about the Carnivore Cure Food Pyramid. Since meat is the most nutrient dense food you can consume, you can get all the nutrients that your body needs. You’ll be eliminating all the foods that create issues like inflammation, joint pains and digestion problems and receive benefits like mental clarity, pain free and higher energy.

The idea of the Carnivore Cure Food Pyramid is to eliminate all foods that are not meat from your diet. Your body will begin to recover by healing itself without all the toxins or foods that your body is sensitive to. After your body is back to its optimal state, then you can start reintroducing foods to your diet slowly. But I would imagine that if your body is feeling so good, you may not want to reintroduce things that could bring back adverse effects into your diet. 

The benefits of the carnivore diet

I mentioned the myths of being on a Carnivore Diet earlier in this post, but what can you look forward to While Carnivore? Here are just a few things:

1. Weight Loss: Since you’re eliminating high-calorie, processed foods, expect to lose some weight while your body adjusts and becomes more efficient.
   
2. Improved Heart Health: A study published by the Journal of American College of Cardiology found that a diet high in red meat and dairy products was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
   
3. Increased Energy: Without the roller coaster effect of carbohydrate energy, your body will have a more consistent energy level.
   
4. Clearer Skin: Removing the processed food (junk) and sugars from your diet, your skin will become smoother and clear of acne.
   
5. Better Digestion: As mentioned above, grains and legumes can tear up your stomach lining. Getting rid of those will help with gastrointestinal (GI) problems like IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) .
   
6. Reduced Inflammation: Again, today’s Standard American Diet consists of processed foods and sugar which are the main contributors to inflammation in your body. Being on a meat diet is like a natural anti-inflammatory.
   
7. Improved Mental Clarity: Processed foods are often stripped of essential nutrients and packed with artificial ingredients, preservatives, and unhealthy fats. Sugars can cause inflammation in the brain, which can cause cognitive decline and mood disorders.
   
   Cholesterol always gets a bad rap. But did you know that 25% of the cholesterol in your body is found in your brain? Cholesterol in your brain plays an important role, and David Perlmutter, MD explains it in his article, “Your Brain Needs Cholesterol.”
   
8. Increased Muscle Mass: With the combination of consistent exercise and a high-protein diet, your body will get shredded and maintain muscle mass.
   
9. Reduced Cravings: Sugars and high-carb are addictive and most of the time leave you wanting more. You ever wonder why Pringles’ slogan is “once you pop, you won’t stop?” It’s because they specially formulate (sugar and additives) it to taste good, leaving you wanting more. I have fallen victim to these foods in the past, but I am no longer a slave to them.
   
   

Simplification of Diet: No more hunting through the pantry or running to the store in the middle of the night to satisfy my craving. Just keep a variety of different meats in the fridge that allows you to grab and go when you need it. A few bites will probably satiate your hunger, and it’s simple!

Conclusion

With all the problems that come with consuming things that are non-meat that I have laid out above, hopefully you have a better understanding of what your body needs and what can disrupt your body from running efficiently. 

With all the information out there about what we should eat to have a well balanced diet, I want to give readers a mindset shift to the past with a passage from a book written in 1882 by Ellen Richards called Chemistry of Cooking and Cleaning: A Manual for Housekeepers. Ellen Richards was a scientist who wanted to bring science to the home. She wrote: 

“1st. If the stored-up vegetable matter has required the force derived from the sun to prepare it, the tearing apart, and giving back to the air and earth, the elements of which it was built up, will yield so much force to whatever tears it down; but a certain amount of energy must be used up in this destruction. 2nd. If the animal, having accomplished this decomposition of the vegetable and appropriated the material, is killed, and the prepared nitrogenous food in the form of muscle is eaten by man, then no force is necessary to render the food assimilable; it is only to be dissolved in order that it may enter into the circulation.

The Force-producing power is not lost; it is only transferred to another animal body. Hence the ox or the sheep can do a part of man’s work for him in preparing the vegetable food for use, and man may thus accomplish more than he otherwise could.”

In translation, she’s saying that plants require a lot of energy to consume for the human stomach, but when an animal consumes plants and stores those nutrients in their muscles, humans can receive those nutrients through eating the animal without expending much energy. 

No matter the stage of your journey, be healthier and stronger, While Carnivore.

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