WHAT IS THE CARNIVORE DIET?
I think it's good to clarify what constitutes the carnivore diet, because surprisingly many people believe they know or have an idea, but what I usually hear could be described as 'carnivore adjacent'.
Some people think that it's simply eating 'a lot of meat', others think it's eating only meat ( which is true in some cases but is not a core definition ).
At its core, the carnivore diet is what's called an 'elimination diet' ( mostly for healing purposes ) and is about eliminating most—if not all—plant-based foods and replacing them with animal-based foods.
It's called an 'elimination' diet because it's purpose is to eliminate and consequently heal every obstacle that might obstruct the healing process ( like plant toxins ) in the body. On the other hand, meat fish and dairy do not have any inherent toxins.
In short, the body can't do it's job of self-healing if we ingest foods that cause dysfunction and disrupt optimal processes in the body. On the surface it seems the most restrictive but it's also the most healing.
'I WANT TO BE 110 AND PLAY TENNIS'
-Dr Ken Berry
WHAT IS A KETOGENIC DIET?
A ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate ( usually 20-30g of carbs per day ), high-fat diet that shifts the body’s metabolism from using glucose to using fat and ketones for energy. The lower you can bring the carb content, the better. For example, I usually can bring it down by having a splash of milk in my coffee ( which is about 1g of carbs that come from milk )
Often called the keto diet, it involves reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, while maintaining moderate protein consumption
Typically, the macronutrient ratio is about 60–75% fat, 20–30% protein, and 5–10% carbohydrates
By limiting carbs, the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, where the liver converts fat into ketone bodies, which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain and muscles.
The purpose of the ketogenic diet is to have your body run on fat as fuel, as opposed to carbohydrates.
The Carnivore Diet IS a ketogenic diet.
“MEAT IS THE MOST NUTRIENT DENSE FOOD ON THE PLANET”
-Dr Shawn Baker
What I love about it is that, unlike many other diets that someone tried to sell to you in the past ( or even the well meaning friends and family ), the carnivore diet is not a product, therefore there is no one 'what to eat and in what quantities' solution . People in the carnivore community call it a 'lifestyle' or a PHD - Proper Human Diet ( as named by dr. Ken Berry ). You can read about this more in the below section:
This is how you know it's for real - because it can't be packaged and sold to you - hence nobody is getting richer or better off.
Except for you and your health.
WHAT TO EAT ON THE CARNIVORE DIET?
So basically, if the food comes from an animal, it’s fair game. This means that meat, fish, seafood, eggs, organs, broth, and even dairy can be included in your carnivore diet meal ideas, because none of these foods contain plant nerve toxins, whilst animal sourced foods do not contain any toxins harmful to humans.
Salt to taste ( some people can't even eat bacon as it's too salty for them), water or meat broth or meat stock to drink. The best salt is Celtic salt ( it's grey and slightly wet - harvested by traditional methods without any additions. Pink himalayan salt or sea salt are also good, though apparently some have aluminium added to it, so make sure to do your research. All the above contain dozens of minerals. Avoid table salt - it's completely devoid of nutrients and has a ton of additives.
Many folks who try the carnivore diet will make small exceptions for simple things like coffee, tea, and spices.
However the idea at the core of the carnivore diet is to achieve two things:
eliminate plant toxins ( so called anti-nutrients ) which may cause many health related issues. Dr. Berry explains:
ramp up return to state of health and balance by eating only these foods which are rich with dense, bioavailable nutrients ( which come from animal foods ) - malnutrition is a hidden epidemic, yes, also in adults, and yes, also in Western countries!
For this reason the carnivore diet is not a one size fits all approach. At the beginning you will need to listen to your body and do a bit of a trial and error period - adjusting which carnivore foods you can eat ( during the healing period some people can't even eat eggs or butter! ), in which quantities with the right amount of fat. Just remember to get adequate amounts of fat ( on average at least 15-20% fat ) - and do not rely on only lean meats as eating only lean meats could cause what's known as protein poisoning - you can find out more here:
Personally I seem to do better on smaller meals but with higher fat content ( like 30% )- rather than bigger meals with a 20% fat content. From what I read this seems to be an option that many women. But of course there are no hard and fast rules here.
One of the popular ideas people implement is BBB & E - authored by dr. Ken Berry - which stands for: beef, bacon, butter & eggs. For some people this approach works and sometimes it makes it easier to remember what to stick to :) But of course, as stated before, pretty much any type of meat or fish or animal fat is 'allowed'.
