World Carnivore Month: Day 1
Welcome to World Carnivore Month 2023 and Happy New Year!Â
The new year is when many people decide to try and take control of their health for the year ahead. Perhaps you’ve tried several diets in the past and have stumbled across this crazy idea of an all-meat diet.
If you’re just starting out – welcome. This series of posts will be quick answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Carnivore Diet.
So, on our first day of World Carnivore Month – let’s find out what that is? What are the rules and why should you try it?
What Is World Carnivore Month?
Here is a quick rundown of the World Carnivore Month rules. For the entire month of January, follow a Carnivore Diet. It is the complete opposite of a vegan diet. This means for 31 days, if it came from an animal you can eat it. If it came from a plant, you should not eat it.
That’s it. No seriously, that’s it. Eat meat, and other animal products and avoid fruits, vegetables, grains, and any other non-animal products for 31 days. Sounds simple right?
World Carnivore Month was created a few years ago by Dr. Shawn Baker. He’s followed the Carnivore Diet for several years and celebrates his birthday is in January. Veganuary had started trending and he didn’t want his birthday month to be about Veganuary. Thus World Carnivore Month was created and continues to grow in size every year.
Unfortunately, we’ve been told for decades that meat and fat are unhealthy for us and that plants are the healthiest thing we could eat.
This mass marketing campaign of veggies good, meat bad has created a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) about the Carnivore Diet. Things have become unnecessarily overcomplicated and questions abound.
That’s why this series of frequently asked questions about the Carnivore Diet is being created and shared over World Carnivore Month. To educate and lay minds at ease.
Why Should You Try World Carnivore Month?
World Carnivore Month is for beginners and seasoned pros alike. January is a time of renewal for the new year and millions of people are starting some kind of diet for either the first time, or jumping back on the bandwagon.
For beginners: eating an all-meat diet can raise some eyebrows. But socially, this is the perfect time to start. People will be more open to the idea of you being on a “fad diet” because it’s the new year and everyone is on a “fad diet”. (If you’re a beginner, you might like our tips and tricks to getting started.)
For seasoned pros: you may have been a little loose with your Carnivore diet over the last few weeks (or months) and January is a perfect time to reset and tighten up.
Why should you try it? The Carnivore Diet has amazing testimonials all over the internet. The amazing thing about these stories is that they are not just about weight loss, rather they are about reversing “incurable lifestyle diseases”. From multiple autoimmune diseases to mental health and everything in between. These stories are only growing in numbers as more people realize the power of nutrition for their health.
You can find some of our articles about these health benefits here
Weight loss, or rather weight regulation, is almost a bonus in these stories. Being overweight is an issue of health. Address the health issues, and the weight will normalize.
What To Expect During World Carnivore Month
Well, sorry to burst your bubble. Despite the amazing testimonials on the internet, it’s unlikely that you’ll lose 87 pounds and cure all your chronic health issues in the next 31 days.
The first week you can likely expect some side effects that are mostly linked to withdrawals. I don’t want to start the debate about comparing sugars and other ultra-processed foods to drugs, but these foods undoubtedly have effects on our brain and body chemistry. Removing them from your diet can lead to similar withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, lethargy, cravings and irritability to name a few.
Adjusting to a completely new diet can create bowel issues as your gut adapts (more on that in a future post). Spoiler alert – there is a common saying for beginners on the Carnivore Diet – don’t trust a fart. We’ll leave it at that for now, and I promise it does get better, but consider yourself forewarned.
The brightside: once the withdrawal symptoms are mostly gone, and the gut and bowels have adjusted, life becomes pretty awesome.
Gone are the days of being hangry and desperately needing something to eat. Feeling truly satiated with food is an amazing feeling and there is a calmness that comes from that.
If you’re using the Carnivore Diet as an elimination diet for your autoimmune disease or other lifestyle disease, most people start to see improvements (even if only small) in 2-3 weeks.
My World Carnivore Month
I’m an on-again, off-again Carnivore, and have been mostly meat-based for the last couple of years.
I’m using World Carnivore Month as my reset to jump back thoroughly on the bandwagon. I’ll be posting my updates as we go along in this series.
My main focuses for World Carnivore Month are to increase my fat intake and aim for an 80/20 fat-protein ratio. I am trying to resolve some skin issues and am hoping that the higher fat will facilitate that.
I am also dropping my beloved coffee. I have kept coffee in my (mostly) carnivore diet for years because it was the one thing I couldn’t give up. But World Carnivore Month means accepting a new challenge. So wish me luck.
Conclusion
January is the best time of the year to start a new diet, as motivation and social acceptance are at all-time highs. World Carnivore Month is a growing community for a good reason. Â
If you’re starting World Carnivore Month – is this your first time? Second time? Are you a beginner or a seasoned pro?
Wherever you’re at in your Carnivore journey, share this article with someone you think may be interested in joining you!
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.Â
