The Zero Carb Diet

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erik@trainingday.no
1
Introduction 4
How to determine if Zero Carb will work for you 6
Genes load the gun 13
So why did I do the Zero Carb diet? 17
The Original Human Diet 19
Benefits of Zero Carb 23
Recommended reading list 24
How to do a Zero Carb diet 28
Why 30 days? 29
What should you eat? 30
Supplements 33
How much should you eat? 33
How much weight can you expect to lose on ZC? 37
Can you gain muscle on a Zero Carb diet? 39
But isn’t insulin needed for maximum anabolism? 40
How many meals per day should you eat? 41
What about special occasions? (Various social events, vacations and
travel, birthdays and so on) 43
FAQ - Answers to common questions and concerns 44
How to transition from Zero Carb after 30 days (or more) 63
Practical take-aways and summary points 67
Acknowledgements 68
Zero Carb Resources 69
The Zero Carb Diet - 2

Medical disclaimer:
The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed in this book is intended to
be used for educational purposes only. The book is offered with the
understanding that the author is not rendering medical advice of any
kind, nor is the book intended to replace medical advice, to diagnose,
prescribe or treat any disease, condition, illness or injury.
Before beginning any diet or exercise program, including any aspect of

the diet presented in this book, you should receive full medical clearance
from a licensed physician.
The author claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any

liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or
indirectly as a result of the use, application or interpretation of the
material in the book.
The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the statements
contained in this book.

Introduction
In this book, you will learn more about the Zero Carb (ZC) diet, a diet
based on the premise that optimal health is achieved by eating (mostly)
anything from the animal kingdom. You will learn how to implement it, get
answers for some common questions and concerns, and I will share my
personal experience with it.
Zero Carb is sort of a misnomer, as there will be some carbohydrates

present in raw, fresh meat (as stored glycogen) and eggs, but the
amounts are still minimal and nowhere near the amounts in plant foods,
fruits, berries or grains.
I’m going to start this introduction off by stating in advance that I don’t
believe there is a single food or diet that is perfect for all human beings,
all the time.
Diets have been broadly linked with health for centuries, since
Hippocrates stated: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”,
but I know some of you are so confused by all the guidelines, advice and
scaremongering from the media and experts that, unfortunately, food is
now seen as something you will become fat or unhealthy from.
It’s not helpful to anyone to stigmatize foods, or use labels such as

“healthy” or “unhealthy”. As you will come to understand after reading
this book, every type of food can be conditionally healthy or unhealthy
depending on the person or the context.
So do I have the answer? I think we all do, if we just start listening to our
own instincts instead of everyone else who has an opinion. You know
what they say about opinions being like assholes. So stop being an
asshole. Or something like that...
Anyway…let’s get on with it.
I believe nutrition is an individual matter, and that you should eat

according to your genetic heritage and ancestry, your individual
tolerance, preference, needs, goals and likes.
Not necessarily in that order, as most people tend to prioritize from last
to first, i.e. eating what they like first of all. And in today’s society where
we have access to a huge selection of highly palatable, calorie dense
and processed foods, this becomes a problem.

After my Zero Carb (ZC)/Carnivory/All-Meat experiment I have come to
believe that for most people most of the time, fresh animals and fish is
the most nutritious and healthiest. If that makes you cringe and suffer
horrible spasms and convulsions of disagreement, at least hear me out
before you call the Vegan Police on me.
I have previously tried, quite unsuccessfully, a ketogenic diet. I did two

separate attempts and gave it 4 and 6 weeks, respectively.
I felt horrible on it and like I could never really adapt.
I kept hearing about people feeling so great on it, and just couldn’t
understand what I did wrong.
It felt restrictive, as I had to limit protein consumption to ensure I stayed

in ketosis (protein is anti-ketogenic as it converts to glucose through a
process called gluconeogenesis).
Eating more fats gave me indigestion and just didn’t feel right.
The appetite suppression that so many claimed as a great advantage,

was non-existent for me. Even though I intentionally overate, I was still
hungry. All the time.
I was always bloated, as I had to eat lots of low-calorie veggies to stretch

my stomach and feel satiated. I was to learn later why this was most
likely one of the main culprits.
I had severe stomach issues and after my last attempt at keto I spent
several months trying to normalize things with various probiotics, low
FODMAP diets and even antibiotic treatment.
Exercise performance tanked, and I didn’t really experience any of the

“keto clarity” cognitive benefits that so many talked about.
I basically came to the conclusion that keto diets were not for me. And
this was in spite of various indicators showing that it should have been
perfect for me.

