My Carnivore Insomnia Fix - Finally Found the Cause | It Took Me 6 Mos. of Tracking

[@LifeDIY]

*Update:* Thank you for all the comments! For anyone who wants some clarification on what can happen if you do low-carb, keto, or carnivore for a really long time (as it relates to insulin and insulin suppression) I just found this other video by Dr. Cywes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2StlaiNgc-SZqcsi=pgSya4e0n5XWkHRS and he talks about it sometime after the 10 minute mark. I highly recommend it as he explains things a lot better in this video than any others that I've seen. It's really interesting to hear his perspective on it and what he's learned through his clients. I forgot to include something in the video that I think is important. I recently had a hormone panel done - a comprehensive test called DUTCH Complete. This tests sex hormones, cortisol, some neurotransmitters, and more - at five different times so you can get a picture of what is happening day and night. The results showed that my cortisol levels were very low. This can occur for many different reasons from autoimmune disorders to chronic stress. I suspect that cortisol issues are more common than we know about because so few people get tested. When blood sugar dips, cortisol helps the liver produce glucose through gluconeogenesis, while insulin is the primary hormone regulating blood sugar levels. If one or both of these are low, it could potentially contribute to blood sugar issues. If anyone is interested in the DUTCH Complete test, it's pretty expensive and not covered by insurance. It normally costs $500 but I purchase the test from DHALabs for $350. I'm not affiliated with them, but I've been using their services for a decade and highly recommend them. If you're struggling with your health even after making dietary changes and if you feel like your doctor isn't really helping you, I highly recommend looking into seeing an Integrative Health doctor. Most major hospital chains in the U.S. have these types of specialists that you can see or do virtual visits with, and for me, it's covered by insurance. I'm really grateful that I have one because she has a lot of patients who eat low-carb, keto, and carnivore and she stays on top of the research.

[@Total_Body_Fitness_USA]

I recommend a fasting early morning BLOOD cortisol test to confirm as well. Also, a blood DHEA-S done at that time will also show if your adrenals are struggling. If both DHEA-S and Cortisol are low, it could potentially be caused by not taking in enough carbs. Sorry if that goes against the carnivore people. Cortisol plays a role when the body is primarily in fight or flight (under stress). If indeed you do have low cortisol, then something is stressing you out big time! What is it in my opinion? DIET! Considering of course IF your cortisol was NORMAL before starting your carnivore way of eating. Hopefully you did some baseline testing before making that drastic change in your diet. Sounds like your doc has a grip on it, but as an integrative functional medicine practitioner myself, I was always using the Dutch test with patients, but you will find some discrepancies in the results. The idea behind testing urine is that the body WILL excrete any excess hormones that it does not need through the urine and if the urine shows low then that means YOU are low on that particular hormone. Well, that is NOT entirely true because the body has a unique way of hanging onto things AND storing those things - which in this case can be hormones. For example, I had a female patient with severe acne about 6 weeks from testosterone pellet insertion. We did a repeat Dutch test and she still showed low on testosterone. I then decided to test serum, and lo and behold she was sky high and had DHT levels out of the range. Since then I have used the Dutch test as only one tool in my arsenal when it comes to testing. I have frequent meetings with other physicians and functional medicine practitioners to share thoughts on this. Conventional medicine calls the Dutch test quackery - lol. However, it does have its use in my own professional opinion when done with some serum testing as well and I have been doing this 30+ years. The thyroid is another one. You can have someone with autoimmune issues have a perfectly functioning thyroid and then they eat something that triggers MCAS, and their thyroid numbers hit the roof within minutes. It's not the thyroid doing it, it's the mast cells that are releasing thyroid hormone due to the foods they ate. Yes, thyroid hormone is stored in peripheral tissues as well. This is why someone with an autoimmune disease can eat certain foods and go into a full blown panic attack. Not many docs know this one..... Sorry for the long comment.

[@LifeDIY]

@@Total_Body_Fitness_USA Thanks so much for sharing this! I did have both of those early morning serum tests done too (on DHEA-S and Cortisol) and they correlate with the DUTCH results. That's very interesting about the serum labs of your patient vs the Dutch results. I am fortunate my doctor ordered those labs with a bunch of other ones. The only unusual thing I've experienced with thyroid testing is that if I take my thyroid medication the morning of the test, it shows that my TSH is greatly suppressed and in the past, some doctors would think that I was hyperthyroid when I was not. If I skipped it and took it after the test, I was within a normal range. I've told this to some past doctors but they don't really listen. So I tend to just avoid taking it before the labs and then things are fine.

[@Total_Body_Fitness_USA]

@@LifeDIY Sounds like you have a good doc which can be hard to find. Yes, do not take thyroid meds before testing because it will suppress TSH for a short while. Keep an eye on your antibodies as well to see if your diet is helping if indeed you have Hashimoto's. If your antibody levels are fine and you still have low thyroid, then look at iron/ferritin as a start. Not sure if you've ever done a GI-MAP test, but that one is very good when it comes to finding underlying gut issues, and a lot of gut issues can contribute to autoimmune issues. Oh, and hopefully your doc is checking Free T3 as well. You want to be at the top of the range, but without tanking your TSH. I'm sure you have it all figured out as much research as you do. Keep up the good work!

[@drewnicest4319]

You're clearly not exercising nearly enough. Also how much water do you drink a day?

[@LifeDIY]

@totalbodyfitness6103 Definitely! I'm grateful I haven't had any antibodies in many years. Thank you for recommending the GI-MAP. I just looked at the website and sample report, and I did do a very similar test to this months back. I was very curious and wanted to do it while eating strict carnivore. I forgot to post a video about it. My doctor is also testing FT3 and some other thyroid labs. She's very comprehensive luckily and I have a really good endocrinologist. I can't believe I'm saying that as in the past I've had the most horrendous experiences with endos. But, this lady is excellent. I have been in the process of very slowly titrating down on my thyroid medication and I was so happy I was in a good range the last time it was checked. I know it shouldn't just be normal, but optimal. Plus, I am not having any symptoms of hypothyroidism. I'll get it checked again in a month. Thank you so much for all your insights and helpful guidance. I wish you had a YT channel!

[@nadiaroosendaal3505]

I have had sleep issues for over 20 years - been mostly carnivore since October 2023. I recently discovered a sleep remedy - I drink a cup of bone broth to which I add a tablespoon of butter an hour before bedtime - slept for a solid 7 hours after that.

[@lukula2934]

Might give this a try, Thanks.

[@alicesais770]

Great 👍 idea, I’ll have to try it.

[@Habanero777]

I just do a tablespoon of butter. Then go brush my teeth and go to bed and that has worked wonderfully.😊

[@natasha9263]

@@Habanero777 Same! Just eating butter just before going to bed and I sleep like a baby! Such a deep sleep and nothing wakes me up lol! I love it.

[@beachbreath2504]

I am going to try this. I stopped taking melatonin and it is now taking me 2-3 hours to fall asleep, ugh.

[@dombarton2483]

To everyone watching this remember carnivore is really hypercarnivore as Prof Bart Kay tells us meaning even if you eat some carbs in the form of vegetables for example and its below 30% you are still doing carnivore. Eating a bolus of protein will also bump up your glucose levels. You always want a bump and not a spike. If it's working for her then all good. Everyone is different as our ancestors come from different parts of the globe with different climates and environments to deal with. This is why some can tolerate dairy and others cannot. The most important thing to stick with is consuming a majority animal based diet. Stay away from smoking, alcohol, all seed based oils and carbs especially grain based. Remember plant food was only ever emergency food for our ancestors when hunts failed or animals were scarce.

[@alicesais770]

But don’t you think that grains are getting a really bad wrap, our ancestors ate grains I think it’s how we are now making our grains so processed and over indulging in them

[@dombarton2483]

@@alicesais770 grains have no place in our diet. Better left to birds. They are at the foundation of so many non communicable diseases which ultimately lead to mitochondrial damage. Stay away from them at all costs. If I could give you any advice whatsoever, it would be to completely stop eating them in all forms, as well as seed based oils and fruit. Just eat animal based food. That is our species specific species appropriate diet

[@leemanwrong]

For the majority of our species existence we have not eaten grains.

[@dombarton2483]

@@leemanwrong yes true, it has been mostly the flesh and associated fat of mainly large ruminant animals

[@AndreAngelantoni]

​​@@alicesais770until agriculture was invented, the amount of grains we ate was tiny. Imagine trying to gather enough grains from the wild. So yes there is evidence that we ate grains but it was tiny. And the carbon isotope ratio in ancient teeth shows that, too.

[@corwynmatthew6625]

Great vid; super thorough, I love that. After 2 years of carnivore, I've never quite experienced what you're describing, other than being hungry first thing in the morning, but that usually goes away when I get up and start moving around. On days it doesn't (like today) I eat. I just listen to my body. As far as eating a rib-eye and still being hungry, what a lot of people tend to fall victim to is the "numbers" game. We tend to think the numbers (calories, or blood test results) are more of an exact science than they really are. If you chase those numbers you're bound to run into a lot of things that don't add up. For example: if you think you're eating plenty of calories based on the numbers but still feel hungry, then you're not eating plenty of calories (other than in the scenario when it really is a hormone issue, which generally corrects within 6 months, from what I've seen.) We also tend to not eat enough fat after a lifetime of avoiding it, so adding cold butter to bites of steak/burger etc. should help with satiety. You seem very thorough in your research so you probably understand all this, but you're also (imo) putting too much faith in the numbers. Listen to your body. Just eat when you're hungry. As far as sleep goes (which is why I clicked on this vid) I've always slept like crap, regardless of the diet. That was one thing I was bummed about when hearing so many other carnivores had improved sleep and I didn't. My sleep didn't get any worse, but it didn't necessarily get better either. But what did get better in that regard is that when I have terrible nights of sleep I am much more capable of going about my day without any trouble at all (even working out), whereas before carnivore my entire day would be ruined if I got anything less than 6 hours of crappy off-and-on-again sleep. But, regardless, keep doing you. Whatever works, works, and could help a lot of other people, so thanks for sharing. 😊

[@Havenwyck_Media]

I'm in my late 60's, and have been strict carnivore since the first of Feb. I have had sleep issues for the last fifteen years...I thought carnivore might help, but it hasn't change. I am rarely hungry, and eat only two meals a day, getting about 1500 cals a day. I'm losing weight very slowly, and this is frustrating. I was pre-diabetic when I started, and now that's fixed, but I still can't sleep. Your information here is compelling, and I'm sure my issues are yet another aspect of insulin resistance, but no one seems to know. Thanks for sharing your experience, it has inspired me to dig deeper...

[@alicesais770]

I also have had sleep issues for years and it seems to get better, then again I have them in phases so I really don’t know why I’ve had him when I wasn’t keto. I had them when I was keto. I had them when I was keto or so. I just don’t know.

[@natasha9263]

Try eating a tablespoon or two of butter just before going to bed. I used to have sleep issues too and somebody told me to try this. I was sceptical at first, but I tried it and it worked! I sleep like a baby all night long and I fall asleep instantly. I don't even hear my husband coming to bed or anything for that matter. Also, it seems like you are not eating enough? 1500 calories seems to be very little food.

[@Total_Body_Fitness_USA]

I've been in healthcare 30+ years trained in integrative functional medicine and thought I would make a couple of suggestions regarding testing so you don't throw money away. 1. Check your fasting insulin levels. 2. Check your thyroid function - TSH, Free T4, and Free T3. 3. Check your hormones - Testosterone, Estrogen, and Progesterone 4. Check your iron - TIBC that includes Ferritin 5. Do a basic CBC and CMP. 6. Optional ONLY if you have gut issues - GI-MAP test. Checks for gut infections like H Pylori and other gut infections. People with H Pylori have elevated histamine levels which in turn causes sleep issues as well. You can ask your PCP to order the tests if you have health insurance. If not, you can order labs yourself online. Once you get the results you can share them with your PCP and go from there. I PROMISE you that one or more of the above tests will come back abnormal.

