The carnivore diet is a highly debated topic in nutrition, gaining traction for its potential benefits, particularly in addressing autoimmune issues and promoting short-term weight loss. This article explores the principles behind the carnivore diet, its rise in popularity, and provides several recipes that align with its strict guidelines, particularly focusing on the "Lion Diet" variation popularized by Mikhaila Peterson.
Understanding the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is a macro-restrictive eating plan that primarily consists of meat, poultry, fish, and game. It strictly prohibits the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based products. Some individuals take the diet to extreme levels, avoiding even dairy products like cheese and butter due to their trace amounts of carbohydrates (lactose) and opting to cook their meats in animal-based fats like lard, or even consuming meat raw.
Historically, diets heavily reliant on meat have existed for thousands of years. Hunter-gatherer communities around the world have subsisted on diets almost exclusively limited to meat, occasionally supplemented with foraged fruits. Examples include the Inuits of Canada and the Tsimane tribe of South America, who continue to follow similar dietary patterns today.
The Rise of the Carnivore Diet and Mikhaila Peterson's Influence
The modern resurgence of the carnivore diet can be largely attributed to Jordan Peterson's 2018 appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist, has become an outspoken advocate for the carnivore diet, crediting it with significant positive changes in his health, particularly the alleviation of autoimmune inflammation. He credits his daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, who has also experienced similar health issues, for introducing him to the diet. Mikhaila later appeared on the podcast herself, reinforcing her father's claims.
Mikhaila Peterson's personal journey with the carnivore diet is particularly compelling. From a young age, she suffered from numerous health problems, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, diagnosed at age seven. In her blog, Mikhaila detailed her extensive list of medical issues and the medications she took to manage them. Despite these efforts, her health continued to decline, leading to ankle and knee replacements at the age of seventeen.
Read also: Reversing Autoimmune Disease
Following the advice of a naturopath, Mikhaila eliminated gluten from her diet, which sparked the idea of cutting out other food groups as well. This approach is similar to the autoimmune protocol diet (AIP), which involves eliminating foods with potential inflammatory properties, even those considered healthy. After experiencing a brief period of improved health, Mikhaila's symptoms returned during pregnancy. Following the birth of her daughter in August 2017, she made a radical change and adopted an all-beef diet, consuming only beef for all her meals.
Mikhaila has stated that she will "never go back" to her previous way of eating. While there are currently no long-term studies available on the effects of an all-beef diet, Mikhaila reports that it has helped alleviate her numerous health problems. She takes a relaxed approach to promoting her diet, stating that she started a diet blog and mostly shares her personal experiences.
The Lion Diet: Mikhaila Peterson's Strict Carnivore Variation
The Lion Diet is a ketogenic, ruminant-meat carnivorous diet developed by Mikhaila Peterson to address her autoimmune disorder. It's a strict plant-free ketogenic diet designed to treat those suffering from autoimmune and mood disorders. This diet is even more restrictive than the standard carnivore diet, focusing primarily on ruminant meats like beef and lamb.
Potential Benefits and Considerations
High-protein diets, like the carnivore diet, are known for boosting muscle strength and promoting weight loss. This is a key reason why many professional athletes incorporate high protein intake into their meal plans. The carnivore diet has also been shown to decrease fat content due to the satiating nature of high-protein foods and the body entering a state of fat-burning ketosis as a result of carbohydrate deprivation.
It's important to note that skeptics, including Jordan Peterson himself, caution against recommending the diet to individuals without underlying health problems, as he lacks formal training in nutrition science and doesn't fully understand the specific mechanisms by which the diet alleviated his own health issues. This contrasts with claims made by other carnivore diet proponents who suggest broader benefits, such as warding off the ill effects of seed oils and enhancing hormone function, which remain unsubstantiated.
Read also: Exploring the Carnivore Diet
One potential benefit of the carnivore diet is its simplicity in meal preparation. For those seeking to explore this dietary approach, the following recipes offer examples of dishes that align with the diet's core principles.
Lion Diet Recipes
Here are some recipes that adhere to the principles of the carnivore and Lion Diet, focusing on meat-based ingredients and minimal processing:
Bacon and Egg Tacos
- Ingredients: 100g room temperature bacon, 3 large eggs, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Instructions:
- Weave two square-shaped lattices from the bacon.
- Whisk eggs, scramble with butter, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place scrambled eggs in the center of each bacon lattice and fold in half to serve.
Mozzarella Egg Waffles
- Ingredients: 2 large eggs, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, and a pinch of salt.
- Instructions:
- Combine eggs, mozzarella cheese, and salt.
- Pour batter into a waffle maker and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Egg Custard
- Ingredients: 3 eggs, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup erythritol.
- Instructions:
- Combine eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and erythritol.
- Pour mixture into ramekins and place in a water bath.
- Bake on high for 30 minutes, or until tops start to brown.
- Dust with cinnamon powder and serve at room temperature.
Bone Broth
- Ingredients: Chicken bones, water, celery, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.
- Instructions:
- Boil chicken bones in water (1.4:2 ratio of bones to water) with celery, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar to taste.
- Simmer for at least 18 hours.
- Strain with a cheesecloth and serve warm.
Carnivore English Breakfast Sandwich
- Ingredients: 2 lamb burger patties, thick cheddar cheese slice, and 1 egg.
- Instructions:
- Sear lamb burger patties on a grill.
- Place cheddar cheese on one patty, followed by a fried egg, and a pinch of salt.
- Top with the other patty.
Egg and Anchovy Custard
- Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 cup anchovy broth (or water), 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, and scallions.
- Instructions:
- Beat eggs until smooth and strain through a sieve.
- Add anchovy broth (or water) and dissolve shrimp paste.
- Transfer to ramekins.
- Cook in a water bath for 5-7 minutes.
- Serve hot, topped with thinly sliced scallions.
Hard-Boiled Eggs in Apple Cider Vinegar
- Ingredients: 8 large hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.
- Instructions:
- Peel hard-boiled eggs and place in a clean jar.
- Mix water and apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil.
- Pour over the eggs.
A Sample 7-Day Lion Diet Menu
The Lion Diet emphasizes listening to your body and adjusting your intake based on hunger levels. As a general guideline, Mikhaila Peterson, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall, eats approximately 1.5 pounds of meat per day. She suggests that a 6-foot-tall man might consume around 2.5 pounds of meat per day, but this should be adjusted based on individual needs.
The following is a sample menu, but the specific types of meat, number of meals or snacks, timing, and portion sizes are flexible. The key principle is to consume only allowed meats.
Day 1:
- Breakfast: Ribeye steak
- Lunch: Ground beef patties
- Dinner: Lamb chops
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with bacon
- Lunch: Beef broth
- Dinner: Grilled steak
Day 3:
- Breakfast: Lamb patties
- Lunch: Beef liver
- Dinner: Baked salmon
Day 4:
- Breakfast: Egg and cheese waffle
- Lunch: Ground beef
- Dinner: Ribeye steak
Day 5:
- Breakfast: Bacon and eggs
- Lunch: Bone broth
- Dinner: Lamb chops
Day 6:
- Breakfast: Beef patties
- Lunch: Egg custard
- Dinner: Grilled steak
Day 7:
- Breakfast: Salmon
- Lunch: Lamb patties
- Dinner: Ribeye steak
When starting the diet, Mikhaila recommends eating lean cuts of meat if consuming fattier cuts is initially unpleasant. She also suggests that purchasing the highest quality meat you can afford is ideal, but beef patties from fast food restaurants (without pepper) are acceptable.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet