Our 10 Biggest Takeaways From The Carnivore Code Book

Hungry for better health? Meat The Carnivore Code.

We’re wrapping up our Hip2Keto Book Club this month with our final takeaways from The Carnivore Code by Paul Saladino and boy was this one a good read!

For centuries, dietitians, nutritionists, and even the media have introduced us to fad diets and encouraged us to eat more fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, etc. It’s safe to say that as a society, we’ve been trained to count calories and avoid foods that are high in fat, with little attention paid to the amount of sugar and lack of protein we consume.

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Something is not quite right with that food/health equation though and Dr. Saladino sets the record straight on why an ancestral diet is the key to optimal health.

Here are our 10 biggest takeaways from The Carnivore Code:

1. The food we eat directly correlates to the state of our health.

Believe it or not, food has everything to do with whether we become seriously ill or remarkably healthy. When your diet is filled with harmful foods (i.e. sugar and carbs), it takes a toll on your body, whether those side effects show up within a day or years down the road in the form of a life-threatening disease.

When physicians start to take a closer look at what’s going on internally instead of offering prescriptions to cover up symptoms, they’ll be able to see more clearly that the foods we consume are what causes the issues and are also what can heal the issues.

2. It’s all about the Quality of Life Equation.

In The Carnivore Code, Dr. Saladino introduces us to the Quality of Life Equation, which is vastly different for everyone, but it is meant to serve as a guide to help us stay on the right path and achieve our utmost goals.

For some, the highest quality of life might be their physical capabilities, while for others, it might be mental health or relaxation. The key is to use the quality of life equation as a tool to find a balance between what you value most in your life and what allowances you are willing to make in certain situations.

3. Rabbit starvation occurs when we consume too much lean protein.

If you’ve been on the keto diet for any amount of time, you know that fat is the most important part of our diet. While meat is often the main ingredient in most low-carb meals, it’s important to ensure the meat you eat is plenty rich in healthy fats so you don’t send your body into “rabbit starvation” mode.

A diet high in lean protein without sufficient fat can deprive your body of vital nutrients and cause malnourishment.

4. Fiber from vegetables isn’t as beneficial as we’ve been led to believe.

Plant-based diets have been having a pretty big moment over the last decade and have received even more notoriety since the Netflix documentary, The Game Changers, made its big debut with a few well-known celebrities backing the benefits of no-meat diets.

However, if we look back to what might have been served at the table of our ancestors, we’d discover that vegetables were rarely eaten on a regular basis because they were more scarce and not nearly as nutrient-rich as meat. In fact, studies have even shown that plant fiber isn’t beneficial to our digestive system, and eliminating it could actually improve our microbiome and overall health.

5. Inflammatory foods impact cognitive function.

You probably already knew that carbs aren’t great for the body or the brain, but that doesn’t mean that bread is the only food that can cause inflammation. Certain nightshade vegetables like eggplants and tomatoes can actually cause inflammation when consumed in excess too.

The Carnivore Code shows us that when we eliminate inflammatory foods, we’ll not only feel better, but we’ll experience more mental clarity and sharpness, and who doesn’t want that?!

6. Plants contain toxins.

You’ve probably heard the phrase an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but Dr. Saladino shows us in The Carnivore Code that we couldn’t be more wrong about that.

Plants naturally contain toxins and have the ability to release chemicals as a defense mechanism, which in turn can present a not-so-pretty situation for us internally. When overly or unnecessarily consumed, these toxins can actually wreak havoc on our digestive systems, inhibit proper nutrient absorption, and even lead to chronic illnesses down the road.

7. All the nutrients our bodies need to thrive can be found in animal protein.

Another food myth that we debunk in The Carnivore Code is the belief that we should consume a variety of foods for their nutritional benefits when in reality, our bodies get all of the nutrients they need from animal foods, specifically when we eat “nose-to-tail” (including the organ meat) and grass-fed meat.

8. Fat and cholesterol are good for us!

It’s a no-brainer that fat is a friend when you’re on the keto diet, but it’s worth saying it again. Studies have even shown that when fat and cholesterol are extremely restricted (often the case with vegans and vegetarians), there is a greater risk for stroke and other heart conditions.

9. Plant harvesting is more detrimental to animals than consuming animal meat is.

Another mind-blowing truth that we uncovered in The Carnivore Code is that plant harvesting is actually substantially more harmful to animals than consuming animal meat directly is.

Plant harvesting interrupts animal ecosystems on a major level and kills far more animals in the process and with plant-based diets growing in popularity, our animal’s ecosystems are being disrupted more and more every day.

10. There are clear signs that we’re meant to be carnivores.

When you look at some of our genetic dispositions, you’ll see that our molars are shaped like other carnivorous animals, not like omnivores whose molars are flatter. It has also been said that our shoulders have evolved to be able to thrust spears as a hunting adaptation.

And if you need more persuading, just ponder this shocking statistic: Roughly 88% of our population suffers from insulin resistance, prediabetes, or a metabolic disorder. We’d be naive to think that has nothing to do with the food we consume on daily basis.

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Want to give the Carnivore diet a go? Stay tuned for our exciting 30-Day Carnivore Challenge!