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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Based on his one-month self-experiment, Thomas DeLauer suggests that a carnivore (zero-carb, all-meat) diet can be made to feel good if you use fattier, grass-fed, grass-finished meat, add organ meats, and add salt, rather than relying on lean meat plus added plant-based oils. He presents this as personal experience rather than proven science, and he says that a "true carnivore diet" may still work better with occasional veggies or berries.
Key Points
- DeLauer started with a ketogenic-style approach (lean proteins plus avocado and olive oil), and felt constipated, bloated, and foggy for the first few days.
- His energy and strength improved after he added more red meat and fattier cuts, which he says he tolerates poorly normally.
- He reports that adding liver, a type of organ meat, around week three was the turning point for energy, mental clarity, and cravings.
- He added two 24-hour fasts in week two, which he believes helped his gut reset, though he admits he is not certain of the mechanism.
- He acknowledges that carnivore may suit some people well and that it is hard to know the long-term effects of avoiding other foods.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: Choose fattier cuts of meat rather than only lean proteins, and prioritize grass-fed, grass-finished meat so you avoid corn- and soy-fed sources. Add organ meats such as liver, which he says made the biggest difference. Add salt, since he suspects a mineral imbalance may have caused early symptoms. If you feel off early on, consider adding more red meat and saturated fat rather than only lean meat with plant-based oils. He also used two 24-hour fasts in week two, which he says helped him reset, though he notes this is his own experience.
- He says he initially suspected a lack of saturated fat affecting nerve signaling, but he admits this timeline seems too short to be a likely cause.
- He mentions he does not digest red meat well normally, yet tolerated it better once he adjusted the fat sources and types.
- He notes that the carnivore label is newer, and "zero carb" was the older name.
- He says that for emotional satisfaction, some people may prefer a "carnivore with occasional veggies or berries" approach, which he finds more reasonable.
- He mentions that he disagrees with some claims about oxalates and vegetables, but gives no detail on that point.
- The video includes a sponsor link for ButcherBox, a grass-fed meat delivery service.
Bottom Line
A month of carnivore worked for DeLauer only after he shifted to fattier, grass-fed meat with organ meats and added salt. His results are anecdotal, and he doesn't claim them as proven advice.