For those wanting to lose weight it is recommended to cut out or phase out cheese and milk - as they contain lactose, and lactose turns to sugar in the body, and this prevents ketosis. And if you are not in ketosis it will be harder to lose weight. You can find out more about it here:
Some people gobble butter and some can't digest it. So you might need to replace butter with tallow and adjust quantities of fat.
Some people find that they need to cut out butter, eggs and everything else and only do the 'lion' version of the diet, meaning only ruminant meats ( beef or lamb) + salt and water - at least for the healing period of usually 1-6 months.
Most people eat 2-3 meals a day, some do OMAD ( one meal a day ). Some do intermittent fasting or window eating - again, you would have to see which works best for you, but the purpose is here is to keep yourself in ketosis. No snacking between meals - the whole point is to keep you in ketosis and bring down your insulin levels - you can read more about it here:
Unlike with many diets the carnivore diet is not a one size fits all so you will have to try out different options and see what works best for you. I mean - we are al individuals so this makes sense. One thing you should keep in mind is that the fat content should be quite high, of at least 15 - 20%.
Tinker with it and find a routine that works for you. In most cases, though, starting with fattier cuts of meat ( like ribeye steaks and beef ribs ) can make for a smoother transition. Some lean steaks can even have good fat added to them, too! ( like tallow, lard or butter ).
So you'll have to take it slow and observe how your body reacts. You can go to this section to try out some meal ideas to see which one works best for you:
Whichever version of the diet you decide is best for you it's still reducing or eliminating plant poisons and ingesting high density bioavailable nutrients - which is the main point of the carnivore diet and will likely bring you immeasureble benefits.
Be patient, let your body tell you what feels best for you. Give it at least 30 days.
Then if you want to continue - additional 2 months. And if you still want to continue - another 3 months.
So to summarize - give it at least 1, 3 or 6 months.
WHY CARNIVORE WORKS
We've all heard - lose weight in order to be healthy. But it's the opposite - we need to get healthy first in order to lose weight. It's about healing the hormonal system that decides how fat is stored in our body. So losing weight is only a side effect of a healthy body.
Carnivore works because cutting carbs forces your body to switch from burning glucose to burning fat, producing ketones that suppress appetite, lower insulin, and improve blood‑sugar control.
How Ketosis Works: The Core Mechanism
1. Carb Restriction → Glycogen Depletion → Ketosis
Eating fewer than ~20–30 g of carbs per day depletes glycogen stores within 1–3 days.
The liver then converts fatty acids into ketone bodies (β‑hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, acetone).
These ketones become the main fuel for the brain, muscles, and organs.
2. Insulin Drops, Fat Burning Increases
Low carb intake sharply reduces insulin, the hormone that promotes fat storage.
Lower insulin allows fat cells to release stored fat for energy.
3. Ketones Provide Efficient Energy
Ketones cross the blood–brain barrier and supply up to ~60% of the brain’s energy during sustained ketosis.
They feed directly into cellular energy pathways without extra processing steps.
Why Keto Helps With Weight Loss
1. Strong Appetite Suppression
Ketosis blunts ghrelin (the hunger hormone), preventing the usual hunger rebound seen in dieting.
Higher ketone levels correlate with reduced hunger.
2. Stable Blood Sugar and Lower Insulin
Fewer carbs mean fewer blood‑sugar spikes and less insulin demand.
This improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic control, especially in insulin‑resistant individuals.
3. Hormonal Shift Toward Fat Mobilization
Low insulin + high glucagon = increased fat breakdown and ketone production.
IT'S ALL ABOUT INSULIN
When it comes to health, insulin is the main regulator of our health ( and by extension weight ).
There is one thing you should be aware that might surprise you - is that 93% of everyone ( you read that right ) is either insulin resistant, pre-diabetic or diabetic.
Basically it goes like this: when you become insulin resistant it might lead to pre-diabetes, which might lead to diabetes. So everyone who is pre-diabetic or diabetic is also insulin resistant. So you can see why insulin resistance can be a problem.
Another fact is that 90% of pre-diabetics are unaware of it! And insulin resistance is responsible for all major diseases out there:
heart disease
chronic inflammation ( which we are usually unaware of )
diabetes
cancers
dementia
strokes
obesity
high blood pressure
PCOS
Basically, insulin resistance is caused by too much insulin in the blood ( not too much sugar as some people think ).
