From Ketosis to True Nourishment: Why Lion Diet Isn’t Meant to Last Forever

A Reset, Not a Lifestyle: When Ketosis Stops Working

Ketogenic diets—and even the most restrictive version, the Lion Diet (ruminant meat, salt, water)—can be profoundly therapeutic in the short term. Clinical trials and lived experience show that eliminating dietary irritants and shifting the body into ketosis can reduce systemic inflammation, improve autoimmune symptoms, and temporarily stabilize gut dysfunction (Kossoff & Hartman 2012; Lennerz et al. 2014). For people in crisis, this kind of reset provides relief and a sense of control.

But what works acutely as a “detox” is not what sustains long-term health. The body did not evolve to live in permanent ketosis. Ketosis is a starvation program—a famine adaptation that keeps us alive when food is scarce. It is ingenious, but running on it indefinitely comes at a cost.

Ketosis as Starvation Physiology

When food disappears, the body conserves. Active thyroid hormone (T3) drops, while reverse T3 rises, signaling tissues to lower their energy output. Reproductive function slows: estrogen and progesterone destabilize, cycles become irregular, and libido declines. Testosterone and fertility fall in men as well. Cortisol rises to maintain blood sugar stability, but at the expense of sleep, muscle, and metabolic rate (Volek et al. 2002; Anderson et al. 1987).

This isn’t a sign of “healing”—it’s the predictable biology of famine. Ketosis is the body’s low-power mode, designed for survival, not thriving.

Metabolic Consequences of Chronic Ketosis

The longer someone stays in ketosis, the more systemic consequences begin to show:

• Thyroid & Temperature: Lowered T3 and elevated reverse T3 slow metabolism, causing fatigue, cold intolerance, and stubborn weight plateaus.

• Reproductive Hormones: PMS, heavy bleeding, or amenorrhea in women; reduced testosterone and libido in men. Fertility struggles across the board.

• Musculoskeletal System: Loss of sodium, potassium, and magnesium leads to cramps, muscle aches, headaches, and arrhythmia risk (Westman et al. 2007).

• Mental Health: Suppressed thyroid and reproductive hormones mean less serotonin and dopamine, contributing to depression, anxiety, brain fog, and mood swings (Wurtman & Wurtman 1995).

• Immune & Inflammatory Signals: Stress hormones rise, minerals deplete, and the immune system destabilizes, worsening autoimmune flares.

• Digestive Health: With no fermentable substrates for the microbiome, motility slows and barrier integrity declines, leading to constipation, bloating, and dysbiosis (Deehan & Walter 2016).

In short: libido vanishes, cycles disappear or worsen, mood darkens, muscles ache, body temperature drops, and energy collapses. These are not random side effects. They are the biological cost of staying in a starvation program too long.

The Real Cause of Insulin Resistance

Many people come to ketogenic or carnivore diets because they see dramatic improvements in blood sugar control. This leads to the false conclusion that traditional foods are the enemy. In reality, seed oils are the real culprit behind modern insulin resistance.

Industrial polyunsaturated fats (corn, soy, canola, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed) infiltrate cell membranes and mitochondrial machinery, slowing metabolic rate, impairing thyroid function, and promoting inflammation. They block proper fuel metabolism and create the very glucose intolerance that ketogenic diets seem to “fix” in the short run.

When seed oils are removed, metabolism often rebounds—even with nutrient-dense traditional foods reintroduced. This is why ancestral populations, free from industrial oils, maintained robust thyroid health, fertility, and metabolic resilience despite diverse dietary patterns (Pontzer et al. 2018; Lindeberg 1997).

The Lion Diet as Reset, Not Destination

The Lion Diet is best understood not as a permanent lifestyle but as a therapeutic elimination phase. By stripping away nearly all inputs, it reduces inflammatory “noise” and allows someone in crisis to stabilize. But once stabilization is achieved, physiology demands a return to nutrient diversity—the proteins, minerals, and cofactors that sustain resilience.

Remaining locked in survival metabolism is like trying to run forever on a backup generator: it can keep the lights on for a while, but eventually the system breaks.

The Path Back to Resilience

• Ketosis can reset, but it is famine physiology. Over time, it produces hormone disruption, low body temperature, muscle aches, headaches, depression, libido loss, PMS, mineral depletion, and digestive stagnation.

• Seed oils—not traditional foods—drive insulin resistance. Eliminating them restores the body’s ability to metabolize fuel.

