Why & How I Started
2021 into 2022 brought an unprecedented amount of change to my life. Sid and I had eaten a plant-based diet for a few years and thought we were eating what our bodies and hearts (as massive animal lovers) wanted. I attributed my daily joint pains to my years of dancing. As my friend Melissa and I often say, our feeling 100% is really about 85% and falls downward from there. So, on our scale, my joints kept my best-day feelings at 65 to 70%. I hurt, but it wasn’t bad enough to stop me from doing most things.
Additionally, my digestive issues also continued. As previously mentioned, I’ve struggled with this for most of my life. During college, I considered Mylanta to be a food group. I always had a bottle of the chalky “liquid” and a bottle of chewable pills in my school bag, and I’m positive I consumed way more than directed.
I’ve always turned to bland, starchy foods when my stomach was giving me the most grief. I lived off of cereal and baked salmon during my first few months of working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. The globally inspired, heavily spiced dining options in the mess did not pair well with the crop tops and cardio-heavy dance performances my job required.
In 2007, I decided to cut out all dairy. In 2008, I cut gluten. For a while, I ate vegan while training for a marathon but added meat back into my diet when I struggled to eat enough calories to make it through my long runs and 27+ dance classes a week I was teaching at the time.
The Podcast That Changed My Life
In early 2022, I was outside pulling weeds, listening to a Joe Rogan episode. A woman named Rhonda Patrick was talking about the benefits of a ketogenic diet. I told Sid about it, and he mentioned that he’d also been hearing a lot about meat-based diets.
So, after looking into this way of eating a bit more, we decided to give it a try.
Super honestly, I did not feel great in the first two to three months. What I later learned was most likely oxalate dumping, I experienced some fairly severe gastric distress.
Oxalates are naturally occurring plant toxins found in many popular plant foods, including cocoa and leafy greens. Over time, chronic exposure to these foods can cause oxalates to accumulate in your body tissues.
When you dramatically reduce or eliminate oxalate intake, the body can suddenly release these stored oxalates–a process known as oxalate dumping.
Oxalate dumping can result in a range of symptoms, including joint pain, kidney stones, and digestive issues.
Going from eating LOTS of greens and high oxalate foods like certain beans, beets, and nuts to none at all most likely caused my insides to flip, flop, then urgently vacate. After a few months, this subsided, and the benefits of my diet became noticeable.
Thankfully, Sid did not have the same experience, so don’t let my initial experience dissuade you!
So What To Eat?
We both agree that Dr. Ken Berry’s prescription of BBBE is a great place to start. It’s a ketogenic elimination diet.
- Beef: The fattier, the better. Grass-fed, grass-finished is recommended but not required. Think 80/20 ground beef, ribeye steaks, roasts, and short ribs. No seasonings except salt. No sauces, no side dishes. Just eat beef until you’re full.
- Bacon: You’re allowed to eat a lot of bacon, so it’s good to make a lot at a time. My preferred method is to lay strips out onto a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Flip, then cook for another 20-25 minutes. Be sure to carefully pour the grease into a container to cook with it later!
- Butter: Or ghee. My stomach doesn’t always do well with butter, so I usually use clarified butter instead of regular butter. Some carnivore people eat sticks of butter! Remember that you’re trying to eat a lot of fat because you’re now eating zero to minimal carbohydrates per day (some say under 20 grams, some 5 grams, some say 0). Also, be careful with melted butter/ghee/tallow/bacon grease/etc. Too much liquid fat can cause liquid 💩.
- Eggs: Pasture-raised is preferred, but just like the beef, get what works best for you and your wallet.
What Do I Eat?
In my carnivore years, there has been a lot of experimentation. Periods of including and excluding pork, eggs, alcohol, and even fruit and honey for a bit. I listen to my body and am not afraid to eliminate or add foods to see how I feel. Right now, I’m focusing on eating beef.
Morning: Lots of water & a little coffee
- Yes, I’m still drinking coffee. I’ve significantly reduced how much coffee I consume, but I’m struggling to give up this last bit and I’m currently working on this.
- I add a tablespoon of butter + collagen.
- Mix well with a milk frother.
- I also eat two burger patties with either butter or some goat cheese.
Snack: Tallow Beef Bar
- Crisp up some leftover ground beef, roast, etc. in the air fryer or oven with some extra tallow thrown in.
- Add crunchy bits to a silicone mold.
- Pour melted tallow over the top until it looks like the tallow is touching all meat bits.
- Top with salt. I prefer a bigger grind for this.
Lunch: Burger Patties
- We subscribe to a 1/16 share of a cow box from a regenerative farm called REP Provisions, and we get the Primal Blend for ground beef, which includes beef liver and heart.
- I make 16 quarter-pound patties in the oven (20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees) and keep them in the fridge for quick food.
- I like to crumble them in my air fryer, add a little extra tallow, and crisp up the chunks. Top with salt and eat up!
I usually make a roast, ground beef, or steak for dinner. I pressure cook the roast for one hour and fifteen minutes, then shred it and put it under the broiler to crisp up a bit. The ground beef is just pan-cooked and served with a side of butter. And, for the steak, I often reverse-sear.
My Benefits
When I don’t eat this way, I truly notice the benefits. When I eat something besides my usual diet, my hands hurt, I get irritable, my gut feels off, and I’m more tired. I’ve lost about 20 pounds, and my body feels better than I can remember. Sid and I were really good at cheating for a bit. We indulged in some Indian sweets here and there or some flourless chocolate cake. Plus, we were both still drinking alcohol. But I’ve focused on cutting all of this out for the last few months. This diet works best when you stay on track. This can be hard for social people, those who use food as a reward or celebratory food, or if you have a favorite food you regularly consume that isn’t carnivore. I think pretty much all of us fall into one of those categories!! But, once your body adjusts and you feel and see the difference in your body, you may never want those foods or drinks again.
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