Here is a quick explanation of what it actually is, why it's a problem and how to reverse it:
WHAT ABOUT FASTING?
I heard a ton about amazing benefits of fasting, in our day and age it's a bit unorthodox as what is promoted is preached is the exact opposite - constant snacking ( therefore constant insulin production ).
Historically it's one of the natural ways to eat for humans, as for hundreds of thousands of years we went through periods of feasting then fasting in the hunter-gatherer era. Some people choose to try it and combine it with their keto / carnivore diet. Some people love it and some don't.
If you want to try a fast longer than 24hrs ( which some people do automatically by doing one meal a day version of keto or carnivore diet - it's called OMAD ), I would advise that you do your research of what is needed that you prepare - it would probably be electrolytes, magnesium, vitamin D, however please do your research.
Dr Jason Fung explains fasting:
Easy Guide To Intermittent Fasting | Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss | Jason Fung
There is a version of fasting called 'sardine fasting'. I have not tried it so I can't judge one way or another.
Dr. Berry included sardines in his 5 top superfoods as they are absolutely packed with nutrients:
"I could literally lock you in my barn and just feed you sardines with the skin on and the bones in, and it would be years before you developed a vitamin or mineral deficiency because they're so nutritionally complete."
5 FAKE Superfoods & 5 Real Superfoods (You've Been Tricked) - YouTube
From initial look I can see that people either love it or hate it - if it's the latter it's likely due to the amount of sardines eaten at one time. If you are interested there are a ton of videos online, here is one from dr. Boz:
I personally have done what's called INTERMITTENT FASTING - which there are different versions of it - in my case it was 16 hours fast and 3 x meals within the remaining 8 hours of a 24hr period - with meals eg. at 10am, 2pm and 6pm - so you can see this can be quite easily done. Intermittent fasting explained:
Intermittent Fasting: Transformational Technique | Cynthia Thurlow | TEDxGreenville
Here are benefits of fasting and results - one insane benefit is that if you don't eat for at least 17-18 hours your body switches on a process called 'autophagy' - literally recycling old cells and turning them into new ones.
Autophagy explained:
Intermittent Fasting and Cleaning Up the Body (Autophagy/Mitophagy) - YouTube
Some people absolutely swear by it and there are different lengths that people decide to do fasting for - from 1 to even 7 days! I would advise that the longer you want to fast for the closer you listen to your body and the better research you do to see what you need to supplement your body with during this period. Chris Pratt talks about his experience:
Chris Pratt gave intermittent fasting a try #menshealth - YouTube
Fasting benefits:
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START
+ TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Everybody is different, so the carnivore diet might not work the same for you as it does for someone else. Some people excel right away with this diet, while others need a more sensitive transition into the carnivore diet lifestyle.
If you’ve experimented with low carbohydrate and/or keto-type diets, the transition to a carnivore diet will likely be much easier. Meanwhile, if you’re a carb junky, you can expect the adjustment to be more challenging.
On average the carb cravings should diminish in approximately 2-3 weeks. This is the time the body needs to adjust to being able to use fat as fuel as opposed to carbohydrates.
Below you can read more about why you need to stay consistent for at least 2 weeks in order for this process to happen:
This can mean starting by transitioning a single meal each day to an entirely ( or mostly, at least at the very beginning if you are transitioning ) animal-based, or can mean settling for a diet that’s primarily, but not entirely, carnivorous. You'll have to see what works best for you.
I went pretty much cold turkey - and I'm only talking about a keto, not carnivore at the time - because I was completely desperate to feel better - and it took me about a month to diminish carb cravings ( but I was a total pasta and bread junkie ) - but was so worth it!.
What works for some people is going very strict for the healing period - just water, meat ( high fat beef or lamb ) and salt. Nothing else. This version of the carnivore is called the 'lion' diet. And it seems like, for many people it's true that the stricter you go, the better they feel. Like Dr. Chaffee said - many carnivores consider themselves 95% carnivores, however going that extra 5%, at least for a while, makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. A lot of people have such high levels of energy and positive mood that they feel almost superhuman.
But for many people this might not be easy at the beginning. So I would recommend implementing the below points before you jump into it - this will increase your chances of success immensely.
In my experience there are a few keys to success. The first one is:
1. PLANNING AHEAD
Many of us believe they are addicted to food in general, but what is actually happening we are addicted to carbohydrates ( which all break down to sugars in the body ).