• True health requires restoration, not restriction. Once stabilized, the human body thrives on a broad spectrum of nutrient-dense foods that support thyroid, reproduction, digestion, and long-term resilience.

The Lion Diet works best as a temporary intervention—a detox that buys time for healing. But the destination must be full restoration of metabolic health, not permanent starvation mode.

References:

Kossoff EH, Hartman AL. (2012). Ketogenic diets: new advances for metabolism-based therapies. Curr Opin Neurol. 25(2):173–178.
Lennerz BS, et al. (2014). Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance. BMJ. 349:g4300.
Pontzer H, et al. (2018). Hunter-gatherer energetics and human obesity. Obes Rev. 19(S1):26–35.
Lindeberg S. (1997). Traditional diets were more varied than commonly acknowledged. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 7(3):147–154.
Volek JS, et al. (2002). Altering thyroid hormone concentrations during ketogenic dieting. Metabolism. 51(6):718–724.
Westman EC, et al. (2007). Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr. 86(2):276–284.
Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. (1995). Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Obes Res. 3(S4):477S–480S.
Deehan EC, Walter J. (2016). The fiber gap and the disappearing gut microbiome. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 27(5):239–249.

🥘 Ground Beef Stroganoff with Zucchini Noodles

Stroganoff is comfort food at its best — hearty, creamy, and savory. This version keeps it light and animal-based by using lean ground beef, bone broth, and nonfat Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream or sour cream. It’s rich in protein, gut-healing, and thyroid-friendly while staying low in fat. Serve it over zucchini noodles for a veggie base, or over light mashed potatoes if you’re ready to tease in some starch.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the Stroganoff:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (90% lean or leaner)

• 2 cups bone broth

• ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt

• 2 Tbsp collagen powder (optional, for thickness + protein)

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced

• ½ onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp fresh dill (optional, for garnish)

Serving Options:

• 3 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles OR

• 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed with bone broth + sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef on medium-high until browned. Drain off any excess fat if needed.

2. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.

3. Stir in bone broth and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in collagen (if using) until dissolved.

5. Stir in nonfat Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Mix well, but do not boil (to avoid curdling).

6. Simmer on low until sauce thickens slightly, about 3–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve hot over zucchini noodles or mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh dill if desired.

Nutrition (per serving, with zucchini noodles)

• Calories: ~210

• Protein: ~28g

• Fat: ~6g

• Carbs: ~6g

✨ A lighter take on a classic — creamy, savory, and satisfying without the heaviness. Perfect for those wanting the comfort of Stroganoff while staying on a lean, healing, animal-based path.

🍲 Animal-Based Stir-Fry Master Recipe

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep animal-based eating exciting without getting stuck in a rut, stir-frys are the answer. They’re quick, flexible, and can be made lean or hearty depending on your goals. Best of all, they let you play with different proteins and flavors while staying true to an animal-based framework — with just a few strategic add-ins to support digestion, energy, and gut health.

🥩 Base Ingredients (choose 1–2 proteins)

• Lean beef strips or ground beef

• Chicken breast or thighs (trimmed)

• Shrimp or scallops

• Cod, salmon, or other white fish

• Ground turkey or bison

• Liver (optional, mix with another protein)

• Egg whites (scrambled in at the end for extra protein)

🥒 Veggie Add-Ins (optional, choose 3+)

These are light, low-irritant, and supportive for digestion:

• Zucchini (thin matchsticks)

• Mushrooms (sliced or chopped)

• Carrots (grated or julienned)

• Scallions or green onion

• Onion or garlic

• Bamboo shoots

• Potato (parboiled, then cubed — great for those ready to test starches)

🌿 Flavor Boosters (pick 1–2)

Keep it simple and savory:

• Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or coconut aminos

• Fish sauce (umami-rich, use sparingly)

• Pickle juice splash (gut-friendly, adds tang)

• Apple cider vinegar

• Lemon or lime juice

• Fresh ginger (grated)

💪 Gut-Healing & Binding Add-Ons

• Collagen powder (stir in at the end for structure + protein)

• Bone broth (use as cooking liquid instead of oil)

• Gelatin (optional, thickens sauce)

🔪 Instructions

1. Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high. Add a splash of bone broth (or 1 tsp ghee/tallow if you want a little fat).

