Mum switches to carnivore diet - and cures these five chronic health conditions
Dr Sarah Zaldifar, 37, tried a new diet seven years ago after hearing about the potential health benefits and it's had a huge impact on her life
You might picture the carnivore diet as something followed by extreme bodybuilders and burly blokes, but Dr. Sarah Zaldifar, 37, defies that stereotype. For the past seven years, she has committed to this extreme and often controversial way of eating - and she credits it with curing five chronic ailments.
So, what is the carnivore diet? It’s a highly restrictive plan that includes only animal products—meat, fish, eggs, and limited dairy. While some also consume raw honey, salt, and a few spices, the diet excludes all fruits, vegetables, sugar, carbs, and alcohol.
Sarah, a mother of three from Miami, Florida, first heard about the diet on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, and the potential benefits intrigued her.
"I began the carnivore diet in 2017, though not perfectly at first," she shared with WalesOnline. "But as I stuck to it more consistently, I noticed how much better I felt."
Before fully committing to carnivore, Sarah had already tried the keto diet, which also limits carbs. As a model, influencer, and musician, she had been struggling with anxiety. "After just seven days on keto, I experienced a level of mental clarity and physical energy I had never known before," she said. "It was incredible. I didn’t even realise I had brain fog until it lifted."
Still, Sarah dealt with binge-eating disorder, which led her to search for deeper solutions. It was during this search that she came across an episode of Rogan’s podcast featuring Dr. Shawn Baker, who introduced her to the concept of harmful plant toxins.
"I was stunned," Sarah recalls. "After years of studying nutrition, no one had ever mentioned the idea that plant toxins could be harmful. It made me question everything we’re taught about fruits and vegetables being good for us."
The foundation of the carnivore diet is the belief that it aligns with what humans have eaten for thousands of years. "It’s our natural diet," Sarah explains. "Just like a lion’s natural diet is meat or a panda’s is bamboo, our genes are designed for animal fat and protein."
Sarah claims the diet can address a range of health issues, from autoimmune diseases and gut problems to skin conditions and even mental health. "The carnivore diet is the most anti-inflammatory for humans," she insists. "When my husband cured his long-standing lower back pain just by cutting out spinach—the only plant he ate—it confirmed for me that this diet was right for my family."
A typical day for Sarah consists mostly of red meat—brisket, ground beef, ribeye, and pork belly—along with seafood, butter, ghee, and cheese. While some carnivore dieters allow for small amounts of honey, Sarah advises caution for those with sugar addiction or diabetes.
"The changes have been amazing for me!" Sarah says. "Five major improvements have transformed my life."
Her skin, which had been prone to acne, cleared up. Painful menstrual cramps disappeared. She no longer feels constantly hungry, which helped her lose 30 pounds. She also feels a sense of “food freedom,” and no longer suffers from bloating.
Another benefit, Sarah adds, is the financial savings. "It only becomes expensive if you insist on grass-fed or organic meat," she explains. "You can still get almost all the benefits from conventionally raised meat bought in stores."
Asked if she ever misses other foods, Sarah confidently says no. "That’s the beauty of overcoming food addiction," she explains. "If you ‘miss’ certain foods, it’s like craving a drug. If I gave in and ate carbs, I’d start craving them again—like an alcoholic with a drink."
Is the carnivore diet healthy?
Advocates of the carnivore diet, such as Dr. Shawn Baker and Dr. Anthony Chaffee, both medical professionals, highlight its potential health benefits through personal experiences, case studies, and anecdotal evidence. However, scientific research on the diet remains limited.
Dr. Chaffee, referencing the defense mechanisms of plants, argues that plant-based foods can cause inflammation in the human gut. In an interview with The Guardian, he stated, "Plants are trying to kill you. We have some defenses, and that's why some plants are edible, but they still cause harm with long-term exposure over years and decades."
On the other side, experts like Prof. Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King's College London and co-founder of the nutrition company Zoe, promote a completely different view. Spector and others advocate for a plant-rich diet, recommending people consume at least 30 different types of plants each week. According to them, plants provide a wide range of essential nutrients that support overall health, particularly gut health, and dismiss the idea that they contain harmful "poisons."
While some experts acknowledge that a carnivore diet may offer short-term benefits, such as weight loss, many caution against its long-term use. Registered dietitian Kathleen Zelman advises, "You just can't stay on it very long." Addressing claims that the diet can reduce gut inflammation and boost energy, she adds, "There’s no evidence whatsoever. There are no controlled studies to support these claims."
The vast majority of experts do not advocate for cutting out fruit and vegetables. A carnivore diet has also been linked to high cholesterol. Danielle Shine, a dietician, who has worked with patients suffering from social media-induced eating disorders, told the Guardian: "I've had people sit in my clinic and tell me they 'feel so much better', and I'm looking at blood test results with clinical signs and symptoms that are telling me the exact opposite, but it's getting ignored."
Recalling one patient who followed a carnivore diet, she added: "He walked in and he said, 'I'm only here because I have to tick a box. You can tell me whatever, but I'm not stopping eating butter and I'm not going to stop eating steak.' I'd never seen cholesterol so high, and so bad. I have so much empathy for people that think it's working, but I would challenge whether it is working for them."
Producing red meat is also recognised as being among the most environmentally-damaging methods of food production, with the UN estimating that livestock makes up more than 14% of all man-made greenhouse gases.
What is the NHS advice on a carnivore diet?
According to NHS guidance, meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but it is recommended that people do not eat excessive amounts of red, processed or fatty meats. The NHS advocates for a balanced diet, consisting of protein from meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses, but also fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates and foods that are high in fibre. Too much red meat, processed meat or meat that is high in saturated fats can lead to health problems, it says, including increasing a person's risk of bowel cancer.
