HOW TO START THE CARNIVORE DIET

If you’ve been sticking to the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) all your life, the carnivore diet might sound a bit radical as it goes against the traditional dietary requirements. Throw out those carbs, veggies, and fruits, and only eat meat. That’s what the carnivore lifestyle advocates. No wonder this animal-based diet has been the subject of much debate. Yet people who follow this eating plan swear by its benefits, from improved mental clarity to losing their depression to shedding pounds. If you want to know how to start the carnivore diet and learn about its amazing health benefits, we’ve got the answers you need.

Ready to embark on a carnivore lifestyle? Let’s go!

What’s the Carnivore Diet?

Eat only meat and animal products. Simply put, that’s what the carnivore diet plan involves. Say goodbye to grains, fruits, veggies, and most of all highly processed food, the unhealthy creations of the modern world. Avoid seed oils and anything in a box, bag, can, or jar, If it comes in a man-made container avoid it. The carnivore diet mirrors our ancestors’ eating habits, focusing on animal-based foods before agriculture introduced plants to the menu. Because meat has been fundamental to humanity’s nourishment even before the dawn of civilization, our bodies are designed to thrive on animal fats.

Consequently, plant-based diets all have one thing in common, glucose. Glucose is sugar in all its various forms, whether simple sugar or complex carbohydrates. Sugar acts like a drug and is the enemy. It is not a quick killer but over time leads to debilitating diseases, like diabetes, obesity, heart problems, stroke, and even cancer. Did you know that to find cancer in the body a glucose solution mixed with dye is injected and tracked to the cancer site? Nutrients from plants might not be as beneficial and may do more harm than good when combined with sugar, But not just any meat will do; ruminant animals, cud-chewing animals with split hooves, or grass-fed animals for the best results. Beef, Lamb. Goat, Bison, Deer Elk, and Moose. This does not, however, exclude poultry, fish, and other seafood.

Why Start a Healthy Carnivore Diet?

Those who have embraced an animal-based diet rave about its curative properties, like improved mental focus, reversal of inflammation or enhanced blood work, and even the simplicity of meal prep. Their stories shed light on the potential benefits of this distinctive eating approach.
Let’s look into some advantages the carnivore diet brings—compelling reasons to embrace an all-meat eating plan.

Induces Ketosis

The carnivore diet propels your body into ketosis by eliminating carbs. With no carbs, your body exhausts its glycogen stores and turns to fats for energy. A metabolic switch is flipped from sugar burner to fat burner. Dietary fats break down into fatty acids, transformed into ketone bodies in your liver. As ketone levels rise, your body shifts to using them as the primary energy source instead of glucose from carbs. Ketosis offers potential enhancements in mental health, weight loss, and increased strength.

Reduces Cravings

The diet eliminates all processed foods, sugars, and refined carbohydrates that often contribute to intense cravings. These elements are known for triggering addictive-like responses in the brain as they drive fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Eliminating carbohydrates and sugary foods stabilizes sugar levels in your blood, curbing cravings. An eating plan focused on animal products, like the carnivore diet, helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, thanks to the elimination of carbs and sugary items.
Additionally, the eating plan’s moderate to high protein and high-fat content induces a sense of fullness, reducing the urge to snack on unhealthy foods. The nutrient-dense, fatty nature of animal-based foods aids in regulating appetite hormones, and minimizing cravings.

Promotes Weight Loss

This diet offers a unique advantage when it comes to shedding those extra pounds. By inducing ketosis and burning fat for energy, it facilitates rapid weight loss. The high protein intake also boosts the body’s calorie-burning mechanisms, as the extra energy required for protein digestion contributes to burning off 20-30% more calories, aiding in weight loss.

Helps Manage Autoimmune Disorders

The carnivore lifestyle addresses chronic inflammation by eliminating grains, sugars, and unhealthy vegetable oils. These triggers, commonly found in high carbohydrate and plant-based foods, are absent in the carnivore diet. This removal may improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and alleviate symptoms of autoimmune disorders.

What Happens When You First Start the Carnivore Diet?

We’ll be upfront—it’s not a stroll in the park. It offers plenty of benefits, true, but expect some challenges as your body adapts to physical changes brought about by the new eating regimen.  

The adaptation phase triggers reactions from your body while it adjusts to your new food intake, and it’s a hurdle you’ll need to overcome. But don’t worry; the symptoms diminish with time. After you make it through this phase, you’ll gradually see the benefits of the carnivore diet. Still, knowing what to expect can make it easier to ride out the changes. We recommend a gradual transition of 60-90 days.

-Here’s what you might encounter during the early stages:

Carb Cravings

Overcoming the withdrawal from carbohydrates poses a significant challenge. The body typically relies on glucose from carbs as its primary fuel source. So, when you suddenly cut carbs from your diet, you may experience unpleasant side effects like cravings, irritability, and fatigue.
Be prepared for the possible emergence of “carb flu” symptoms, including body aches and sniffles. This is particularly true if you’re used to eating plenty of carbs.
Gradually decreasing the amount of plant-based food you eat before going on a carnivore diet can minimize the withdrawal symptoms. You can also distract yourself with activities you enjoy when the cravings hit.

Increased thirst

When you eat fewer carbs, your insulin levels drop, signaling the kidneys to release sodium and water from the body. This can cause you to lose a lot of water and make you feel thirsty.
Also, as your body switches from burning glucose to burning fat, it generates surplus ketones. The heightened urine production aimed at eliminating these ketones may lead to increased fluid loss, consequently prompting the sensation of thirst.
Dehydration is possible, so proper hydration is crucial at this point in your journey.

