Paradigm Shift
Conventional wisdom tells us we need carbohydrates, calories are king and it's all about energy balance and moderation.
Then when we get into the alternative, it quickly goes down the plant-based road.
Traditionally, we ate nourishing animal fats and proteins over vegetable fats and used the whole animal nose to tail. Nowadays, we eat the muscle meat and throw away the most nutrient-dense parts of the animal.
Historically, bearing in mind that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" (Dobzhansky T.), it quickly becomes apparent that our ancient physiology is at a mismatch with our modern lifestyle.
Then when we get into the alternative, it quickly goes down the plant-based road.
Traditionally, we ate nourishing animal fats and proteins over vegetable fats and used the whole animal nose to tail. Nowadays, we eat the muscle meat and throw away the most nutrient-dense parts of the animal.
Historically, bearing in mind that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" (Dobzhansky T.), it quickly becomes apparent that our ancient physiology is at a mismatch with our modern lifestyle.
The Carnivore Nose To Tail Food Pyramid
I am personally all for a nose-to-tail way of eating animals, and this is also how I approach the carnivore WOE (WOE = Way of Eating!). Below is a nice graphic by Paul Saladino to help illustrate this concept. Different parts of the animal have different and complementary nutritional profiles that together provide full-spectrum nutrition that fulfills human nutritional requirements in the most balanced ratios and most bio-available form. Muscle meat is nutrient-dense in itself, but is relatively low in B-vitamins and copper, and is higher in zinc and the amino acid methionine. Eating liver in addition to muscle meat provides a full complement of B-vitamins and copper that balances the zinc. Glycine in connective tissue balances higher methionine in muscle meat, and calcium in bones and bone broth balance the phosphorus. Pastured red meat, especially lamb, and egg yolk are a good source of omega 3s in their active form, but tissue like tone marrow and brain provide concentrated sources of brain-nourishing DHA and EPA, not to mention seafood and wild oily fish.
The Carnivore Zero Carb Food Pyramid
While I use a nose-to-tail approach, I also recognize this may not appeal or suit every body, and that there are many paths to Rome :) So below is a zero-carb version that uses more general categorizations. Also note that carnivore need not be zero carb! Dairy and raw honey contain carbs, as well as liver and some meats contain trace amounts due to glycogen storage, and carbs are not necessarily "bad" - it is all context dependent. Again, I avoid framing foods as "good" and "bad" as it encourages fear of foods, whereas a healthier relationship I feel is non-emotionally understanding the impact of foods on our body. Food is not just energy and calories, it is information. Recognizing the needs of our own unique body and the signals we are sending it means we can make appropriate food choices that work for us long term.
From keto to carnivore
Nutrient-dense animal foods = the true superfoods.
The concept of nutrient-density brings a new way to look at and choose the foods we eat. Rather than just focusing on the macro-nutrients protein, carbohydrates and fats, or overall calories, nutrient-density shifts the focus to the micro-nutrient content of food, including but not limited to the macro-nutrients. This puts food quality as paramount. Whole, unrefined foods are more nutrient-dense than ultra-processed versions, and another layer even looks at the way food is grown, and the quality of the soil. If the soil is lacking nutrients, the food will be nutrient-poor. Healthy, mineralised and microbially active soil is essential to the production of food that reaches the maximum potential of it's nutrient-density.
So why don't organ meats, eggs and fish come up when you look up nutrient dense foods? Often what you get is kale, some exotic superfood, seaweed, some wild fish and... potatoes! Understanding how the nutrient density scores are calculated can help us choose true superfoods that support our health and provide deep nutrition.
Chris Kressor has outlined the main limitations of Nutrient Density Scales, including the penalization of foods that are high caloric density, high in saturated fat content and sodium. This pretty much lowers all animal foods on the scale, independent of their high nutrient density. Again, we see the plant food bias come into play, with the assumption that saturated fat and salt are bad for our health. Below Chris presents a modified version, and we can see that organ meat easily makes the top by almost double the next runner up. He also highlights the need to detoxify and prepare plant foods properly in order to make their nutrients more bio-available, through ancestral practices like soaking, sprouting and fermenting. Animal foods, by contrast, provide the most nutrient-density in the most bio-available form without the anti-nutrients and in ratios that most suit human nutritional needs.
So why don't organ meats, eggs and fish come up when you look up nutrient dense foods? Often what you get is kale, some exotic superfood, seaweed, some wild fish and... potatoes! Understanding how the nutrient density scores are calculated can help us choose true superfoods that support our health and provide deep nutrition.
Chris Kressor has outlined the main limitations of Nutrient Density Scales, including the penalization of foods that are high caloric density, high in saturated fat content and sodium. This pretty much lowers all animal foods on the scale, independent of their high nutrient density. Again, we see the plant food bias come into play, with the assumption that saturated fat and salt are bad for our health. Below Chris presents a modified version, and we can see that organ meat easily makes the top by almost double the next runner up. He also highlights the need to detoxify and prepare plant foods properly in order to make their nutrients more bio-available, through ancestral practices like soaking, sprouting and fermenting. Animal foods, by contrast, provide the most nutrient-density in the most bio-available form without the anti-nutrients and in ratios that most suit human nutritional needs.
Looking at a comparison chart of the nutrients in 100g of blueberries vs kale vs beef vs beef liver, we can see how animal foods outperform in almost every category, especially when we take into account bio-availability.
The original superfood
A nutrient-dense source of animal protein from a well-raised source that contains essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, macros and micros in the best ratios suited to human nutritional needs and in the most bio-available forms without potentially problematic anti-nutrients is the original superfood!
What about vitamin C? Insights from the Evolutionary Perspective. Spoiler alert: you will not get scurvy.
If you are interested into a deeper dive into the evolutionary perspective of vitamin C, vitamin C metabolism in humans and how intake requirements can differ based on a higher carbohydrate diet, I can recommend reading this research article. Bioavailability of vitamin C found in animal foods is also higher, as is the case with most nutrients in plant vs animal form.
Link to pdf:
https://jevohealth.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=journal
Link to pdf:
https://jevohealth.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=journal
Ways plants can be problematic: oxalates, natural pesticides, lectins, and other anti-nutrients aka plant defense chemicals
Step Wise Transition
Identify what your needs and where you are on the spectrum. Know thyself!
1. Eliminate the Big 3: Sugar, refined grains, vegetable oils
2. Get fat-adapted and metabolically flexible
3. Do a STRICT 30-90 Day Protocol = reset and create a new baseline
4. Modify and optimise for YOU.
Take what works, discard the rest, and add what is uniquely your own.