2. Cook your protein until just browned, then remove and set aside.

3. Add your veggie choices to the skillet and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until tender.

4. Return protein to the pan. Add flavor boosters (tamari, vinegar, fish sauce, etc.) and a splash of broth. Simmer for 1–2 minutes.

5. Stir in collagen or gelatin if using, to thicken the sauce.

6. Finish with lemon juice, scallions, or fresh herbs. Serve hot, optionally on white rice, if tolerated.

✨ Easy Variations

• 🐂 Beef & Mushroom with Tamari & Ginger

• 🍗 Chicken & Zucchini with Lemon & Dill

• 🦐 Shrimp & Bamboo Shoots with Pickle Juice Glaze

• 🐟 Cod & Carrots with Garlic Bone Broth Sauce

• 🥩 Bison & Onion with Coconut Aminos & Ginger

• 🐑 Lamb & Potato with Fish Sauce & Scallion

👉 The beauty of stir-fry is that you can adjust it for where you’re at — strict carnivore? Just protein + broth + salt. Ready for “animal-based”? Add yogurt sauce, carrots, onion, or white rice. The framework stays the same, the flavors are endless.

🐟 Salmon Cakes with 🌿🍋Yogurt-Dill Lemon Dip

Looking for a light and satisfying animal-based recipe that doesn’t overload you with fat? These salmon cakes are simple, protein-packed, and perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Paired with a refreshing yogurt-dill lemon dip, they’re creamy, zesty, and supportive of gut and thyroid health. No breadcrumbs, no mayo — just clean, nourishing ingredients.

Ingredients (makes 4 cakes)

For the salmon cakes:

• 2 cans wild-caught salmon, drained (skin/bones removed if preferred)

• 2 egg whites

• 2 Tbsp collagen powder (optional, helps bind and boosts protein)

• 1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill (or parsley, optional)

• Sea salt to taste

For the dip:

• ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine salmon, egg whites, collagen, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Mix until just combined.

2. Form mixture into 4 equal-sized patties.

3. Heat a nonstick skillet or lightly grease with ½ tsp butter or ghee. Cook patties for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown.

4. While patties cook, stir together yogurt, lemon juice, dill, and a pinch of salt to make the dip.

5. Serve salmon cakes hot with yogurt-dill dip on the side.

Nutrition (per cake + dip, approx.)

• Calories: 120

• Protein: 20g

• Fat: 3g

• Carbs: 2g

✨ Light, zesty, and filling without being heavy — these salmon cakes are a great way to make animal-based eating exciting and sustainable.

Shepherd’s Pie

It took me awhile to come around to the health benefits of the white potato, a true superfood! Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a lot of tubers - which are very low toxicity since they grow underground and don’t have to chemically deter animals from eating them as much as other plant parts. They’re also high in protein, vitamins and minerals - and cultures that ate a lot of them enjoyed robust health. Pair with ground beef, any other chopped vegetables of your choice like zucchini, carrots, summer squash, mushrooms, and even a little garlic, onion, and tomato paste if your body tolerates those! Be sure to make extra, even a double batch, as this freezes well and is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef, salted and browned

1 cup bone broth

1 zucchini, chopped

1 summer squash chopped

3 carrots, chopped

10 crimini mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon potato starch

italian seasoning

sea salt

garlic, fresh or powder

onion, fresh or powder

Optional: 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Optional: 2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the potatoes.
   Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic if using fresh.
   If using powders, add them after browning the meat.

4. Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce (if using), Italian seasoning, and vegetables.
   Cover and let steam for 5–10 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

5. Scoop out ½ cup of the brothy sauce into a bowl.
   Whisk in the potato starch to make a slurry (immersion blender works great).
   Pour this slurry back into the pan and stir to create a gravy. Add more broth if needed.

6. Strain the boiled potatoes and mash with milk, butter, and salt to taste.

7. Arrange the meat/vegetable/gravy mixture in the bottom of a baking dish or Dutch oven.

8. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the filling.

9. Sprinkle with parmesan.

10. Bake uncovered for 20–30 minutes.
    Optional: Broil for a few minutes at the end if the parmesan isn’t browned enough.

11. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Healing Metabolism

The Truth About a “Slow Metabolism”

Slow metabolism isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something that breaks down—gradually, and often silently—through years of stress, under-eating, overtraining, restrictive diets, and toxic exposures that chip away at your thyroid and your cells' ability to make energy.

