Do you love looking at gorgeous food photos on Instagram? If you do, I highly recommend checking out the Instagram page @meat_on_my_plate by Benigna.
Benigna is quite an incredible woman. I often drool over the beautiful images of food on her Instagram page. She can make a plate full of meat look more appealing than a picture of an ice cream sundae (in my opinion).
Anyone who follows a carnivore/animal-based diet or is interested in going on a keto or carnivore diet can get a lot of inspiration and ideas from her page.
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I was lucky enough to score an interview with Benigna. Here is what she had to say:
- What First Convinced You to Try an Animal-Based Diet?
After years of struggling with weight, skin, mood and allergy issues, I tried to get healthier with a vegetarian diet and gave it a few years. This wasn’t a success story: it led me to worse skin conditions, hair loss, migraines and no energy. I was looking for a way out of this and found Ken Berry, MD and Jason Wittrock advocating the keto diet.
Their professions are very different, but both of them had a convincing example that this way of eating must work. I wanted to be healthy in the first place and gave it a try. Keto helped me in a week to have more energy and I lost my migraines, several pounds and anxiety.
After 4 years on keto, I got hooked on keto sweets and too much cheese and nuts, and my histamine issues didn’t go away. I felt heavy and tired, so I started to search for a way to finetune my diet. Dr. Berry already talked about his transition to carnivore and I knew this could be the answer for my problems as well. I also listened to Shawn Baker, MD. I read his book and went total carnivore this January.
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- How Has Your Health Changed Since Going Animal-Based?
I went strict carnivore for 4 months to see the first results. No migraines, my skin is clear and my hair and nails grow like crazy. I wake up rested, ready for the day with positive vibes. I started @meat_on_my_plate a year ago to support my own journey and found a really accepting and positive community of carnivores on Instagram; this helps me to stay on track.
- What Do You Love About Following an Animal-Based Ketogenic Diet?
I love how I feel. Cooking and shopping became simple. I love learning new things from my butcher and hunter friends. I feel free and safe knowing what’s best for me as I tried too many diets before without long-term success. I eat nose-to-tail and buy as many local farm products as I can afford. I love meeting people who raised my food. They teach respect and appreciation for animals who died to nourish me. It is also great to share my experiences and journey with a diverse and open community of animal-based people around the globe.
- Do You Track What You Eat or Do You Eat Intuitively?
I tracked my calories and macros on keto for years, and to be honest, it’s good in the first phase to learn your ideal meals but after a while, it was terribly boring. Now I don’t track; I have intuitively higher and lower calorie days. I pay attention to having seafood 3 to 4 times a week (this can be cheap sardines or any kind of fish).
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- What are Some of Your Favourite Carnivore Meals to Make?
That’s a tough question but you can check what I post the most. Sometimes, I eat things that seem to be extreme (like rooster testicles, heart or rooster comb) but I believe it’s normal and more ethical to eat nose-to-tail. I love everything from the grill: burgers, steaks and seafood. Meats made in the oven like “low and slow” venison and roasted chicken liver, for example, are also weekly sample dishes in our house. Oh and beef tartar. If you haven’t tried it yet, please give it a shot. Raw beef is safe and healthy.
- Do You Have Any Cooking Tips for Those Who are New to Animal-Based Eating?
I never learned how to cook and like simple recipes. I use my iron pan almost every day: it gives a really special extra flavour but doesn’t add toxins to the food. Another simple method is to slow roast in the oven (my favourites: duck, chuck roast, venison, pork belly). You don’t need fancy things to make the best dishes on carnivore. Good quality meat, mined salt and maybe a few other spices if you like. I think it’s good to play with easy recipes and would suggest trying new cuts of meat. Find a good butcher and don’t be shy to ask the dumbest questions. This is how we learn.
- How Can Someone Prevent Boredom on a Carnivore Diet?
I suggest immersing yourself in carnivore insta accounts and other meat lover sites. People have so many great ideas. I love to play with textures like soft beef tartare with crispy jerky or pulled venison with butter. Eat fish, try lamb, learn about organ meats and you’ll never get bored.
- I Love DIY Skincare. What is Your Skincare Routine Like Currently? How Has Your Skin Changed Since Incorporating Your Own Balm Made from Tallow?
For a few years, I have been using 100% natural plant skincare products and I still use some of them. But I don’t need as much as before. I use my tallow balm when my skin gets dry during summer and the whole winter. I found I have fewer wrinkles and I need less of the tallow and other products since going carnivore. My mom had brown spots on her face and they disappeared using my tallow balm.
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- How Did You Get so Good at Food Photography? You Definitely Have a Talent for Making Delicious Cuts of Meat and Animal Foods Look Amazing.
The pictures praise my boyfriend’s talent, who is a professional photographer (@toth.milan.photo). He is able to show the beauty in anything and anybody. One day, he told me: listen, meat usually doesn’t look so appealing on photos but what we eat looks so incredibly delicious. We really should show that it is not only good for us, but can look gorgeous; a nutritious food we should appreciate. This is how @meat_on_my_plate was born.
- What Does Slow Living Mean to You?
Well, I dreamt of slow living for years but I had the opportunity to change my routine only 1,5 years ago. I quit my 10+ hours office job in a so-called “good position” with my boyfriend’s mental and emotional support. We moved to our cabin in the countryside, renovated it and worked in the garden almost every day. My way of slow living means nature, local connections, friends and working forward our own happiness, step by step in our rhythm.
*Thank you Benigna. It was an honour to be able to do this interview with you. I hope we can do this again in the future.
If you’d like to know more about Benigna, definitely check out her Instagram @meat_on_my_plate.