How to determine if Zero Carb will work for you
As I mentioned in the introduction, nutrition should be an individual and

not a general approach. You simply can’t make sweeping
recommendations that is supposed to work for everyone, all the time.
Some of the “evidence-based” experts and authorities can support their

recommendations on solid research, but there’s a problem with that. It’s
a game of averages. Look at the following graph:
Notice how the average – in this case, gain in muscle mass from a
certain training intervention – is 10%.
But also notice how the few hyper-responders at the far right are skewing
the average (we don’t like those guys very much, do we), and that most
participants fall somewhere around the 5% range.
Finally, notice how there are 5 participants who actually lost muscle with
this training intervention, and another 2-3 participants who barely got any
measureable results.
Now, this training program could be awesome for a few people, it could
be pretty good for most, but it could also be a terrible program for
someone like yourself.
I have made a career out of figuring out how to make those bottom 7-8
guys have spectacular results, by understanding their unique

physiological and psychological profile, and how that ties in with training,
nutrition and overall lifestyle.
So with that in mind, let’s look at some important variables that will
determine whether a low- or zero carbohydrate diet is a good fit for you
or not.
First some background understanding on the storage hormone insulin.
Insulin increases in response to intake of food. It tends to increase more

when eating carbohydrates, but contrary to what many controversial
authors claim – insulin will increase when eating both protein and fats,
although to a lesser degree.
Insulin is a master regulator of your metabolism. Let’s have a look at

some of its functions:
● Cells’ gatekeeper for nutrients: when insulin increases, more
nutrients are allowed into the cells
● Blood glucose regulations: insulin regulates how much glucose is
released from the liver (stored as glycogen) into the bloodstream.
Liver glycogen will empty:
○ between meals
○ during the nightly fast
○ or when carbohydrate intake is low or zero.
How well the cells respond to a given level of insulin in the blood is
considered an important health indicator.
This is called insulin sensitivity.
The cells have a “fuel sensor”, and they will downregulate glucose
uptake when they are full and can no longer accept more incoming
nutrients. Think of it as a gas tank. When it’s full, it doesn’t matter how
hard you squeeze the trigger on the pump - there just isn’t more room for
more fuel.

As it takes more and more insulin to get nutrients into the cell, a lower
insulin sensitivity also means that the cells will accept less nutrients at a
given level of insulin.
Some people are genetically inclined to have a lower insulin sensitivity,

and so require a higher insulin output to get nutrients into their cells. This
means that glucose may be floating around in the bloodstream, and this
is something we want to avoid as it can cause a range of problems:
1. Impaired immune response
2. Impaired healing of cuts and wounds
3. Nerve damage, including erectile dysfunction
4. Vision problems
5. Damage to blood vessels
6. Kidney damage
7. Intestinal problems (constipation or diarrhea)

Glucose is supposed to increase after meals but quickly go back to
normal.
Being overweight and sedentary generally leads to insulin resistance.

Since the cells of these people are overfilled with glucose and fatty acids,
they will want to deny more nutrient influx.
In these people, the cells became insensitive to insulin: no matter how

much insulin their body produces, they won’t respond to it since they are
already “full”. These people have a low insulin sensitivity. The
“uncaptured” glucose will float around the bloodstream causing the
negative effects seen in people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) or metabolic
syndrome.
On the contrary, being leaner and active means that you have a constant
turnover of glucose and fatty acids, and the cells will respond well to
insulin – a high insulin sensitivity.
Insulin sensitivity may play a role in how well your body handles
incoming and stored nutrients, and a general rule is that a higher insulin
sensitivity allows you to build more muscle and lose more fat on a high
carbohydrate diet.

Research also confirms that people with insulin resistance can lose more
weight and fat mass on low carbohydrate diets.
Insulin sensitivity isn’t the whole story, though.
Your insulin secretion needs to be appropriate for a certain level of

insulin sensitivity. You can be insulin resistant, but if your body cannot
produce enough insulin to compensate, you may still do better on a high
carbohydrate diet to drive insulin as high as possible (to allow the cells to
take up the nutrients). This is a rare occurrence, though.
If you have high insulin sensitivity, but your pancreas oversecretes

insulin, it may lead to poor nutrient partitioning – where less nutrients are
directed towards energy production and muscle, and more nutrients are
directed towards fat storage.
Oversecreting insulin may also drive blood glucose levels lower than
normal, what is often referred to as reactive hypoglycaemia.
Thus, normal carb tolerance means that you have an appropriate insulin
release for a given carb intake and your individual insulin sensitivity.
Low carb tolerance is associated with an insulin secretion that is too

high given a certain level of carbohydrate and food intake, and insulin
sensitivity, so this essentially means you can have:
1. Low insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) but normal insulin
release
2. High insulin sensitivity but excessive insulin release
Both lead to excessive glucose fluctuations in the blood, and this will
have an inflammatory effect, cause a range of health issues, abnormal
hunger responses and impaired mental focus and performance, as well
as problems building muscle and burning fat efficiently. Proper insulin
secretion is considered a far better predictor of what diet approach works
for you, than insulin sensitivity.
People that do best with low or zero carbohydrate intakes generally have
a low carbohydrate tolerance. As mentioned, this can be genetic but also
caused by inactivity, obesity and metabolic inflexibility (inability to adjust
fuel usage from glucose to fatty acids depending on intake and needs).
In a couple of paragraphs you will see what are the typical signs of low
carb tolerance so that you can understand in what part of the spectrum
you’re in.

Type 2 diabetics have insulin resistance.
Incidentally, lack of sunlight also induces insulin resistance, which is why

low-carb diets work better in northern climates and during wintertime.
Cold exposure will increase insulin sensitivity, however, so if you always
stay indoors and turn up the heaters in your house during winter, you
may be doing yourself a disservice in several ways - lack of daylight,
activity and colder temperatures).
We are meant to be active, and it is an absolute necessity to maintain

metabolic function, enzyme activity and mitochondrial health (the
command centers of the cell).
With my low bodyfat levels and glycogen-demanding training (weight

training ranging from low to high rep ranges) I have a pretty good insulin
sensitivity, so the glucose from the carbohydrates I eat are efficiently
processed and shuttled into my cells by a given insulin level.
However, I tend to oversecrete insulin, and unless I manage my

macronutrient balance or food selection I may experience severe
hypoglycemic episodes.
I actually experienced this during the writing of this book.
After almost 3 months on a Zero Carb diet, I have reintroduced

carbohydrates (more on this later). After a noon workout which was
pretty low volume, I had a 300g rib-eye steak, followed by a big bowl of
fruits and berries with honey for dessert. All healthy, right?
An hour later, I started cold sweating, shaking and getting dizzy.
I measured my blood glucose, and it was 2.8mmol/L (50mg/dL) – where

normal levels are 4.5-5.5mmol/L (80-100mg/dL)!
A normal person may faint and even go into a coma with this low level.
This extreme episode of reactive hypoglycemia was probably a
combination of things such as lack of sleep (we have a 4-week old baby),
workout stress, not enough food to name a few – as the stress hormones
adrenaline and cortisol interacts with insulin signalling.
A good way of resolving both this is to drop carbohydrate intake. Most

controlled studies haven’t shown any difference in terms of weight loss
between low-carb and high-carb diets when protein and calories are kept
the same. On the other hand, each person is different and some people

