The Carnivore Diet: Starting Pointers

December 10, 2020

The Carnivore Diet: Starting Pointers

Expect an adaptation period. Nearly everyone starting the carnivore diet gets symptoms such as brain fog, headache, sugar cravings and digestive upset. These come while the body adjusts to carbohydrate restriction. Eating more meat, staying hydrated and replacing electrolytes gets you through it. Replacing electrolytes starts with generous salt on your meat.

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The carnivore diet – also known as the all meat diet or the carnivorous diet – means eating almost nothing but meat for every meal, every day. That means a lot of protein, a lot of fat, and almost zero carbs. This drastic shift in eating is bound to leave your body reeling. So let’s talk about whether there are bad symptoms and how you can manage them. In this article we’ll walk you through what to expect, and the tips and tricks that will get you through it.

The Carnivore Diet Symptoms

You may have significant symptoms while adapting to The Carnivore Diet. Nearly everyone has bad symptoms and side effects when they start the Carnivore Diet. These symptoms are your body’s natural response to carbohydrate restriction. They are also a response to removing addictive agents and chemicals. Common Symptoms Include:

Brain fog
Headache
Chills
Sore throat
Digestive issues
Dizziness
Irritability
Bad breath/smells
Bad taste in mouth (metallic)
Dry mouth
Cravings (sugar!)
Muscle soreness
Jaw soreness
Nausea
Diarrhea
Poor focus and concentration
Decreased performance, energy, and drive
Cramping
Rapid heart rate
Insomnia
Night sweats
Nocturia (peeing a lot at night)
Feeling hot or cold

Coming from a ketogenic (keto) or high fat/low carb diet (HFLC)? Then the switch is generally easier (but there are still symptoms you need to understand!) than for someone coming from a Standard American Diet that is high in carbohydrates. These symptoms come from the significant metabolic and hormonal changes your body is going through.

The 3 Major Adaptations

If you decide to start The Carnivore Diet, your body is going to go through three major adaptations. 1. Fluid Rebalancing: Because you are eating fewer carbs, your insulin levels drop. That signals the kidneys to release sodium from the body. Water follows sodium out of the body, so losing 10 lbs. of water in a couple days is not uncommon. Glycogen (stored sugar) is then turned into glucose. This is the last energy source used before you switch to mainly fatty acids. 2. Transitioning from Sugar to Fat for Energy Your body will start switching from burning mainly sugar to burning fat for energy. Depending on your metabolic flexibility, your symptoms might be milder or more severe. Metabolic flexibility is your body’s ability to adapt to different fuel sources. It depends on a number of factors, including genetics, and especially your diet before this change. If you are used to eating a lot of high carbohydrate foods, it can feel a lot like going into withdrawal. 3. Hormone Response and Rebalancing Some hormones in your body will respond to the diet by rebalancing. Let’s look at thyroid and cortisol hormones. T3 thyroid hormone levels may drop. That is because T3, a hormone made by the thyroid, is closely connected with dietary carbohydrates. It plays a major role in controlling body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate.

Cures for the Carnivore Adaptation Symptoms

You can sharply lessen, and perhaps even eliminate, most of the suffering in the “trough” by using some tricks. They help bridge your body to the adapted state of bliss. Here are some tricks: 1. Eat more meat. Under-eating is the number one reason people suffer when they don’t have to. Early on, it’s common to feel extremely hungry. As your body is getting used to the diet, eat, eat, and eat again. Do not try to restrict calories or track macros. Don’t worry about gaining fat. 2. Hydrate Make sure you are drinking water. Do not overdo it, because you will make things worse, but you need to stay hydrated. After adapting, you drink to thirst (no need to measure or track). But if you are feeling like crap during adaptation – make sure you are hydrating. 3. Electrolytes Replace your electrolytes. As you lose a lot of extra water, you also lose a lot of electrolytes: sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride. Salt, used generously on your meat, is the first step. For some people, this may be enough. Other people need some help in the potassium and magnesium department as well though… These tricks can help you replace potassium and magnesium:

Drink Meaty Bone Broth – Besides water and sodium, this will give you some potassium. That will offset some of the discomfort at the level of your cells.
It’s important that the bones have some meat on them because that’s where the potassium is.
Supplement – the three electrolytes below:
Potassium K+: 500 – 3500 mg/day (start with 1g – K+ chloride)
Magnesium Mg: 250-500 mg/day (magnesium citrate)
Sodium Na: 2-7g/day (5g is a good starting point – I like this brand)

Solving GI Problems

Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are extremely common, especially if you are coming from a low-fat diet. Your gallbladder and pancreas might not be ready for the extra fat, even if you are. When first starting, you may not have enough bile and lipase to digest the extra fat. That can lead to diarrhea and other kinds of GI distress. To help manage this, you can eat less fat by choosing leaner cuts of meat. A better solution is to supplement for 2-4 weeks. You could take some lipase supplement a few minutes before meals. You can start with one tablet, and if you still have some discomfort, take two. If you still have GI issues, especially if they are GERD/acid reflux related, take a Betaine HCl supplement. Many people make too little stomach acid for good digestion and proper metabolic signaling. This is a main cause of GERD, heartburn and acid reflux. Don’t take this supplement with anti-inflammatories, because it could result in ulcers. It should automatically include pepsin, but check to make sure. Common doses range between 3-5g/meal. Important note: Supplements are a bridging strategy and not designed for long term use; the goal is to be off all of these after the first month. They are meant to let your body catch up. It might also be important to eliminate rendered fats, because they could make the problem worse. It is normal to have fewer bowel movements. That is because your body absorbs and uses meat very efficiently, and not a lot goes to waste.

Sleep

Insomnia is common during adaptation. And since you are purging water, nocturia is also an interrupter. A few hacks that help: Keep your room pitch black (blackout curtains, cover LEDs) and COOL. Start winding down 2 hours before bed (no screens, or at least put them in night mode)

Don’t eat within a few hours of sleep if you can help it
Be conscious of how much you are drinking later in the day
Be asleep before 11 (a cortisol spike happens if you are not asleep around this time)

Sweat

Sweating is a natural detox mechanism. You are finally giving your body the nutrition it has been craving. So you give it the chance to expel toxins. Give your body a hand and help it detox by getting some exercise and sweating.

Killing cravings and addictions – “Brain Changes”

Besides the metabolic and hormonal changes mentioned, you may also notice what I call “Brain Changes.” They occur along the “brain-body highway”, a signaling control system between the gut and the brain. This communication highway affects everything from hormones to neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. These play huge roles in mood, cravings, and addiction. Much like many drug addictions, you may go through withdrawal symptoms from foods or other substances (especially sugar). Your body has become physically and neurologically addicted to them. Cravings are common, and the best solution is to make sure you are eating enough fatty meat. Not eating enough meat and eating meat that is too lean are the top mistakes.

You’re Ready to Start

Most people have adaptation symptoms, which can range from annoying to a certainty that you are going to die. I’ll be the first to admit that they aren’t all that pleasant. But with the above information to help identify and deal with them, your first attempt should be much easier. Yes, your bowel movements will change, and you will have some early fatigue and brain fog. But in my opinion, the benefits certainly outweigh these temporary symptoms, especially if your goal is to lose weight fast. Be committed, don’t let them deter you and give it a try. References