Have you ever considered the possibility that eating only meat could be healthier? Or do you listen to the Jordan Peterson diet?
It might sound drastic, especially since conventional nutrition promotes variety and plant-based foods. But more and more evidence shows that a diet focused on fatty meats can be good for our health.
Let’s introduce Jordan Peterson, the well-known Canadian psychologist who advocates for this carnivorous way of living. It is commonly referred to as the “Jordan Peterson diet.”
Numerous people, including those dealing with obesity, insulin resistance, inflammatory health conditions, and even mental health difficulties, have allegedly benefited from this diet.
This article will discuss Jordan Peterson diet and how it may have health benefits.
What is the Jordan Peterson Carnivore Diet?
A carnivore diet where you exclusively eat animal products is the Jordan Peterson diet. It eliminates most vegetables, fruits, and grains. This diet is unique among carnivore diets in that it consists of two phases.
Part I: Steak, Water, Salt
Meat, water, and salt are the only foods allowed during the two-month elimination phase of the Jordan Peterson diet. It is sometimes referred to as the Lion Diet.
Part II: Meat and Greens (Modified Carnivore Diet)
After two months on an elimination diet, Peterson switched to a modified carnivore diet, which he followed for more than a year.
How Jordan Peterson Diet came into existence? Reason Behind it
The Jordan Peterson Diet is a man-made diet; it was not built in a laboratory or any research center. It came into existence from Jordan’s kitchen. Yes, you heard it right. The main reason behind making it was his daughter’s illness, as she was struggling with severe autoimmune problems and depression from past years, so Peterson became curious and started to think if a diet could help his daughter. This diet includes the elimination of potential triggers like gluten, sugar, and processed food while keeping meat, salt, and water in it. Nowadays this approach is also known as the Lion Diet, a simple eating plan created to calm inflammation and reset the body.
Why Today’s Diet Could Be Making You Sick? Jordan Peterson Explains
In the era where everybody is choosing processed food, sugary items and eat things that have hidden ingredients seeing this everywhere the psychologist Dr. Jordan B. Peterson said the modern diet ideas are destroying our health completely. He show concern by following modern diet can leads to chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, fatigue, and mental illness.
Jordan said people don’t even know what they are consuming in the name of food and how it will impact their health in a negative way, as eating too much processed food can trigger inflammatory and neurological responses. The diet that is based on food items that are high in carbohydrates, seed oils, and plant anti-nutrients is a direct door toward physical and psychological suffering. This is why he think to try lion diet which is a form of carnivore diet.
The Role Jordan Peterson’s Daughter Played in His Diet Journey
The main story behind this diet is Jordan Peterson’s daughter, known as Mikhaila Peterson. From a very young age, she was facing depression, chronic fatigue, and autoimmune arthritis. She went through many surgical procedures, and the traditional medicine wasn’t working in her case. She did an experiment on her diet by removing plant foods including vegetables, fruits, and grains and start noticing improvement in her health as she was just eat beef, salt, and water.
When Jordan Peterson sees she is recovering because of just a change in diet, he gets inspired and starts implementing it too. According to Jordan, he noticed after some days of taking this diet his mental clarity improved, his mood stabilized, and the fatigue that had been there for a very long time was gone.
Jordan Peterson Carnivore diet Update (Timeline)
The beginning of this diet started with Jordan Peterson’s daughter Mikhaila, who was facing severe health issues, so she did an experiment with her diet in early 2016.
She continued eating a meat-only diet by eliminating all plant-based food items from her diet plan. In the middle of 2017, she started noticing significant improvements in her overall health.
After seeing these improvements in his daughter in late 2017, Jordan also wants to give this diet a try, and he also sees the same improvement in himself.
In the year 2018 after experimenting it for a year peterson publicly discuss about his transformation in his podcast. He said this diet not only helps him in losing weight but also makes his sleep cycle better and provides him consistent energy throughout the journey.
In the years 2019 to 2020, Jordan continues to follow this lion diet. He also stated that even eating small things like sugar and apple cider causes intense physical and mental reactions.
What is the role of fats in Jordan Peterson’s Diet?
