World Carnivore Month: Day 3
Happy day 3 of World Carnivore Month 2023. Now that we know what the Carnivore Diet is, the next question is obviously, how does the Carnivore Diet work?
How Does The Carnivore Diet Work?
The Carnivore Diet works by removing ALL plant matter from the diet. Plants, like animals, don’t want to be eaten so they have built-in defense mechanisms. Unfortunately, these defenses have varying degrees of toxicity to humans. By removing these toxins and replacing them with nutrient-dense meat, the body is able to heal and repair.
In this article:
- Removing modern, toxic processed foods
- Plants don't want to be eaten
- Anti-nutrients and their effects
The Carnivore Diet Removes Modern and Toxic Processed Foods
The first obvious method in how the Carnivore Diet works is by removing all processed foods. This is not controversial. Processed foods are not good for you. They are called junk food, because that is exactly what they are – junk.
The Carnivore Diet is an elimination diet where only animal products are eaten. This means there is no sugar, no vegetable oils, no processed carbohydrates, no chemicals and preservatives.
Removing sugars, vegetables oils and ultra-refined carbohydrates is sufficient enough to make one’s quality of diet incredibly higher. The rapid introduction of these items into the food supply over the last 100 years has resulted in an equally rapid onset of chronic disease. We’ll go so far as to say not a single person on this plant needs to consume these (sugars, vegetables oils and processed carbohydrates) at any point in their lifetime.
For many people, particularly those with chronic disease, removing those simple items from the diet is not enough. This is why there are so many different diets in existence, each one with various and specific elimination protocols.
If we think about diets in general, every single “diet” is some form of elimination protocol. All diets restrict some type of food(s). The Carnivore Diet is no different.
The Carnivore Diet takes the next step and becomes the ultimate elimination diet – removing all plants and their associated toxins.
Plants don't want to be eaten
The carnivore diet is based on the premise that plants are not actually that healthy for you (despite the 5-A-Day marketing from the last few decades).
The ultimate priority of any living organism on this planet is survival. Animals have different abilities to assist them surviving, such as sharp claws and big teeth, the ability to run fast and use camouflage amongst other skills. Plants do not have these abilities but they share the same desire to survive and procreate.
So how is it that plants are not actually healthy for you? Well, we need to think about how plants protect themselves. The answer is toxins. We definitively know there are some plants that are highly poisonous and we cannot eat them, but what we are not told is that all plants have some degree of toxicity. The dose makes the poison and just because the rhubarb stems are not as toxic as the leaves, it does not mean we should be eating them.
Plant toxins fall into several major categories and are sometimes referred to as anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients bind to other nutrients making them harder to digest and much less likely to be absorbed.
Consider the example of spinach – renowned for its excellent iron levels (non-heme iron, which is found in plants). The reality is spinach also contains oxalates, which impairs the absorption of nonheme iron. This means that despite the constant narrative that spinach contains much higher levels of iron than red meat, you actually absorb less due to the reduced bioavailability.
Plant Anti-Nutrients and Their Effects
Plants contain a variety of toxins that are damaging to the human body.
The level of toxicity varies in each, but when you add them all up over a day, over a week, over a lifetime, it’s easy to see how we have become so sick.
Some of these toxins, or anti-nutrients, are listed below.
LECTINS
Large proteins that bind to carbohydrates in our bodies, as well as sialic acid, a sugar molecule in the gut. These sticky proteins can contribute to food-associated chronic inflammation and inflammatory diseases
Found in: Nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and cashews.
PHYTATES
Also known as phytic acid, can bind to other minerals in the plant, but more importantly can bind to other minerals in the meal, reducing availability and absorption, resulting in mineral deficiencies
Found in: Nuts and seeds, grains and legumes.
OXALATES
Can bind to calcium creating kidney stones; can bind to other minerals making them unavailable for absorption
Found in: Spinach, almonds, potatoes, tea, soy, raspberries
FODMAPS
Short-chain carbohydrates that are not absorbed properly in the gut. In the average person, this results in bloating and gas. For someone with IBS, this results in excessive and painful bloating and can lead to other
“digestive issues.”
Found in: Many fruits, vegetables and legumes.
PHYTO-ESTROGENS
Classified as endocrine-disruptors, phytoestrogens can cause hormonal imbalances, which may
contribute to infertility, cognitive decline, and certain types of cancers.
Found in: Soy products, flax and sesame seeds, oats, barley, lentils
GLYCO-ALKOLOIDS
Nitrogen containing compounds produced naturally in nightshade vegetables. Toxic in highconcentrations, can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting.
Found in: Nightshade vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, chili
GOITROGENS
Compounds that interfere with the normal function of the thyroid; reduces the ability of thethyroid to produce normal hormones.
Found in: Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower; soy and soy products
Conclusion
The carnivore diet works based on the premise that the nutrition in meat is significantly greater than plants. This is mainly due to the anti-nutrients in plants that reduce bioavailability of nutrients.
Removing plants removes the anti-nutrients in your diet allowing your body to absorb higher levels of vitamins and minerals. And after all, it’s not really what you eat; rather it’s what you absorb that’s important.
Additional Resources
There are some excellent books written on the Carnivore Diet by well-known people in the Carnivore community. Check them out to further your understanding of the Carnivore Diet
Follow along the World Carnivore Month Series for more Frequently Asked Questions about the Carnivore Diet.
Disclaimer: This website is for general informational purposes only. It must never be considered a substitute for advice provided by a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with questions you may have regarding your medical condition.