[@terryolay4613]

I had sleep issues for over a decade. It took being on Carnivore for about 6 months before my sleep improved. BTW, I've been wearing a CGM for self-study since last year and my blood sugar was never low and had nothing to do with my sleep.

[@terised]

Agree with the comment about your calories being too low. Try increasing by 200 calories a day for a couple weeks, and keep increasing by 200 if you're still not losing weight. Your metabolism will thank you.

[@user56gghtf]

So glad you found a solution. I was one of those people that commented on your other videos. I had been mostly carnivore for over two years but I had to keep in honey because no carbs wrecked my sleep.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! 🙏 I appreciate your comments. I'm glad the honey has helped you. Has it totally fixed your sleep issue? How soon before bed do you consume that?

[@cammieklund]

How did you consume it, when and how much?😅

[@Whatareyoudoingwithyourlife]

@@LifeDIY Still hungry after eating can be PARAISTES!! YEP that is one of the signs of parasites. Vets know that if a pet is overeating they have parasites. parasite vds on these chs Dr Ken Berry, Dr Berg, DR Group, Dr Axe, CanXida eric bakker naturopath (he is a gut expert), Brenda watson road to perfect health. ALL Humans, pets, livestock, wild animals, birds etc get parasites. In the old days doctors were educated on cleaning parasites. Now the big pHram controls the medical schools and this is not taught, ON top of that the Govt health officals & govt ABC agencies say "Parasites are not an issues in the US". THIS IS A BLANTANT LIE EVEryone gets & has parasites. Parasites will also cause sleep issues and cause you to wake up in the middle of the night as worms/parasites are active that time of night. Do a parasite cleanse. Eric bakker has protocal vds etc Start parasite cleanses based on moon phases. Library will have books on parasite cleansing & herbs. SERIOUSLY look into this.

[@steaksaltwaterguy9485]

@@LifeDIY I have been giving the same advice add 30g carbs 3-4 hours before you sleep, I have also noticed this only happens to people who are lean and active which makes sense as my glucose level has always been normally low so when I lost all the weight and fat reserves the sleep issue started. I think its important to select the type of carbs you can tolerate as some may react differently, I am having my heavy protein first then an hour later eat some carbs seems to be the sweet spot for me. I too have noticed that my trigs has slowly been rising two years in Carnivore which corresponds to the lean mass hyper responder type. I will try your carrot experiment as carbs in the form of dairy, breads grains tubers has triggered joint pain, gas,gut,skin,gum issues. Thank you very much for making this video it has answered some of my theories it seems in the long term a low carb diet with close to 90-95 percent Carnivore is the solution for some of us. please keep giving us updates as this is helping a lot of people.

[@jerwgar]

@@steaksaltwaterguy9485 Have you tried raw cultured dairy as Weston A. Price observed did well for humans. I am moving back to the mainland from Hawaii so am going to try that.

[@privatetatum]

I can't wait to sit down give this my undivided attention. I've suffered with middle of night waking for two years now, but i've only been low carb for about one - so i don't know that this definitely the issue but i'm excited at any prospect of a solution to waking up at 2:30 every morning. Thank you for sharing your tireless and thorough efforts with us!

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you and I hope you find a solution!

[@coya4321]

do you have any other histamine issues? between 2 and 4 our bodies increase histamine to start the waking process..if we go to bed with high histamine then this increase can cause symptoms waking us up

[@devintompkins9626]

Increase your saturated fat intake. Carbs give no benefit to humans whatsoever.

[@Dan0rioN]

Already excited about this channel!! I've experienced same issues, so glad I'm not the only one

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! 🙏

[@Misty_J]

As a LMHR myself and only one year into low carb diet I had to introduce carbs again, I´m stillstrugling to find the right balance. Great video by the way, thnx 👍✌

[@LifeDIY]

Misty, thanks for sharing this! I think it takes time to find what works best.

[@ktermalkut8332]

I freeze sliced sourdough bread which is supposed to have a low GI and then toast it. Have two medium size slices with butter. It truly helps with mental clarity etc. I am 204 lbs at 5 feet and have been medically judged obese

[@sharfalor4244]

​@@ktermalkut8332the only way to check how the bread is affecting you us to test with a BGM. I experimented with a lot of different bread types and sourdough was just as bad, as was German Rye. And yes, it was frozen.

[@SusanMarie-eq8ho]

I think weight training will help you. Exercise is not being discussed and it is imperative to build the maximum muscle your frame can hold.

[@LifeDIY]

@SusanMarie-eq8ho Yes! I am doing it and loving it.I will talk about it in an upcoming video.

[@PardieDiem]

I've been following Paul Saladino's way. It's good to see he is being vindicated, at least for some of us. Thank you so much for showing us the research and your personal experience that many of us can relate to!

[@rojodiver3344]

Why was it that Paul added carbs again? Was it insomnia or exercise/activity related?

[@PardieDiem]

@@rojodiver3344 He has a video explaining why.

[@machia7790]

Paul Saladino lives a completely unnatural life. He surfs for three hours a day, every day and works out on top of that! Are you really following him?

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! 🙏

[@michaelo2522]

Why do they call it saladino way It's the late ray peat method

[@doctormarazanvose4373]

Have you tried a grounding sheet? I had terrible sleep issues for 5 years and discovered that if I sleep in a room with no electrical items turned on then I slept a lot better. It appears I am sensitive to electromagnetic radiation - I suppose we all are to some extent and it is all around us these days with electric gadgets galore. The addition of a grounding bed sheet on top of that meant even better quality of sleep. You can physically measure its effect of lowering blood pressure too. Scientific peeps say it lowers the viscosity of the blood. Wearing shoes all day and not being in contact with the earth leaves us positively charged. Beach holidays are popular for relieving stress. I am beginning to wonder if walking bare foot on the sand has more to do with this than you would think. It's well worth a try - good luck :)

[@monnoo8221]

superstition

[@doctormarazanvose4373]

@@monnoo8221 I wrote a response but it was deleted. I submitted a truthful account of my personal experience but someone somewhere doesn't want it to be seen for reasons unknown.

[@doctormarazanvose4373]

@@monnoo8221 Two responses to your message have now been removed. Who is censoring this?

[@monnoo8221]

@@doctormarazanvose4373 no clue... usually the algorithm removes it when there is a link contained, or even a resemblance to a web address... which I avoid ... or if it is longer than "3 words"... which would apply... It is the general education to fake behavior. Serious responses get censored

[@doctormarazanvose4373]

@@monnoo8221 It certainly was a serious response because I have personal, measured evidence of its efficacy with BP and heart rate results. All I was trying to do was expand upon this and share my success to possibly help others. No hyperlinks - no brand influence - just hey this worked for me - try it for yourself and here's why.

[@TJ-gi3jo]

Great video! Very well done. I had zero appetite, diarrhea, intermittently poor sleep and no energy on 4 mos of strict carnivore. Adding back some carbs was necessary for me to be able to function. Trying to carefully craft a way of eating that works is definitely a process. Thank you for doing this and sharing your lab work, etc...

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing your experience and I'm glad you're doing better. I've been so used to not having many carbs but after doing carnivore for a period of time, now my body really seems to need some in order to function really well and get good sleep.

[@michellecheriekjv4115]

​@@LifeDIYWhich carbs have you added back on?

[@LifeDIY]

@@michellecheriekjv4115 For the most part, the foods I've added back in aren't very high carb. But, they seem to help me sleep a bit better (my sleep still needs a lot of work but I am making improvements) and definitely help keep me full longer. Lately I eat a lot of ground beef (really fatty) with sweet peppers. Sometimes if I am short on options I will add a bit of corn to the meat (I know people don't love that but on several nights I did that, I slept 2 hours more). Other than that, it depends on what I have on hand, but I sometimes add in some little cherry or grape tomatoes to the meat, and other times I make pickled cucumbers. I also add in avocado and olives sometimes. In addition, maybe a few times a week I will eat some frozen organic blueberriers after my meal, with coconut milk/cream (prob half a cup). The majority of what I am eating is the meat, but these other add-ons make it taste so much better. I also add a bit of tomato sauce (that I've seasoned with chili powder, garlic, onion, salt) to my meat as well. I have a sensitive stomach and most of the things I've added in are pretty low carb fruits. I've also had some pumpkin, some nuts, and probably a few other things I can't recall at the moment. I hope this helps!

[@michellecheriekjv4115]

@@LifeDIY Yes Thank you...l am on Day 9...have never done anything like this. Kinda thrilled but also kinda scary. I have a lot of health issues. Pain was all consuming....and was extremely worried about the Tylenol l was taking every 4 hours around the clock. Yesterday l only took 2 and was shocked how much inflammation l had, and how quickly it went down to a manageable level. Thanks so much for the feedback. 💕💥 God Bless

[@LifeDIY]

@@michellecheriekjv4115 Michelle, I am so happy for you with doing this. I am sorry about all the health issues, and can relate. It will be amazing if/when you don't need any anti inflammatories. I'm not sure if you've heard of LDN (Low dose naltrexone) but you may want to look into it if you haven't yet. It's commonly prescribed by functional medicine doctors for a variety of health conditions that are inflammatory - or autoimmune related - or chronic-fatigue and pain-related. It really helped me a lot years ago (in addition to totally fixing up my diet). Diet is the most important in my opinion. God Bless you too!

[@reneesales]

So you need to be ketovore or keto. This is why they say everyone is different. Someone send this to Paul Saladino. That is great you have figured it out! I really enjoyed the info in this video. You did so much of the footwork here for us, and in finding the research and other doctor videos about this. I will keep this video for future reference and to share to others experiencing the same issues.

[@LifeDIY]

Renee, I definitely agree! I wish more people understood how different we all are and not get upset with the various food choices. I am so glad you found the extra resources and clips helpful. Dr. Cywes has a nice balanced approach. That would be great if Paul Saladino checked this out. Although I don't watch a lot of Thomas Delauer's videos, I checked out his recent video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-2m61uiNFkpbc on why he quit keto or how he's eating now and his new approach to food. And, in the video he talked about no longer being afraid of insulin... It was an interesting video. Thanks again!

[@tonywong8134]

My experience with keto is that, while eating a lot of macadamia nuts that are like 90% fat and about 80% of those fats as monounsaturated, they did little for my hunger suppression. I was on this for months and it was only after adding about 75g if carbs per day did my hunger subside. I think in a lot of ways we do need carbs since I remember Chris Masterjohn saying that carbs spares protein in ways that fat can't. He's totally right in my experience because I was fuller despite eating fewer calories with carbs than eating a ton of protein and fat and more calories.

[@LifeDIY]

I totally understand that about the macadamia nuts. I like to add them in here and there but they are not filling enough. I used to eat some of them with some meat sticks and that was decently filling at the time....but that was a long time ago. I also completely understand what you're saying about having fewer calories and feeling more full if you've added in some carbs. I have that exact experience. I can add in such a small amount of carbs and I am balanced again and not having insane ravenous monstrous hunger issues as a result. I'll check out Chris Masterjohn's video - thank you! Dr. Ben Bikman also has some great insights and content on the topic of insulin and glucose. Thank you for sharing some of your experience here.

[@Stuart.Branson.]

Nuts are NOT food

[@ukelilly]

Good to know. So far, carbs make me hungry. I do add carbs on certain days here and there or when my husband buys sourdough bread ( my weakness :).

