Courtney Luna is a beautiful, creative, and inspiring woman who has changed her health through the carnivore diet. She dazzles my Instagram feed with her creative carnivore meal ideas and recipes and has inspired me to try new carnivore recipes. I had the honour of interviewing her recently for The Hart of Health about her journey and experience.
Here is what she had to say:
What Made You Decide to Try the Carnivore Diet?
I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I was on and off keto for about 7 years and unfortunately stopped what was working for me. I got caught up in the “anti-diet culture” BS and decided to eat all the things. They preach that “all foods fit” and you should eat “everything in moderation”, so I tried that. I essentially went on a 4-month binge and gained 40 lbs. I felt like garbage, my acne was horrendous, my mental health was awful, and I was pre-diabetic and had zero energy.
What Health Benefits Have You Experienced on the Carnivore Diet?
Since starting carnivore, I have been able to go off of my medication for depression and anxiety, my acne has cleared, I have high energy (when my kids let me sleep), I have zero gas or bloating, I have lost 45 lbs, my A1C has lowered to a normal range, and I just overall feel amazing.
How Has the Diet Benefited Your Life in Other Ways?
Besides getting my physical and mental health back, I have gained a whole community of amazing and loving like-minded friends. The carnivore community has been so welcoming and supportive.
Have You Always Loved Cooking?
I have! Prior to sharing my recipes online, I was a chef on yachts. I started out as a stewardess and while I enjoyed that, I quickly realized that I would love to cook for the guests. My first cooking gig was being a stewardess, but cooking for the crew. It was a dream and when I left that boat I moved on to pursue freelance cooking gigs. Boats would fly me out to cook on their charter trips and it was a wonderful experience that I’ll always treasure.
What are Some of Your Favourite Carnivore Diet Recipes?
I have a pizza recipe and cinnamon rolls that I’m completely obsessed with and they will be included in my cookbook! I can’t wait to share them with everyone. Other go-to’s for me are steaks with blue cheese cream sauce, burger patties, butter, and bacon.
What Was Your Experience Like on The Lion Diet? Would You Do It Again?
I enjoyed how I felt for about 3 weeks and then my body craved other animals. I like the variety I get from eating the rainbow of things with eyeballs. I probably won’t try The Lion Diet again, but I do appreciate how it can be a great reset.
What are Your Kids’ Diets Like?
They are very meat-heavy with dairy. They do have some fruit, the occasional rice, and sourdough bread, but they eat what we eat. Occasionally, they will have a special treat, but I like to do that outside of the house and keep everything we have at home something I can say yes to them having whenever they want.
What Do You Think About the Phrase “Everything in Moderation”?
I am not a fan of that because it doesn’t work for everyone. Just like an alcoholic can’t have one drink, I can’t have just one donut (I also can’t have one drink). Learning that I’m an abstainer and not a moderator was life changing to me. The mental freedom I feel from removing foods from my diet that don’t make me feel my best mentally and physically has been life changing. I feel like I found food freedom because I don’t obsessively think about food and I don’t have the desires to binge on junk.
Why Did You Decide to Document Your Carnivore and Weight Loss Journey Online?
I was already showing up online sharing my low carb/keto journey. Then I shared my journey of eating all the things, and no one said a word as I was gaining weight rapidly and spiraling out of control. So I naturally shared my journey of starting carnivore, not thinking anyone would care or have anything bad to say. Boy was I wrong. Everyone has got something to say and they’re not very kind about it. Eating this way definitely goes against what we’ve been told for years, and it can be very triggering for people.
What Advice Would You Give Someone Who Wants to Start the Carnivore Diet?
Definitely give it a shot. What do you have to lose besides your health issues? You can always go back to the way you ate before. Give it a minimum of 30 days, but I will say something magical happens at the 3-month mark. Eat lots of fatty meat, stay hydrated, have electrolytes, and get movement in. Life will be good.