I get a lot of fat-related questions, including requests for help regarding digestive issues among those who want to transition to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific carnivorous way of eating. Most of these questions are from my consulting services and some issues require some fine-tuning back and forth to slowly heal and get the digestive system working again. With that said, there’s a lot that you can try that is fairly simple and straightforward without needing to throw a couple of bucks my way, although I would really appreciate that, and those are the steps I will cover in this article. But first, let’s cover the ‘fat issue,’ as many who try and adopt our natural diet fall short on fat intake, or simply consume fats the wrong way – especially if they have digestive issues from their previous unnatural diet that contained toxic plant chemicals, carbohydrates, and fiber.
How Much Protein?
First, let’s get protein out of the way. I’ve touched on this in many articles. This is kind of the first step to look at so that you have a baseline for how much to consume to cover your natural protein turnover, as in cell- and tissue repair and regeneration. Simply look up the meat you like to consume in any food database to get an idea of its protein content per 100 grams or equivalent measurement. And while you’re at it, also take note of the fat content. You might be surprised that it can be quite low in many cuts, and that is why you will need extra fat added to your meals unless you solely consume minced ground beef with a fat percentage way above 20%. But we’ll get to that.
Now, for normally active people who do not regularly exercise, about 1.75 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass is a good target. If you weigh 70 kg and are fairly lean, your lean body mass might be around 60 kg, which means that you will need about 105 grams of protein a day as a minimum.
For those looking to build muscle mass, around 2.4 to 2.6 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass is a good target. Again, with a lean body mass round 60 kg, that would be around 140 to 160 grams of protein.
Now, there’s no problem with consuming more protein, not unless you somewhat match it with your fat intake. However, going over 2 grams per kilogram of lean mass is quite wasteful unless you take performance enhancing drugs as in testosterone injections or SARMS.
Excess protein does not directly convert to glucose in the bloodstream, contrary to a common belief — especially not if you are fat adapted, as in running on your natural fat-based metabolism and your body is used to being in ketosis. The body has several unique mechanisms to handle excess protein, which is essential for maintaining ketosis. While you might temporarily get out of ketosis if you consume a large portion of protein, it will quickly be dealt with.
Protein is used for tissue repair and regeneration, for making enzymes and hormones (together with fats,) and for meeting the body’s need for glucose by transforming both protein and fatty acids into glucose via gluconeogenesis. Any excess will be broken down and will saturate the amino-acid pool and after meeting any energy requirements as in converting to glucose and ketones, the rest will be eliminated as waste and excreted in the urine.
The Problem With Not Matching Fats With Protein
With that said, your body will always do what it has to do to meet its energy demands. And this means that if you do not get enough animal fat, which is our energy source, or if you can’t absorb all the fat you consume, your body will have to rely on gluconeogenesis to provide some of the energy needed for bodily functions and for simply moving around. This means, especially if you’re not fat adapted, as in used and conditioned to run on our natural fat metabolism, that you will be relying on protein and some fats for making glucose. However, there is a ‘safety’ upper limit for the amount of glucose that your body can produce. Remember, glucose is very toxic to soft tissues, which is why consuming carbohydrates is so damaging to our bodies. Your body will not be able to make as much glucose as you were used to when consuming unhealthy carbohydrates, as that provides extremely unnatural levels of glucose in the blood, levels that are highly toxic. And your body will never produce such levels, as in hurting itself. It will only produce as much glucose that is needed within a safe range, a range of blood glucose that does not damage our soft tissues. Keep in mind that gluconeogenesis, our way to produce the glucose we need, is simply meant for certain tissues and for very explosive movements, as in sprinting, fighting for your life, or when lifting something heavy in an explosive max-effort manner. All other energy requirements, such as moving around, walking, jogging, or even running are solely dependent on fat for providing the energy needed. And when being fat adapted, you can easily tap into your body fat for almost unlimited energy.
So, if you struggle with energy, if you feel tired or sluggish, it’s not that you consume too much protein, it’s because you either consume too little fat, or that you do not absorb fat properly.
How Much Fat?
Again, we will use a ratio system compared to protein. The ideal ratio for most people is about 1:1 in grams or any equivalent measurement. But most of the time, you will need more fat, especially if you are active or you will run out of energy and start to use up a lot of body fat to compensate, which again will make you tired and low on energy.
The higher end is about a 2:1 ratio of fat to protein. This might be necessary if you’re not into building muscle mass and rely on about 1.75 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body weight, but you are still very active. A higher fat intake might also be needed if your body has trouble absorbing fat. In that case your stools might be greasy and even float.
So, again, at 60 kg of lean body mass, a minimum would be 105 grams of protein (1.75 x 60,) and thus a minimum of 105 grams of fat. This is what you should begin with and evaluate. Likely, you will need to increase your fats a little bit, depending on your activity levels.
If you are active, you can start with a 1.0:1.25 ratio of protein and fat, which would be 105 grams of protein and 130 grams of fat in our example, and adjust from there.
If you’ve been on a carnivore diet for a while and still struggle with energy levels, first make sure that you get enough protein, and then look at your fat intake. Again, use any food database that is available on the internet and then calculate your estimated fat intake from what you normally eat in a day. Does it reach a 1:1 ratio? If it does, then you likely need more than that. So, simply add in more fat and keep doing that until you feel good. For example, add in 20% more, as in going from 105 grams to about 125 grams. Do that for a week and evaluate. Still sluggish but digestion is fine? Add another 20% to about 150 grams. And so on. Keep each change for at least a week to evaluate and to let your body adapt by upregulating the production of bile and pancreatic enzymes.
Digestive Problems and How to Best Consume Fats
Loose stools or even diarrhea are usually from your body lacking in bile and/or pancreatic enzymes. Thus, you have a problem breaking down and absorbing fats. The only way to get around this is to heal your body as it’s been abused by your previous unnatural diet. You can either start slowly with finding a fat intake that your body can handle, even if it’s lower than a 1:1 ratio, and then increase your fat intake by 10 to 20 grams every week and evaluate. Another option is to supplement with ox bile and pancreatic enzymes. When you find your tolerance and your digestion is fine, keep that dosage for a week or so, and then slowly start reducing your supplementation to slowly condition your body to upregulate its own production. This strategy might be warranted if you have had digestive problems for a while and are undernourished and underweight, as it will allow you to eat more right from the start (with the help of the supplements.) If you need help with this, you can contact me through my consulting services and I will guide you step by step.
As for fat sources and helping with digestion, I recommend that you consume your fat as naturally as possible. This means that you will have a much easier time digesting fats if you consume the fat as uncooked and unheated as possible. Never overcook fats or heat them too much. While a fully healthy digestive system will be able to handle it, a compromised digestive system will not, especially if you have a damaged small intestine or if you do not produce enough bile or enzymes.
Try to focus on fattier cuts of meat and either eat them raw (best) or just slightly cooked as in rare or medium rare. As for egg yolks which are the perfect supplement food, always consume your yolks runny, preferably untouched as in raw. If you do sauces or gravy, do it on very low heat and use butter, heavy cream, tallow and/or lard. If you like butter or ghee, consume it as it is with the meal or just put a big chunk on top of the meat as it rests, just letting it melt a little.
And also, as I’ve mentioned many times, never drink anything right before a meal, during a meal, or the hour after a meal! Water or any fluid will dilute your stomach acid and also delay digestion, and if your body struggles with producing bile, this will make it worse! Only drink between meals if you have to.
If you need any more help on this topic, or with transitioning to our natural species-appropriate carnivorous way of eating, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
And if you found the article helpful and enjoy my free information, please consider donating to help pay the webhosting bills and keep the site running. Thank you!
