dish diary
The carnivore diet is trending hard—just meat, salt, and water. No plants, no carbs, no exceptions. Some call it a miracle cure for autoimmune diseases, weight gain, and mental fog. Others call it dangerous pseudoscience. I didn’t know what to believe when I first heard about it, but I was desperate for a fix. So, I dove in headfirst—and nearly didn’t make it out And trust me carnivore diet almost killed me.
Why I Tried the Carnivore Diet
At the time, I was at my wit’s end. I’d been dealing with chronic bloating, fatigue, mood swings, and eczema flare-ups. I’d tried keto, intermittent fasting, gluten-free, low-FODMAP—you name it. Nothing stuck. Then I stumbled across stories online of people curing everything from Crohn’s disease to depression by going full carnivore.
The promise of mental clarity, weight loss, and zero inflammation was tempting. I figured a few weeks of steak and eggs would be worth a shot.
The First Few Days: Carnivore High
The first few days felt... amazing. No more bloating, and my mind felt sharp—like unnaturally sharp. My appetite dropped, I started dropping weight fast, and my skin looked clearer. I thought I’d found the holy grail.
I was eating ribeyes, ground beef, liver, eggs, and drinking water. That’s it. Zero carbs. No fruits, no vegetables, no fiber. Just animal products. This was the classic zero carb carnivore diet.
For a brief moment, I believed the hype.
Week Two: The Crash Begins
But by the end of week two, the honeymoon phase ended hard.
I woke up dizzy and weak. My heart would randomly race like I’d sprinted up stairs, even though I was just sitting down. I had near-constant nausea and muscle cramps that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much salt I took.
My sleep was wrecked. I started waking up at 3 a.m. soaked in sweat, trembling, and unable to fall back asleep.
Week Three: Body in Breakdown
This is when I knew something was really wrong.
My digestion completely shut down. I didn’t go to the bathroom for almost five days. When I finally did, it felt like passing rocks. My stomach felt like a boulder lived inside it. The no-fiber aspect of the carnivore diet was wreaking havoc on my gut.
Then came the heart palpitations. They were terrifying. I ended up in urgent care, where they ran an EKG and checked my blood work. Electrolytes were off, and I was mildly dehydrated—even though I was drinking tons of water.
The doctor asked what I’d been eating. When I told him, he looked at me like I was out of my mind.
The Final Straw
By week four, I felt like I was dying. My blood pressure was erratic. I had shooting pains in my chest. My body felt heavy and lifeless. I was cold all the time, even when wrapped in blankets. And mentally? I was depressed, foggy, and irritable—the exact opposite of the clarity carnivore influencers promise.
One morning, I passed out getting out of bed. That was it. I called it quits.
I reintroduced carbs slowly—white rice, bone broth, soft veggies. Within a week, I felt like a new person. My energy came back. My digestion normalized. My heart stopped skipping beats.
The Risks of the Carnivore Diet No One Talks About
I’m not here to bash anyone who’s thriving on the carnivore diet. But it’s crucial to talk about the carnivore diet side effects that get swept under the rug:
1. Nutrient Deficiencies
Yes, meat has a lot of nutrients. But cutting out entire food groups can put you at risk for things like vitamin C deficiency, magnesium deficiency, and even scurvy if you're not careful.
2. Electrolyte Imbalance
Zero carb diets flush water and sodium from the body. Without adequate replacement, you can end up severely unbalanced—leading to muscle cramps, heart issues, and fatigue.
3. Constipation & Gut Issues
Fiber matters. Even if some carnivores claim their digestion improved, many (like me) experience serious constipation or even gut dysbiosis.
4. Mental Health Swings
Some feel euphoric at first, but over time, low serotonin and altered hormone levels from low-carb, high-fat diets can crash your mood.
5. Cholesterol and Heart Risk
There are conflicting studies, but a diet of primarily red meat and saturated fat may raise LDL cholesterol levels and inflammation markers in some people.
What I Learned (and What I’d Do Instead)
I get why people are drawn to the carnivore diet. It's simple. It promises to fix everything. But the truth is, it's not a sustainable or safe solution for everyone.
Instead of going extreme, I’ve found a carnivore diet almost killed me with whole foods, quality carbs, and mindful eating works better for me.
The bottom line: Just because something is trending on TikTok or Reddit doesn’t mean it’s safe. Don’t play Russian roulette with your health for the sake of six-pack abs or “mental clarity.”
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