And it's not always easy to break that addiction. Some people are able to switch cold turkey with the sheer will power, but for many of us I think the better solution would be to slowly transition to the carnivore diet.
So I would advise you to write down what you are eating and make a plan to cut out certain foods, one by one, over a course of 4 - 12 weeks.
Say, for example, that you have a bowl of pasta for lunch each day. This is what I would do:
in week 1 cut the pasta in half and replace the other half with high fat meat
in week 2 take away another half and replace the rest with hight fat meat meat
And so on and so forth. This is of course just an example to illustrate the process - you can adjust the quantities to be more or less than half.
I will give you an example: I had a favourite bar of chocolate which I ate every single day. In week one I ate one row less, in week 2 I ate 2 rows less etc. So this was a very slow transition, but I did it for a reason - chocolate has a lot of plant toxins and cutting it out too quickly can cause havoc in the body - so it's best to cut it out little by little ( you can read more about plant toxins below ). Both my parents had kidney stones and so I was terrified of them if i cut it out too quickly.
So this is just my example of how I approached this process, but you can make your own choices based on common sense and how your body reacts.
This will make it a bit easier to transition. So plan your meals ahead, make them at home and bring them to work with you. After a while you will be so happy you did!
I know this might seem like extra work, but remember:
this is only for the first couple of weeks, after that it will become your second nature
remember the reason you are doing this - for health, optimal functioning and wellbeing - both yourself and your loved ones.
Take out a piece of paper and a pen ( yes, seriously ), and write out your plan - then stick it to the fridge.
AND THEN - STICK TO THE PLAN.
IT IS SO WORTH IT.
BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO GIVE IT A FEW WEEKS TO COLLECT YOUR REWARDS OF FEELING BETTER.
SO BE CONSISTENT BECAUSE YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU FOR GIVING A CHANCE TO HEAL ITSELF.
The next key to success is what I call:
2. NEXT BEST THING
This is what I tried to do when, eg. I have a craving - I ask myself - what's the next best food I can replace it with instead? I'm basically looking for the closest healthiest alternative.
I take into consideration the amount of carbs, speed of insulin response, amount of plant toxins, how many ingredients the food contains ( so if I have a craving for chocolate I will choose the one that has 5 ingredients instead of 30 ).
So for example - if I wanted KFC - can I wait until I get home and make a 'home made' KFC with pork panko instead of bread crumbs? If I can't wait - I can probably buy a piece of cooked chicken in the nearest supermarket.
Or - if I just saw someone eating ice cream in the summer - can I wait until I get home to make my own? Because it will have better ingredients and not as many potentially harmful ones. If I can't wait - I will probably go for some replacement like strawberries, because they have low sugar and low plant toxin levels.
You get the idea. In time you will learn not only to make better choices for yourself, but also be proud you are doing your best to take care of yourself and your health and giving your body a chance to not have to work so hard for you.
The 3rd key to success is:
3. DIMINISHING AND ELIMINATION OF PLANT TOXINS
This is a very important step and the reason is that there are certain plant nerve toxins, which, if suddenly cut off, may cause some havoc on their way out.
One particular group that I'm aware of ( described in the book called 'Toxic Superfoods' by Sally K. Norton - this book completely changed the way I look at food by the way ) are oxalates, which unlike other plant toxins tend to stay in the body.
You can get a copy here:
Toxic Superfoods: How Oxalate Overload Is Making You Sick-and How to Get Better - Kindle edition by Norton MPH, Sally K.. Professional & Technical Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
If you suddenly eat a lot less of plants than you used to, including high levels of oxalates or cut them out completely it can cause a phenomenon called 'oxalate dumping', which can cause some aches and pains, leading people to believe they were caused by the carnivore diet itself ( they caused me almost unbearable headaches when I try to cut out too quickly ).
A surprising fact that very few people are aware of is that plants contain neurotoxins, some of them shaped like a spear, designed to puncture our cells and dehydrate them, are the cause of the pains you may be experiencing whilst trying to cut down on oxalates.
There is, however, a way to do this safely, and that, again, is to cut them out in stages. However for that you first need to know the quantities you are ingesting in the first place - these you can find the 'Toxic Superfoods' book. I thoroughly recommend that not only new carnivores read this book but anyone who cares about their health and wellbeing.
