Carnivore only Diet

[Toddy]

Likes warm water and lots of sunshine and not a bountiful harvest either though. Strikes me it's another famine food that's become an expensive delicacy. I understood that it was a coastal central American staple though.

Used to be an enormous amount of eel grass in Norfolk. The sea marsh froze one night though and the next tide took a lot of it away. Took a while to recover to anything near what it had been.

Laver, tangle, dulse, etc., all edible but really low in calories.


Anyhow, TeeDee started the thread asking about people surviving only eating meat.
I think it might be appreciated if we tried to stay On Topic :blush:

 

[TLM]

On the subject of the Eskimaux eating meat eating I remember reading that the early anthropologists were only interested in hunting so the fairly large amount of berries and other plant based items collected by women and children were not recorded.

One can survive on protein and fat without carbohydrates but I have no idea if the other two doubles are survivable for longer periods. Ketosis was a fad some time ago and some people seem to thrive on it but I have never tried it.

Apparently eel grass can produce up to 3500 kg/hectare of high protein "grain", that is not bad.

 

[Tengu]

And, of course, it grows on land not fit for anything.

I read somewhere the Greenland Mummies had all sorts of health problems related to diet but cannot recall where

 

[TeeDee]

Can we keep this on topic please. The topic is Carnivore Diet.

 

[TeeDee]

 

[Danqrl]

I know we have some incredibly well read and educated people here specifically with an understanding of various societies ( past and present ) and their behaviours and habits.

So currently I'm interested in any examples related to people eating ONLY direct animal products?

ie - a Carnivore Diet.

Do they suffer with any health issues across their demographic or not?

Thanks,

I read something about trappers etc out in the wild living only from rabbit meat but they ultimately died as the calories or nutrients required to break the meat down was more than what was gained by eating it. I cant remember where I got that from as a source but I definitely saw it somewhere.

 

[Danqrl]

Thanks Toddy , It is the application of the modern version of the Carnivore Diet that does interest me - to trial it in the short term but maybe include some very basic greens on occasion. I think the Western diet of too many refined easy / ( cheap !!! ) carbs have led the way to various diseases so currently I'm just looking into differing diet models.

In the modern day a carnivore diet will effect different people in different ways (im a qualified personal trainer and covered nutrition but im not a nutritionist) Some people operate really well on a low carb diet such as the carnivore diet but some people get what they call Carb flu and it is what it sound like. By eating only meat you might suffer fatigue and a feeling of unwell by a huge reduction in carbs.
Biggest and most obvious concern im aware of with a modern carnivore diet is fibre. If you are not getting any or enough fibre into your system then you will develop stomach pains and pooping issues sooner or later.

 

[TLM]

Is that the same JB that apparently is/was a drug addict?

It is well known that a keto diet drops weight, in fact it is kind of unavoidable as fat in humans is almost totally produced from carbohydrates.

On the long run you are probably dead with lean meat only diet (you are anyway but this way sooner), one misses on some vitamins and some trace minerals.

Apparently presently the fad is limited carbo so that one still stays in ketosis but more functional.

Again it is known that one can live on protein/fat diet for quite a while but not all the time.

Also if one looks statistically human is built for mixed diet but can survive limited time on even badly deficient one.

 

[TeeDee]

I read something about trappers etc out in the wild living only from rabbit meat but they ultimately died as the calories or nutrients required to break the meat down was more than what was gained by eating it. I cant remember where I got that from as a source but I definitely saw it somewhere.

Carnivore suggest eating all animal parts - unfortunately for the trappers by choosing Rabbits - which is a very very lean meat with almost no fat they didn't consume anywhere near the level of Fat that they would require for calorie demands.

 

[TeeDee]

In the modern day a carnivore diet will effect different people in different ways (im a qualified personal trainer and covered nutrition but im not a nutritionist) Some people operate really well on a low carb diet such as the carnivore diet but some people get what they call Carb flu and it is what it sound like. By eating only meat you might suffer fatigue and a feeling of unwell by a huge reduction in carbs.
Biggest and most obvious concern im aware of with a modern carnivore diet is fibre. If you are not getting any or enough fibre into your system then you will develop stomach pains and pooping issues sooner or later.

Carb flu also tends to be the feeling the body goes through from changing from Carbs usage into the states of Ketosis. Its well documented.
I agree that some will prosper better on Low Carb than others - the main people benefitting from surplus of Carbs I'd suggest is those who have a very heavy physical training schedule ( athletes ) or those with a manually demanding job , but most people these days have relatively sedentary lifestyles.

