Kayla Barnes on Why Carnivore Diet Failed Her & Her Current 'Mediterraneanish' Diet

Dietary Experiments and Their Impact

• 💡 Kayla Barnes shares her experiences with extreme diets, including veganism, raw veganism, and a carnivore diet.
• 📉 Veganism led to low energy, fatigue, decreased performance in lifts, and nutritional deficiencies, requiring more supplements.
• ⚠️ While feeling strong on the carnivore diet, her lipids moved in the wrong direction, prompting concern despite feeling good.

Carnivore Diet Nuances and Blood Work

• 🔬 Barnes questions how some individuals maintain good lipid panels on a carnivore diet, emphasizing the need to look beyond basic HDL/LDL.
• 📊 Advanced NMR panels revealed negative trends in particle size, shape, density, and TMAO for her on the carnivore diet.
• 🎯 Carnivore can be effective as an elimination diet for those transitioning from a processed diet, but not necessarily a long-term solution for everyone.

The Benefits of Dietary Variety

• 🥗 Barnes now follows a "Mediterraneanish" diet with significant variety, which she finds optimal for her health and energy levels.
• 🍽️ Her previous highly regimented diet involved eating the same few meals daily, which she contrasts with the gut benefits of dietary diversity.
• 🍎 Incorporating a wide range of organic produce and fermented foods from farm boxes has improved her gut health and enjoyment of food.

Metabolic Flexibility and Ketosis

• 🧠 Barnes used to be obsessed with ketosis, checking ketones frequently, but now focuses on metabolic flexibility.
• 🍠 She now consumes carbohydrates like purple potatoes sparingly (twice a week) and maintains a moderate carb intake, allowing her to flux between burning fat and carbs.
• ⚠️ For individuals who are overweight or metabolically unhealthy, Barnes recommends a lower-carb or ketogenic approach to improve metabolic health and aid weight loss.

Fasting and Hormonal Considerations for Women

• 🗓️ Barnes now practices longer fasts (3-4 days) only once a year and shorter one-day fasts quarterly, always in her follicular phase.
• 📉 She previously experienced thyroid decline from frequent longer fasts, highlighting the need for women to be cautious with fasting duration and timing.
• 🧘‍♀️ Prioritizing parasympathetic activation and monitoring stress levels (e.g., via Aura Ring) is crucial before undertaking fasting, especially for women.