I can easily get lost in Rafal, aka the Carnivore Traveller’s Instagram feed. He travels to some of the most amazing places in the world and shares pictures of the most interesting carnivore meals. He not only travels to exciting places, but his taste buds also go on quite the adventure.
Do not expect your typical trendy food photos that many travellers post on their social media pages. Carnivore traveller finds different animal foods on his travels, including lizards, organ meats, mussels, squid, fish, and beautiful cuts of meat.
He definitely isn’t like many other carnivores you will see online who mostly post pictures of steak, eggs, and ground beef patties.
Did I mention he also likes to drink blood? I’m fascinated by his carnivore diet approach and am so happy that I had the opportunity to interview him for The Hart of Health.
If you want to learn more about this fascinating individual, check out our interview below:
1. What First Convinced You To Try The Carnivore Diet?
I was on a ketogenic diet a couple months prior and I really enjoyed all the benefits that came with it. However I was getting tired of shopping for all the variety of chia seeds, leafy greens and other perceived plant “superfoods”, and they would also make me feel kind of bloated at times. On top of that, I was tired of counting macros and calories and I thought there must be a better way. I started researching and then I discovered the carnivore diet, which seemed kind of extreme, but I decided to try it. I kept researching and it all started making more and more sense, I stuck to it and I never looked back.
2. How Has Your Health And Life Changed Since Going On The Carnivore Diet?
I started experiencing much better digestion, more restful sleep, mental clarity, higher energy levels, better skin, and a constantly increased mood or a thing that we call the “carnivore zen”. All those things last to this day and I’ve never felt better in my entire life.
3. How Has Your View On Food Changed Since Switching To The Carnivore Diet?
My body stopped considering anything that’s not meat as food. I like reading about human evolution and also an interesting event called the “agricultural revolution”, which had a deteriorating effect on our health. We finally have the means and technology to look back and be like “hmm, maybe we can actually learn a thing or two from our prehistoric savage ancestors.” I’m happily observing a bloom of Palaeolithic and ketogenic diets and I hope more people will realise what real food is supposed to be.
4. So You Love To Travel. When Travelling, It Can Often Be Harder For People On Strict Diets Like The Carnivore Diet To Find Good Food. What Are Some Of The Best Places For People On A Carnivore Diet To Travel To In Your Opinion?
The truth is that you are able to source good quality meat almost everywhere in the world. First of all, the best thing a person can do is to always eat locally – I eat fresh seafood when I live near the ocean, bushmeat when I’m in exotic places, and cattle meat in places where it’s mostly organic. But if I really had to point a finger, it would be Iceland – there you can buy lamb head, whale blubber, and fermented shark in every small Supermarket.
5. What are Some of your Favourite Things You’ve Eaten While Travelling?
I love eating reptiles – monitor lizards, snakes, frogs. I also like insects and all the weird-looking sea slugs and clams. I like crustaceans and crabs, but honestly, all types of meats taste delicious as long as they’re fresh, wild caught, and well-handled or aged.
6. What Is It Like To Drink Blood? Do You Think Most People Should Try It? If Yes, Why?
I like to drink blood sometimes, because I like the taste of it and I was surprised when I learned that it tasted way different than I expected. I expected a bitter, weird taste, and in fact, it tasted very sweet and similar to milk. Well technically, milk is just a slightly modified blood. I don’t think people need to try it, nor do I think that it has any special benefits that you can’t get from meat. I just drink it sometimes, because I like it, that’s all.
7. If You Had To Choose, Would You Eat Your Meat Raw Or Cooked?
It’s a difficult question. I really like both cooked and raw meats. Right now, I’m eating mostly raw, out of convenience, but there are certain cuts of meat that I really enjoy cooked in certain ways. But if I’d have to only choose one or another, I’d say raw as it’s somehow more satisfying, slightly better on digestion, and I always crave it when I don’t have it for a while.
8. What Would You Say To Someone Who Cannot Stand The Idea Of Eating Raw Meat And Raw Organ Meats? Why Should People Try It?
There is absolutely no reason that they should. I don’t think there is any bigger advantage of eating it raw over cooked. There’s only a minuscule nutrient loss coming from thermal processing, as long as you don’t overcook it. Pan your liver on the side, leave it slightly pink in the middle, and there you go – if you’re concerned about nutrients at all anyways. There are heaps of people on a carnivore diet who are thriving while eating just plain cooked muscle meat for years. I definitely feel good when I eat some raw liver here and there, but I can’t say if it’s actually the reason for my wellbeing and it’s not just the fact that I eat lots of meat in general.
9. Do You Have Any Tips For Cooking The Perfect Broth?
I personally don’t like slow-cooked broths, but that’s maybe because I never had a proper slow cooker. I usually cook them from 1 to 2 hours and they come just perfect. I love all kinds of broths and also mixing different types of animals. I’d put beef bones, crab shells, and fish fins together in one pot. As long as you have good quality, fresh ingredients, all broths will taste delicious.
10. What Advice Would You Give Anyone Who Wants To Try The Carnivore Diet?
It might sound extreme and hard to get used to at first, but the benefits highly outweigh the initial effort to ease into it. Just give it a try and see for yourself – at the end of the day, it’s the most liberating way of eating there is. Good luck!
Do yourself a favour and take a look at The Carnivore Traveller’s Instagram page. He definitely makes eating a nose-to-tail carnivore diet look like quite the adventure.