The Carnivore Diet can be a great option for those with multiple food chemical sensitivities, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, CIRS (mould illness), and/or MCAS.

It has also been known to help people struggling with a variety of mood issues and children who may present with challenging behaviours (think brain on fire).

It can also be used to reset your gut in the same way as the Soup Reset and the Elemental Reset (see Reset Diet).

It essentially eliminates most food triggers and naturally occurring food chemicals and therefore significantly reduces inflammation. This can provide you with a blank canvas and get you back to baseline... making it a lot easier for you to pinpoint which foods are either good or bad for your unique gut and body.

WHY LEISA WENT FROM VEGAN TO CARNIVORE

When Leisa was unknowingly living in a water damaged building and suffering with CIRS, MCAS, POTS, SIBO, SIFO, Candida, etc (aka - CFS back then), she initially thought that a vegan diet was the best thing for her and would help her get well. Sadly, she was wrong. In fact, she got A LOT WORSE on a vegan diet.

Leisa got so frustrated with food because she was reacting to absolutely everything that she decided to go in a completely different direction and eat animal protein only (now known as the Carnivore Diet or Lion Diet). She wanted to know what would happen if she just ate fresh (aka - low histamine), certified organic, grass fed (aka - grain free) meat. She was shocked by the results. In fact, she couldn't believe how much better she felt simply by removing all fruits and vegetables from her diet.

Going on a carnivore diet got Leisa feeling well enough to finally get out of the water damaged building that had been keeping her sick for so long. It changed the way she thought about food forever.

HOW CAN A CARNIVORE DIET HELP?

These days, many people find the Carnivore Diet to be very helpful in reducing severe, complex and ongoing symptoms that have been negatively impacting their lives for many years.

A carnivore diet might help you if:

• You feel like you're sensitive to everything - be if from Leaky Gut, Mould Illness, MCAS, your genome, etc. Many sensitive people find that the Carnivore Diet can calm everything down.
• You have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). MCS tends to include naturally occurring food chemicals. Reducing the amount of chemicals you consume can help you tolerate more of the ones you can't avoid, like artificial fragrances when out in public or car fumes.
• You have Histamine Intolerance. Remember that many people with SIBO have Histamine Intolerance. Going Carnivore can help reduce histamine in your body. Just make sure your meat is fresh and be careful how you prepare it. Visit the Histamine Success Food Handling & Preparation Guide section to learn more.
• You have MCAS. Going Carnivore not only helps reduce histamine, but all the other naturally occurring food chemicals like nightshades, salicylates, and oxalates in your diet as well. This can help stabilise your mast cells.
• You're chronically ill and severely fatigued and therefore struggle to prepare nourishing meals for yourself. Buying and preparing meat alone can simplify everything and make it a lot easier for you in the kitchen.
• You're B12 deficient and/or struggle with methylation. Because animal products are loaded with the most bioavailable sources of B Vitamins, including B12, folate (B9) and many other important cofactors, a Carnivore Diet can support methylation and detoxification.
• You struggle with your mood or mental health. Naturally occurring food chemicals can be very excitatory and can overstimulate your brain (tomato sauce is a great example here). If you want to feel calmer and more in control, try going Carnivore for a while and see what happens. Many people report a reduction in anxiety and depression.
• You have ADD, ADHD or difficulty concentrating. Leisa worked as a Special Education teacher for many years and was always thrilled when her students and their families were willing to change their diets. She saw her students with ADD, ADHD, or those on the spectrum, experience an improved ability to focus, communicate, and process and retain information. Challenging behaviours were also magically halved or completely disappeared in some cases.

WHAT'S ON THE TABLE ON A FULL CARNIVORE DIET?

It's actually simple... and this is why some of you will love it.

• Grass fed, organic if possible, fresh meat and wild caught seafood.
• 'Nose to Tail' - enjoy some organs and connective tissues in your diet.
• Enjoy tallow, suet, ghee, and butter (if you tolerate dairy, & make sure it's grass fed). Some of you may tolerate coconut, olive and avocado oil in very small amounts.
• Quality sea salt
• Because dairy and eggs are common trigger foods, we recommend avoiding them at first. After a few days or weeks, you could try raw A2 dairy products and grain-free, organic, pastured eggs (separately) to see if you tolerate them.