As obesity levels and diabetes creep up in the western world maybe its time to admit that there is either something wrong with the old suggest Food Pyramid or our understanding of it and portion control.

Agree Fibre can be an issue and several people comment on interesting toilet episodes over the first several weeks but that seems to be an adaption stage that they get over.

To make it clear i'm not suggesting Carnivore diet needs to be adhered to for life , but maybe for those with excessive weight that puts them in a dangerous range ( obese ) and are literally to heavy to exercise properly its an interesting tool for the tool box to bring their weight into a lower bracket and then reintroduce other foods as they get re-educated.

 

[TeeDee]

I read something about trappers etc out in the wild living only from rabbit meat but they ultimately died as the calories or nutrients required to break the meat down was more than what was gained by eating it. I cant remember where I got that from as a source but I definitely saw it somewhere.

There is also the pure Thermic Effect of protein consumption T.E.F where if one eats 1000 calories of protein due to it being converted you only actually obtain around 70%. a net loss.

 

[Van-Wild]

Interesting thread this. I've messed about with a few diets over the years. I've done Paleo, Carnivore, Keto, Lazy Keto, No red meat, Mediterranean, Spartan and even ate only HUEL for 3 months......

All are great for losing weight, if that is your only aim. But if like me you have a physical job or do a high volume of training (I have both) then there comes a point where i had almost zero energy. My limbs felt heavy, my cardio suffered. My strength dwindled. All those diets ended for me because they were unsustainable over a long period of time.

What I have learnt over the years is that I only need a regular amount of carbohydrate in my diet, its calories I need. I eat healthy for the most part. Yeah I have the odd cheeky Chinese and I'll always have a McDonald's if the I'm buying the kids it, why the hell not?. I don't drink alcohol and I guess that helps a lot. I drink loads of water every day, drink coffee once in the morning. What diet do I have now? Kinda mixed i suppose, but to give you an idea, it goes like this..... (ingredients vary but you get my drift.....)

Breakfast

1ltr water
1 multi vit tablet
1/3 cup of blueberries
1 whole egg
Whole nut granola with milk
Coffee with milk or cream

Lunch

1 Natural fruit bar
1 cereal bar/oat bar

Dinner

I use Hello Fresh meals which are awesome, but last nights was

Chicken mushroom curry

White rice
Chicken
Mushrooms
Cremé Fraiche
Onion
Garlic
Green beans
Tomatos
Ginger

Snacks

Erm..... the odd biscuit (I can't resist!) And I'm drinking about 3ltrs of water during the day.....

I have a physical job and I train quite high volume to, so I always have a post workout shake with 50g of carbs, 30g protein, fats and fresh greens in it, which all in all is about 800kcal.

So..... erm yeah, diet....... im quoting someone else who's name I can't remember right now, but 'count your calories not your carbs, it's calories in vs calories out that decides weight loss or gain'.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[TLM]

'count your calories not your carbs, it's calories in vs calories out that decides weight loss or gain'.

Apparently not quite that clear cut. Exactly the same diet eaten in different order can have different effects. I think the end result was that carbs in the morning all the rest during the day and in the evening. Carbs eaten very late tend to be converted to fat, those in the morning to be used during the day. And no sugar.

 

[Tengu]

An all meat diet, though very appealing, would be rather pricey.

 

[TeeDee]

Interesting thread this. I've messed about with a few diets over the years. I've done Paleo, Carnivore, Keto, Lazy Keto, No red meat, Mediterranean, Spartan and even ate only HUEL for 3 months......

All are great for losing weight, if that is your only aim. But if like me you have a physical job or do a high volume of training (I have both) then there comes a point where i had almost zero energy. My limbs felt heavy, my cardio suffered. My strength dwindled. All those diets ended for me because they were unsustainable over a long period of time.

What I have learnt over the years is that I only need a regular amount of carbohydrate in my diet, its calories I need. I eat healthy for the most part. Yeah I have the odd cheeky Chinese and I'll always have a McDonald's if the I'm buying the kids it, why the hell not?. I don't drink alcohol and I guess that helps a lot. I drink loads of water every day, drink coffee once in the morning. What diet do I have now? Kinda mixed i suppose, but to give you an idea, it goes like this..... (ingredients vary but you get my drift.....)

