The carnivore diet, an extreme form of eating that focuses solely on animal products, has garnered attention for its potential health benefits and its restrictive nature. While the traditional carnivore diet eliminates all plant-based foods, a relaxed version allows for some flexibility. This article explores the benefits of the relaxed carnivore diet, drawing on expert opinions and available research to provide a comprehensive understanding.
What is the Relaxed Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet is a high-protein, animal-based diet that includes only animal foods like meat, eggs, and some dairy products. This restrictive diet focuses on animal protein and excludes plant foods completely. It's similar to the paleo diet but even more limited, focusing on whole animal foods as the primary source of fuel.
The relaxed carnivore diet is a less strict version of the carnivore diet. Strict carnivore followers eat only meat, eggs, and animal fats, while relaxed carnivores may include small amounts of spices, dairy, or coffee. Dairy is often included on a relaxed carnivore approach, especially high-fat options like butter, ghee, heavy cream, and certain cheeses. For strict carnivores, however, dairy is generally avoided to keep the diet more aligned with meat-only principles. On a relaxed carnivore diet, small amounts of simple seasonings like salt, pepper, and herbs are generally accepted to keep meals flavorful without adding carbs.
Potential Benefits of the Relaxed Carnivore Diet
Weight Loss
Animal-based foods, particularly fatty cuts of meat, are highly satiating to the body. Because protein and fat are more filling than carbohydrates, people tend to eat less on a Carnivore Diet. Eliminating carbohydrates eliminates blood sugar spikes and crashes, reducing hunger and cravings. This can naturally lead to eating fewer calories without feeling deprived. Many people eat just 1-2 meals a day without feeling hungry. Protein has a high thermic effect of food (TEF), meaning your body burns more calories digesting and processing protein than it does with carbs or fat. Eating a high-protein diet also helps preserve muscle mass, which keeps metabolism higher. Without carbs, the body naturally shifts from using glucose to burning fat for fuel (ketosis). As a result, stored body fat is used for energy, leading to fat loss.
Reduced Inflammation
Besides stabilizing blood sugar and insulin, the Carnivore Diet may help reduce inflammation by eliminating common inflammatory foods and promoting other metabolic changes that support healing. By cutting out plant-based foods and processed items, the Carnivore Diet removes:
Read also: The Carnivore Diet: An Autoimmune Solution?
- Refined Carbohydrates & Sugars - These spike blood sugar and drive inflammation.
- Seed Oils (“Vegetable” Oils) - High in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote chronic inflammation.
- Gluten & Grains - Can trigger autoimmune or inflammatory responses in some individuals.
- Lectins & Oxalates (Anti-Nutrients in Plants) - Found in foods like legumes, nuts, and leafy greens, these compounds may cause inflammation in those who are sensitive.
Eliminating processed foods and seed oils lowers omega-6 intake, which is linked to inflammation when consumed in excess. Fatty meats, fish, and eggs provide more omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory. These dietary changes may help some people with inflammatory or autoimmune conditions.
Improved Gut Health
Eliminating fiber and plant toxins may improve gut health by simplifying digestion, reducing gut irritants, and promoting a balanced microbiome. Lectins, oxalates, and gluten are a few plant toxins that can contribute to “leaky gut,” inflammation, and dysbiosis. Meat-based diets also produce fewer fermentable carbohydrates that may contribute to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO). Avoiding excess fermentation in the small intestine can help reduce gut irritation and bloating, breaking a vicious cycle of bacterial migration and fermentation in an area of the gut that’s supposed to be essentially sterile and dedicated to the absorption of nutrients. Eating more animal-based foods also increases certain nutrients that support gut lining repair.
Mental Health Benefits
Many people report improvements in mental clarity, focus, and energy levels after switching to a carnivore diet, often due to stable blood sugar and reduced inflammation. However, this is largely anecdotal evidence, and results may vary. Some people are very anxious and they’re emotionally labile, and after a few weeks of the carnivore diet, they just kind of get chilled out. They get calm. They call it the carnivore calm. Some people call it zero carb zen. And it lets people relax, and they can deal with things more because they’re on a more even keel.
Ketones can cross the blood-brain barrier where they are immediately utilised by the brain cells as an energy source. This makes nutrition essential for fueling this demand.
Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions
Nutrient Deficiencies
The carnivore diet provides high-quality animal protein and essential fats but lacks certain plant-based nutrients, such as fiber and specific vitamins. Organ meats, like liver, are nutrient-dense and offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals that support overall health. Many experts suggest including organ meats if possible to prevent nutrient deficiencies over time.
Read also: The Carnivore Diet's Impact on Sleep
Is Fiber Needed?