I also recommend to not rely on google in this matter because the numbers can be vastly different from those in the book - I trust Ms. Norton's research as she was very upfront about the health price she paid by having a degree in nutrition and at the same time being in denial of what is causing her health issues.
There are a couple of more points that for many of us are really important to address:
4. EMOTIONAL / COMFORT EATING
There are many sources online that advise how to address this problem, and it should be addressed before jumping into the diet. Here is one example:
5. COMMUNITY SUPPORT
As the carnivore diet remains largely misunderstood and unpopular I think it's really important to find a support group, there are many on facebook or whatsapp.
Being a part of one makes is a lot easier not to fall back on old habits and / or sway back under pressure in the workplace, from family or friends. You might want to join a general one or a local one.
6. ADDRESSING THE CRAVINGS
There are several ways people deal with the cravings, some of them are:
crunching on a couple of bits of Himalayan, sea salt or Celtic salt
eating something allowed on the diet
adding more fat to your meals / choosing meat cuts with more fat content
eating bigger portions
find out what gives you a release of endorphins and do just that! Here are some examples ( you can find your own of course! ):
7. ADDITIONAL TIPS:
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and consider adding electrolytes to avoid dehydration ( try finding ones without added sugar or other unnecessary ingredients ), for example it could be something like this - always check out the ingredients list to see there is nothing else except the electrolytes themselves:
Freak Athletics Electrolytes Powder 250g - Unflavoured, 250 Servings | Zero Sugar Hydration Electrolyte Powder, Electrolytes for Keto & Fasting, Daily Hydration Support, 1g per Serving : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care
Instead of electrolytes you could also add a pinch of himalayan or celtic salt ( best choice as it's harvested by traditional methods and has nothing added to it and over 80 different nutrients, the right one looks grey and is damp ).
Focus on Variety: Incorporate different cuts of meat, fish, and organ meats to ensure you get a range of nutrients. You can get some meal ideas here:
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how you feel and adjust your food choices accordingly - you can increase or decrease salt and fat according to your taste and satiety
IMPORTANT: A crucial point in following the carnivore diet is that you need to make sure that you aren’t just eating lean meat.
It’s important to get an adequate amount of fat for energy and health, such as 20 or higher percentage fat cuts, many vitamins in minerals are located in the fatty part of the meat. If you eat only low fat meats you will be hungry sooner or might even get what's called 'protein poisoning'.
Protein poisoning, also known as rabbit starvation, is a rare form of acute malnutrition caused by eating almost exclusively very lean meat without enough fat or carbohydrates over a long time. This lack of balance overburdens the liver and kidneys, causing a toxic buildup of nitrogen waste products like ammonia and urea in the blood.
WHAT TO EAT ON THE CARNIVORE DIET?
You can read about that here:
AFTER THE HEALING PERIOD
A lot of us have favorite foods that it might be difficult to completely cut out and never have again. I personally sometimes crave some childhood tastes. After the healing period you can start reintroducing some foods, one by one to see if they are causing any irritation so that you can have them from time to time without paying a hefty price for it. But maybe it's better to stick to the 'next best thing' rule, and try to reintroduce strawberries or broccoli instead of cornflakes or cake :)
This has to do with the fact that in the hunter-gatherers era of humanity, some periods were marked by necessity to find foods to relieve starvation periods - these were mostly forest berries. Dr. Berry said that he has pear trees in their garden and every summer they eat them to their heart's content ( for a couple of days I think he said ) - it is my belief that this is their equivalent of eating nature's sugary foods that some people feel they can periodically enjoy without paying excessive health price.
There are tens of thousands of people on Reddit, Facebook, blogs, and podcasts who have shared their success stories and are still experiencing transformative benefits as a result of their transition to a carnivore diet.
Some claim they are now so happy and feeling so good that they are never going back to the standard way of eating because reintroducing certain foods back on their menu is creating issues - you will just have to see for yourself and decide what makes it worth it for you.
Here is a very good summary for beginners from Steak and Butter gal 👉
WHAT IS A STRICT CARNIVORE DIET?
A strict Carnivore Diet, also known as 'Lion' diet is eating only ruminant meats ( beef, lamb ), salt and water. Nothing else. Because these meats have all the essential nutrients you need and you are literally stripping your diet of EVERYTHING that might cause irritation or make it difficult for your body to heal. Dr.Chaffee explains:
Meat Has All The Essential Nutrients
This version of the carnivore diet is often implemented in healing severe health issues, such as auto immune issues, and is sometimes required for a period of time ( a few weeks, months ) in order to improve them.
