Diet Basics & Concerns

Dirty carnivores are people who enjoy eating animal foods for the majority of their calories. These foods tend to be nutrient dense and supportive of good health. Some herbs, spices and other "dirt" are a healthy addition to a meat-centered plan. Long term health is most important when considering what to eat. And it is true that some people have fared less than well eating an all meat plan long term. So we encourage the reader to seek out a plan that will support long term health, not just quick weight loss at all costs. Just what that is will be dependent upon the person. Some feel they do well on all meat. Others find they need more plant foods.

A Paleolithic-style diet has a range of possibilities

A paleo diet is certainly a move in the right direction for most people's health and has many options. Depending on climate, location and available foods, humans have been known to exploit their environment and now circle the globe because of that. However, the paleo diet in popular literature can be heavily focused on the consumption of fruits and vegetables on a year round basis. The immediate availability of fruits and vegetables, in the quantity and quality we are offered each day at our supermarkets, was not "enjoyed" by our ancestors, who ate more in tune with the seasons. If you look at what you could eat at any given time in your local environment, that is a somewhat helpful consideration of just what constitutes a Paleolithic diet.

What do we eat?

Let's look to the wisdom of successful hunter-gatherer groups. Dr. Weston A. Price was able to examine many native cultures, untouched by modern industrial foods. The groups he visited had fine physical features and an absence of dental caries. Those groups living on a traditional, animal foods centered diets had especially noteworthy good health. They ate a wide variety of land and marine mammals, making full use of organs, bones and fat. In fact, one of the most notable observations that Price found throughout all of the groups he studied (which did include groups engaging in some agriculture) is that they went to great lengths to obtain foods from the sea. Certainly they would exploit the plant foods available seasonally as well, and in fact, they went to great pains to preserve these foods. Since plant foods don't tend to be energy dense, perhaps it was due to the micro-nutrients of these various foods. Often times, these foods were lacto-fermented, which provide the gut flora necessary for good health. We would would do well to follow such ancient wisdom and include foods that have the nutritional profile known to support human health.

When approaching a mainly carnivous eating plan, consider eating the widest variety of animal foods possible, including occasional consumption of organ meats such as liver, tongue, heart and others. Bone stocks are also recommended. Including at least some plant foods regularly will round out the nutritional profile of a diet focused mainly on animal foods. A way of eating should support a person's health throughout his or her lifetime.

Finally, we consider whether to eat foods cooked, raw, or both. Besides personal preference, we can again look to culinary tradition. Raw and cured meats have been with us for ages. Cultures around the globe enjoy a portion of animal foods in the raw state. That may seem unusual in our mordern, germ phobic world, but it is true. It is also true that bacteria and parasites might be present in some sources of these types of foods. Local, grassfed sources of meat and wild fish are preferrable to mass-produced grocery market varieties for the simple fact that the smaller producer raising according to nature, whereas feedlot sources may contain meat from hundreds of animals. Furthermore, according to the FDA website, "...most parasites are relatively easy to destroy by holding the raw material or finished product at freezing temperatures for a specified period of time; of course, this is dependent upon the internal temperature of the material." It is up to the individual to research and approach such foods within his or her own comfort level. Also, please see the Testimonials section for individual stories on preference for raw or cooked.

 

What About Eggs & Dairy?

eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of inexpensive nutrition. They contain ample protein, healthy fats, as well as several other micronutrients. Traditionally, eggs are a seasonal food source, as birds do not lay them year round in nature. Eggs are also known to cause allergic reaction to some people, and thus, it makes sense to take a break from them periodically, if you do consume them.

dairy

Dairy is a highly complex subject. How it can fit into the life of a human carnivore, if at all, is a highly individual matter. On the one hand, it is an animal food. On the other hand it is a product of the Agricultural Revolution. Furthermore, intolerance to the milk sugar lactose is wide spread. Casein, like gluten, produces opioid compounds in humans and can also be a problem. Let's look at these issues one by one.

Milk is the mammary secretion designed to feed infants of the class Mammalia. It has a moderate carbohydrate percentage, which varies depending upon the species from which it comes. Usually juveniles are weaned and eventually lose the enzymes to digest milk proteins and lactose, unless milk foods are continually consumed.

Fermented milk products such as kefir, yogurt and cheese are the result of yeast and, in some cases, bacterial fermentation. These microbes eat the sugars to varying degrees, so these products have lower carbohydrate contents, cheese being the lowest in this regard. Cheese is produced by separating the curds of casein from the whey of the liquid, and thus has a concentrated casein content.

Butter is produced by churning the milk fat cream. Both butter and cream may be better tolerated than some of the other dairy products. They are both very low in carbohydrates, however, both contain some casein. Ghee is butter which has been clarified by heat to separate out any remaining milk solids. It is casein free.