(and maybe you too) will notice some major differences both in terms of
energy levels, hunger, mental performance and weight loss on a low- or
zero-carb diet.
Typical signs that you have low carbohydrate tolerance, and will do well
on a low or zero carbohydrate diet:
- You get hungry or lethargic within a couple of hours of eating
carbohydrate-rich meals.
- You get bloated and may experience water retention and edema
when you eat a lot of carbohydrates.
- You have a high body fat percentage.
- You are inactive.
- You live in colder and darker climates. Both temperature and
sunlight governs carbohydrate tolerance, so the higher latitude you
live on, the less carbohydrates you should likely be eating –
especially during wintertime.
Very few people have high carbohydrate tolerance, where they will feel
great on carbs but horrible whenever they eat a protein-and-fat meal with
no carbohydrates.
A simple test is to eat a meal with bread for breakfast one day, and make
a note of how you feel the next few hours - energy levels, hunger, mood.
The next day, eat an isocaloric meal with eggs. E.g. a slice of bread with
jam is the equivalent of a large egg in calories, so you would eat 3-5
slices of bread one day and 3-5 eggs the next, depending on your
bodyweight and calorie needs.
If you feel warm, happy, energetic and stay satiated for several hours
after the bread meal but not the eggs, you have a high carbohydrate
tolerance - and vice versa.
Note that probably 60% or more will have a normal carbohydrate

tolerance, i.e. they can do well both on bread or eggs for breakfast. You
don’t have to have a low carbohydrate tolerance to thrive on a zero carb
diet, so a normal carbohydrate tolerance person is also “qualified”.
Keep in mind that craving carbohydrates can imply that your diet is
unbalanced or that you have nutrient deficiencies, not that you should
eat more carbohydrates.

Don’t confuse wanting/liking for needing carbohydrates, they are not the
same thing, and sometimes you need to eliminate them to wean yourself
off the cravings.
Some advocate “cheat” days or allowing a treat here and there as an

approach to handle this situation. I this ranks up there with the
recommendation to let a drug user, alcoholic or smoker to have a cheat
day or just one shot/cigarette once in awhile. It doesn’t really work.
I do agree that having a normal and healthy relationship to any food

should be the cornerstone of any lifestyle approach, but starving a
craving by eliminating sugar or sweets (including non-nutritive
sweeteners) completely will be the most effective intervention.
The common feedback from people adopting a ZC diet is that after only a
week or two all of their cravings for sweets are eliminated.
Genes load the gun
I have also done extensive genetic testing, first through 23andme.com,

and used the raw data through various services (23andme only provides
ancestry information) to interpret and extract some relevant information
from it. I think we are still not quite at a point where we can tailor nutrition
and training individually, but I found that I have variations on genes
regulating fat metabolism (I handle fats extremely well) and carbohydrate
metabolism (I handle carbohydrates poorly, and this is obviously very
much in agreement with my own experiences).
The 23andme site also told me that 70% or more of my genes are of
Nordic and Scandinavian origin. It makes a lot of sense that since my
ancestors through several generations and thousands of years have
most likely had a meat- and fish dominant diet, I will do fairly well on the
same foods.
Still, humans like to travel and trade. Some folks wandered up and out of
Africa. Some folks wandered all the way across Alaska to South
America. Some of us sailed with rafts or boats across the ocean,
resulting in isolated and genetically distinct populations such as
indigenous Aboriginals in Australia, the Maori, and Indonesians. Once
we figured out walking, riding, and sailing ships, we travelled across
continents swapping and selling stuff spices, foods, and sometimes other
humans (slave trade has history spanning back 5000 years).

This means that unless you and your ancestors have lived for tens of
thousands of years undisturbed on a desert island, tribe in the Amazon
or an isolated mountain village, you’ve probably got a lot of mixed up
genes inside of you.
We are not victims of our genes, and shouldn’t think of it as a gift or

burden. We can also affect our genes through our lifestyle and
environment. An illustrative metaphor: Genes load the gun, our
environment pulls the trigger.
I have gene SNPs that code for negative health effects from
consumption of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, which is normally
very healthy for most people and a staple food in the Mediterranean
cuisine.
Asians have a 90% prevalence of lactose intolerance, whereas

Scandinavians have the opposite numbers: up to 80% lactose tolerance,
and I also tolerate dairy very well.
In a study of Hispanic people of Caribbean origin, participants with a

particular variant of the PLIN gene (PLIN 11482 G > A) were leaner
when they ate more complex, higher-fiber carbs. Simple sugars or total
carbohydrates didn’t seem to have any such relationship.
Similar results with some PLIN variants and insulin resistance were
found in a Singaporean population made up of Chinese, Malay, and
South Asians.
Also, when people with two copies of a certain PLIN variant consumed
carbohydrates with saturated fats, they were significantly more likely to
have insulin resistance.
There are multiple gene interactions, such as FAIM2, FLJ35779, FTO,

LRRN6C, RBJ, and SEC16B, which muddle the picture, though - so it is
still difficult to makeclear cut recommendations other than being aware of
your ancestral history.