After the healing period some people decide to stick to it as they report feeling amazing.
For others, such as Mihaela Peterson ( daughter of Jordan Peterson ), it seems to be the only way of eating that does not irritate their existing health issues, sometimes severe as in this case 👇
LEAKY GUT ON CARNIVORE
Do you have a leaky gut? Here is a protocol that might help heal it:
DAIRY ON THE CARNIVORE DIET
When it comes to milk and cheese products - they of course don't contain any toxins so many carnivores do include dairy in their diet. However, dairy can cause some irritation issues for some people and they feel best avoiding it altogether. So it really depends how it makes you feel.
Dairy is also not recommended if you are looking to lose weight, as it does contain a few carbs ( in a form of lactose ) so it might throw you off ketosis ( although after a while it seems to be more important to be fat adapted rather than in ketosis ). Overall, if you are eating dairy, it's always better to have it full fat rather than skimmed - the higher fat to carb ration slows down the insulin response.
On the topic of dairy - there is one product I want to mention and recommend. I say product but you really can't buy it in any store, you'll actually have to make it yourself!
It's called L. Reuteri yoghurt and it was 'invented' by dr. William Davis. Dr. Davis discovered that this particular bacteria ( called L. Reuteri ) is the one bacteria that we are supposed to have in our gut but almost nobody does anymore - due to bad diet or antibiotics. And this bacteria takes care of all bad bacteria - amazing!
When I first tasted it it caused this euphoric moment for me - and knowing that it's probably because this was what my body was missing makes complete sense! I made a batch that was supposed to last a few days but ate way more than I planned lol
If you like dairy or yoghurt - it's absolutely delicious!
It's not difficult to make, and there are only 3 ingredients: milk / cream, inulin and L. reuteri. You'll also need a special yoghurt maker - the reason is because it needs to be made at a specific temperature, so the maker needs to have adjustable temperature.
Examples below:
Yoghurt maker:
Amazon.com: Yogurt Maker with Adjustable Temperature & Time Control,Digital Yogurt Maker Machine with 8×6oz Glass Jars,Make Trillions of Live Probiotics & Wellness Gifts for Men & Women: Home & Kitchen
L. reuteri bacteria
Swanson L. Reuteri Plus 7 billion CFU 30 Veg Capsules, Digestion, Probiotic | eBay UK
Inulin:
Pure Via Inulin Powder 1kg | Chicory Root Fibre | Vegan & Gluten-Free | eBay UK
Here are the amazing benefits of the yoghurt ( read the comments underneath the video too, you will be amazed - some people report improved sense of humour :) )
You can find the recipe here:
CHEATING ON CARNIVORE
What about cheating on the carnivore diet?
I think this is a multi layered question, which is why it deserves a multi layered answer.
First of all - what do you mean by cheating? Do you mean a 'cheat day' or a 'cheat weekend' during which you allow yourself a big takeaway and booze?
Or do you want to cheat with adding your favourite vegetable with your dinner or some blueberries at the end of your lunch?
As you can see - the first step is to be honest with ourselves, otherwise we might not get very far in getting your health and vitality back. If you find yourself regularly going for the first option because 'you've been eating well all week', then you might be setting yourself up for failure. And unfortunately all you ever hear is that 'this or that' is good or bad for you, unhealthy or healthy, but it's rarely explained why.
Once again, there are a number of reasons.
First of all - you will be thrown out of ketosis - for up to 3 days! You can read more here:
Secondly, there are a number of ingredients in many different kinds of food ( not just fast food ) and alcohol that will not just stop your progress, but might make your future progress slow down, such as hormone disruptors, seed oils, ultra-processed foods, additives, flavourings, sugars and a whole lot more, each of which causes a lot of chaos and damage in the body. You can read more here:
Dr. Chaffee explains:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgWMrsXp1fc
Thirdly, plant toxins are not something insignificant, and if you start eating certain types of toxins after not eating them for a while it might cause even more damage to your organs and tissue. You can find out more here:
On the other hand, if you want to cheat from time to time with some cheese ( if you don't normally include dairy in your diet ) or some cherries - you can see that it's still cheating but it's in a bit of a different category - you are not dumping a bunch of seed oils and sugars into your system and your body won't have to work nearly as hard to return to the state of balance.
