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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be fascinated by the "carnivore" diet

80 replies

CakeCrumbs44 · 01/08/2022 13:48

I've just discovered today that there is a diet called the carnivore diet which is basically anti-vegan. They ONLY eat meat, some of them eat animal products such as dairy, tallow, eggs.

Snack suggestions include "candy" made from frozen browned butter, eating solid tallow straight from the fridge, drinking bone broth and most recently chicken "pizza" where the base is made from blended chicken, cheese and eggs, the topping is cheese sauce without flour and then topped with cheese and dipped in more cheese sauce.

Anyone seen this, is it actually real or are these people just doing it for Instagram? What are the supposed health benefits?

instagram.com/itscourtneyluna?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

OP posts:
Discovereads · 01/08/2022 13:49

Just another stupid fad.

Bubblebubblebah · 01/08/2022 13:51

Drinking bone broth is nothing new.

I am in love with the chicken pizza😂

Amdone123 · 01/08/2022 13:52

I've heard of it because I often look at keto recipes and the carnivore diet pops up ( probably because they're similar). The 'candy' sounds awful, but so does some keto stuff ( coffee with fats in - yuck ).
I've seen the pizza thing. I tried to make that base once using mozzarella and eggs. Was a disaster !
Everything in moderation, I say !

lljkk · 01/08/2022 14:06

Few years ago I read long blog entries by a guy who was convinced that a low carb high meat diet was wonderful, had cured his health problems, gave lots of 'evidence' to support his opinions, everyone should eat like him.

Read long enough, you learnt he had been vegan for like 15 years before he started eating meat again. He had increasing health problems during this time, during which he was (no surprise, drumroll please...) very evangelical about how wonderful it was to eat like a vegan, and how healthy morally correct choice that was.

Just... some people. Can't help themselves, I guess.

chatterbug22 · 01/08/2022 14:08

Meat isn’t particularly good for you, definitely not red meat anyway. Can’t see how it’s smart, likely a fad but definitely a backwards one when we should all be reducing consumption and turning to plant based sources of protein vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or not

yonce · 01/08/2022 14:10

That chicken pizza sounds bloody delicious - or maybe that's my diet addled brain talking 😂

I've heard of the caveman diet (eating as if you were a caveman so nothing processed or new fangled) which sounds quite similar.

Tbh it just sounds really expensive and like the start of some bowel problems!

10HailMarys · 01/08/2022 14:11

It's a ridiculous idea with zero health benefits and zero scientific evidence to support it. It's probably actively harmful.

A lot of people who claim to be doing this sort of diet are secretly eating other things and not admitting it.

ToastedWaffle · 01/08/2022 14:11

Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen.

CakeCrumbs44 · 01/08/2022 14:13

yonce · 01/08/2022 14:10

That chicken pizza sounds bloody delicious - or maybe that's my diet addled brain talking 😂

I've heard of the caveman diet (eating as if you were a caveman so nothing processed or new fangled) which sounds quite similar.

Tbh it just sounds really expensive and like the start of some bowel problems!

It didn't look very delicious in the video. Maybe with some breadcrumbs on the base to make it like a big nugget, tomato sauce on top, it would be better - but just chicken and cheese looked really bland!

I've heard of caveman diet but I assume that also uses nuts, seeds, berries etc. A bit of fibre at least!

OP posts:
Same1977 · 01/08/2022 14:20

Sounds like heart attack waiting to happen.

Same1977 · 01/08/2022 14:20

ToastedWaffle · 01/08/2022 14:11

Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen.

This and more

dueindecember10 · 01/08/2022 14:23

Jordan Syatt did this for a month(online personal trainer). He did a YouTube video on it but the main takeaway I got was that it was not kind to his digestive system if you get me 😳

StrangeCondition · 01/08/2022 14:30

I've used a very flattened grilled chicken breast as a pizza base, used the same way as dough one...it was very nice

CakeCrumbs44 · 01/08/2022 14:32

StrangeCondition · 01/08/2022 14:30

I've used a very flattened grilled chicken breast as a pizza base, used the same way as dough one...it was very nice

Yes that sounds nice, presumably with a tomato sauce and cheese? That sounds much nice than blended chicken, cheese and eggs making a homogenous mush for a base, topped with more cheese.

OP posts:
ShhDoNotTell · 01/08/2022 14:33

I’ve done carnivore on and off (I’m usually ketovore, which is a more extreme keto). I’ve lost lots of weight, my skin is great, and a number of health issues have vanished. There is no evidence it’s bad for the heart, and plenty of evidence to suggest it’s good for it.

Sprockket · 01/08/2022 14:34

I eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy but the diet you’ve described just makes me think of heart attacks and colon cancer.

Even desperate Dan ate beans!

ShhDoNotTell · 01/08/2022 14:34

To add, I don’t do the ‘sweets’ or anything - just meat, fish, some dairy.

I also do extended fasts of a week or more at a time but presumably I’ll get told off for that too.

CakeCrumbs44 · 01/08/2022 14:35

www.instagram.com/reel/CfeEVRCs6s0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
This is the pizza

OP posts:
tenbob · 01/08/2022 14:35

Have a listen to the Maintenance Phase podcast and their take on this, and specifically when professional idiot and bandwagon-jumper Jordan Peterson claimed to be following it…

they also did a 2-part on paleo which is as funny and eye opening

CakeCrumbs44 · 01/08/2022 14:35

ShhDoNotTell · 01/08/2022 14:33

I’ve done carnivore on and off (I’m usually ketovore, which is a more extreme keto). I’ve lost lots of weight, my skin is great, and a number of health issues have vanished. There is no evidence it’s bad for the heart, and plenty of evidence to suggest it’s good for it.

Interesting, do you have any studies you recommend reading with evidence for the health benefits please?

OP posts:
Purpleavocado · 01/08/2022 14:37

surely they must be constipated? there is no fibre

ShhDoNotTell · 01/08/2022 14:40

OP, if you join some of the carnivore groups on FB you will find some doctors in there who are happy to discuss at length, answering your individual questions and citing specific research. Consider it a more pure version of keto, which many doctors advocate now. Start reading people like Jason Fung on fasting and low carb and follow that rabbit trail and you’ll come across a lot of interesting things.

No one article I post for you, or anyone, will convince someone. And I have no intention of trying to do so. I’m just doing my thing. :) There’s a lot to read out there on this, if you’re so inclined.

ShhDoNotTell · 01/08/2022 14:40

Purpleavocado · 01/08/2022 14:37

surely they must be constipated? there is no fibre

How do you think other animals manage? You don’t need fibre to shit.

minipie · 01/08/2022 14:46

How do you think other animals manage? You don’t need fibre to shit.

Carnivorous animals tend to eat bone and fur which provides roughage. And some will seek out and eat grass or other plants when their system needs it.

Plus, they are built differently! We wouldn’t expect to be able to eat grass like a cow or sheep, we don’t have the right digestive system, the same applies to a purely meat diet.

Does anyone remember a reality show Eden where a bunch of 20/30 somethings with various “survival skills” were left on a remote Scottish beach to form a community… a bunch of the men separated off and ended up going completely carnivore. One of them spoke afterwards about how unwell it had made him feel.

Turnthatoff · 01/08/2022 14:46

Take anything, ANYTHING that is good or healthy, and people will take it to extremes. Running, for example. It’s not good for a body to train for and run a bunch of ultra marathons each year. There’s no harm in cutting out all processed food. Or being vegetarian, vegan even. But raw vegan, ‘fruitarian’, 100% carnivore = extreme. It’s nuts.