The good news? You can repair it. But not through crash diets, fasted cardio, or supplements from the checkout aisle. True metabolic healing takes strategy, structure, and bioindividual support. It’s not a quick fix—but it’s the only fix that works long-term.

When your body senses a lack of fuel, it downshifts into survival mode. Your thyroid, which acts as your metabolic thermostat, decreases output, and often so do your liver, gut, ovaries, and even your brain. The signs are easy to overlook at first: cold hands and feet, hair shedding, constipation, stubborn weight gain, and plateaus even in a calorie deficit. Energy, mood, and sleep decline. Hormonal symptoms like PMS, peri-menopause issues, and missing cycles appear. Gut issues flare, and it’s not uncommon to feel “tired but wired,” with cravings, insomnia, and poor recovery after stress or workouts.

What the Labs Reveal

Even when doctors say labs are “normal,” the patterns of metabolic dysfunction are clear. T3, the active thyroid hormone, often runs low. TSH climbs higher as the brain pushes the thyroid to do more. Antibodies may appear, pointing to immune stress or autoimmunity. Cholesterol rises not from “too much food,” but because thyroid suppression halts its conversion into vital hormones. Vitamin D often remains low despite sun exposure for the same reason.

Reverse T3 can climb, showing thyroid hormone is being made but not activated. Prolactin rises under stress. Basal body temperature and pulse stay low, reflecting poor energy output at the cellular level. Minerals like ferritin, zinc, and selenium often bottom out, leaving the thyroid without the cofactors it needs to activate hormone. Even blood sugar becomes unstable—not from excess calories, but from downregulated metabolism and the damage done by industrial oils and processed food.

Why Energy Matters More Than Calories

Conventional medicine focuses on TSH and T4, but these are not the real drivers. T4 is only a precursor—it must be converted into T3, which actually enters your cells and turns food into energy (ATP). This conversion depends on a healthy liver and intestines, adequate nutrients, and a manageable stress load. This means your thyroid gland can be producing “normal” amounts, yet your body is still functionally hypothyroid if T3 is low or unusable.

This is why clients often come to me saying, “I can’t lose weight on 1400 calories,” or, “My labs are normal, but I’m freezing and exhausted.” In reality, their cells are ATP-deficient. They’re surviving on stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol instead of real energy, leaving them wired, anxious, and depleted.

Repairing, Not Restricting

Reverse dieting is about more than calories. It’s about reassuring your body that the famine is over and it’s safe to thrive again. Increasing food strategically, focusing on nutrient-dense and digestible meals, and building muscle without overstressing the system are all part of this process. Progress is measured through changes in temperature, pulse, digestion, and overall well-being—not just the scale.

This isn’t a free-for-all; it’s rebuilding your foundation. As metabolism repairs, waking temperatures rise, energy steadies, sleep deepens, and mood improves. Digestion strengthens, food sensitivities ease, hormones balance, and body composition shifts toward a leaner, stronger state—often while eating more than you thought possible. Instead of running on stress, your body runs on energy again.

Facing the Fear of Weight Gain

The hardest part for most people is the fear of gaining. Repair often requires a short season of rebuilding, and the scale may rise slightly. But that “weight” is usually water, glycogen, organ tissue, and muscle—fuel reserves your body needs to recover. You can’t burn fat from a system that believes it’s starving, and you can’t make hormones from thin air.

Sometimes you must gain a little in order to lose a lot. I call it: gain two pounds to lose twenty. By retraining your body to handle more food permanently, you raise your metabolic set point, making future fat loss not only possible but sustainable.

Returning to the Blueprint

Just a few generations ago, our grandparents ate 2500–3000 calories for women and 3500–4000 for men, without today’s obesity, infertility, and fatigue. Meals were hearty—meat, milk, cheese, eggs, potatoes, bread, fruit, even dessert—and no one needed to “hack” their metabolism. Industrial foods, seed oils, and restrictive diet culture changed that. Calorie intake dropped, nutrient density fell, and body temperatures declined.

For every 1°F drop in basal body temperature, we burn roughly 500–1000 fewer calories per day. Today, most women eat 1200–1600 calories and still gain, while men eat 2000–2200 and feel sluggish. Not because we’re broken, but because we’ve drifted so far from the blueprint our bodies evolved for. The good news is that you can return to it, restore your metabolic flexibility, and thrive on real nourishment again.

