120: Results of My Carnivorish Diet Experiment
I can vouch for the common side benefit of reduced (to nil) sugar cravings on a Carnivore Diet. I have never in my life thought about sweets LESS than I did when I was doing this. Even though I did the less restrictive Carnivorish version that includes fruit, honey and dates, I didn’t abuse those allowances and ate them more for the sake of variety than for the sweet taste. It’s like all the meat switched off the craving center of my brain!
In this week’s podcast I’m talking about this and the other results of my 6 week Carnivorish experiment including what my blood test showed, how the scale shifted and what I would have done differently from the start.
EPISODE 120: Results of My Carnivorish Diet Experiment
SHOW NOTES
(0:00) Intro
Hello my friend! Welcome back to the club. How are you today?
We are taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming of the Genesis Prescription to bring you an update on my Carnivorish Diet experiment.
The blood test earlier this year that showed I have Hashimoto’s which is an autoimmune thyroid condition.
Most standard thyroid lab panels do not include the thyroid antibody test.
Most standard blood labs only include TSH and T4 and that’s not really enough to give us the whole picture about your thyroid.
There are two thyroid antibodies:
Thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) and Thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb).
If you are elevated in one or both - it is an indication of an autoimmune thyroid condition where your immune system is “attacking” your thyroid.
The conventional treatment is to prescribe thyroid hormone - but that’s not addressing the root cause of the immune system attacking your thyroid.
The immune system is kind of tricky to deal with because there are a myriad of reasons it can be going nutzo.
Diet plays a big role, gut issues play a big role and so one of the best things we can do to support the body is to use a therapeutic diet and work on gut health.
Reasons to Use a Therapeutic Animal Based Diet
Problematic compounds are likely to be concentrated in the leaves, stems, roots and seeds.
(9:57) Full rundown of the Carnivore Diet:
Different tiers to a carnivore diet—
Top tier: Basically meat - beef, salt, and water.
Mid level tier: Includes eggs, dairy, pork.
Bottom (more relaxed) tier: Includes some low toxicity fruits and especially the non-sweet fruits like cucumber, olives, avocados and squash.
Dr Paul Saladino known as the Carnivore MD:
The Carnivore Code
Skin health
AIP vs. Carnivore
Decision fatigue / Mental negotiation
Mindset
Metabolic flexibility
Nature’s multivitamin - desiccated liver capsules.
Dr Saladino’s company Heart and Soil - I got the Gut and Digestion supplement which is a combo of several organs including stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver and spleen.
(25:42) Personal learnings from the Carnivorish Diet experiment:
This experiment really showed me how often I eat due to boredom or cravings and not due to true hunger or necessity. As we know, the relationship we have with food starts in our minds, not in our mouth.
This experiment took me to a whole new level of mind management and discipline that alone was well worth the whole experience.
There are so many people for whom the carnivore diet has been a lifesaver - for overcoming autoimmune conditions, skin conditions, weight issues and even to get rid of sugar cravings. Now that is a legit benefit.
It stopped the sweet cravings in a way like I’ve never experienced
I missed the different textures of food. Meat is so dense and then you have fruit which kind of soft and mushy and I missed crunchy and crispy.
What I didn’t do (also not ideal) is give up coffee or wine. I didn’t drink much wine at all...but I did drink coffee every day.
Coffee can definitely be an immune system trigger so that was a place I did not optimize this experiment.
I did weigh myself through this experiment because I was curious and it’s an easy marker to track.
In the beginning I’m not sure I was getting enough calories. I actually did track 1 day to see where I was.
Protein is the most filling and satiating macronutrient.
We’re about to do our Track Your Macs challenge in the Christian Health Club!
(35:10) Challenges on the Carnivorish diet:
Can you still poop after you eat all that meat?
For the most part, my gut felt great on this diet as in I didn’t feel bloated, my belly felt leaned out - if that makes sense.
I didn’t feel digestively sluggish or bloated after I ate.
Fruit digests pretty quickly but meat does not, it’s more dense. When you eat them too close together, the meat can slow down the fruit digestion and make it hang in your gut too long causing bloating, burps, gas...all those lovely digestive issues.
When you take out all of the plant roughage from your diet - you’re going to have less to poop out.
The Carnivore diet is known as a low residue diet.
Hydrozyme, Beta TCP, Tudca
HCL loading test
What I would have done differently was have digestive and drainage support ready to start with from the get go.
I would definitely have a stomach acid supplement, digestive enzymes, bile support and something like Cellcore’s bowel mover or triphala on hand incase things get stuck.
(44:03) Blood test results:
My results reflect that I did not have sufficient stomach acid to support protein utilization.
Even though I was eating more protein - my total protein number went down, my alkaline phos went down, my BUN - blood urea nitrogen - went up a little, my MCV went up.
When I look at the pattern of some of these markers it indicates that I didn’t optimally break down my food well.
My cholesterol numbers pretty much stayed the same - they were neutral - so even though I was eating all of this meat and on an animal-based diet - it did not make my cholesterol shoot up - which we are often told that it does. Wrong-o.
My iron numbers improved - so on my last test they were a little high, but they are within range now. Again, eating all this meat you might think iron overload but it improved in my case.
I was really happy to see my homocysteine number improve.
A Functional Approach to Understanding Key Cardio Lab Numbers
It went from a 9.8 to a 7.2 - we want it at 7.0 or below so I’m really close and pleased with that improvement.
I saw improvement in some of my immune markers - my monocytes and basophils which were high came into normal range -so that was good.
Unfortunately my TGaB - my thyroid antibody number increased. In fact it increased by 100 points - it went from 153 to 252. Oh man, i was so disappointed and deflated when I saw that.
That was obviously not what I was hoping for. Is it because of the diet - very well could be. Is it because of the unusual amount of stress I was under? Could be that too. Or a combination. That’s why this stuff is so tricky.
(47:27) But listen to this…
My friend Erin texted me and said I’m listening to your podcast about beef coming up on your food sensitivity test and now all you’re eating is beef - what’s up with that.
Food sensitivity tests reflect what is stirring up your immune system at that time. With a leaky gut you can go in and out of food sensitivities so you could take that test and then take it a month later and it show different things.
The reason you get food sensitivities like that is because of a leaky gut that allows food molecules into the blood stream that shouldn’t be there and gets your immune system all riled up.
Because I did my food sensitivity test two years ago and have done several gut protocols, I wasn’t worried about beef still being a problem. Doesn’t mean that it wasn’t, and maybe that’s what made my antibody numbers go up, but it’s hard to say for sure.
Go here if you are looking to work with a Christian Nutrition Practitioner
Reintroduction
(58:23) Podcasts & Additional Resources:
Olivia Improved Hair, Skin, Thyroid, Hashimoto’s, PCOS On Carnivore Diet
HASHIMOTO’S LAB RESULTS | NO MEDICATION? KETO / CARNIVORE DIET
Mikhaila Peterson - 'Don't Eat That'
Carnivore Diet: Why would it work? What about Nutrients and Fiber?
Complete Skin Health - Reversing Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis and More w/ Diet & Lifestyle
Living Long & Strong with Muscle Mass, Protein, and Not Believing The Meat Myths!
Red Meat Causing Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke and Diabetes?
(1:00:57) Outro & Disclaimer
Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!