Breakfast

1ltr water
1 multi vit tablet
1/3 cup of blueberries
1 whole egg
Whole nut granola with milk
Coffee with milk or cream

Lunch

1 Natural fruit bar
1 cereal bar/oat bar

Dinner

I use Hello Fresh meals which are awesome, but last nights was

Chicken mushroom curry

White rice
Chicken
Mushrooms
Cremé Fraiche
Onion
Garlic
Green beans
Tomatos
Ginger

Snacks

Erm..... the odd biscuit (I can't resist!) And I'm drinking about 3ltrs of water during the day.....

I have a physical job and I train quite high volume to, so I always have a post workout shake with 50g of carbs, 30g protein, fats and fresh greens in it, which all in all is about 800kcal.

So..... erm yeah, diet....... im quoting someone else who's name I can't remember right now, but 'count your calories not your carbs, it's calories in vs calories out that decides weight loss or gain'.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

As mentioned elsewhere , Carbs I think are fine if someone has either earned them or needs them ( athletes / hard manual workers. )


PS Hello Fresh produce a fair to over the top amount of packaging for what it is.

 

[TeeDee]

Apparently not quite that clear cut. Exactly the same diet eaten in different order can have different effects. I think the end result was that carbs in the morning all the rest during the day and in the evening. Carbs eaten very late tend to be converted to fat, those in the morning to be used during the day. And no sugar.

True.

Its not just a case of calories in , vs Calories out - its about the type of calories also.

2000 calories of Carbs is going to spike the hell out of your insulin and effect your IGF.
2000 calories of Fat is going to be hard to absorb and difficult to utilise unless alreadu in keto.
2000 calories of Protein is going to take some processing to utilise but the net gain is advantageous if one want to compound the TEF element.


Obviously most diets are a mix of ratios related to Carbs . Protein and Fats but the western reliance of Carbs ALL the time I think has potentially lead to many more problems than that of having a Fattier diet.

Agree carbs late at night are not a good thing as one is potentially spiking one's insulin response and blood sugars just before one is trying to get to sleep.

Taking carbs in the early morning or pre-manual work/pre & (immediately) post physical training seems to make the most sense.

 

[TeeDee]

An all meat diet, though very appealing, would be rather pricey.

True Tengu - but for some of the suffers of serious medical conditions such as diabetes , Obesity ( to obese to exercise ) or those with certain reactions to 'normal' food stuffs the extra cost maybe offset.

I'm not sure if it would actually cost that much more - most of the carnivore types seem to enjoy just two meals a day and I know we are thinking they must be eating prime sirloin all the time , they are probably mixing it up with cheaper cuts as well - liver , kidney , bacon.

 

[TeeDee]

Liver is a bit of a nutritional powerhouse.

Liver: A Nutrient-Dense Superfood?

Liver is called a nutritional powerhouse. This article takes a detailed look at liver and whether you should include it in your diet.

www.healthline.com

 

[Van-Wild]

True Tengu - but for some of the suffers of serious medical conditions such as diabetes , Obesity ( to obese to exercise ) or those with certain reactions to 'normal' food stuffs the extra cost maybe offset.

I'm not sure if it would actually cost that much more - most of the carnivore types seem to enjoy just two meals a day and I know we are thinking they must be eating prime sirloin all the time , they are probably mixing it up with cheaper cuts as well - liver , kidney , bacon.

It's a common misconception that the carnivore diet is a 16oz ribeye every night!

Chicken thighs are super cheap, have a lot of fat and taste way better than plain skinned chicken breast!

Fish is cheap, whole mackerel is good (oily fats as well) and you can get salmon ribbons cheap as well.

Liver, kidneys and heart are all cheap from a butcher as they're not popular cuts.

And don't forget the absolute king of the Carnivore diet, eggs. Chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, or if you're feeling a little Rocky? Eat em raw after a 0400 run......

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[TeeDee]

It's a common misconception that the carnivore diet is a 16oz ribeye every night!

Chicken thighs are super cheap, have a lot of fat and taste way better than plain skinned chicken breast!

Fish is cheap, whole mackerel is good (oily fats as well) and you can get salmon ribbons cheap as well.

Liver, kidneys and heart are all cheap from a butcher as they're not popular cuts.

And don't forget the absolute king of the Carnivore diet, eggs. Chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, or if you're feeling a little Rocky? Eat em raw after a 0400 run......

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

True , although I think nutritionally Red meat probably beats a lot of things over the head.

But I think the other point is exactly how Steak can one eat on a regular basis without feeling very satiated ??

I find if I eat cereal in the morning I'm still hungry quite soon after while if I eat protein of some kind i'm quickly satiated - I believe this is because what the body is specifically craving is protein/amino acids - not carbs. But we keep cramming down the Frosties.