The Goal: A Body That Works With You

When metabolism is rebuilt, your body stops fighting you. Short, strategic fat-loss phases become possible without rebound. Hormones remain stable, calories stay high, and fat loss becomes sustainable. You can cut briefly and return to maintenance without undoing your progress.

This is how humans are meant to function: strong, resilient, and fueled by abundance. The signs of success show up before the scale moves—rising body temperature, steadier pulse, easier digestion, fewer cravings, improved cycles, deeper sleep, and a warmer, calmer body.

Ready to Rebuild?

If you’ve been told your thyroid is fine but you feel anything but… if you’re eating less and gaining more… if your energy, hormones, and gut are out of sync, there’s a reason. And there’s a path forward.

I don’t post cookie-cutter calorie plans online because this work is deeply individual. But if you’re ready to restore thyroid function, rebuild your metabolism from the root, and finally reclaim the warm, energized, resilient body you were designed for, then let’s work together.

Spots are limited, and I work closely with each client. If your body is asking for help, trust it. Let’s rebuild your metabolism, together.

Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Parmesan

This has quickly become one of my favorite quick weekday lunches. I can prep a couple spaghetti squashes on the weekend, and then have the shredded squash and chicken ready to go, and just assemble the meal in minutes. If it’s for a crowd, I would recommend combining everything in a casserole dish and baking it in the overn, which I do have another recipe for. This is more of a quick meal for one person. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash, shredded

3-4 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped up

1/2 Cup Milk of choice, I use skim raw milk separated with this

2 Tablespoons of shredded parmesan

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning or fresh basil

Salt to taste

A little melted butter for pre-baking the spaghetti squash

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the spaghetti squash in half with your biggest sharpest kitchen knife. Be careful. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and rub the inside of the squash with a little melted butter. Salt the inside of the squash, and place that side down on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes until it softens and the spaghetti squash strands can be scraped out with a fork. This can then be stored in the fridge for a week.

Place 2 Cups of shredded spaghetti squash in a small saucepan, add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer, covered. When hot, serve and enjoy! If you’re using fresh herbs, add them at the end.

High-Protein Smoothie

I love this smoothie! I drink it with my breakfast almost every day—or sometimes for a quick lunch. It’s such a great way to make sure I get my collagen in daily. It’s also a great source of protein and healthy carbs!

If it’s your whole meal, use low-fat or full-fat yogurt to get some fats in. Or go with nonfat yogurt if you’ve got another fat source in your meal.

I love this little glass blender I found on Amazon, so I don’t have to pull out and wash my big Vitamix every time: https://amzn.to/40M02kw

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 cup organic orange juice (I like pulp-free)

• 1 cup yogurt (I use nonfat or low-fat Greek)

• 4 tablespoons collagen peptides – I use this one

• ¼ teaspoon real vanilla extract

• Small dash of sea salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, pour into a glass, and enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are probably my favorite food. I eat them almost daily. With eggs in the morning, in a curry, with chicken or beef for lunch or dinner. I often batch-cook these on the weekend to last me through the week, I can easily reheat them for a quick meal on a busy day. I’ve even taken to simply washing and slicing them with the skins still on, and then easily peeling them off just before eating them, to avoid the dreaded task of peeling them raw. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Ingredietts:

2 pounds of sweet potatoes, any size or color, cut into 1-inch rounds

2 Tablespoons of butter, melted

At least 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Optional: Garlic powder

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Pour any remaining butter mixture from the bowl over the sweet potatoes. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, and then flip them with tongs. Roast for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. Take out and enjoy! Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

I just found this recipe and love it so much! My whole family loved it and I hope yours does too.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef or seed oil-free ground pork, lightly salted while browning

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups raw sauerkraut

1 t ginger powder

1 t garlic powder

3 T coconut aminos

2 T fish sauce

Poached eggs, one per person minimum

Small drizzle of sriracha

Instructions:

Brown the meat in a cast iron or stainless steel pan with a little salt. Add the shredded carrot, ginger powder, garlic powder, coconut aminos and fish sauce, and cook until the carrots are slightly softened. Turn off the heat and add the sauerkraut to warm through. Poach the eggs by boiling a saucepan of water and cracking the eggs into the simmering water, letting them cook through for a few minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, scooping them out with a slotted spoon. Serve in bowls with an eggs and a drizzle of sriracha. Enjoy!