[@valeriescafe2879]

@@ukelilly sour dough made with my own starter … one thin slice toasted just twice a week and a simple salad .. iceberg lettuce and a small amount of grated carrot =Sleep!! Though I have this with my first meal after fasting I might switch the salad with carrot to my last meal of the day . I am meat based . A little sad as I was enjoying the full carnivore diet, but no sleep was robbing my brain and sanity. 😢 Now I know why these two add in’s worked. Hope you find what works… enjoy the sourdough treat. Surprisingly I haven’t been triggered to eat more ..as bread use to be a real trigger for me. But my own wild grown yeast seems to be good.

[@Boababa-fn3mr]

This is because nuts are deficient in nutrients compared to fatty red meat. You're still hungry because your body is crying out for what it really wants.

[@PaulMatsumotoloves]

Wow! I love your detailed research, Holly! As a complete side note, low blood glucose can cause inflammation and one VERY helpful tool I've found is a Grounding Mat or sheet. I sleep on it and my sleep has dramatically changed and has remained very deep through the night. I've found this to be the case with thousands of other testimonies. The background data on this is very convincing. Check it out if you like.

[@1timbarrett]

What a relief that the topic of insomnia on LCDs is finally being addressed…! Pleasant dreams, everyone! 😘

[@passiveincomeadventures]

Years ago my dad warned me about this as he was Type II who naturally preferred a more carnivore type diet and would wake up starving in the middle of the night when he had an evening carnivore meal. This really derailed him as ge ended up moving more toward standard doctor recommendations with way more plants and carbs than he wanted to eat, using the night hunger as "proof" he shouldn't be that low carb. He eventually passed away from diabetic kidney failure, so there is a middle ground here that I am glad you have found! He was trying to listen to his body, but there are so many loud voices about diet out there, it's so hard to do that! Thank you for sharing your experiences. Carnivore is a useful therapeutic diet, but I'm personally finding adding berries and allulose to my diet in the evenings has improved my quality of life dramatically by reducing the nausea I experience while eating only carnivore.

[@LifeDIY]

I'm so sorry about your dad. Thank you for sharing some of his experience. It must have been hard for him to find the right balance with listening to his body and the doctors. You are right that it's not easy to do! I totally agree with you that carnivore is a great therapeutic tool. I'm so glad to hear that the berries and allulose are helping so much! I also sometimes have issues with horrible nausea and when I've had nothing else to turn to (when adding more meat would make me feel worse), I have eaten some blueberries and it's helped me a lot at those times. Have you ever thought that it could be your gallbladder? It's hard to figure out because some people do well eating massive amounts of fat and others cannot do that. So it's hard to know if it's a gallbladder issue or if your body just isn't meant to over-consume the fats. When I've been really nauseous, I sometimes take a couple charcoal capsules and it takes about 20 minutes, but it then improves.

[@MrApplewine]

I suggested earlier that copper deficiency was causing your insomnia. Frank Tufano got insomnia on carnivore and used copper. Also, as copper expert Morley Robins mentions, copper is necessary for GLP1, which Dr. Cywes mentions at 2:47. The issue with carnivore diet is that it is high in iron and zinc, but the soil is deficient in copper and zinc blocks copper and iron has be balance with copper to release iron and prevent iron overload. The other thing is that high protein diet depletes retinol and retinol is used for the sleep cycle. Retinol is in liver. You can test retinol. I don't know this is the issue and maybe you should have carbs, but I would try doing the copper and retinol. Iodine is also deficient in just about everyone and there are people using 50mg of Lugol's iodine per day. See Lynne Farrow "The Iodine Crisis". You can take at least 6mg of copper per day and I believe much more is fine as copper advocates say it is not a problem. Morley Robins has much more information and suggests doing some blood donating to get ferittin below 150 for women and below 300 for men, and ideally between 20 and 50. The soil is copper deficient so the beef liver will be deficient. One person had their grass fed beef liver tested and it was zero. So, just supplement. You can see Morley Robins mentions Incretin GLP1 at time index 18 minutes in the video "Is Copper the Key to Weight loss?" with Dr. Amie Hornaman. EDIT: I think he used copper, maybe I'm remembering wrong. One other thing to check which causes many other problems though is toxic mold and you can test yourself for that from MyMycoLab. Either way, the copper seems to be involved with blood sugar and insulin and GLP1.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate your insights. I don't like to supplement with too many things unless I am tested and showing a deficiency. But, I'll check into my past copper levels and other labs. I have been supplementing with iodine for months now. My ferritin has always tested at 60. I'm going to check out the resources you shared and do some research. My issues are improving with the carbs, but I am still going to look into all of this because I know how important all these minerals are - copper, zinc, iron, etc. and if any of those are causing issues, I want to fix it asap. I also think people should be careful supplementing with copper, or at least do testing. If someone takes too much copper, low zinc issues can be really bad too. I had a family member with low zinc and it caused a lot of problems. I'm going to chat with my favorite doctor in a couple of weeks, so I'll ask her about it and hopefully get some labs as well. Thank you!

[@MrApplewine]

​@@LifeDIY That is a good sign. My ferritin is over 300, which is a sign of pathology (according to Sir Douglas B. Kell, PhD, Knighted in 2014 for his pioneering and penetrating research into Ferritin and Morley Robins I believe). You could check your ceruloplasmin for copper. Retinol is used for the copper pumps. I don't know if you were eating liver or not for your retinol.

[@LifeDIY]

@@MrApplewine Thanks! I remember hearing Dr. Cywes mention something about high ferritin. I know my iron was on the higher end in 2023. I think my copper was on the low normal end the last time I was tested, so I'll definitely get it retested. I haven't really eaten liver though I do have some liver supplements if I need them. I am going to ask my doctor to order these labs. I don't know much about retinol, so I will look into all of this shortly. Thanks!

[@k41418]

​@@LifeDIY I worked with someone who is trained in morleys protocols. I have a ferritin of 21 and I assure you it is not ideal. My hair and eyebrows fall out and only grow back after I get iv iron. I wake after 6 hours of sleep on carnivore. Carbs can be hit or miss with me for sleep as sometimes the blood sugar crash wakes me. Carbs at every meal can help but then I'm sleeping 9 hours and still feel exhausted. My sleep issues started when I went low carb 10 years ago. I think it's either hormonal or anxiety for me.

[@Habanero777]

Everybody should be drinking their water out of a copper water bottle or a copper mug. That's what I've been doing for the past year.

[@mk3suprafy]

Finally! Someone not dogmatic. I am underweight, trying to go carnivore for the last year. I cycle and try to acclimate while maintaining weight. I struggle to digest tons of fat and can't do dairy, even ghee. I enter hard ketosis very quickly. Morning glucose always stable, and ketones would be in the 'ultimate' zone in 2-3 days of no carbs. I would feel great for a period of time and then feel less satisfied, then tired, try doing more fat, try electrolytes... no good. Tracked macros the whole time, I would try more protein, more fat, more exercise, more electrolytes, more small meals, more big meals... People who can't accept this always circling a wheel of excuses, all bs from dogmatic people. Started getting painful cramps in my calves each morning. What I found is adding banana and blueberries with some honey worked out fantastic. Red meat every day, a pound or more and add extra fat. Always eaten first. Wait till hungry then add fruit. You can 'prime the pump' for your insulin. Doesn't take long. No vegetables, no grains. Just fruit, which I NEVER really tolerated well. Now I have mangoes and kiwi along with many bananas and cups of blueberries. This gets me more calories throughout the day than I was (3000+). I have more appetite but feel satisfied. I have no blood sugar issues and just feel better and more sustainable eating this way.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for sharing this! Your comment is so refreshing. I also appreciate your approach to all of this. And, I can relate to so many things you mentioned. I can imagine it's hard to do carnivore if underweight. Some people really struggle to keep the weight on - my son has this issue. I was pretty much underweight when I started carnivore & I lost a couple lbs in the beginning, but I gained it back and about 5 lbs more so I am in the normal range now. I can completely relate to how you'd go through cycles of feeling ok and then more tired, trying to add in more fats, etc. Been there so many times. I consume as much fat as my body can tolerate and if I go over a certain amount then I get very, very ill from it. It's happened many times. I know most people wouldn't like this, but I found it helpful to eat 2-3x a day in order to help with the digestion of the fat. I can't tolerate dairy either (or ghee). I like to use duck fat when cooking eggs and certain other items and coconut oil is fine for certain things. I also love coconut milk (the Thai kitchen brand that has 2 ingredients is the best one if you ever want to try it. Others have gums in them). I like your approach of always eating the meat first and then having some fruit. I do the same thing. I didn't have muscle cramps but when in deeper ketosis, I kept having my left eye twitching like crazy. It was very annoying. I have about a 1/4 c of blueberries here and there but it doesn't seem to impact me much as it's a small amount. I am in such a habit of having low carb low sugar items, it'll take time for me to adjust to adding things in. As far as fruit goes, I used to love Papaya, and kiwis are really good too. It sounds like you have a lot better energy levels now. And, I've just been experimenting with adding things in more recently, but I've noticed the same thing. I feel better and more energized and it helps if I am getting better, longer sleep too. Thanks!

[@dawnbullen6875]

I'm in the same boat I'm more than happy to be totally carnivore, but, I've always been a lean person and have difficulty keeping weight on, and so after trying all sorts of different things have found for me, dairy is ok, very small amount of milk each day in my cuppa, a small amount of broccolli just to keep things moving and I love it, and a peeled apple after my main meal, and so far this seems to be my best method I feel balanced note the (I as in me), this is what I do, sick of all those that try to say that people are not doing it the right way. You do you I'll do me, whatever works and is healthy for the individual.

[@ninjaa9999]

Same 4 months pure carnivore and suddenly same things started happening and non stop twitching in my triceps for a week was nuts. Nothing helped same as for you, until i got carbs from fruits. Now adding 50-100gr of carbs and all good. And yes i tried all possible solutions to stay 100% carnivore-doesn't work for me and i am training in a gym for 20 years so know everything about nutrition in various ways:) Just not for all some people just need small amount of carbs for electrolyte balance and not from protein as people say but from carbs. No dogma when its your health please:) I would stay carnivore with pleasure since it's my favourite foods :))))but it doesn't work for me. Sad but true.

[@patriceferguson7340]

You do what works for you. Your body and no one’s opinion is the ultimate boss of what how you should feed. Stay tuned to the bodies responses. That’s the best guide.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! I agree.

[@GreenTeaViewer]

Since I started carnivore my body has moved naturally to a biphasic sleep pattern. I wake up at 3am feeling in a good mood and moderately alert. At first I thought this was a problem, but now I believe it's normal and I try to embrace it. Fortunately I have the flexibility to take a nap or siesta in the afternoon which is the other part of this sleep pattern.

[@jhssuthrnmama]

Wish it was a norm for me. I'm not sure I'm a believer in the biphasic sleep pattern, largely because it has never happened naturally for any of my children, all of whom have been raised in a way that should have lef naturally to it If it were natural, since they slept in my bed and nursed whenever they wanted to for the first 3 years of their lives. When I wake at 3:00 a.m., I feel drugged and miserable for 3 hours until I'm finally able to sleep again.

[@Boababa-fn3mr]

​@@jhssuthrnmamatry taking a bite of butter, the fat may help you get back to sleep

[@YoRock1976]

I’m in my the 4th month of my OMAD carnivore only diet, and I am feel great; however, my first month was brutal, and I was close to quitting because I had horrible insomnia. I literally slept 1-2 hours per night. Fortunately, after 4 weeks, my body adjusted and now I am able to sleep on average 6 hours a night. I recommend that if you’re just starting the carnivore diet and experiencing insomnia, you watch videos like this one and don’t give up prematurely.

