It’s been two years and eleven months, to be precise, since I wrote my post “Should Christians Try the Carnivore Diet?”. At that time, I had been on the diet for six weeks and was determined to last at least 90 days. For those unfamiliar with the Carnivore Diet, it is a diet of animal products only: beef, lamb, pork, poultry, seafood, animal fat, butter, salt, and water. This diet eliminates all grains, seed oils, sugars and carbohydrates. For the serious carnivores, it also eliminates plants; yep, all veggies and fruit. Now, here’s an update.

My struggles:

1. I still crave carbs sometimes, but only when I indulge. An indulgence might be a small slice of sourdough toast smothered with butter (the butter part is good because it is animal fat), the occasional sausage roll (sort of meat?), or a small packet of salty potato crisps; the worst ‘treat’ ever, because the potato slices are cooked in seed oils (canola, sunflower, vegetable). The chips are so inflammatory that when I indulge, which might be once every few months, I experience an immediate side effect, such as pain in my arms and pressure in my head. For a few moments of pleasure, I set my body back two years because that’s how long it takes for the seed oil to work its way out of my body, since it is no longer a food substance by the end of the process of becoming a cooking oil (see notes on Linoleic acid at the end of the post). The sourdough might give me a headache, make me feel a little bloated, and at times bring on hunger pains because of the glucose spike and drop.  The sausage roll leaves a bad taste in my mouth because of the spices and onion, because on the carnivore diet my mouth is clean.
2. I miss going to cafes for a bite to eat and a hot chocolate or cup of tea. I miss grabbing gelato when Derek and I walk along the Boardwalk. I miss Thai food and the scrumptious coriander, and I miss my breakfast of Peanut Butter and Vegemite on toast, which was my staple breakfast for the last 53 years. These are all comfort-related foods, and I only crave them when I’m feeling flat or bored.
3. I struggle to eat enough fat to improve my fat-to-protein ratio.

That’s a total of three struggles. Score so far? 0—3.

Benefits:

1. My energy levels are the same 24/7. I spring out of bed at any time of the night or morning, like I was 18.
2. I no longer feel stiff or have to walk ten paces before my feet stop hurting after climbing out of bed.
3. The three small meals I eat per day keep me satiated all day and night.
4. My mouth feels clean.
5. My mind has much more clarity. This is most beneficial because I’m currently studying, and I need a clear mind to absorb and retain what I’m learning.
6. My mood is stable almost all the time. Any fluctuation is generally natural, as in the instance of ceasing full-time study when I come to a semester break and periodically hitting the wall mentally and physically, having slowed down from such extensive activity of the mind and body.
7. I am never bloated.
8. I go to the toilet less often.
9. I sleep better than I used to.
10. I have no restriction of movement when twisting to look behind me, when reversing the car.
11. Shopping, meal prep, cooking and clean-up are minimal.
12. My toenails are clear of fungus, which I have struggled with for thirty years.
13. I no longer cough all the time (this ceased within the first week). I believe this indicates that my Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux (GOR) has cleared up.
14. I have a zero-calcium score; there is no calcified plaque in the arteries supplying blood to my heart (the coronary arteries).
15. I lost 9 kilos and have maintained my new weight for over last two and a half years, no matter how many calories I eat.
16. I have a steady HBA1c level of 5.5, meaning my blood glucose levels are normal. My insulin levels are also normal, which is good to know because someone can have normal HbA1c but elevated insulin levels. So, this means I am not insulin resistant, and therefore, not at risk of becoming pre-diabetic or diabetic. Great news!
17. Being on the most non-inflammatory diet on the planet, I am preventing conditions like diabetes, dementia, irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. Not to mention depression and anxiety.

That’s 17 benefits. Score so far? 17—3.

So, what does this mean? Several things.

1. Doing what’s most beneficial still comes at a cost (i.e. the occasional craving and loss of social activities as I used to enjoy them). This requires adjusting priorities and acceptance levels by weighing the pros against the cons. Are the gains I experience on the carnivore diet worth more than an occasional café visit? Can I live without the café, the gelato, the chips, the peanut butter toast? You bet I can. Can I live with diabetes and dementia? No way.
2. On days when things feel tougher, I need to remember why I’m doing this. I see my mum suffer from inflammation that has led to diabetes, which led to dementia, leading to immobility, incontinence, and choking on solid food, not to mention a fatty liver that ultimately ends with cancer. I don’t have to end up like that, but, tragically, she didn’t have to either.
3. God has made it possible to survive well in this modern society in which we are fed poison by the food industry. God has supplied an answer for those who want to live well and long to serve Him. He has robbed the devil of his scheme, and Derek and I are living well above the health of those around us because God has saved us by introducing this clean, healthy way of eating. He answered the cries of our hearts. God cares.