Chicken (or Beef) Greek Dinner

This is one of my go-to dinners for the family. It’s super versatile, you can use chicken, lamb, or beef and then add whatever toppings you have on hand, like feta cheese and kalamata olives and chopped cucumbers. The real star here is the tzatziki sauce - which is super easy to make and can easily be made high protein/low fat for weight loss. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

Chicken, -boneless/skinless breast, chopped and seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and oregano

And/or Beef/Lamb - either steak, thin-sliced, or ground beef formed into kafta - long skinny burgers seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and oregano

Cucumbers, julienned or half moons

Kalamata olives

Feta cheese, European origin for animal-based rennet (American rennet is made from mold)

Optional: small amount of peeled, seeded fresh tomato and/or a little chopped red onion, unless you have digestive or autoimmune disease (these are column 3 foods)

Tzatziki sauce:

2 Cups Greek Yogurt (nonfat for protein-sparing, full fat for weight maintenace or gain)

1/3 Cup cucumbers, minced

1 tablespoon each fresh dill and mint

1 t garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice (half of a medium lemon)

sea salt

Instructions:

Grill or sauteed the chicken and/or steak in a cast iron pan after seasoning. If making kafta, combine the ground beef with the seasonings and form into long skinny meatball-shapes, frying in a cast iron pan until cooked on all sides. Arrange all of the ingredients on a large serving dish or place each topping in it’s own bowl so that guests can make their own plates with their desired toppings. Spoon tzatziki sauce on top and enjoy! This dish also goes well with the sauteed zucchini recipe as a side dish.

Sauteed Zucchini

This is a great side dish for your steak or burger. It’s my favorite go-to side. I call zucchini and cucumbers the “freebies” because they are nontoxic nonsweet fruits that have almost no carbs or calories. Although cucumbers are served cold, zucchini can be cooked and flavored for a delicious warm side dish! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 zucchini per person, sliced into half-moons

1 teaspoon grass-fed butter per zucchini

sea salt

Optional: garlic powder, European feta cheese, oregano

Instructions:

Heat a cast iron to medium high. Melt the butter, spreading it around the bottom of the pan. Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until they are just cooked through but still firm. Add any optional ingredients and serve warm. Enjoy!

Bananas Awesome

My partner invented this dessert (and gave it this silly name) and it has quickly became our new favorite. It’s crazy how something so easy could be so delicious. Feel free to get creative with the toppings - I could see shredded coconut, berries, or nutmeg being fun additions.

Ingredients:

One banana per bowl, chopped

A pinch of sea salt

A few shakes of Ceylon Cinnamon

A small dollop of homemade whipped cream (1/4 C or less)

Optional: small drizzle (1 teaspoon) of organic salted caramel sauce, I like 365 Whole Foods Brand - found here: https://amzn.to/48xrsfK

Instructions:

Place the chopped banana in the bowl. Lightly salt the banana, add the few shakes of Ceylon Cinnamon, and a small drizzle of caramel sauce, if using (adds 4 grams of carbs from sugar). Prepare the whipped cream in another bowl with an immersion blender, using 2 T of heavy whipping cream for every serving of the dessert (it will double in size when whipped), with 1 teaspoon of honey or 2 drops of Nunaturals liquid vanilla stevia. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the banana and shake a little more cinnamon on top for garnish. Enjoy!

Korean Bulgogi (Bibimbap)

This recipe is one of my new favorites and the first night I made it, my partner and I and my 10 year-old son ate almost 4 pounds of meat in one meal! They both said it was the best meal I’ve ever made. So it officially went into the regular dinner rotation at our house and it’s so easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of thin-sliced steak, preferably grass-fed (Costco usually has thin-sliced ribeye or NY strip)

Marinade:

1/4 Cup Raw Honey

1/3 Cup Coconut Aminos

1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder or 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

2 Tablespoons Rice vinegar

Sides and toppings:

Minced fresh cilantro

Julienned blanched carrots

Julienned cucumber

Poached or soft-boiled eggs

Optional: White rice

Instructions:

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients and pour over the beef, stirring it in. Allow the marinade to sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to one day, covered. Grill or saute the beef in cast-iron until just cooked through. If using cast-iron, then broil the beef in the oven for 5 minutes to get a little char on the edges. Serve immediately with the sides, including blanched carrots (simmered in water for a few minutes), cucumbers, eggs, cilantro, and optional white rice.