[@Erik-jv6fu]

Valerian root helps.

[@holistic_Ology]

I've been Carnivore for 7 months :) I feel like I reclaimed my ancestral right to a healthy, fulfilling life. Who would have thought that as a mom of 4 I would not need naps and have steady energy from dusk to dawn ❤

[@CarnivoreKipp]

Glad you are finding what works for you. We are all different. Living this lifestyle is about finding what works not feeling like all Carnivores have to be exactly the same.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks so much, Kipp! 🙏 I love your view on that. I feel the same!

[@ellieb2914]

I so appreciate you taking the time to share what you learn with the rest of us. You are the dive master Holly! I had been picking up the occasional pint of strawberries at the farmers market and sort of discovered a bit of the same. It seems that when I eat a small bowl of strawberries usually with a scant teaspoon of raw honey drizzled over the top, I sleep much better that night. I do have trouble with the sweet taste but now that I know, I can investigate a less triggering option. Thanks again!

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for such a nice comment! I really appreciate it. :) It is understandable that it might help with your sleep. I've seen a lot of comments where people say they have honey or fruit before bed. But, I don't know the full details of it or if they have it a certain number of hours before bed or if they eat it on its own or after a meal. Hopefully you can test out some other options that aren't triggering problems with the sweetness. I'm trying to think of some other ideas besides the carrots.

[@SchastyeZ]

Suggest to try instead the strawberries with a little sugar free maple syrup 😊

[@ellieb2914]

@@SchastyeZ For me it's just the sweet taste, in general, so the strawberries alone trigger the cravings. Thanks tho! I'll find something that works.

[@tanyaburford8699]

I just realised you are Kerry’s sister! And I’ve been following you both for a while. What amazing siblings. God bless ❤

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you!

[@fredsmit3481]

Holly, thanks so much for all of your hard work and sharing. I also wake up and have tried multiple things. I drink a lot of water during the day and one thing that helped me is to stop drinking any liquids 3.5 hours before bed. I still wake up once, but less often. I eat mostly carnivore OMAD. I recently tried a Stelo CGM and saw that my glucose graph actually went slightly down after my one meal. The graph was rather flat during the day, but slightly down after the meal. It makes me think that adding healthy carbs won't hurt my ketosis and may help my sleep. I will try it out. Thanks again!

[@lukula2934]

Subbed and liked, thank you....Been carnivore since Oct. of '23...My sleep cycles have changed dramatically in this period. And the dietary experimenting has been ongoing. Must admit to a strong aversion to any kind of medical involvement. The 3-4 AM waking is something I've gotten used to. Especially since my normal bedtime is now around 9 pm. Generally, 6 hours of sleep seems to be fine for my 70 yr. old body. I'm eating pretty good breakfasts now and drinking morning coffee with heavy cream. Every few days I will have some blueberries and whipped cream after dinner, but noticed a fat gain around the belly since starting this addition and have had a felt decreased desire to eat this food treat. I'm convinced that my food addiction issues have been improving steadily with this lifestyle. And it seems likely that much of this imbalance and craving had been due to constant hormonal fluctuations from the typical SAD lifestyle. I'm just not as prone as you are to engage in the "scientific minutia". I prefer to just try to be more mindful of this body and the effect that the fuel can have on its performance.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for sharing this. I appreciate it! I'm glad to hear that food addiction issues are improving. That's wonderful.

[@cathyweaver1449]

Please tell me what you eat for breakfast. Do you eat it at an early hour ? Then what kind of meals do you have later?

[@lukula2934]

@@cathyweaver1449 Apologies for the delayed response. I'm still in flex with experimentation, but will try to be informative. My hunger signals have altered to the point where I am not hungry in the morning. I sometimes will eat bacon and eggs but mostly out of a concern for maintaining my energy levels for the day, and can't say for sure that I see much difference between breakfast and no breakfast days. Typically, I had been having breakfast at around 6 am, but it wasn't a disciplined or scheduled choice. Recently I've started reducing my vitamin intake to less than half the usual regimen. And this seemed to have a good effect on my overall digestion, though there was a noticeable drop in energy levels throughout the day. I am now trying Tongkat Ali, Lion's Mane, And Black Maca supplements and I have noticed a better and uninterrupted sleep as well as an improved and more consistent mood/energy level. I'm now waking a little later, (around 5am), and feeling much more rested. I'm going to begin taking Shilijit as well after hearing how well my 36 yr old son has been doing with it and Tongkat Ali. His coffee addiction has vanished and he is sleeping much better with greatly increased stamina. As subjective as all of this tends to be, the results cannot be denied.... I have a theory that carnivores react differently to supplementation and likely need less of it because of the nutrient dense and far less toxic diet....I'm nearly 71 yrs old, a cancer survivor, and widower. ( Living alone makes this diet much more do-able). Forgot to mention that Costco beef(choice grade), is my go to meal. I rarely get bored with this meal. My air fryer gets a daily workout and now I'm just cooking from frozen. I'll have a steak at around 4-6 pm. If I'm hungry later , I will warm up a Costco, high quality hot dog or 2. And an occasional treat of blueberries.Hope this helps....

[@gerard6629]

another example of how listening to how you feel is more important than a particular lab level. At times my glucose has been in the 50’s and I felt fine. To base life changes solely on a lab level is a fools errand. Glad you found something that works for you.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you and I totally agree!

[@scoobydadog246]

@@LifeDIY Yes to both of you! One thing that concerns me about the 'carnivore' community (which is a generalization I realize) is the hyper-focus on the blood glucose level and HbA1C, especially the view that glucose spikes are bad and to be avoided at all costs. I understand this b/c it appears that most people come into this way of eating metabolically damaged; with excessively elevated glucose, and spikes that don't return back to baseline in a timely manner because of insulin insensitivity. However; uber low sugar and NO 'spiking' are not good either. In fact a healthy spike is normal and desired in response to food and hormonal triggers (i.e cortisol, adrenaline) . It is the metabolism (i.e mitochondrial function) that is impaired in these ppl. i.e they aren't processing the glucose properly, not the glucose itself. If you put a CGM on a young healthy child (if one can be found these days), you would see the blood glucose level going up and down all the time. I did a lot of research trying to understand myself; b/c I came into carnivore one of the rare people without impaired glucose metabolism. Eating mainly carbohydrates, my weight was 100-105 lbs at 5'5" (I was not vegan , and not low fat either - I just didn't eat a lot of meat, but some, a lot of cheese and butter). My lab values were always good; and my fasting blood glucose was often 100-110, although I didn't have it measured much, and that was not likely true fasting. A couple years ago, I did test my blood sugar for a short period, and the highest 'spike' I ever recorded was 130 - after eating a high carb/sugar load. I really should have my insulin checked (Dr. wouldn't order) , but based on my other labs and experience and the fact I've stayed at this for decades (I'm 63) , I assume it is good. After 4 months on carnivore, my fasting blood glucose was no different - actually on the high end at 110. Just one reading though so who knows. I gave straight 'carnivore' an 8 month try - but for me; I did not get the benefits I hoped (GI) and definitely not all the energy , mood lifting and mental clarity I hear others speak of! And I really expected that - so placebo effect alone should have done something! I also gained about 7 unwanted lbs of fat (not muscle). I believe that strict carnivore is wonderful for many people permanently, but I also think it could be a strategy used for a time, and then later modified a bit; like it seems you are doing; and many others have done. I know for me - the controlled adding back some carbohydrates, especially simple sugars (opposite of the high glycemic index foods) has made me feel much better, right away. I'm still experimenting. Just some fruit - berries and melon with honey, has helped me feel a lot better in the evening. I've even had some white rice and sugar.. real sugar.. which may freak those not familiar with the bioenergetic approach out - but it's absorbed quickly and my insulin manages it. Ironically the low GI starches people are told to favor stay around a lot longer... and your body needs to produce more insulin over time. There might be less of a 'spike'.. but the reaction is more prolonged. Also has negative GI effects. One more example of how doing the opposite of what mainstream medicine preaches is wise :). Doubt anyone will read this. but buttom line; keep learning and figuring out what works for you, and don't get hung up on numbers are following anyone's 'rules'. Good luck!

[@danellekelly1214]

@@scoobydadog246 I've been following the bioenergetic approach for quite a long while - watch a lot of Jay Feldman and Mike Fave, and although some of the ideas don't work great for me (orange juice doesn't love me!) I think much of their science really makes sense. It seemed scary to add so many carbs after many years of believing so much in strict low carb, but I know a lot more now about nutrition science!

[@morrisdavis9231]

I am also having constant cramps, I do electrolytes and drink water. Between the sleep struggles and cramps I am miserable but love the way carnivore controls my weight thanks @ 1:30am

[@cy-villian]

Magnesium, try up your low carb veggies, 1 > 2 tbsp AVC before bed, Rooibos tea before bed (stimulate Melatonin, low oxalate!). Target your carbs to your last meal before sleeping. 20 to 30 grams should do it. Bone broth will also help with cramps !!! Collagen, Chondroitin and Glucosamine ... That's lots of liquid, go Bone Broth (beef bone, lots' of joints, make it yourself, no veggies, goes sour) first to clear the cramps then tea to help with sleep. Always AVC. Meat / muscle is a protein, protein is a stimulant ... Catch 22 Joseph .. great book. Hope you are okay.

[@risecopeman5409]

Never listened to your videos before, but thankful for addressing that there are differences in how people respond to high meat and fat diets. These differences are real and should not be reacted to as defensively as some absolutists do. It doesn't help those affected to achieve the goals of optimal health through carnivore or animal based keto .

[@LifeDIY]

I 100% agree with you. I appreciate you sharing that.

[@twofarg0ne763]

I"m 75. I was having problems sleeping too. However, I've never needed more than 7 hours in my whole life. After I went carnivore I started sleeping only 5 hours, usually waking at 3 or 3:30am. When I moved to a more carno/keto diet my sleep went back 7 hours. I just added blueberries, dill pickles, and an occasional avocado. I also like to take naps in the afternoon.

[@mrbrightside3771]

Im in my 40s and have the same exact issue. 3am wake up like clock work. and cant go back to sleep.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this! Those are the exact foods I like to add in as well.

[@terised]

​@@LifeDIYI added berries, tomatoes and onions about 7 months ago but my sleep has not improved. I also eat whole milk plain Greek yogurt and cheese daily.

[@jhssuthrnmama]

About how much do you think you're getting in carbs?

[@LifeDIY]

@@terised Thanks for sharing this and sorry for the late reply! I've added some of those in as well (without the yogurt and cheese as I am lactose intolerant) and for me it hasn't improved my sleep. It's been a struggle! Lately I've been waking up even earlier (around 12 or 1 AM), though I can sometimes go back to sleep for a couple hours. I am now wearing a continuous glucose monitor (and getting labs done today) to track and figure things out - and see exactly how food are impacting me/my glucose levels. When I posted this video, just tiny bits of carbs helped and I slept, but since then it hasn't been as easy. I will do an update video soon. I am so HAPPY to hear you're doing better with the add-ins. Is your sleep still doing better now?

[@kristenmayo1289]

Thank you so much for diving into this and working hard for an answer... I started eating lower toxin fruits/veggies which helped tremendously. I was still curious of why. I couldn't give it anymore time to 'carnivore harder' which is typically the advice given. every aspect of my life was impacted tremendously. I got to the point i couldn't drive anymore because i was so sleep deprived and my headspace was 'swimmy' if that's such a thing. Not to mention the financial burden of eating so much. Extremely hard to do when kids and a husband rely on you!! Here's a big virtual hug for putting yourself through all that to provide answers. ❤

[@devintompkins9626]

Probably didn't have enough saturated fat while doing it. I thought my issue was the same as you described then I started increasing my saturated fat intake to get my body to relax and lower cortisol. So many ppl still shy away from proper fat do to programming of the food industry.