We believe we have to have 2 or 3 bowel movements per day, and if we’re not having bowel movements every 3 hours, something is wrong with us. There’s no requirement to have any number of bowel movements.
Long-Term Sustainability
The long-term effects of a strict carnivore diet are still being studied. While many people report benefits, it’s essential to listen to your body and periodically assess your health. The carnivore diet is difficult to follow long term and does not offer much variety.
Is it safe for people with health conditions like high blood pressure or kidney disease?
The carnivore diet can offer health benefits like reduced inflammation and better blood sugar management, which might support certain conditions. The carnivore diet may be especially problematic for certain populations. For example, those who need to limit their protein intake, including people with chronic kidney disease, should not follow the diet. Also, those who are more sensitive to the cholesterol in foods, or cholesterol hyper-responders, should be cautious about consuming so many high-cholesterol foods.
How to Start a Relaxed Carnivore Diet
Understand the Basics: The carnivore diet is a high-protein, animal-based diet that includes only animal foods like meat, eggs, and some dairy products. This restrictive diet focuses on animal protein and excludes plant foods completely.
Eliminate Non-Carnivore Items: Start fresh by removing all non-carnivore items-this includes grains, sugars, and vegetable oils that you'd typically find in processed foods. By sticking to high-quality animal-based foods, you're setting yourself up for success.
Read also: Troubleshooting Carnivore Diet Diarrhea
Choose High-Quality Meats: Go for nutrient-dense, high-fat meats like grass-finished beef, lamb, and organ meats such as liver, which are packed with essential nutrients often lacking in plant-based diets. Have you tried Carnivore Bar yet? Zero carb. High Fat. Just Meat. The Carnivore Bar is a meal replacement bar with just three ingredients: beef, tallow, and salt.
Incorporate Healthy Fats: This diet relies heavily on healthy fats from sources like beef tallow, butter, and fatty cuts of meat.
Structure Your Meals: Sticking to 2-3 structured meals a day is the best way to manage hunger and support digestive health on a carnivore diet.
Stay Hydrated: Stick to water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea-sugar-laden drinks can spike blood sugar and disrupt your carnivore diet plan. Hydration is key, so aim for quality over variety here.
Manage Carb Withdrawal: When shifting to a low-carb, high-protein diet, you might experience carb withdrawal symptoms known as "keto flu." This phase can include fatigue, irritability, and digestive issues, as your body adapts to using fat for fuel instead of carbs.
Listen to Your Body: The carnivore diet is all about tuning into natural hunger cues without tracking every bite.
Keep Meals Interesting: Grilling, baking, and air frying are great ways to keep meals interesting without the need for added ingredients.
Give it Time: Give yourself a full month to see the potential benefits. Many people report improved mental health, higher energy levels, and reduced cravings for processed foods.
Relaxed Carnivore Diet: Sample Menu
Here’s a five-day sample menu for the carnivore diet:
Day 1
- Breakfast: eggs, bacon, sardines
- Lunch: turkey burger patty, salmon jerky, beef tips
- Dinner: filet mignon, crab, chicken liver
- Snacks: a small amount of Parmesan cheese, jerky
Day 2
- Breakfast: shrimp, eggs, a small glass of heavy cream
- Lunch: strip steak, tuna fish, beef jerky
- Dinner: lamb chops, scallops, beef liver
- Snacks: a small amount of hard Cheddar cheese, bone broth
Day 3
- Breakfast: eggs, salmon, turkey sausage
- Lunch: sweetbreads, pork chops, mackerel
- Dinner: turkey burger patty, a small amount of Parmesan cheese, bone marrow
- Snacks: hard-boiled eggs, shrimp
Day 4
- Breakfast: trout, shredded chicken, bacon
- Lunch: beef meatballs, small amount Cheddar cheese, salmon jerky
- Dinner: crab cooked in lard, filet mignon
- Snacks: sardines, beef jerky
Day 5
- Breakfast: eggs, chicken and turkey sausage links
- Lunch: lamb roast, chicken liver, pork chop
- Dinner: flank steak, scallops cooked in butter, a small glass of heavy cream
- Snacks: bone broth, turkey jerky
Expert Opinions and Scientific Evidence
Dr. Shawn Baker is a doctor and an accomplished athlete. Air Force. Athletically, he’s played professional rugby, won strongman competitions, set records as a Highland Games participant, and most recently, he became an indoor rowing world champion. Shawn has gained notoriety as a leading proponent of the carnivore diet-where participants get nutrition from animal-sourced foods and severely limit or eliminate all plants from their diet.
Baker’s medical license was reinstated in 2019 with a requirement for direct supervision when practicing medicine.
Carnivore dieters argue that plants are unnecessary for human health and are actually harmful.