Meditation

All humans can benefit from a meditation practice. Meditation is magical because it assists us in releasing the hold that the mind and emotions have on us. We learn to rest in awareness and to watch the mind’s thoughts and the body’s feelings, becoming the witness, the observer. The highest form of meditation, according to the masters, is to become aware of awareness, conscious of consciousness. When the thoughts arise in the mind, if we identify with them and think that we ARE the thinking mind, we create misery inside. When the feelings arise, and we block them or push them away in order to avoid feeling them, we harden our hearts and create more painful feelings in the long run. Thoughts are not who we are, and feelings are just sensations that want to be experienced, and released.

Meditation is the practice of becoming aware of what is constantly going on inside of us. Meditation gives us a break from being the “thinker” and allows us to be our spirit, the watcher, the observer of the thoughts and emotions. We get to rest back in spirit and feel the awareness within us. This practice allows us to clear away the garbage that is covering up our inate nature, which is joy and peace and love. That is what our spirit is made of, and we can’t experience that unless we uncover it. Children inately know this sense of spirit, they are present in the moment and notice the beauty in the world around them. We can look at the world with the eyes of a child, the beauty of our surrounding, the gratitude we feel when we see the big picture of this amazing planet and our place in it, the joy of being alive, the peace that comes from letting go.

Most of this world we have no control over. I don’t believe that spirituality is the feeling of solid ground, but that spirituality is the feeling of freefalling through space, hurtling down the rapids of life on an inner tube with nothing to hold on to. And rather than feeling fear about this, I believe that knowing how little control I have over life and its events helps me to stay in reality, helps me to let go and have faith and accept things as they truly are. And when I do this, I see a beautiful synchronicity to life and feel protected by life. This world was here for billions of years before me, and will be here long after as well. I am just a human on a speck of dirt flying through space around one of trillions of stars. My problems are not real, they are just thoughts in my mind and emotions in my body. True reality is that I only have a few years here on this amazingly beautiful planet, full of beautiful humans and animals and plants and rocks and mountains and oceans.

Meditation allows me to remember these things, these glimpses of reality. It allows me to quiet the voice in my head by ceasing to identify with it, and resting in the awareness of my spirit, watching this world unfold before me and enjoying the ride. If there are thoughts, I release them and watch them. If there are noises, I detach from them and hold my true center. If there is an ache or pain, I feel the joy deeper inside me and release my judgments of the sensations of the body. If my mind wanders, I guide it back to breath in this moment. We can use mantra - chanting a statement like “breathe in love, breathe out peace” or Om Namaya Shivaya, or anything we want to quiet the mind and give the mind something to focus on. Mainly I just attempt to hold awareness, being aware of being aware like a fun house mirror stretching into infinity. And I rest in spirit, in the present moment, full of love and light and beauty and joy.

Beef Stew with Carrots

This is the perfect fall meal. I have a Halloween bonfire in my front yard every year, and I make a big pot of this stew for my friends and family. There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of beef stew with thick gravy and warm carrots on a chilly fall or winter evening. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of bone-in beef roast, chopped into 1 inch cubes

6 cups of chopped carrots

1 T onion powder

1 T garlic powder

3 cups beef broth

sea salt

optional: 1 T tomato paste

optional: 2 T potato starch, in a slurry with 2 T warm water before adding to stew

optional: a couple handfuls of crimini mushrooms (baby portobello), halved or quartered

Instructions:

I like to make this stew in a large dutch oven on the stovetop, but you could easily make it in a slow cooker or an Instapot instead. The reason I use a stovetop is because the stew meat needs to simmer for 3.5 hours and the carrots (and optional mushrooms) only take 20 minutes, so I like to add them at the end. To start, add the beef, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and broth to the dutch oven or large pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is starting to become tender. Add the chopped carrots and any optional ingredients, and continue to simmer until the carrots are cooked through, about 15 more minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Frittata

This is such an easy weekend breakfast, and I like to double the recipe because then there are leftovers for the week! Just warm in the microwave or in a covered cast iron pan with a little water and it’s a quick and easy breakfast that is just as delicious the next day. Low- or fat-free ham (without nitrates or other weird ingredients) is a great way to enjoy high-protein pork without the seed oils that are usually present in pork fat.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

1/2 C dairy (preferably raw): milk, yogurt, or sour cream

1 C chopped ham

1/2 C shredded cheese, preferably raw (I like the Emmi gruyere from Costco)

1 T butter

Instructions:

Make sure your 12-inch cast iron pan is well seasoned. If it is not, you can warm it and rub it down with some extra butter before cooking. Preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in the pan and warm the ham through on medium heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl with some sea salt and stir in the cheese. Pour the egg mixture on top of the warm ham and turn off the heat under the pan. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set but not brown on top. Remove from oven just when a knife comes out clean. Invert the pan onto a cutting board so the frittata stops cooking and let it cool a minute before serving.