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT ORGANS?

Liver - packed with choline, folate (B9), zinc, copper, selenium, biotin (B7), and vitamin A.

Kidney - high in DAO (diamine oxidase - making it excellent for people with histamine intolerance. It is also rich in copper, and DAO is copper dependent. High in B12, folate (B9), and selenium. Leisa eats kidney whenever she feels her mast cells are triggered and it helps to calm everything down. It's her Histamine Hero!

Heart - mild tasting and high in iron and CoQ10.

Spleen - richest source of iron - perfect for people with iron deficiency and/or anaemia.

Thymus - often used in the treatment of severe viral infections, helps with blood sugar regulation, high in B12, vitamin C, zinc, iron, manganese.

As you can see, organs contain many important cofactors that are easily absorbed by your body.

If you don't like the taste of organs, we recommend adding them in as a supplement. There are many organic, grass fed desiccated organs available online.

WHAT'S OFF THE TABLE ON A FULL CARNIVORE DIET?

All plants, including:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Herbs and spices
• Seed oils
• Herbal tea
• Herbal supplements

HOW TO USE THE CARNIVORE DIET TO FIND YOUR IDEAL DIET

It's not that all plants are toxic. We prefer to explain that plants exist on a naturally occurring food chemical spectrum. As you'll learn in this program, many people react to food chemicals.

The Carnivore Diet eliminates plant foods, most of which are very high, high and even moderate in naturally occurring food chemicals. This is why it can significantly reduce your symptoms and help you feel much better, quickly. The Supersafe Diet in this program is a bit like a the Carnivore Diet, but it gives you more variety, as we've included a few safe plant foods that are the lowest in food chemicals.

If you're extremely sensitive, and are not feeling better on the Supersafe Diet, that's when you might like to try a full Carnivore Diet for 3 days, 1 week or even a month... or until your symptoms subside. Some people stay on the Carnivore Diet for a year or more. Once you feel better, you can then use our food lists to gradually start adding foods back in from the low and then the moderate columns. Note any reactions you may have using the Food Chemical Sensitivities Journal and Symptoms Tracker in the Managing Histamine & Salicylate Sensitivities section. By doing this, you will eventually create your very own bio-individualised diet - one that works best for you. As you continue to heal your gut, you might find that you can start to add in some foods from the high and even the very high columns as well. You can always use the Carnivore Diet as a reset if you overfill your bucket and start experiencing symptoms.

It's also important to understand that not being able to eat a lot of plant foods doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with you. It might just be the way you are. Self acceptance goes a long way when it comes to honouring what your body really needs.

A special note on oxalate toxicity:

Oxalate toxicity can contribute to conditions such as fibromyalgia and kidney damage (including kidney stones). Turmeric - which has been hailed as a popular inflammation fix - is actually very high in oxalate and can make some people feel a lot worse. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric has been included in many popular supplements, but it can have a negative effect. We recommend that you avoid turmeric based supplements if you have any issues with CIRS, MCAS or oxalate toxicity.

Visit our Oxalate Toxicity section if you'd like to know more about how 'healthy' foods like turmeric could actually make you feel a lot worse.

A special note on grains:

Grains can contain mould and mycotoxins like aflatoxins, ochratoxins, and fumonisins. These mycotoxins can bioaccumulate within the food chain. Leisa was so sensitive to mould that she knew if she's eaten meat that had been grain fed, as she would experience severe joint pain the day after eating it. This is why we suggest going grain free (as Leisa did) if you've been exposed to mould and have CIRS.

You can learn more about mould and mycotoxins and the damaging impact they can have on your gut and your health in the Mould Toxicity section.

Avoid eating animals that have been grain fed (like corn and soy). Animal feed often contains mould and mycotoxins and can contribute to symptoms in sensitive people.