[@LifeDIY]

Kristen, I am so sorry for my late reply and also sorry for what you're going through. People don't seem to understand the massive impact this can have when you change the diet like this. And you're right - they'll say you did it wrong or do carnivore better or harder. It's insanity because everyone is different and that is not the solution to all our life's issues, especially if that is what caused our issues! I didn't even think I had a drastic change in diet as I was eating so low carb prior to my carnivore experience, but it had a huge impact on my life - causing disrupted hunger signals and my sleep. I'm still dealing with it now. I have to be so strategic with it. I've found that the only way I sleep is if I add in some carbs. My son and I have been watching these little KZbin clips from Men's Health - sharing the diet of different muscular celebrities and apparently I can eat more than the Hulk! :) lol. It is definitely expensive and time-consuming to have to eat so much every day. Do you mind sharing any of the foods that have helped? Do you have any methods that are working? I find that I can't eat within a couple hours of sleeping or my sleep is more messed up. It's a slow process to add things in as the body is no longer used to the veggies after eating carnivore. If you ever need someone to chat with, please reach out to me. I also have a forum on my website. I may end up shutting it down in the near future and just moving things over to locals, but I'll make a post if/when that happens (www.lifeanddiy.com/forum/). @devintompkins9626 - For me personally, I heard people say this so much and that was a huge priority for me. I consumed so much fat to the point of making myself sick semi regularly (on accident) as it's hard to know how much is ok versus too much, for me. I always monitored ketones so I know that I was burning fat and must have had plenty, but that never helped me to increase it even further. For me, my sleep worsened significantly when I upped the fat.

[@200Nora]

From keto I went into carnivore. However, I eat eggs and some dairy, coffee with the occasional vegetable like avocado (fruit} and broccoli. All my life, I have been a light sleeper and waking up around two or three became my norm. Lately, I do not wake up as much and manage to sleep at least seven hours most days, which for me used to be rare before carnivore. I actually experience more hunger in the am when I eat more than my quota of carbs with my dinner. I came to this eating patterns after pre diabetes which now is normal again. On keto, I was having lots of gassiness and some veggies would give me belly cramps. On carnivore, I do not get too much of that. I am also a LMH type with always elevated LDL and optimal HDL and triglycerides even when I was pre diabetic. For me that has been the norm always, and I always refuse the statins because if LDL was going to kill me like my drs imply, I would have been dead since my 20s, and I am 68 now. My experience is different, but we are different in the way our genes control our physiology. So far, for me, eating this way seems to be working. I also exercise and eat two meals a day with a little LC snack because I tend to lose too much weight, and I never been overweight. Sometimes you have to listen to your body and adjust your life style accordingly, regardless of what other dieters say or believe. Great information!

[@LifeDIY]

Excellent advice! And, thank you for sharing some of your journey and experiences. It sounds like your way of eating is ideal for you now. I'm glad to hear you're sleeping more now.

[@TaodharmaTV]

I really enjoyed your explanation, as I've been dealing with insomnia. As an acupuncturist, I need to have energy to work with patients throughout the day and can't take naps. I ate some rice recently, very small portion - two spoonfuls with my dinner and it caused an eye allergy that night. It felt like sandpaper in my eye, the next morning I was sensitive to light and had to wear sunglasses both inside and outside. It lasted three days. I do add avocados and carrots. The reason why I started more animal-based way of eating is to get rid of fungus and reverse hypertension. Thanks so much for these tips.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much. I appreciate the feedback. It's such a complicated situation for many of us and I was hoping to at least share some of my thoughts and ideas on it. I am really sorry you have the same issue. Just as of recently - the last couple of weeks - I've been fixing my sleep finally. I will share more details in a couple of weeks once I narrow things down more. Sorry to hear about your experience with rice. Some of us are really sensitive to different foods. It's good you're aware of what's triggering it. I really hope things improve for you with your sleep.

[@Taodharma]

Looking forward to hearing more 😊​@@LifeDIY

[@lke4907]

I had the worst sleep when I was on carnivore. I added fruit and a lot of dairy and carbs back into my diet. Bam! I'm back to sleeping well. 😂 My body doesn't respond well to low carb. I was always lathargic and very low energy. I'm a naturally high-energy person and go go go. Carnivore was not for me. Carbs/fruit PLUS meat are life!! I love my fruit. I will never give up fresh organic crunchy grapes ever again!! It's my favorite thing to eat of all time!!!

[@challisaine10]

Thank you, Holly, for all the work you’ve done tracking, collecting data, and sharing information. I’d not heard any mention of your monthly cycles, I know mine makes a major impact on my hunger levels and the misconception I had was that I needed to stick to a consistent way of eating all month long. Turns out I have to be compassionate towards my hunger in the later half of my cycle and then I’ll feel completely satiated in the first half of the next cycle. Have you noticed this?

[@monalee7687]

Really interesting how people are so different. When I was eating carbs, I used to get hypoglycemic symptoms every time my glucose level dropped below 80. I would already start to feel weak at 83. Doctors didn’t believe me because they said upper 70s is not hypoglycemia. On carnivore, I no longer get hypoglycemic symptoms even when my glucose level is 50. No dizziness, shakiness, numbness/tingling, palpitations etc.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for sharing this. I have some people telling me how impossible it is for me to have had symptoms in the 70s. I am so happy to hear that you're doing so much better on carnivore. It makes sense to me. Many years ago when I was the standard American diet I had hypoglycemic symptoms, though I never tested the range back then. I didn't know much about it at the time. At that time it was from me having too much sugar throughout the day. When I later started eating low carb and keto it all normalized for me too & went away. I didn't start to have glucose issues again until more recently and mostly at night.

[@monalee7687]

I lost consciousness once in public and got moved to the ER in an ambulance. That was definitely hypoglycemia but they ruled it as “unknown cause” and discharged me because my glucose level was normal by their standards 😅 There are so many things that medical professionals ignore because they trust too much in their standard range. Many people don’t fit into the standard range but they refuse to acknowledge this :( Were you by any chance eating too much protein when you started getting symptoms while on carnivore? Your body could have started to turn protein into too much glucose. This is a process that gradually happens over time so you could have been eating the same amount of protein for a very long time and was fine but your body could have gradually shifted to glucose for energy. This could be why you feel much better when you add some carbs. Or some say that women can benefit from eating more carbs so maybe there is some truth to that.

[@allie9462]

Thank you so much for validating my experience! I’m truly mystified how some long term carnivores don’t have sleep issues. Honestly I did experiments with maple syrup and honey plus potatoes and fruit and only did that much carbs help! Finally slept through the night for a whole week! I took out the maple syrup and again woke up at 2

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! I am so grateful for your comment, because I know that others are dealing with similar issues and it helps to chat about it. Thank you for sharing your experience with the carbs. I know you're right that it takes a certain number of carbs or type of carbs to really help fix the shortened sleep issues. That's going to take me some time to figure out too. I'm so happy to hear you slept through the night for a week though!

[@cammieklund]

I'm mystified aswell since I couldn't fix the sleep issues and stress response for 15 months in total!!! I was a complete WRECK after that. Sadly I need over 170 g of carbs a day to keep calm and sleep so that's not ideal. Still trying to figure shit out. 😅

[@Habanero777]

A lot of people do better sleeping when they have a little bit of extra glucose so they don't do the glucose spike and drop while sleeping, which is what wakes you up.

[@kindedge]

I’m 51 carnivore & I sleep like a satiated lion. Bam… 9pm out until 5:29, before 5:30 alarm. 360 protein & electros. 1:15 max workout & 2 30 min sun or sunset dog walks, busy day, yoga & human stuff & solitude. Sleep like a baby. 4 years.

[@jhssuthrnmama]

Yeah, well, I do all that stuff and my sleep is crap. To be fair, it was before carnivore, too, but it has gotten worse since then.

[@freetinkerer3878]

Im about to start carnivore and having this video in my back pocket gives me so much confidence. Thank you.

[@CarnivoreToday]

Excellent content, Holly! Glad you are on to your issues. Great information. I ran across this the other day since I did the same, but some folks I have listened to said they reported salt was disrupting their sleep. They cut the salt and their insomnia went away. Maybe not going to work with you, just wanted to mention that to you in case you wanted to give it a try. Strangely enough, when I cut out salt, my cramping stopped. Very weird and not what I expected. I changed nothing but stopped eating extra salt on my foods, and the nausea stopped completely, the cramping stopped, and overall I feel better. Now the steak doesn't taste as good...but I am getting used to it. Bacon tastes like a salt lick now!

[@LifeDIY]

Hey Adam, thank you! 🙏 I really appreciate your comment and extra insights. That is so interesting about the salt. And, I am really glad to hear it's helped with your issues. I am open to trying it, but I think I may need the salt though as I have low blood pressure that can become a problem at times. That's funny about the bacon! I can imagine it might taste too salty now. :) Were you having nausea when eating a lot of fat? I think my taste buds have changed from carnivore and it's so strange because sometimes things don't taste salty at all and I oversalt and my son informs me of it. :) And, other times it's the opposite. I wish I would have spent even more time on this video but I got stuck in editing overload and I kept finding more things to include. So I forgot to mention that I also have low cortisol and I suspect this is an issue that may be more common than known about because it's not commonly tested for. A great test is called Dutch Complete and it takes cortisol levels at 5 different times, plus hormones (testosterone, estrogen, lots of other ones, etc., neurotransmitters, etc. it's very detailed). So I forgot to share that and it can definitely play a part in my issues because insulin and cortisol are needed for gluconeogenesis - to make and maintain glucose levels.

[@tishw8580]

Thank you so much for this video. I was having the same issues and was waking in the night and having poor quality sleep with what felt to me to be caused by low blood sugar and hunger. I first thought I wasn't eating enough fat, but after some experimentation, it didn't seem to be the case. Your video helped me to understand the mechanisms that could be behind my issues. Without knowing why, I found that my situation was helped by having fruit with dinner, but occasionally got the unpleasant sugar rush. Now, I think I have a better idea of how to go about correcting the situation. I have trouble with almost all vegetables. However, I tolerate carrots more than most others and maybe can find other foods that will work. Also, I have been dealing with the same sense that I am starving, especially in the mornings around 10:00. Eating more meat didn't seem to satisfy. Eating a small amount of fruit helped, but I always felt like a carnivore cheater and that it was bad. Because of your video, I think I have a better understanding on how to go about adjusting things to find something that works. Thank you again. It was very enlightening. The carnivore diet really is a big fat experiment and I feel because of that there really are no hard rules. It makes no sense to be rigid carnivore purists with something which has relatively little research behind it. "Just do what works", "moderation in everything" and "do the best you can" are my mantras.

[@Valerie-b3s]

Thank you for this video. I'm considering the Carnivore diet, but I have issues with absolutely no other foods. I do believe that humans are both carnivore & herbivore. I also think most people eat too much when eating veggies and fruits. This helps me in my decisions on how to go about this.

[@rlwings]

It can take a very long time to recover from a sugar addiction. Insomnia being one of the worst symptoms. Reintroducing your drug of choice will indeed provide temporary relief. But the real issue is you haven't waited long enough for your body to fully recover. Carbs are never needed - never.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you for the comment. I am not addicted to sugar. And, when I have a little fruit, it doesn't cause me any issues or wanting way more, etc. Not everyone has that addiction.

[@kathleenodonnell8355]

Suggesting you please consider the bio-individuality of each person. Some people become more catabolic the longer they remove all carbs. And then some people have no issue whatsoever at zero carbs. It’s not a personal weakness for one’s body to feel better with some natural carbs.

