What is the Carnivore Diet and is it for Me?

If you’d told teenage me, a proud vegetarian, that I’d one day be singing the praises of a diet that involves eating only animal products, I would have laughed you out of the room. Fast forward a few decades, and after a journey through vegetarianism, strict veganism (even enjoying the summer of 2011 as a volunteer weekend chef at London's infamous vegan-punk hangout Pogo Cafe which has since closed down), followed by a solid ten years as a pescatarian (that’s a vegetarian plus seafood, for the uninitiated), here I am. The carnivore diet might sound extreme - it sure did to me when I first heard of it – but after a year of pescetarian keto (and looking and feeling great on it), I kept feeling this intuitive nudge – my body was telling me it needed meat!

But I didn’t jump straight from veggies to steak. There's no way in the world I could have done that; it was a gradual process that started with a ketogenic diet, helping me adjust to high fat and low carb eating. A year in to keto, and after the reintroduction of meat, I found that vegetables began to naturally fall away from my diet without any effort whatsoever and I don't miss them. (Disclaimer: at the time of writing, I'm presently following a primarily carnivore diet but with berries, and some nuts, although I restrict nuts to only once or twice a week because of oxalates. See below for diet definitions.)

What is the Carnivore Diet?

So, what exactly is the carnivore diet? In a nutshell, it’s an eating plan that includes only animal-based foods – think beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and animal fats. Yes, you read that right: no vegetables, fruits, grains, or anything else that doesn’t come from an animal. The idea is to consume nutrient-dense foods that are easy for the body to digest and free from the carbohydrates that often cause the inflammation and spikes in blood sugar that create chronic sickness and obesity.

How to Start the Carnivore Diet

Now, if you’re intrigued (and a little scared – don’t worry, that’s normal! My dog was delighted to get the first few steaks I cooked as they were dreadful), here’s how to get started. The first step is to gradually reduce your carb intake, ideally by starting with a low-carb or ketogenic diet. This will help your body adjust to burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, making the transition smoother.

Here's my 2-minute guide to the keto diet.

Start simple: pick a protein you like – steak, chicken, fish, eggs – and pair it with animal fats like butter, ghee, lard, or tallow (beef fat - butchers usually sell this). You don’t need to overcomplicate things, especially at the beginning. For those of you thinking, "But what about my family?" – don’t fret. You don’t need to cook two different meals. Make your meat the main event, and add some veg for those who aren’t on board yet.

As for cooking, don’t worry if you’re not exactly a kitchen wizard. Preparing meat can be surprisingly easy. For instance, a steak can be popped in the air fryer for about 25 minutes, turning once, and you’re good to go.

Health Benefits of the Carnivore Diet

You might be wondering, why on earth would anyone choose to eat like a T-Rex in the 21st century? And what about the lack of fibre? Aren't we told that meat is cancerous and inflammatory? And what about high cholesterol?! These are all valid concerns, considering how we're relentlessly brainwashed from birth, effectively being taught to mistrust the natural human diet, and to trust the typical western diet that will ultimately make us sick "out of the blue" and a client of pharmaceutical companies throughout our later years.

Have you ever asked: If my doctor knows about nutrition, how come he/she either never mentions it, or the diet plan I'm given has to be supplemented with life-long medication? Think that over, deeply. If the drugs worked to heal you, why would you need to keep taking them? They're clearly not fixing the root problem, but simply keeping the symptoms of illness at bay. (Or not even that, in many cases.)

A lot of people, as well as finding that a carnivore diet helps them lose weight, also experience greatly increase energy levels, and even alleviate or completely resolve some chronic health issues.

For women of a certain age who are struggling with lethargy, overwhelm, weight-gain and are experiencing an onset of stiffness and aches and pains (hello, creaky knees, fibromalgia, arthritis...), this diet can be a game changer. The majority report improvements in all manner of conditions including autoimmune diseases, and even those pesky “mystery” illnesses that leave doctors scratching their heads and throwing at you every pill under the sun in the vain hope that something will stick.

Still think it sounds like a crock of nonsense? Check out YouTube channel ZeroCarb for video interviews with ordinary people who've overcome chronic illnesses using the carnivore way of eating, and have ditched all medication and got their lives back.

How to Lose Weight with the Carnivore Diet

Now, let’s talk about weight loss. The carnivore diet can be incredibly effective for shedding those stubborn pounds that have crept on even though we've changed nothing about our lifestyle. The high protein and fat content keeps you full and satisfied, which means you’re less likely to snack between meals. And let’s be real – nobody is grabbing a bag of crisps when their belly is full of juicy ribeye!

Another plus? The diet simplifies your food choices, which can make it easier to stick with over time. It takes the guesswork out of meal planning and removes the temptation of “just one biscuit”. Plus, you might find that you spend about the same on groceries as you would on a standard Western diet because you’re not constantly buying snacks and filler foods.

A Breakdown of Related Diets

If you’re still finding all this a bit bewildering (understandably), here’s a quick rundown of the related diets:

1. Low-Carb Diet: Focuses on reducing carbohydrate intake to improve blood sugar levels and aid weight loss. It includes vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, and fats but limits bread, pasta, and sugary foods.

2. Ketogenic Diet (Keto): Takes low-carb to the next level by severely restricting carbs to induce a state of ketosis, where your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Keto includes lots of healthy fats, moderate protein, and very low carbs.

3. Ketovore: A blend of keto and carnivore. This diet is still high-fat and low-carb but includes more animal-based products. However, it allows for some low-carb vegetables, berries, nuts, and dairy, making it more flexible than the strict carnivore diet.

4. Carnivore Diet: As I’ve described, this is all about eating animal products exclusively. It’s the most restrictive but also the most straightforward once you’ve adjusted.

5. Lion Diet: The extreme end of the carnivore spectrum, this diet consists of only ruminant animal meat (like beef and lamb), plenty of good sea salt, and water. It’s ideal for those with severe conditions. You may have heard about it from Mikhaila Peterson who suffered a lifetime of debilitating ailments until she switched to following a lion diet. I've heard her say she sometimes misses cucumber but that it's not worth eating for her as she ends up sick again almost straight away.

Ready to Take the First Step?

If all this has piqued your interest and you’d like to know more about how to take charge of your own health, head over to brawnselect.co.uk/ketogentility to get started with a keto diet. You can read more about a basic keto diet, scroll down the page and pick up my free recipe cards, or feel free to buy a copy of my keto cookbook aimed at beginners on a budget. Trust me, if I can go from Tofu Tara to embracing my inner carnivore, anyone can! Here's to feeling fabulous at any age. Cheers!