I'd like to share my story as a reminder that too much of a good thing can prove to be harmful. I went all-raw during the summer of 2007 and mostly ate organ meats. I also stopped eating any carbs. I would eat large amounts of heart, kidney, tongue and liver, usually twice daily. I began to experience fatigue, especially after meals and certain symptoms I hoped would go away on this diet actually worsened like hives. This lasted about 2 months after which I decided to change things around. I tried including more fruits, less meat, more muscle-meat, more fat, etc. Always raw. If anything, things got a little worse. I would often feel bloated, my weight went up, my moods were unstable, my skin was very dry, hives persisted. Post-meal fatigue would sometimes get so intense that I would fall asleep almost immediately after my meals and sleep for hours. Gained weight, felt anxious, abdomen was hurting and was distended.

At the moment, I mostly eat muscle-meat, rarely organ meats and only slightly cooked, raw on the inside.

Until recently, I didn't quite understand why I was feeling so lousy on a diet that is supposedly the healthiest for "man". But then, I remembered something Tyler once said, that if he ate too frequently (i.e twice daily), he felt tired. He surmised it was the excess nutrients and strain on the digestive system. Bingo!

I would often eat despite lack of hunger, just because it was "time" to eat or because I was bored. But, if I listened to hunger, I would usually only eat every 24-36 hours. And everytime, I did, I felt a little better. Suddenly, my energy levels would rise.

So, in our quest to regain health and reap the most benefits out of such a diet, we should not forget to also get in touch with our body's signals. This is a nutrient-dense diet and as such, we don't need much. Eat ONLY when hungry and things will be fine. Let your acculturation and emotions dominate your actions and you will pay the price. I certainly did.

Hi,

I was wondering...

I'm on a very low-carb diet consisting mostly of raw fatty muscle meat (usually beef, ribs and chuck) and butter. Liver, once weekly. Very occasionally, seafood, eggs and organ meats. I don't eat pork or lard. I don't like bone marrow. And for now, I make myself a little salad every day, consisting of green pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of iodized sea salt.

My meat and butter come mostly from grain-fed animals. I live in Canada.

I suspect my D levels are probably nowhere near ideal, given my diet and where I live. Of course, in summer, the situation probably improves substantially.

I am currently supplementing with 2,000IU Vitamin D and was planning to take such a dose daily year-round.

If I stick with the above diet, is extra D necessary?