My personal go to cheats are strawberries with some fresh whipped cream - home made of course - which means one ingredient as opposed to 20. The reason is that strawberries are very low in toxins and sugars and double cream has a very high fat to carb ratio, which means a slow insulin response ). And if I have this combination once every couple of weeks or once a month - I don't feel very guilty at all.
Occasionally I do miss some childhood tastes, and I'll have eg. scrambled eggs with bacon and fresh tomatoes ( but without skin or seeds as per 'Toxic Superfoods' book by Sally K. Norton ). Or some avocado, which again, is very low in oxalates, zero sugars and high healthy fats.
But generally there are probably 5 or 6 fruits and vegetables that I do consume from time to time, and if I do - I take into consideration the amount of carbs ( need to be low ), fats ( need to be high ) and toxins ( need to be low ). I also take into consideration glycemic and insulin indexes. I created a table with this data to help you make your own choices:
Here is dr Berry cheating talking about cheating on carnivore:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZmZk6VHPpDg
I do something I call 'next best thing' that helps me with cheating - you can find out more in point 2 in the below section:
And here is another good advice from dr Berry
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ApWOvW_aT6Y
If you feel like the issue is that you are tempted to cheat because you are still in the phase of curing carb addiction, you can try ideas in point 6 in the below section:
Also, here is a comment that I found underneath one of the videos - it's a very good point and a good one to keep in mind in case you are struggling:
Carnivore changes hunger cues in some people. I've found if the thought of bite of meat isn't appetizing, that's because I'm not hungry. Hydrate and wait until the meat tastes good. It's a process relearning hunger cues, but doable.
There may be strict carnivores that will try to guilt you for eating cream cheese or milk on this diet, but remember - CARNIVORE DIET IS NOT A RELIGION so you don't need to do it any which way.
The only thing I would recommend that you take into consideration that if you eat too much cheese or milk you might not be able to lose weight if that is your goal. Also - I don't think I need to say that but if you, say, restrict yourself to eating only cheese - it might not be best for you. Dr Berry put it nicely - ( paraphrased ) - the purpose of milk is to make a calf grow as fast as possible - so unless you want to grow ( which in case of adults would be sideways ) you should exclude milk products from your diet ( at least for the healing period ).
The only exception here is strict carnivore ( beef / lamb, salt, water ), and the reason is because these meats contain such a variety of nutrients in such high quantities that you won't need to be worried about missing any nutrients ( if you want to check out the 'Fun Fact' section for info related to this - I bet you won't expect that! :))
Otherwise - remember the goal of the carnivore diet - is to keep you healthy, which is done by the removal of plant toxins and ingesting high density nutrients which come from animal foods.
So if you are including some dairy products in your diet - you are already healthier than 99% people. Just don't overdo it - keep it reasonable :)
Here is a quick word from Dr. Chaffee:
So I think for most people it’s good enough to note the difference between ultra processed food ( which, by the way, is food broken down to atoms (!) and then put together again ) and non processed foods. As dr. Berry once said – if you want to cheat with some broccoli – God bless you!
There are also a lot of great recipes online for carnivore replacements, You could for example make something like these carnivore chips 👉
PLANT TOXINS
Unfortunately, despite what we'd love to think, plants are not as benign as we've been told. They are living beings and need to protect themselves, but unlike animals do not have teeth, claws or legs to run away or fight. So they developed other defenses, which are meant to deter other living beings from eating them.
We all know this instinctively - we wouldn't walk outside and eat leaves or fruit from any random tree or bush. In fact the plant kingdom produces approximately 1.000.000 distinct kinds of toxins. The strongest toxin in the world comes from a plant. Toxin are essentially weapons plants use to defend themselves.
Every plant has these weapons, including edible plants. Unfortunately, even the ones we essentially engineered to life a few hundred or thousands years ago that we know today as 'vegetables'. However they have varying levels of toxins in them.
One of the toxins called 'oxalates' can cause more problems than others as it tends to stay in the body.
Just to give you an example, spinach has about 1400 mg of oxalates per cup and iceberg lettuce has only 0.4 mg per cup.
For this reason it's important that you have more information about this particular toxin which is described in the below book - it also describes how to eliminate oxalates from the body safely:
Toxic Superfoods: How Oxalate Overload Is Making You Sick-and How to Get Better eBook : Norton MPH, Sally K.: Amazon.co.uk: Books
I'll tell you one interesting fact that you probably didn't know: about 80% of kidney stones are caused directly by oxalates.