Fat plays an important role in meat-based diets, like the carnivore and lion diets, because carbohydrates are completely removed and dietary fats become the main source of energy for our bodies. Meat items like cuts of beef can provide your body enough calories and nutrition for a day without adding any plant-based food items. According to Peterson and other carnivore diet followers, animal fat supports not only brain health but also the production of hormones. It helps blood sugar levels to stay stabilized and reduces cravings. If you didn’t eat proper fat-based meat in the lion diet, then you may face fatigue, irritability, or malnutrition because of fat imbalance in the diet.
Evolutionary Foundations of an All-Meat Diet
Dieters who follow the Jordan Peterson diet frequently cite studies that demonstrate how their diet is consistent with how humans evolved to eat.
Professor Miki Ben-Dor’s recent research indicates that early humans lived for almost two million years eating a diet high in fatty, huge animals.
The Early Human Diet
Hunting for bone meat, which is high in nutrients and aided in the rapid growth of our brains, allowed humans to initially evolve.
We became smarter as our brains expanded, which made it possible for us to make weapons to hunt big game.
The Role of Megafauna
This occurred when the world was home to enormous beasts known as megafauna. It’s likely that humans played a major role in the extinction of these creatures due to our advanced hunting skills.
Our Modern Physiology
Our bodies continue to reflect this long history of consuming fatty meat. Here are the details:
- When we eat fat, we don’t feel like eating much else since it is so gratifying.
- Compared to other primates, humans accumulate fat on their bodies considerably more easily.
- Humans, unlike other animals, can tap into their fat reserves for energy even when they are not in a state of starvation.
- Large digestive tracts enable our primate cousins to convert fiber into fatty acids. However, due to their shorter digestive processes, humans are unable to accomplish this.
- Our stomachs are more acidic than those of most carnivores, so we are better able to fend off microorganisms that our ancestors long ago scavenged off meat.
- Our relationship with fatty meat has influenced who we are as people today.
The Results of Jordan Peterson on the Carnivore Diet
As we discussed earlier, Jordan Peterson publicly discussed on a podcast the improvement he noticed in his health and in his daughter. He shared that he lost around 50 pounds. This diet also improves his sleeping cycle, and he gets less dependent on medication. He also claims by following the lion diet for months, his depression and anxiety vanished. In some interviews he describes that he found magical results in following the lion diet, but he does face some side effects like sensitivity to reintroduced foods. Like Mikhaila, other people who also have the same health conditions as her report their mental health improves and mood gets stable after following this diet for some months.
Improved Mental Health
Jordan Peterson claims in his public interviews and podcast that following the lion diet helps him in improving mental health. He said when you cut carbohydrates from your diet, it helps in Reduced systemic inflammation and stabilized blood sugar levels; however, the absence of food items can cause food sensitivity. The claim of Peterson depends on his personal experience; however, experts caution that the evidence can be just his experience, as the connection between the carnivore diet and mental health improvements remains scientifically unverified.
Benefits of Jordan Peterson Diet
There are several advantages to eating meat, and a carnivorous diet increases these advantages.
- An increase in vital elements that are exclusive to meat
- Lowering additional sugar and carbohydrates
- removing antinutrients and poisons from plants
- getting rid of insoluble fiber from plants
- Saturated fats and animal fats are beneficial, but meat does not cause cancer.
- There are environmental benefits to raising and consuming meat.
Drawbacks to the Jordan Peterson diet
Following are some drawback about lion/jordan peterson diet:
Nutritional imbalance: This diet removes all plant-based food items completely from a diet, which may trigger nutrient deficiencies like a lack of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants.
Cardiovascular risk: if you consume red meat daily in a high amount without adding any plant based food item it can make bad cholesterol high in some cases which later leads to heart problems.
Gut health concerns: The diet is completely based on meat. It not only eliminates plant-based food but also removes dairy products, which may negatively affect gut health and overall metabolic health.
Psychological effects: Due to Strict dietary rules can increase stress, social isolation, or disordered eating behaviors.
Is this kind of Meat diet Sustainable for Long-Term?