[@scoobydadog246]

If you didn't need carbohydrate your body would not make it. That is simplistic thinking. Actually it is the seed oils, and potentially the 'seeds' themselves, i.e grains; & chemicals and concoctions conjured up by the food industries that are most 'addictive' - that would be my proposal. If it was the 'sugar' - people would be drawn to eating it by the spoonfuls. Easily accessible and most SAD households have a bag in the house. When I binged.. I craved cookies, and crackers, breads; Never fruit, never sugar from the bowl - which would be the quickest fix. The carbs/glucose itself are not the problem - it is the damage to the mitochondria and inability to process them that is. There are many reasons for insomnia.

[@rlwings]

@@scoobydadog246 Carbs are sugar. Addiction is the same. And your body only makes what it needs. Never a need to add any. Gluconeogenesis takes care of our glucose needs as it was designed to do... Agree about seed oils. But It's the combination of seed oils and glucose that drive the inflammation that cause metabolic disease.

[@Fresh_N_Fit]

Shut up dude you don't know what you're talking about, you're just repeating what you've heard in videos. I did carnivore for years, strictly, and my sleep was always terrible regardless of fat:protein ratio and electrolyte consumption. Saying things just take more time is such a cop out excuse. It's like a doctor blaming a disease on genetics when really they're just clueless about what is going on.

[@MichaelConlon-j7z]

I went from keto to ketovore. Bacon and eggs and cheese to start, them red meat, then three tsp of Olive Oil, with approx twenty macadamia nuts and some walnut halves and pecan sections. The nuts and olive oil may be what spared me from ravenous hunger. I always feel satisfied. I easily fast for two days a week, eating for only five. I'm 64, and my VA lab results show me not as a lean mass hyper dude, but happy with: 295 total cholesterol, high LDL of 222, and high HDL of 73, low trigs, and a low normal glucose level of 66. My VA Doc agrees that for us elderly dudes, high cholesterol correlates with longer healthy life, not heart attacks.

[@odettemarillier1297]

These are the very things Stephanie the Keto person has been explaining and preaching on her channel...

[@travelingcarnivores]

Thanks for the great insight on insomnia. I have been Carnivore for 16 months and I too have been having issues. Like clockwork I wake up between 2:30 to 3:00AM. It has been better lately but thanks for all your research and this terrific informative video

[@LifeDIY]

So happy to see your comment here. Thank you! I hope your sleep gets better. :)

[@shareknowledge4792]

Thank you for this very detailed and informative video. I added some carrots to my carnivore dinner and slept 6 hours which was better. Last night I added a half cup of mashed sweet potato and slept over 7 hours. Grateful.

[@LifeDIY]

I am glad that's helped! Sometimes I I hope yours continues to get better.

[@Desperate4Discount]

Someone in the comments mentioned mouth taping at night due to sleeping with mouth open. Thank you so much, my problem was waking up multiple times during the night with my mouth severely dry and drinking water each time I woke up. I tried it the last two nights and I woke up only one time last night. I feel so much better today. I used MEDIPORE medical tape.

[@chetbodley8629]

Thank you for your research, it's nice to see people trying different things and finding what works for them.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! I really appreciate the comment.

[@michaelsdad2010]

Really appreciate this video, been low/no carb for 3 months and have hard time sleeping more then 5 hours. Also not eating 2-3 hours before bed. Going to try some of these suggestions

[@LifeDIY]

I hope this helps so you can get more sleep. Lately I've been eating a bit closer to bed - about an hour 1/2 to 2 hours before going to sleep (a smaller meal) and it's helping as well.

[@whlewis9164]

Interesting stuff! The vast majority of us will not be LMHR, but it is fascinating to see that you are such an outlier. Nick has probably the best LMHR content out there. Enjoy your Oreos!!! 😂😂😂

[@LifeDIY]

Hahah!!! Love the comment! Thank you.

[@joebowieaddick]

‘Tracking myself like a crazy person’. That made me smile, but with so many factors to take into account, and the fact that we are all different, it makes sense that you're doing that. Seems like you're making some good progress, and I hope that continues. Love the cosy background you’ve created, Holly! I especially like the palm plant...I got myself a lovely new phoenix palm last week.😊

[@theskyehiker]

Protein also triggers an insulin release so if you are eating protein your body should be having some insulin. I’m not trying to be disagreeable but just thinking out loud.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks, Scott! I agree with you. I too don't trust many doctors. I am grateful I have a good one right now. I am so glad you're doing well on carnivore. :)

[@Christinesobsevations]

I can't be without carbs . I eat veggies salads & grassfed meats ❤

[@solutions4tenants141]

Awesome video. Thanks carnivore here and having a hard time getting sleepy and waking up way too early and cannot fall back to sleep

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you! I hope things improve for you.

[@BuddyDesinger]

I've developed the same kind of pattern, falling asleep around 9 (pretty fast) and then waking up almost always at 4am. I've been zero carb/carnivore for a long time. Anyway, as I write this I'm on the 8th day of a fast (other health reasons) and one of the side effects is that my sleep has been improving from one day to the next. On days 4-8 I've slept through the entire night without any issues. Not feeling any hunger and cortisol seems to be under control as well. I'm kind of stumped what to think of this. Not sure when I will break this fast, I feel so good 😂

[@asarcadyn2414]

7 hours solid sleep from 21:00 to 04:00 is excellent.

[@BuddyDesinger]

I broke my fast after 10 days and on day one my sleep returned to being sh*ty. While fasting I was sleeping solid 8h and now I'm abruptly getting up at 4 again. Don't think this is about low insulin levels given they don't really get lower than they do on a long fast. I will try to supplement copper as a test as I have high zinc and molybdenum. levels.

[@alexishi2000]

I was saved. You are me!! I had a same issue and i Knew my body is reacting different than most carnivore people. I am 1 year carnivore and I was worrying about my sleep and feeling of hunger and low ketosis number and high cholesterol. I was puzzled. Your research make sense. I will try. Thank you for sharing

[@LifeDIY]

Please let me know how things are going! I am still working on improving my issues. I need to continue experimenting. I am currently wearing a continous glucose monitor (CGM) and getting labs done this morning. I am still dealing with the issues. I need to do a better job of experimenting with more foods because initially adding in those carbs (I mentioned in the video) worked, but now I need to do more than that or add in more foods to continue sleeping and having less hunger problems. I have noticed so far (since wearing the CGM) that I've had some instances of hypoglycemia at night when eating carnivore, but it doesn't happen every time. I'd have to consistently eat carnivore for a week probably to get accurate results. It's a struggle to test because I want some sleep! I hope things improve for you!

[@alexishi2000]

@@LifeDIY I discovered your video the day I left my comment and had started adding some carbohydrates in my diet. I make sure I will let you know how things are going. I will also do my blood test after a while to see my cholesterol and triglycerides value improvement. I hope our experiment will save many carnivore people in the future. I will e-mail you the details the next time to contact you. I am 50 yr old female Japanese living in Japan.

[@LifeDIY]

That would be great to hear any updates! I really hope you find something that works for you. I too really want to help others by sharing any answers and solutions. This seems to be such a huge issue for a lot of people. Feel free to email and reach out anytime - thank you!

[@azure_light]

When the ketogenic diet was first introduced for epilepsy in children they were eating 80-90% of their calories from fat. As I've become more fat-adapted over several months of carnivore, switching the ratio of macros to very high fat has made me basically never hungry. Everyone is different of course, but it's worth looking into. I have some severe mitochondrial problems, and an average meal for me is an 8-10oz steak, and an entire bowl of tallow. Brain fog disappeared, very smooth and clean energy.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much for sharing this. How much do you mean by an entire bowl of tallow? (ie: a cup?)

[@azure_light]

@@LifeDIY I'm not one to measure macros usually. I will fill a cereal type bowl up most of the way, and then I'll eat to satiation. Will eat majority of what is in there. The body is pretty good at telling you when it has had enough. The body is able to make glucose through protein via glycogen production but it prefers dietary fat or carbohydrate for energy as it's more efficient. I'm sure you know of him, but Dr. Anthony Chaffee has alot on this subject. Good luck on your carnivore journey.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this. I am really happy for you that this is working well. And, I like how you described it as smooth clean energy. That's great! I am familiar with gluconeogenesis, though I am always open to learning more. It's possible that my body is struggling with that because I have low cortisol and low-normal insulin. I do know of Dr. Chaffee! :) Thanks for sharing some of your experience here. It's helpful!

[@janapeony8561]

I had exactly the same issues with sleep. Now eating some macadamians ,avocado,and taking red/ infra red light before sleep and it helps alot.Thanks for your very helpful vids, wishing you all the best .

[@sleepdepot9790]

Thank you for sharing this information. Everything you have said is matching up to my experience when I was eating a low carb diet. I added more carbs gradually and I sleep better without the 2-3am wakeup and having a hard time falling back asleep. The food sensitivities you have is most likely coming from gut problems. Possibly leaky gut. Your IFM Doc should be able to help you with that.

[@lahainke]

So interesting! I’ve recently been adding carbs back too (20g), and I feel so much better. So much more energy. I’m waking up feeling great! My blood tests also showed a very low folate count my doctor was concerned. So I’m eating avocados almost daily (which is a good source of folate). Thanks so much for sharing your info!

[@LifeDIY]

I know, me too! I'm still in the process of testing this out with adding in some carbs but I have been experiencing the same thing. So much more energy and I feel stronger. I"m doing more work outside, projects, etc. and feeling great! I too think avocados are a great addition. :)

[@finetrue]

Thank you very much for the great info. I have been on low carb for years and I am LMHR. I always wake up many times during the night. I never associated this with my diet. My recent blood work showed lower than normal insulin. I guess I will start increasing my carb a little and hopefully this helps.

[@LifeDIY]

Sorry you're dealing with this! I am going to post an update video extremely soon (recording it today). I found a couple of things that have fixed my sleep.

[@futuresoundtrek8298]

Thank you for making this video. With 2 physicals over 2 years I can verify myself as a LMHR. I am low-carb, not Keto. 50 - 60 grams of carbs daily. Age 46, 6’1, 150 lbs., weight train and sleep about 5 1/2 hours a night.

[@LifeDIY]

Wow, thanks for sharing this! And, the 5 1/2 hours of sleep is enough?

[@futuresoundtrek8298]

@@LifeDIY I have never really had a long history of sleeping more than 6 hours, even when I didn't practice low-carb. However, I do feel well-rested compared to the same amount of sleep on a the SAD (Standard-American-Diet). Years back, a theory was postualted that due to the fact that a low-carb diet is less inflammatory, the brain/glymphatic system requires less cleanup time and therefore less sleep is required. Not my theory.I would have to find the research as it has been awhile.

[@MadDestructionChaos]

I introduced carbs a few months ago, wheat toast, 1 piece to soak up my egg yoke, and I was sleeping soundly for 6-7 hours, I was ( didn't have much work) walking 5 miles a day. I fasted for 18 hours. Sleep great. Now with the toast, and doing manual labor work and sweating my butt off. My sleep is off. I'm awake at 3:00 a.m. I fall back asleep.... Then up at 5am. Consistency was my key i believe. Imma change a few things up. 5' 10.5" , Went from 185lbs to 170lbs in a matter of months a few years ago, I'm built like a BSH now! 💪 Just want some good sleep. I do feel refreshed when starting my day. I work too hard for only a couple hours of sleep. Thx for sharing.

[@futuresoundtrek8298]

I endeavor to be built like a BSH.

[@MadDestructionChaos]

@@futuresoundtrek8298 you can do it. Push ups until failure every night. And plank for 1 min, then 2 mins, then eventually 3 mins. That's all I did differently other than eating carnivore. Push every night before. Set alert on phone, and make yourself do them.

