7/8/2018
With all the recent “Carnivore Diet” hype, many people are discovering that being a full-time, Zero Carb Carnivore isn’t easy, and for most people, it probably isn’t necessary. That got me thinking about a term we used years ago for people who ate a mostly carnivore diet: Dirty Carnivore.
I’m bringing it back.
The term originated around 2010 (I don’t remember the exact year) when someone created a “Dirty Carnivore” forum because she simply couldn’t give up a handful of non-ZC foods. She felt great eating mostly meat but believed a few low-carb foods like nuts, dark chocolate, and vegetables should still be part of the diet.
Looking back, it was a great example of how difficult it can be to completely let go of carbohydrate based habits, addictions and cultural food traditions.
Today, we’re seeing the same thing happen all over again. Many people are drawn to the Carnivore Diet because they experience tremendous benefits from eating mostly animal foods, but they discover that eliminating every plant food isn’t realistic or necessary for them.
Years ago, even though I personally needed to remain a strict Zero Carb Carnivore, I thought the Dirty Carnivore approach would become the more popular path. It seemed easier, more socially acceptable, and a logical stepping stone toward Zero Carb. The idea was simple: make meat the foundation of the diet while allowing a small amount of low-carb plant foods.
Unfortunately, like all low-carb diets, “carb creep” gradually took over. Those few exceptions often became more and more frequent until the diet eventually lost its identity. The Dirty Carnivore forum ultimately faded away.
Meanwhile, the strict Zero Carb Carnivores kept quietly doing what they’d always done and many of us are still thriving decades later.
That brings me to why some of us remain so strict.
Ironically, for many people, strict Zero Carb Carnivore is actually the easier diet. Once cravings disappear, food becomes incredibly simple. Your life no longer revolves around what you’re going to eat next, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking, or constantly negotiating with yourself over “just one bite.” Food “noise” is magically gone.
It’s hard to explain how freeing that feels until you’ve experienced it yourself.
One of my favorite things is watching members of our community reach that point of freedom where food no longer controls them. For many of us, freedom from cravings, not weight loss or health benefits, is the biggest reason we’ve stayed Zero Carb for years.
That said, most people don’t need to be Zero Carb Carnivores. Many people do perfectly well including a small amount of low-carb plant foods. There’s nothing wrong with that.
What is becoming a problem is calling every variation simply “Carnivore.”
If you’re regularly eating avocados, berries, salads, dark chocolate, nuts, or other plant foods, you’re not following a Zero Carb Carnivore diet. You’re following what we used to call a Dirty Carnivore diet. It’s basically a ketogenic diet.
And that’s okay.
The problem isn’t the diet, it’s the terminology.
When newcomers hear influencers say they’re “carnivore” while regularly eating plant foods, it creates confusion for people who genuinely need a strict Zero Carb approach. Some people can have a salad and move on with their lives. Others find that one small deviation reignites cravings and food noise that can last for weeks, months or years.
These are not the same dietary approaches, and pretending they are doesn’t help anyone.
There’s nothing insulting about calling yourself a Dirty Carnivore. In fact, many Zero Carb Carnivores wish they could enjoy those foods without consequences. We simply can’t.
I think it’s time to start distinguishing between these approaches again to create clarity. People deserve to know the difference between a Zero Carb Carnivore diet and a Dirty Carnivore diet so they can choose the one that best fits their goals and lifestyle.
For more information in the Zero Carb Carnivore Diet, please join us in our Facebook Group or Facebook Page.