The other week, we received correspondence from World Vision in the mail with a story about a young boy born in Papua New Guinea who suffered from malnutrition. His photo showed his legs and feet were twisted, his body was twisted, and he was cross-eyed. He was about two or three years of age. The “after” photo showed him looking much more normal; his legs and feet were straightened out, and his eyes weren’t as crossed. He looked significantly healthier, stronger and happier.

The article explained that the boy’s malnutrition was because the father had raised his child on processed food. That’s right. This reminded me of the reports of Maasai warriors being diagnosed with diabetes for the first time in history. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Life Sciences International showed that, in a population of  724 Maasai adults in Tanzania, Type 2 diabetes prevalence was 22.9% in Urban Maasai and 9.9% in Rural Maasai (see article by Masaki). The researchers associated the higher prevalence in urban populations with lifestyle changes, including more sedentary living and obesity-related risk factors. I had read elsewhere that this drastic change occurred alongside the installation of many Coca-Cola vending machines in common areas.

According to an article in the online National Library of Medicine, researchers tested selected populations on dietary transitions and health outcomes: Yemenite Jews, Tokelauans, Tanushimaru Japanese, and Maasai. They also reviewed transition data from seven excluded populations (Pima, Navajo, Aboriginal Australians, South African Natal Indians and Zulu speakers, Inuit, and Hadza) to assess for bias (see article by Pressler). These were their findings:

The three groups that replaced saturated fats (SFA) from animal (Yemenite Jews, Maasai) or plants (Tokelau) with refined carbohydrates had negative health outcomes (e.g., increased obesity, diabetes, heart disease). Yemenites reduced SFA consumption by >40% post-transition but men’s BMI increased 19% and diabetes increased ~40-fold. Tokelauans reduced fat, dramatically reduced SFA, and increased sugar intake: obesity and diabetes rose. The Tanushimaruans transitioned to more fats and less carbohydrates and used more anti-hypertensive medications; stroke and breast cancer declined while heart disease was stable. The Maasai transitioned to lower fat, SFA and higher carbohydrates and had increased BMI and diabetes. Similar patterns were observed in the seven other populations.

The father of the New Guinean boy had to be taught how to sow seeds, grow vegetables, and feed his child real food. In 2026? Weren’t New Guineans hunters and gatherers, fishermen and horticulturalists? These stories are tragic insights into what is happening in our world.

I wrote this post to update you on how things are going for me on the Carnivore Diet so far, in case any of you were wondering. I would like to follow up with a Part 2 on the spiritual side of this experience, namely the shadows and types of Christ and His church that are reflected in the Carnivore community. There is a cleanness, a rightness, a wholesomeness to this diet (more like a lifestyle) that is impacting hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, to love and care for one another, with a sincere desire to see humanity saved from the clutches of corruption. There is something in that that makes me see the role of the church, and the message of hope that we have for others, and the sincere desire we share to see others come into freedom, a freedom not of this world, and that can only be found in Christ. We have a far greater message than Carnivore! Our message is more than saving the flesh; it’s about saving the soul. But our buddies in the Carnivore community are helping us all with these tents we live in, so we can live long, healthy, and strong lives for usefulness in God’s kingdom.

In the meantime, here are some links for you to check out on the Carnivore Diet and the testimonies of others who have been brought back from the brink of death and disease as a result.

God bless you all,

Donna

Lady brought back from Alzheimers Disease – Click here for Kelly Hogan’s “My Zero Carb Life” 

Maggie White – 85-year-old, Carnivore for 65 years! Click here for an interview.

Healing Humanity Indie Film – Sign up for free, but pay $9.99  AUS to own the film forever and share with others. It might save their life. Click here: Healing Humanity: The Power of a Proper Human Diet

 

NB.

1. Linoleic acid, a major fatty acid in many seed oils, can remain incorporated in human adipose tissue for an extended period. Its estimated half-life in adipose tissue has been reported at approximately 680 days. Adipose tissue (commonly known as body fat) is a specialised, loose connective tissue primarily composed of fat-storing cells called adipocytes (see article in bibliography by Guyenet).

Article Bibliography:

i. Guyenet SJ, Carlson SE. Increase in adipose tissue linoleic acid of US adults in the last half century. Adv Nutr. 2015 Nov 13;6(6):660-4. doi: 10.3945/an.115.009944. PMID: 26567191; PMCID: PMC4642429.

ii. Masaki, Stanley, Abu Ngoye, Pammla Petrucka, and Joram Buza. 2015. “Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urban Maasai in Arusha Municipality and Rural Maasai in Ngorongoro Crater”. Journal of Applied Life Sciences International 3 (4):157-68. https://doi.org/10.9734/JALSI/2015/20174.

iii. Pressler, Mariel, Julie Devinsky, Miranda Duster, Joyce H. Lee, Courtney S. Glick, Samson Wiener, Juliana Laze, Daniel Friedman, Timothy Roberts, and Orrin Devinsky. “Dietary Transitions and Health Outcomes in Four Populations – Systematic Review.” Frontiers in Nutrition 9, (2022): 748305. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.748305.