[@FieryArdent]

Have you tried grounding/earthing? I'm on carnivore and it helps me with my circadian rhythm and staying on a normal sleep schedule in relation to the dusk and sunrise of where I live.

[@lynn8524]

I am 5 weeks today eating strictly carnivore. I mostly eat beef, butter, salt and eggs, and I also have butter and heavy cream in my coffee. I quickly lost four pounds but have gained two of those back. I am measuring ketone levels with urine strips which vary from low to moderate ketones. I eat around one pound of meat daily with 5-6 T of butter/fats, 4-6 eggs, some bacon on some days. I was eating one ounce of cheese daily but have stopped that. Why am I not losing weight? I was diagnosed with having hypoglycemia 30 years ago. I feel very good on this diet and plan on staying on it.

[@LifeDIY]

Hi Lynn! I'm not a total carnivore expert but I have learned a lot from others on this topic, so I'll share some ideas. When you say low to moderate ketones, what is that level generally? To raise the numbers, it could help to go longer in between periods of eating. Normally when I've heard stories like this, it's often related to people consuming dairy. If someone has weight to lose and they're incorporating dairy when eating carnivore (heavy cream, cheese, etc.) I think that can sometimes slow down the weight loss and sometimes stall it for people. You could always try to cut down on some of that, but you still want to make sure you're getting enough fat from the meat. You might want to check out some videos by Dr. Cywes on kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHaxpWp3qrWLsLc as he has several videos on how much fat to consume and I found it really helpful and interesting. I'm so happy you're feeling great on carnivore!

[@YasminA-jm9zs]

I experienced the same on carnivore and I went back to keto. I never have sleep issues, mood problems, or hunger on keto. My body composition is better on keto as well.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this, Yasmin! I am happy you found what works for you. I'm feeling a lot better as I've added some things back in. The smallest things are making the biggest difference so far.

[@Fresh_N_Fit]

What carbs and how much do you include on keto?

[@shanhare76]

Yes what do you eat on keto exactly?? I've been carnivore for 3 years now and it's not quite working. I'm wanting to add some carbs in but not sure what...

[@katebanfield7229]

Fascinating topic. Thank you for sharing. I went carnivore a year ago… and slapped a freestyle on. Long story short, 4 months into I was diagnosed with insulin suppression. my insulin suppression was exacerbated by carnivore. I took my freestyle results to a new endocrinologist who let me know that my hiatal hernia surgery (and all bariatric surgeries) actually cause insulin suppression. Because of that, carnivore had me crashing to 50/60’s if I drank a glass of red wine. So now I have to modify to ensure I get enough carbs to stabilize low swings. My A1C is back up to 4.9 (it was 4.6 six months ago). And since I’ve been doing this… I’m sleeping soooooooo much better.

[@LifeDIY]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this. Many doctors aren't aware of insulin suppression - just insulin resistance...My CGM I'm currently wearing has also been showing that I'm getting hypo at night in the 50s. I've had to shut my phone off or else it will beep like crazy sometimes to alert me. I'm still having it though I'm trying to add in more carbs. I think it will take time to correct it. I've become so burnt out from the sleep issues - though sometimes they aren't too bad - the sleep just isn't stable like it used to be. Do you mind me asking how old you are? And, wow that is the lowest I've ever heard of for an A1C - and even 4.9 is incredible. Your glucose must have been quite low.

[@katebanfield7229]

I’m in my early 50’s and the surgery was 8 years ago. When I pull up the graph of historical A1C on my lab’s app, I can see it steadily decline since the surgery. CGM’s are not meant for sleeping positions. I thought I was crashing too, but then I got a normal glucometer and took a reading when it went off in the middle of the night. My glucose was ok, and nowhere near the need for the alarm to go off. Then I laid there and moved my arm in different positions and watched the freestyle app go nuts (up and down) depending on the position my arm was in. I’ve tracked up to a 30 point variance with the a finger prick vs the CGM. I’ve also clocked matching numbers too. This new endo is not a fan of long term use of CGM, as it’s not as accurate as the finger prick. And for my glucose crashes…. She has me keep a stash of small bottles of coke in the car and house (since juice can’t store in a car). I’ve had to use a coke about 4 or 5 times since my diagnosis.

[@EatBeefBeHealthy]

Thanks for taking the time to put out such an informative video.

[@LifeDIY]

You're welcome and thank you for taking the time to watch it.

[@DIY_Capital]

Thank you Holly for your research. Have been doing Carnivore for the last six months. Sleep patterns have just changed and I am waking up at midnight. I will now do a new range of bloods and try to incorporate a small amount of carbs at the last meal of the day. Will test, measure and report results.

[@LifeDIY]

You're so welcome and I really hope you find a solution. Waking up at midnight is the worst. That is just too early. I hope you stop back here with any updates and I hope you can fix it too.

[@johnmacgregor324]

Very cleverly researched & well explained.

[@ukelilly]

Good to know. Dr Boz said to eat in the morning so don't need to wait too long to eat if you can't stand it. So far this works for me. Eating a lot of vegetables do make me as you have described ..being always hungry and need to eat often.

[@LifeDIY]

Yes I've heard numerous doctors recently talking about how women may benefit or do better eating in the morning, not fasting. I would end up with GI problems and stomach pain if I had a lot of vegetables. But, I'm finding that adding in a little small serving of carrots after my meal or some other small amount of carbs is getting rid of my hunger issues. :)

[@Habanero777]

In my first 6 weeks of starting carnivore, I ate a lot. And then when I got to the 2 month point she'll now I get so full so fast. My desire to eat as much as I was in the beginning is definitely gone. So stick with it, you, you young man, you and your desire to eat as much as you're eating right now. We'll work itself out.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this! I too had even more intense hunger in the beginning, but I stuck with it for 11 months and it worsened for me. I am really glad it's working for you though!

[@M_freedomOfSpeech]

I have everything you mentioned, and my LDL cholesterol is over 704 total, but the HDL is high 98 and the TRIGLYCERIDES are low 67. I get up twice a night. I'm 58 years old!

[@LifeDIY]

Wow, that's a high LDL! Hopefully you can fall back asleep after the wake-ups. :)

[@Silentmind369]

I totally agree with this video. I also had to add some berries and a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil and avocado. I'm definitely going to try some tomatoes soon.. My sleep is getting better.. I was a hard-core carnivore for almost 2 years, and my sleep and dry mouth at times was/is horrible!

[@KeishaKiger]

Thank you for this !!! Very helpful! Gives me confidence and an understanding of what I’m going through as well

[@LifeDIY]

You're welcome! Are you having the sleep issues or hunger?

[@yohanonshine4664]

Hey a lot of these issues are very related to thyroid issues. Also physcal exercise at a high level such as power lifting and body building require diet adjustments like your carnivore diet but also require a timing to carb load for energy and stamina and fasting for body fat content which also maintains flexibility to cross train other sports for myself it was ice hockey which requires much more hydration and electrolytes. At a certain point you are conditioned to a high level of eating perfoming, and sleeping. The work you do will tire you to sleep properly.

[@jimpossidente5004]

Amazing, I have been waking up at 3am also. When I do I am craving carbs and I end up eating plain Greek yogurt. Sometimes I also crave the Macadamia nuts.

[@jtzutube]

Dear Great Value Kate Beckinsale (compliment), You do great work, here. TY.

[@robbarnett5501]

I’m also LMHR. I found that glucose can be low, even into the 30’s mg/dL and be fine if ketones are high enough. This can be observed with a water fast while being keto and athletic. However I agree eventually on keto carnivore late night eating has a horrible effect on sleep even to the point of hypoglycemia and brain fog. I am in favor of lower insulin, especially during the night. I need either adequate glucose or adequate ketones and a relative increase in insulin will stop ketone production. This seems to be prolonged during the night.

[@MyLongevityExperiment]

Hi Holly, an excellent video, so much useful information! And more proof that people should not just listen to their MD, there is no way an MD would have taken the time and care you did during your N=1. I can't imagine what it was like eating so much meat and still feeling hungry.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much, Vince! I agree that you have to take care of yourself and do your own research. I am still working through the hunger issues, but it is so dampened when I add in some carbs, even the smallest amount. I can eat way more than my 19-year-old son! Since adding some carbs back in now I am noticing more energy to workout and do more, which is great. :)

[@not_sure...]

1.5 years into carnivore (not the strictest) I developed sleep issues. In the beginning I had to greatly increase my sodium levels to fix some of the issues I came across. A few months ago when I was having trouble sleeping I decided to increase even more and it sort of helped. I came across a thread where they were discussing the potassium to sodium ratios and found it interesting so I decided to give it a try. I greatly increased my potassium levels to be at the right ratio for the crazy amount of salt I'm consuming and it fixed my issue almost instantly. I wake up instantly and full of energy and fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow. I track my REM sleep and I have been getting the best rest I can possibly get. With that said, I'm starting to have doubts about this diet because this doesn't seem natural to be consuming as many grams of salt and potassium as I'm currently consuming on a daily basis. Where would our ancestors be able to get so much of these electrolytes in their diet? I'm tempted to introduce carbs again and see how my body responds but I currently feel too damn good to change things up. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? It just doesn't seem natural

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I have added higher potassium foods in at times (avocado) but it hasn't fixed my sleep. How much have you added in ? I am going to test this out. Do you think you need to consume that much salt though? It sounds like you had electrolyte issues? For some reason, I don't feel like I need excess salt at all now. I'm happy to hear about your sleep improving. That is amazing. I know what you mean about some things not feeling natural. My body craves things that are not meat - not even unhealthy things but more of a variety and I love adding things in. If you've done carnivore a long time like you have, be warned that you could have GI issues if you try to add anything in (esp vegetables). There are a lot of low carb fruits (that most people think are veggies) that are great to add in - avocados, cucumbers, olives, etc. but those will do little to provoke an insulin response if that's what you're going for. I've found it incredibly difficult to add in many carbs - even though I would like to try carb cyling. This is because I often have a poor insulin response - and my glucose stays elevated for an extremely long time (sometimes) - it depends on what I eat though.

[@not_sure...]

@@LifeDIY I can go into great detail of my trial and error process if you'd like but let's just say that after a month I found a 1:1 ratio works best for me. At one point I went up to a 3:1 potassium to sodium ratio but it had no more benefit. For context, on any given day I consume anywhere from 16-22 grams of sodium depending on my activity levels or how I feel. Also I live in Arizona so I sweat a lot and work/play in the sun a lot. I did have electrolyte issues, and I'm sure I had them even before I went carnivore but I feel great now. I do cut down on salt in the winter as I don't sweat as much. And yeah, like I said I'm not the strictest carnivore as I do consume some carbs maybe once a month due to social events and immediately I get a runny nose and allergy symptoms. If I were to introduce carbs back to my daily life I'd have to find something that doesn't react so badly.

[@edl653]

One extreme, no carbs or the other lots of carbs, minimal fat can both cause issues. Need to balance, and carbs with fiber (not a bad word), adjust slowly over time. Avoid Fructose as much as possible and in natural form an apple, not apple juice. Very good advice for a non-medical person.

[@KirstiCheetahh]

Great information! Thank you very much! I have the same problems with sleep and hunger. I am LMHR since I eat keto/carnivore. My LDL (360) and total cholesterol (450) are sky high. This does not worry me. I believe high LDL and cholesterol with low TG (66) and low inflammation is very healthy. I just need more and better sleep. I am going to try your tips.