Here is a short excerpt from the book to give you an idea that this is a subject that we should treat seriously and with respect:
The Danger zone (approximate daily intake over 800 mg) causes toxic stress that puts all your critical organs at high risk for damage. Eating in this zone forces your body to sequester oxalate and make other compensations that will eventually lead to serious health problems.
So as you are transitioning to the carnivore diet you must know about what's called 'oxalate dumping' - this is a process that might occur as we have a buildup of plant toxins and we suddenly stop eating them - this is when the body believes that since the ingestion of poisons stopped, so it can then remove the toxins.
This process can cause havoc on it's way out, and can for example kidney damage. I remember a story of a woman who went on a spinach juicing diet for a few days and ended up needing kidney dialysis!
This is why I highly recommend you read this book before you transition to carnivore, alternatively do your own proper research from a number of sources.
In my experience it often tends to be the case that 'it's not what they tell you, it's what they don't tell you'. When it comes to plant nutrients what they don't tell you is that even though on the surface it looks like they contain many nutrients, what they don't tell you is that:
they are not bioavailable - the human body can't absorb them
the toxins in the plants actually STEAL our existing nutrients ( all explained in Sally K. Norton's book 'Toxic Superfoods' )
BASIC RULE TO REMEMBER IS TO AVOID HIGH OXALATE FOODS CONSUMPTION AND TRY TO STICK TO LOW OXALATE FOODS AND INTRODUCE WHAT THE AUTHOR CALLED 'PORTION CONTROL'.
A WORD OR TWO ABOUT VEGETABLE / SEED OILS
I won't delve too much into this subject and let others do the talking, except to say that, as opposed to being told the exact opposite - they are the WORST thing for you. Even worse than sugar! In fact, they are not at all fit for human consumption, they were originally made for engine lubrication! Below video explains:
Seed Oils Explained: What They Are, How They’re Made, and Why They Harm the Human Body #seedoils
And here is some quick questionable history behind introducing seed oils in to the food market:
The Dark History of Seed Oils (Why They're Everywhere in Our Diet)
This is what is involved into the production process:
Dr. Cate Shanahan spells it out for you and explains exactly why it's absolutely terrible for you:
The Food That Is More HARMFUL Than Sugar (Don’t Eat This!) | Dr. Cate Shanahan
They are also one of the subjects of Daniel Trevor's book
Unholy Trinity: How Carbs, Sugar & Oils Make Us Fat, Sick & Addicted and How to Escape Their Grip (Audio Download): Daniel Trevor, Daniel Trevor, Daniel Trevor: Amazon.co.uk: Books
To clarify, let's list which oils we are talking about:
Seeds: safflower, grapeseed, sesame
Nuts: Almond, peanut, macadamia
Soybean oil
Canola (rapeseed) oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil
Corn oil
Palm oil
Rice bran oil
Why are these oils - even nut oils - not good for you? Because they get oxydized in the production process and are already oxydized when put on a store shelf. You can check out this video:
How Oils Become Oxidized & Inflammatory
WHAT ABOUT OLIVE OIL, AVOCADO OIL, COCONUT OIL?
These are by far the best out of all processed oils. I personally use virgin cold pressed coconut oil as it's very low in oxalates and plant toxins.
When it comes to avocado and olive oil - again, you should try to use the least processed / cold pressed one if you want to use it, do bear in mind that oxalate content might be relatively high and that these should not be used in cooking as will oxidize, but instead in it's original on eg. salads.
I used to use cold pressed avocado mayo but one teaspoon turned out to be about 30mg of oxalates - so to be used sparingly.
SO WHICH FATS CAN YOU USE?
Saturated fats, as opposed to what we've been told over the years, turn out to be neutral or even beneficial - beef tallow, lard or butter ( note that for some people, especially in the healing phase lard or butter may cause irritation ). Dr. Sten Ekberg explains why saturated fats are safe to consume:
CORRUPT HISTORY OF THE FOOD PYRAMID AND CHOLESTEROL
Like many other people I used to pray in the church of the food pyramid. And so when I discovered some history behind it as well as other 'inaccuracies' I was in for a big surprise...
TRUTH ABOUT CHOLESTEROL
HOW DID THE FOOD PYRAMID BEGIN?
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