Ground Beef and Gruyere Zucchini Boats

This is a fun and super easy dinner that my kids love. It’s honestly one of the only ways I can get them to eat zucchini! You could use any cheese, although I’m in love with the Swiss Emmi-brand gruyere from Costco, which is raw and so delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large zucchinis, washed and ends cut off

2 lbs ground beef (lean for protein-sparing, or 80/20 for weight maintenance)

8 oz Gruyere, shredded

2 t dried italian seasoning

1 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seedy insides with a spoon, leaving a little on the ends so the ground beef mixture doesn’t leak out during cooking. Combine the ground beef in a bowl with all of the other ingredients except the cheese and zucchinis. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place all of the zucchini “boats” on the parchment, filling with the beef mixture, and covering with a layer of gruyere. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the zucchinis can be pierced easily with a fork. Enjoy!

How to Cook the Perfect Steak

Knowing how to cook the perfect steak is imperative to becoming animal-based! I love using cast iron pans for all of my kitchen cooking. Of course, nothing beats a steak on the grill, but if you want to cook your steak inside in cast iron, here is how!

Ingredients:

1 lb of steak for each person (ribeye for weight maintenance OR filet/lean sirloin/tenderloin for a protein-sparing day)

Butter for the pan

Sea salt

Optional: sprig of rosemary or sage

Instructions:

Make sure the steak is fully defrosted. It can be cold from the fridge or first brought to room temperature. Salt liberally with a high quality sea salt like Himalayan or Redmond’s Real salt on both sides. Place the cast iron pan on the burner and turn the heat to HIGH. Let the pan get good and hot for 1 minute, but not smoking. Add a small amount of butter to the pan, to just lightly cover the bottom with melted butter. Place the optional herbs in the butter, if using, and then push them off to the side of the pan. Place the salted steak in the hot pan as soon as the butter is melted but hasn’t yet browned. Turn the heat down to medium-high for a thinner steak (less than an inch), or medium for a thick steak (1.5-2 inches thick). Cook for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is nice and brown and a crust is beginning to form. Flip the steak and continue cooking on the second side and spoon some of the butter and juices from the pan back onto the steak as it cooks. You may need to continue flipping the steak every 3-5 minutes until it is done.

Optional: use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature. I like to pull the steak out of the pan when the temperature is 10 degrees lower than the desired doneness because it will continue to rise about 10 more degrees. Rare is a final temp of 120, medium rare is 130, and medium is about 140. So, for medium rare, I like to cook my steak to about 120 degrees and it will continue to heat to 130 as it rests for 5-10 minutes on the cutting board. Resting also allows the juices to absorb so that they don’t run out when you cut into the steak. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, make a small incision in the middle of the steak in the pan to check for your desired doneness.

Honey Lemon Curd

Frankly, I don’t want to live a life without desserts like lemon curd. This is one of the reasons why I follow an “animal-based” way-of-eating, and not strict carnivore (zero-carb). Also, eating a little honey helps with electrolytes, sleep, and muscle cramping. I think our ancestors ate honey and fruit. This recipe is healthy and divine, although it is fairly high-fat and high-carb if you are protein-sparing. But what a great treat for a refeed day!

Ingredients:

2 eggs and 4 egg yolks

1/4 C honey, preferably raw

2 T butter, cut into small pieces

2 t lemon zest, finely grated

1/2 C lemon juice (about 2-3 large lemons)

dash sea salt

Instructions:

Mince the lemon zest with a food processor or a sharp knife. Cream the butter in the food processor, or use a hand mixer or whisk. Add the zest, honey, lemon juice, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter into a small saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly until the curd coats the back of a spoon (just before a simmer) or reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the heat, add the butter pieces, and stir another minute. Pour into small custard cups and refrigerate until cool. Enjoy!

Photo by James Trenda on Unsplash