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Isn’t it interesting that vegans can remove all animal products and society accepts this as healthy? As you likely know, if you remove all plants from your diet you won’t get the same social welcome. For decades we’ve been told that red meat is bad, saturated fat causes heart disease, and you’d better eat your vegetables. I understand why people are confused and why they think they’re showing you concern out of love. We carnivores know that these things simply aren’t true. The trick is how do you navigate social situations and follow the carnivore diet during the holidays where most will have a comment to say about your ribeye with a side of bacon?
Don’t Make It A Big Deal
When you’re attending holiday events don’t use them as an opportunity to preach about the carnivore diet. People are emotionally attached to food and whenever you tell them about all the things they’re doing wrong your words will fall on deaf ears. No one likes to be attacked and told all of the ways they are wrong. Do you?
The holidays are typically a big sugar show and sugar and cocaine affect the same area of the brain. You’re not going to win many friends with a carnivore speech when they’re surrounded by piles of the white stuff that they’ve been eating since Halloween.
Simply go about your business and eat the things you’d like from what is available. At buffet-style events, it is easier to keep your diet to yourself while everyone mingles. Ordering in a restaurant the pushback you’ll get depends on the company at the table. If you’re surrounded by a table of low carb friends they will have very little to say, if anything at all.
Know Your Crowd
You may be surprised to learn that your biggest critics are going to be those closest to you. Family, friends, colleagues, and spouses are the people you’ll have conversations with the most. You see them regularly and they also know your past dietary history. Phrases like “just one bite,” “red meat is unhealthy,” and “but you used to eat this” are very common. Your social support circle can ultimately determine your success in adopting any new diet for this reason.
Think of the carnivore diet in the light of religion or politics. Knowing the pulse of the people you are with ultimately determines how much you can say. Sometimes you may be able to get by with a simple food sensitivity explanation or a few reasons for your elimination diet. Perhaps share a health benefit you’ve experienced and nonchalantly say that you simply want to see what other benefits you can gain.
Always Bring A Dish
Perhaps you’ve learned that the host of the holiday party is serving turkey. You could bring a ham or a more traditional dish like venison. For an appetizer, you could bring some scotch eggs or meatballs. Taking something that you know you can eat keeps people from asking “why aren’t you eating?” It helps take some of the attention off of yourself. There are countless carnivore recipes on Pinterest. Find something wrapped in bacon and make sure you take several because they’re likely to disappear quickly.
Eat Before You Go Or Intermittent Fast
One surefire way to avoid the attention and conflict is to simply eat before you go or opt for some intermittent fasting. Carnivores have superpower strength when it comes to fasting. Since we’re not carbohydrate dependent we can go for long periods of time and not feel hungry or feel like we need to eat. Fasting is your back pocket superpower for that vegan event you’ve been invited to.
Those of us who have many food sensitivities are likely already used to eating before we leave the house. Most restaurants, buffets, social events, and home-cooked meals are a landmine of inflammatory ingredients. Eating before you arrive will ensure that you’ve eaten something that works for you. It will allow you to enjoy yourself without the social pressure of figuring out what’s safe to eat.
Focus On Things Other Than Food
An easy way to follow the carnivore diet during the holidays is to focus on traditions and events that you can share that don’t involve food. Help a family member decorate their house, wrap presents, go on a sleigh ride, go caroling, build a snowman, or make holiday gifts or ornaments. There are so many non-food traditions and opportunities to enjoy the company of friends and family during the holiday season.
Do You Have To Be A Perfect Carnivore During The Holidays?
The answer to this question depends on your goals. Are you one of those people with a number of food sensitivities or are you a carnivore for other reasons? If you can indulge in non-carnivore foods without having a reaction, how well do you know yourself? Can you have one cookie and let it stop at one or will you find yourself a month later without a single carnivore day under your belt?
What is your goal at this moment? If your goal is to enjoy yourself and some of your favorite holiday traditions it’s just one day. Perfection is the thief of joy and you should enjoy the holiday season. How far you stray from the carnivore diet ultimately depends on your balance. Where will you end up if you indulge at every party you’re invited to? Maybe you can opt to enjoy the traditional things like grandma’s cooking and skip the Costco cookies at the company party. If you’ve ever been to Paleo f(x) you’ll hear gossip that Mark Sisson has bread at his Christmas dinner. He evidently says, “It’s a holiday and we’re enjoying ourselves.”
The degree of perfection you carry through the holiday season really does depend on you. Sit down with a journal before the holidays and write out your goals. Reflect on why you’re a carnivore. What are the positive health benefits you’ve gained from this lifestyle? What did your health look like before you became a carnivore? If you stop the carnivore diet what does your future look like? Knowing where you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go in the future can help you figure out where the line is on your carnivore journey. Just because you’re primarily a carnivore doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to follow the carnivore diet perfectly during the holiday dinner.
Need help clarifying your goals? Download my Mindfulness Journal and get more tips at jennifermichelle.co
Originally posted on December 10, 2020 @ 14:28
I do agree with all of the ideas you have presented in your post. Theyre really convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for beginners. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.