The carnivore diet is a dietary regimen that restricts food intake to animal products, primarily meat, and animal-derived products, while excluding plant-based foods. Advocates of the carnivore diet (I am one of them) claim that it provides numerous health benefits, such as weight loss, improved mental clarity, and relief from various health conditions. One common concern with diets that exclude plant foods, like the carnivore diet, is the potential risk of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, including vitamin C. A well-rounded carnivore diet, including fatty meat and organs, should contain all of the nutrients we require. However, it is important to understand why people on a carnivore diet that includes organ meat should not need to worry about their vitamin C status.
Read MoreMicronutrients are the smaller building blocks, such as minerals and vitamins, we need to sustain life and have optimal function. Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) are quite common worldwide. Iron, iodine, folate, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies are the most common MNDs. They are responsible for perinatal complications, poor growth in children, and increased mortality and morbidity. 1 They can be just as devastating to adults. This post will describe the deficiencies, their symptoms, and how to correct them.
Read MoreThe carnivore diet is based on eating animal-based foods as much as possible. In some of my previous posts, I have listed supporting evidence that we tolerate animal-based foods well. Our highly acidic stomachs, longer small intestines, and lack of a cecum are a few patterns we share with carnivorous-leaning mammals. Additionally, fat cells have two patterns: one indicating herbivory and one carnivory. It turns out that humans have the carnivorous pattern.
Read MoreI have been on the carnivore diet for almost three years. From the start, raw eggs have been a big part of my diet. My go-to recipe is one dozen yolks mixed with bone broth. It fits in a tall glass that I drink down each morning. Another way I consume my raw egg yolks is to mix them with water and honey. If this sounds strange, this post will clarify why I consider it an important part of my diet.
Read MoreWe should all understand that Protein is essential for good health, and numerous studies tell us that the quality AND quantity both matter. I am going to highlight two new studies that looked at animal versus plant protein consumption and their effects on our health. I will cover some quick and easy tips on how to maximize your protein intake for better health. Lastly, I will introduce Private Tim Hall.
Read MoreAs many of you know, I started the carnivore diet on January 1, 2020, hoping to give it one year. The year sped by without me experiencing any significant issues being a carnivore. I cured two chronic orthopedic problems (thumb and elbow) and improved my body composition, sleep, mood, and more. I achieved near-perfect health and wellness. I decided to start adding plant-based items, including some alcohol back into my diet and see how I fared. My goal was to add variety to my diet, not to improve my health, as it was about as good as it gets. It went poorly. This post will cover what I learned about adding things back into my diet.
Read MoreAt our grocery stores and dinner tables, even the most thoughtful consumers are overwhelmed by the number of considerations to weigh when choosing what to eat—especially when it comes to meat. Guided by the noble principle of least harm, many responsible citizens resolve the ethical, environmental, and nutritional conundrum by quitting meat entirely. But can a healthy, sustainable, and conscientious food system exist without animals? Sacred Cow probes the fundamental moral, environmental, and nutritional quandaries we face in raising and eating animals, especially the most maligned of farmed animals, the cow.
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