[@LifeDIY]

Kirsti, thanks for the comment and sorry for what you're dealing with - I know it's so frustrating and bizarre when your body has gone totally haywire (that's what it felt like for me). I don't know if you drink coffee or not. If not, please disregard this long comment here! I recently posted a video about quitting coffee and I can say that it got rid of the majority of my insane starvation level hunger issues. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWfXdXeAdtakiNU I think my hunger is now "normal." I am sorry to mention coffee because I know it's a highly debated topic that most people won't even consider or think about. And, I was in total denial of it causing me any issues at all whatsoever. I explain it all in the video if you have a minute to check it out. I never ever thought I'd stop coffee and I did it a few weeks ago and the insane hunger is mostly gone. I haven't noticed that I am sleeping much longer (though here and there some days I am - though my sleep was sporadic like that before too). But, my sleep is very different and restful - and I am dreaming and remembering my dreams every day. I am still waking up quite early, though sometimes it's around 4 AM if I go to sleep around 7-8 PM, so it's a slight improvement and I'm good with that. But, even if I only get 7 hours of sleep (to me, I used to need 9+ to feel ok), I am feeling totally fine/great all day with even energy all day long until bed. If my sleep was truly too short, I would need to take a nap and I'll be good to go again.

[@sophiapetros7602]

I just saw a video of dogs pulling radishes out of the ground and eating the radish with some dirt. And people say dogs only eat meat. Not true.

[@LifeDIY]

Interesting! :) This is kind of the opposite but deer are supposed to be herbivores and I saw a video on KZbin of a deer eating a bird!

[@Travlinmo]

O am surprised you did not relate salt into this issue. As I improved my salt intake and, specifically, electrolytes from magnesium, my sleep and hunger all seemed to normalize. You grelin discussion reminded me of why when I get 1.5-2 miles walking I get just super hunger and would kill for food

[@silverback7348]

Love this. Grellin is also associated with eggs. One thing to also tie in here through Dr Cywes is the body utilizing protein to create sugars. The key difference is that the byproduct N (Nitrogen) is a waste product created via urea/Uric Acid and BUN numbers are impacted in the bloodwork. All can contribute to the sleeplessness/fatigue.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you!

[@quisge]

Great video! Just a bit of clarification: the pane at 4:30 describing LMHR should say "LDL cholesterol - 200 or higher" rather than "Cholesterol - 200 or higher," the latter suggesting total cholesterol.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you!

[@andredaedone5]

When I quit coffee and just drink water, I started sleeping 9 to 11 hours a day and I dream like a madman . I am Carnivore and just graduated to Lion. Fatty beef, lamb ,salt and water is all I consume . I dont buy what that doctor says. Just quit all liquids except water and work out. I havent had a carb in 10 months.

[@LifeDIY]

That's awesome it's working for you. Everyone is so different.

[@Sweet_N_Sour_Princess]

I had done strict carnivore for an year, from mid 2023 to mid 2024, I had to stop due to the same issue, hair loss (I had very thick hair to begin with) and skin losing elasticity, less luminous and plump, i felt that there’s nothing inside my body to hold water, i felt that at some point I would need to reintroduce carb but in a wise way. Now, I am not as restrictive as before and would through in some healthy carb in small portion here and there, just gauge it as it goes. Cucumber and Granny Smith apples are my favourites. Thank you for sharing your story! By the way you have beautiful thick hair!

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much for sharing this because I've read a couple other comments saying the exact same thing about hair loss. That's an interesting point about the loss of water and how it could impact the appearance too. I never thought about that. I feel like I've noticed some people who are long-term carnivores losing some skin elasticity too. I could be totally wrong because it could just be because they lost a lot of weight. But, many people don't realize that vitamin C is needed to make collagen in the skin and body & when eating all meat, you're not getting that much of it. Many people will say that carnivores need less vitamin C when eating carnivore. That may be true, but I have never seen any scientific evidence for that. And, it's still possible that the lack of it could impact their skin health and appearance. Your cucumber and applies sound amazing by the way!

[@Sweet_N_Sour_Princess]

@@LifeDIY I have watched many carnivore channels saying if you power through the hair loss period, then it will grow back, but realistically speaking I don’t think it would grow back as full as before. The hair loss is a result of stress from months ago, I would believe that. Not sleeping long enough and deep enough is a form of stress, big time. Before carnivore diet, I was eating a whole food diet. I am 5’7 and 155lbs before starting carnivore diet and then I lost 30lbs, mostly on hips and thighs. They said carb holds 4 times of its weight, I have electrolytes almost everyday, it is hydrating and stays better/ longer in the body when you have some form of carb. Also, how much fat, meat and tendon we eat can turn into skin collagen with absence of dietary vit. c? We don’t know. I am not a purist and just trying to experiment on what works best for myself. I do think plants/ carb have its place (I know they would tell you about oxalate). Subscribed! Thank you again! :)

[@LifeDIY]

Your comments are so refreshing! Thanks for subscribing. :) I too am not a purist and I think we should remain open-minded and just do what works best, like you said. I think that's horrible advice if people say to just push through the hair loss period and "it will grow back." They have no idea if it will grow back or not. And, to me it sounds like hormone dysfunction and I would get tested if possible. It's so pricey though. I wonder sometimes if people are dealing with hormone issues since some people say they're having bouts of depression or crying a lot. Makes me wonder. I had a period early on into carnivore where I felt something that may have been a form of depression. I am not one to normally have that, but I felt really weird and out of it, blahh, didn't want to leave my house at all - not even to get the mail...which is so weird for me. It might be related to adjusting to lower tryptophan levels, which can impact serotinin. I think we're all really experimenting with all of these things and it's so complex. I like listening to some of Dr. Cywes's videos because at least he has years of experience with people who are eating keto, low-carb, or carnivore so he has a lot more insights into the good and bad. He's also one of the only ones I've heard of who speaks more openly about things to look out for or issues that can arise.

[@Cheptabgaa]

Sleep issues aside... Omg! Your hair is so lush 😍

[@LifeDIY]

@@Cheptabgaa Aww thank you!

[@Duchess-of-Camelot]

This is such a well researched and helpful video. Thank you.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you Tracy!

[@FarqueKnowsWhere]

Wow, a lot of points and information, I’m OMAD, 90% animal based and 10% junk. I’m having similar sleep issues but not the hunger issues. I’ve slept the best all night deep an uninterrupted by eating around 11am with some veg in my meal, pumpkin, cauliflower, sweet potato, so I’m going to try 70% animal based and 5% junk😚..Great video.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this. I wonder if it might help to eat more than once a day?

[@FarqueKnowsWhere]

@@LifeDIY thank you, I drive farm machinery mostly for work so I don’t need lots of food and if I eat more than omad I start putting on weight. Even my omad isn’t huge. Info from Dr Mindy’s YT video has me thinking cortisol might be the perpetrator and even give alternate day fasting a go, gee I’d have to find some projects to keep me busy. Thanks Holly..

[@LifeDIY]

That make sense. And, cortisol can cause a lot of issues. I had my level tested and mine is quite low.

[@andrewrivera4029]

58 year young man and I’m feeling great on OMAD carnivore, I get the dawn effect where my morning glucose is 103ish, I’ve got tons of energy so much so I really need to burn it off yet my A1c has been trending down to 5.2 from 5.5! My fasted insulin is 4.6 and as an aside my testosterone is 711, let’s just say my blood flow feels like I’m back in my 30’s and my sleep is marginally better. I’ll eat a little vege as my wife isn’t carnivore I suppose that makes me meat. Just goes to show everyone is different, my lipids also put me in LMHR too.

[@LifeDIY]

That's awesome to hear how well you're doing on it! And, the A1C dropping down is massive. It's interesting to hear about your insulin levels too. You sound really healthy. Very interesting you're an LMHR too.

[@wtpwtp]

My diet consists of brown basmatti rice, mixed veggies, herbs, avocados & 2 eggs every day. I sometimes add beans (black, pinto or lentil). I will also add in a meat (usually chicken or bison every once in a while). On this diet, I am never hungry after eating & actually have to remind & make myself eat something so as to not loose too much weight. In the evenings, I will sometimes boil potatoes cut into cubes & season them with salt, pepper & herbs to snack on. My substitute for potato chips.:) I eat no processed food (pasta, oils, cereals, etc.) And, I eat no sugar, even from fruit & or high sugar veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. (which causes me a lot of problems). I sometimes will have one piece of fruit once every several months. I am very thin on this diet. This is why I don't believe that carbs cause one to gain weight. It is processed food, those prepared in oils, & fried, etc. that cause people to gain weight. It's not at all the carbs themselves that will cause any weight gain. I started this whole food diet after experiencing a number of autoimmune issues 15 years ago. Several years of experimenting with food elimination & keeping a food elimination diary led me to this diet. On this diet I experience no physical symptoms at all any more. It is so great to feel so healthy, so the price of a very boring diet is worth it. At least I don't have to really ever think about what I am going to eat.:)

[@LifeDIY]

That is awesome to hear how well you're doing and how you've honed in on exactly what works well for you. It's interesting that potatoes are fine but not carrots or sweet potatoes. I think carrots are lower in sugar than regular potatoes....but, I could be wrong. I only mention that because I am fine with carrots (but I just have a few) but I have a huge spoke in glucose from potatoes and it causes me issues and more hunger. Just goes to show how everyone reacts differently to things. I was listening to Dr. Cywes on KZbin and he said that no one gains weight by eating vegetables. It's all the other junk (processed). So I think you're accurate about that. That's very smart you monitored things for years with a food journal to figure out what you could eat or not eat. That's awesome. I learned a lot from eating carnivore and it helped me to do the same.

[@jennwatson8035]

This video explains my issue for the last several years; poor sleep, waking up in middle of night. Just recently, got a CGM (paid for myself without insurance), blood sugar was dipping into 50s several times a night! Two tablespoons of Peanut Butter (Cadia Organic PB: just peanuts and salt) about 2 hrs before bed and it did the trick, slept for 6hrs straight but for a few weeks only. Will try the carrots, butter, bone both like I've been reading in these comments.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I might get a CGM too so I can see what's going on before my wakeups. That is super low. That's really great you figured your issue out and took the initiative to get a CGM. I hope you keep us posted!

[@dcrockett30]

Great video, I have had similar issues being a lean mass hyper responder carnivore person, been adding carbohydrates in last few months and helping with insulin signaling and sleep. I do raw honey/ CBD mixture which helps keep me rested

[@KarmensCarnivoreLife-yk4ky]

I had sleep issues when I first started carnivore. I had to up the fat to help me sleep. I am great now. But it took a few months to get back to a good sleep schedule. What I like that I sleep much deeper now.

[@Gary65437]

So glad you're making healthy progress and have the courage to share your experience. I wonder what blood type you are. I'm O negative and D'Adamo says to avoid lectins, nuts, wheat, grains, beans, corn dairy. I know I get a lot of inflammation (sore knee joints) from eating nuts like peanuts, almonds, cashews. Fruits are OK. I feel the best after I wake up from fasting for 12 hrs, so I need to cut out some grains and oatmeal for a starter and add some meat.

[@LifeDIY]

Thank you so much! I am B+. I too get pretty instant pain and inflammation (feels like arthritis in my fingers) when I eat peanuts. It's the only one that causes me problems like that. Cutting out grains can definitely help!

[@CarnivoreJo01]

I messed around with keto since the beginning of the year and went carnivore recently to see if it'll help improve my adhd a bit more like keto did. It did more, its taking it away. A lot of other problems are clearing up like my insomnia, my depression and anxiety and the list gets longer the longer I'm on carnivore. . Its so insane to me i recently started my channer in hopes my voice would be amplified my the carnivore community and maybe my loved ones who are suffering and anyone about there who is suffering can see me as an example and give carnivore a try.

[@LifeDIY]

Thanks for sharing this! I am so happy to hear it's helping you and I am checking out your channel!