Changes in Bowel Movements

Shifts in elimination patterns are common as your digestive system adapts to the absence of fiber and the increase of fat in your diet. You may have constipation or diarrhea depending on how your gut reacts to your new food intake. This is usually temporary and will resolve as your gut flora and bile production adjust.
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Drinking plenty of fluids not only prevents dehydration but can also help regulate bowel movements. Supplement with natural salts that contain high mineral levels e.g. sea salt.

Fluctuations in Energy Levels

You may feel tired, weak, or sluggish as your body adjusts to using fat and ketones for energy. This is normal and will pass as your body becomes more efficient at fat metabolism.
Conversely, some people find a sudden energy boost early in the diet. Entering the state of ketosis is one reason behind this phenomenon.
To avoid ups and downs in energy levels, drink enough water, eat sufficient fat, take electrolyte supplements, get proper sleep, and exercise moderately. These habits help your body adjust to the new food you eat, boosting your health and performance.

Bad Breath

You may notice a change in your breath as your body produces more ketones with fruity or metallic scents. This indicates that you’ve entered ketosis, where your body switches to burning fat for energy.
Step up your oral hygiene to handle this temporary issue — brush more often. Drinking more water will help flush out the extra ketones, reducing their concentration in your body. The challenges you may encounter when you begin the diet are often temporary, and you will soon reap the benefits of eliminating carbs from your meals and snacks.

How to Start the Carnivore Diet

Taking the first steps into something new is often the most difficult part. But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help make it easier for you to start your journey and achieve your goals.
Here’s a practical guide to get you started.

1. Find Your Why

It would help if you had a clear reason for why you want to try the carnivore diet. Do you want to lose weight, improve your autoimmune condition, experience mental clarity, or simply experiment with a different eating pattern?
Knowing why you’re doing something helps you stay motivated and committed to the diet, even when you face challenges, temptations, or doubts. Understanding your “why” enables you to determine your objectives with the carnivore diet, how you will measure your progress, and what strategies you will use to overcome obstacles.

2. Set a Time Frame

Setting a time frame injects a sense of purpose and structure into your plans. It creates a timeline, pushing you to stay focused and work efficiently. Also, having a specific timeframe helps you measure progress and celebrate achievements along the way. This can be done in a hurry, but what is the hurry? You have been eating carbs your whole life. Why not be gentle with the body that has served you well? Take 90 days or longer.

3. Clean Out That Pantry

If you’ve been eating processed, high-carb foods all your life, it’s easy to develop a craving for them even after you’re committed to embarking on the carnivore lifestyle. You may have strong willpower, but it’s hard to wage battle against chips, cakes, and cookies every minute of the day.
So, ditch any plant-based or processed foods that are not on the carnivore diet food list. This will keep temptation at bay and prevent you from cheating. It’s also kinder on your psyche.
This is a gradual process to reach low-carb < 20 grams of carbs a day, basically salad in 90 days. From there the transition to the Carnivore Lifestyle is not a leap of faith but merely a small step.

Foods You Need to Eliminate When You Start the Carnivore Diet
To ease your journey, toss out the following:

• Sugar in all its forms, including alcohol and other substitutes
• Grains
• Bread yes, even the good bread called “Artisan”
• Pastries
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Veggies root vegetables first then above ground and cruciferous and lastly salad greens
• Fruits apples and bananas first berries last
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Legumes
• Additives
• Vegetable oils

4. Create a Meal Plan

Planning your meals lets you know what you’ll eat and how much. It ensures you’re getting the necessary vitamins and minerals and helps you determine which food options have a lower GI (Glycemic Index) resulting in less dramatic spikes in blood glucose. Plus, it takes away the stress of deciding what’s for dinner.
Feel free to tailor your meal plan based on what you like, your budget, and what’s readily available. You can use online resources, books, or blogs to find carnivore diet recipes, tips, and ideas.

5. Find Support and Inspiration from Others Who Share Your Journey

Connect with people who have similar reasons for trying the carnivore diet. Online communities are excellent places to start. You can share your experiences, ask questions, and get advice from individuals who understand the challenges and triumphs of this unique eating plan.
These communities also serve as valuable information sources. You can learn from your online buddies’ victories and struggles, discover new recipes, and stay updated on the latest research and developments in the carnivore diet world.

6. Go Food Shopping

Tossing out foods you shouldn’t eat on the carnivore diet means you’ll have more shelf and fridge space. This is your cue to stock up on meat and animal products you’ll need for your new eating regimen. Depending on your convenience and preference, you can buy fresh, frozen, or canned meat.
Remember, not all meats are created equal. Meats from grass-fed, ruminant animals are the best options. Go for fatty steak cuts (short ribs, ribeye, NY strip), 80/20 ground beef, lamb, and pork belly. One trick to save is to buy meat in sub-primal packages at a membership club e.g. Costco or Sam’s Club. Bring it home, break it down, seal it, and freeze it. Meat is much more expensive in smaller portions.

Getting Through the First Month of the All-meat Diet

The first month, particularly the first week, will be the hardest. Expect this when you start on the carnivore lifestyle. Before you plunge right into this diet, it’s a good idea to do the following:

• Consult your healthcare provider, especially if you have medical conditions that the diet could impact. Take their advice with a grain of salt, pun intended,
• Before starting, get a baseline blood test. Two months into your diet, schedule another one to determine the diet’s effect on your body.

The carnivore diet isn’t a quick fix; it’s a way of eating and lifestyle, focused on improving your health. People have seen changes like weight loss, more energy, and better mental clarity when the body switches from burning sugar to burning fat for fuel.
Be inspired by their journey, but be patient, as well. It takes time to reap the benefits. However, with perseverance, you’ll soon notice the remarkable improvements in your overall well-being.

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