This past Saturday, July 20, 2019, marks 30 official days on the carnivore diet for me.
With this blog post, I'll give you the trials and tribulations along the way, as I took pretty detailed notes.
With this blog post, I'll give you the trials and tribulations along the way, as I took pretty detailed notes.
Summary Results of carnivore diet for 30 days
In being on the carnivore diet (eating just meat) for 30 days, my overall Lyme symptoms have decreased, which means inflammation has decreased, which means eating just meat is ideal for lowering inflammation. Nice!
However, this comes at a cost of some tolerable difficulty in the bathroom while Mr. Brown waits on line 2, if you know what I mean. Not nice!
Overall, my quality of life and health has improved to the point where I am more of a normal person. With less symptoms, more and consistent energy, and a greater sense of well-being, I seem much further away from the grasp of a health’s decline.
However, this comes at a cost of some tolerable difficulty in the bathroom while Mr. Brown waits on line 2, if you know what I mean. Not nice!
Overall, my quality of life and health has improved to the point where I am more of a normal person. With less symptoms, more and consistent energy, and a greater sense of well-being, I seem much further away from the grasp of a health’s decline.
What were the pros of being on the carnivore diet for 30 days?
- Inflammation overall has definitely decreased
- A noticeable increase in my ability to articulate thoughts into words
- Fatigue after eating is completely gone
- Muscle weakness has very much been non-existent
- Digestion has improved; no bloating, but still excessive burping
- Consistent and long lasting energy
- Breathing has been easier; sinuses seem less clogged
- I can crave meat without the need for salt
- Easy clean up; very little dishes
What Were The Cons Of Being On The Carnivore Diet For 30 Days?
- Transitional symptoms/keto flu/carnivore trough (17 days)
- Constipation with hemorrhoids
- Easy to miss out on electrolytes and possible other nutrients, such as vitamin c (needs lab results to validate this suspicion)
Here's a detailed timeline outlining my experience on the carnivore diet for 30 days
- Day 1: Started carnivore diet. Muscle weakness and fatigue completely disappear. A stark contrast compared to the previous day while eating carbs. Energy levels are normal and stable as I burn through glycogen reserves.
- Day 2: I'm still in a bit of pain and stiffness, but much less. During the night, I went to the bathroom and it seemed like I urinated forever. Possible water weight leaving? I awoke with a sore throat, a slight headache, and started to get some pimples. Muscle weakness and fatigue begin again (could be electrolytes this time around).
- Day 4: Wake up refreshed after sleeping very deep. Muscle weakness and fatigue is gone! Throat is still sore and some muscle twitching (definitely electrolytes).
- Day 6: Sore throat 98% gone; sinuses begin to drain.
- Day 7: Bowel movement not completely solid. Eyes became itchy and started to slightly burn (very unusual). Sinuses are now draining like a faucet.
- Day 9: Producing a yellow mucous
- Day 12: Still producing yellow mucous. Cognition got bad; can't follow what people are saying. Slightly dizzy and clumsy. There's definitely something going on in my head. Likely sinus infection, but I never get them. Could it be related to yeast die off?
- Day 15: I awoke with some general anxiety and gurgling in the gut. Microbiome shift?
- Day 18: First day feeling really good! I suspect my body has successfully transitioned to burning just fat for energy and my electrolytes are balanced.
- Day 19 to 30: Very consistent energy levels. Occasionally some anxiety and low points, but overall consistently normal energy levels and a great sense of well being.
Will I stay on the Carnivore Diet?
I think so.
I ended my carnivore diet on day 32 by eating an avocado. On potential day 33, I then introduced a green bell pepper.
Today would be day 34 and I awoke this morning achy and inflamed all over. It would appear that green bell peppers are a no go, but for now, I'm going to go back to just meat and try avocado again next week.
I ended my carnivore diet on day 32 by eating an avocado. On potential day 33, I then introduced a green bell pepper.
Today would be day 34 and I awoke this morning achy and inflamed all over. It would appear that green bell peppers are a no go, but for now, I'm going to go back to just meat and try avocado again next week.
What did I eat on the Carnivore diet?
- Ground beef 80%/20% (grass fed)
- Chuck roast (non grass-fed from Whole Foods)
- Lamb shoulder chops (grass fed)
- Beef tallow (grass fed)
- Ribeye
- Calf liver
- Sockeye salmon (wild caught Alaskan)
- Chicken (rarely because it wasn't satiating)
- Pork (twice but it repulsed me, surprisingly)
- Salt (twice)
- Water (Evian mostly, but occasionally Poland Spring)
The majority of my carnivore diet consisted of just ground beef, chuck roast, lamb, and sockeye salmon. That's it!
A lot of people talk about adding in salt for electrolytes, and possibly even supplementing with electrolytes during the transition phase.
I had salt a couple of times, but noticed I did better without it. Too much salt, and the body starts depleting potassium, which then depletes magnesium, which then depletes calcium, etc.
I also found drinking less water helped in maintaining electrolyte levels as well.
To ameliorate muscle twitching from low magnesium, I switched mainly from Poland Spring to Evian.
Carnivore Diet Day 30 Conclusion
I went on the carnivore diet for 3 reasons:
I can for sure say that my yeast and Lyme symptoms have waned, but I do still have excessive belching and nausea.
This could be due to an ulcer, of which I've begun to take low dosages of oregano oil and it seems to be working.
What I'm going to do is stick with the carnivore diet for now, but slowly start increasing the oil of oregano and see what that does for the gut.
I'll probably try adding in avocado again sometime next week, and if I'm feeling brazen, maybe even some celery.
I'd also like to get a blood panel done just to make sure everything on the inside looks as good as I've been feeling.
The carnivore diet, once I adapted to burning fat for energy (day 18), really shined for me. I definitely did not get worse on it, I definitely did not stay the same, but I definitely felt better.
Not 100% better, but enough to keep me feeling more normal and less ailing. I'm much encouraged now to see how a yeast treatment could complement this zero carb diet.
- To help combat my excessive yeast with zero carbs
- To fix potential SIBO; bloating after eating just a salad
- To possibly help out with the Lyme, which may just be excessive yeast at this point
I can for sure say that my yeast and Lyme symptoms have waned, but I do still have excessive belching and nausea.
This could be due to an ulcer, of which I've begun to take low dosages of oregano oil and it seems to be working.
What I'm going to do is stick with the carnivore diet for now, but slowly start increasing the oil of oregano and see what that does for the gut.
I'll probably try adding in avocado again sometime next week, and if I'm feeling brazen, maybe even some celery.
I'd also like to get a blood panel done just to make sure everything on the inside looks as good as I've been feeling.
The carnivore diet, once I adapted to burning fat for energy (day 18), really shined for me. I definitely did not get worse on it, I definitely did not stay the same, but I definitely felt better.
Not 100% better, but enough to keep me feeling more normal and less ailing. I'm much encouraged now to see how a yeast treatment could complement this zero carb diet.