Jordan Peterson is a part of debates, especially when the topic is “Is It Sustainable Long-Term?” While Jordan and other followers claim after following this diet for years their health gets improved, most nutritionists warn that taking it long-term isn’t suitable for everyone. When you eat meat, especially meat on a daily basis, it can reduce adherence. If you follow this diet, you are restricted to just staying home; it can affect social life. If you aren’t using any supplements or remove plant foods, it can lead to nutrition deficiency. It is not good for the long term, but you can try this diet some days of the week to get benefits.
The Jordan Peterson diet is a meat-only diet, which may provide protein, iron, and B vitamins; however, it still lacks nutrients that are found in plant-based food items like vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and magnesium. All these nutrients help in collagen production, improve gut health, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. People who followed this diet for a long time without taking any supplements faced nutrition deficiency.
The Research Behind This Diet: Facts You Should Know
According to some scientific research, health conditions like arthritis and psoriasis get improved in many people after following the Jordan Peterson diet.
The high intake of protein in this diet can stabilize blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity in many people who are following this diet for a long time.
Since this diet removes all dairy products, it leads to a better mood and mental clarity.
Should You Do the Jordan Peterson Diet?
Obviously yes as there are many advantages to the Jordan Peterson diet, which is an early form of carnivorous feeding.
It does leave out some crucial information, such as how significant eating fatty meat is. High-fat, low-carb, meat-centred diets can be approached in a more smart, practical, and long-lasting way.
To tackle carnivores in a less severe and, to be honest, more pleasurable way, Doctor Kiltz created the BABIES regimen. Bacon, eggs, butter, beef, ice cream, intermittent fasting, and salt are the components of the acronym B.E.B.B.I.I.S.
By concentrating on these full foods derived from animals, you may significantly lower inflammation, shield your body from the damaging effects of carbs, get rid of exposure to toxins found in plants, and provide your body with necessary nutrients and good fats for every cell.
How to Start the Jordan Peterson Diet if you want to give it a try
If you want to start the Jordan Peterson diet, all you need is planning and commitment. Follow these steps:
The first thing you need to do is to remove all plant-based foods from your diet, like grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and processed foods.
The second thing is to include all meat-based items in your diet, like ribeye, ground beef, or grass-fed cuts.
Make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day.
You can take supplements that are based on vitamin C and magnesium to get proper nutrition as plant items are eliminated in the diet.
Track your body’s reactions by monitoring your weight, mood, digestion, and energy levels every day.
Remember, consistency is the key, especially in the starting week of this diet when your body is adopting something new like a meat-only diet.
Diet Alternatives and Adjustments for a Balanced Approach
While some people love to follow Jordan Peterson’s diet, it is not suitable for everyone, so people also want to know about the alternatives:
Carnivore-keto hybrid: This diet includes dairy products like eggs, milk, and low-carb vegetables.
Elimination diet: In this diet all common triggers like gluten, soy, and processed foods get removed.
High-protein Mediterranean diet: This diet includes both meat- and plant-based food items.
Have you tried Jordan Peterson’s all-meat diet? Does it work?
Yes, I almost followed Jordan Peterson’s all-meat diet. Although I noticed an increase in energy and mental clarity, I found it difficult to maintain over time. It isn’t sustainable for everyone, but overall it worked for some advantages.
According to a Harvard study, 84% of respondents who ate a carnivorous diet said their mental health issues, like anxiety and sadness, had improved.
Is Jordan Peterson still on a beef and salt diet?
Peterson gave up eating anything in 2018 except for water, salt, and meat. To be clear, he stays away from eating pork, lamb, or chicken.
He consumes beef. Jordan’s five-year experience going without meat. In addition to helping him shed sixty pounds, Jordan Peterson credits his reduced anxiety and despair to an all-beef, all-salt diet.
Conclusion
Try Jordan Peterson’s Carnivore diet if you are interested in achieving the same outcomes as Dr. Peterson or if you’re struggling with the same health problems as Mikhaila Peterson, such as obesity and inflammation.
To prevent any adverse effects, make sure you consult with a healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.
Also Read: Recommended Sodium Intake by Age: How Much Salt Is Too Much?
Medical Disclaimer
This article is just for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or healthcare plan.