The primary ancestry lines with uniquely different food traditions
(although many similarities, as we will discuss later):
● White/European
● Black/African American
● Hispanic
● East Asian
● South Asian
● Pacific Islander
● Arabic/Middle Eastern
● North American Aboriginal
● Native American
● Inuit
● Aboriginal Australian
Reproductive success in a portion of a population exerts what is referred

to as evolutionary pressure or selective pressure in evolutionary
biology. Genes that promote health and longevity are preserved, and
inherited traits that are less conducive to a certain population may
eventually disappear.
Some traits have been formed through millions of years of evolution,

some genes have been selectively pressured into active or inactive
states through the last few generations, some genes you can affect with
how you live your life today and the next years and decades.
For example, Cornell University researchers have found a genetic

variation that appears to have evolved in populations eating vegetarian
diets over hundreds of generations. The geography of this vegetarian
gene includes people from India, Africa and parts of East Asia, known to
have green diets even today.
Some recommended reading if you want to dig deeper on the topic is

Gary Paul Nabhan: Food, Genes, and Culture: Eating Right for Your
Origins.
The main takeaway is that you should look to your evolutionary past and
ancestry if you want to know what diet you will most likely do well on.
This may be a range of foods, but it beats following the population-based

advice of various experts or governments, promoting one single diet that
will promote health and longevity.

I have personally seen immigrants from equatorial regions gain weight
and experience health issues when adopting the Norwegian diet, but
regain their health and weight when they go back to their grandmother’s
diet teachings.
Sometimes, grandma knows best. She’s also awesome at making stews.

So why did I do the Zero Carb diet?
I stumbled upon a podcast with Dr Shawn Baker (twitter: @SBaker), a

50-year old board certified orthopaedic surgeon based in California. Dr
Baker is an impressive human specimen, as a multi-sport world record
holder Masters Athlete who has broken several world records on the
indoor rower Concept2.
Shawn wanted to push to the extremes of performance, and transitioned

from a ketogenic diet to an all-meat, zero carb diet.
After about a month, his performance continued to improve, and now

almost a year later he is still breaking records and a prolific advocate of
ZC/carnivory on Twitter.
I was impressed both with his perspectives on it, and his real-world
results in himself and a lot of the patients he had recommended it to.
A lot of what he said simply made total sense, and the advantages of fat
loss and improved digestion – among other things – sounded very
appealing.

I had been dieting for almost 8 weeks on a carb-based diet and had been
battling a highly variable gut function for many years (low FODMAP, pre-
and probiotics, various SIBO/Candida protocols, even anti-biotics…I had
tried it all).
I also love meat, and always have…so that helps.
I was intrigued to say the least, and as always when I discover

something that makes me curious, I will adopt a borderline OCD
dedication to learn everything I can about it.
I guess it’s sort of a gift, as it has led to the development of several

innovative training and nutrition methods, such as Myo-reps™ and the
Biorhythm Diet. I am in the process of writing an e-book on the
Biorhythm Diet. No ETA yet but send me an email to
coach@borgefagerli.com to be notified when I release it.
It can also be somewhat tedious and tiring, though – as I am relentless

when I get into the zone and it can be difficult to snap me out of it.
But I digress.
I can only promise you that I have done my due diligence, and I will do
my best to enlighten you and provide a framework of understanding
before you decide whether this radical diet is something for you to try
out.
My results have been spectacular, even borderline miraculous and in a

very short time. Read along for the full story.

The Original Human Diet
For most of human history we as a species have hunted and gathered
our food, feasting on what nature could provide us depending on the
season, geographic area and climate. A little known or often forgotten
fact is that from 2,5 million to 11,700 years ago of the history of our
planet has been known as the Pleistocene period or Ice Age, and is
characterized by repeated glaciations.
This has even been true of the more modern Paleolithic hunter-gatherers
and traditional societies, as demonstrated by the exhaustive scientific
work of Weston A. Price, first published in 1939. Even in modern times, a
relatively large part of the human population live in areas of the world
with a below zero (0C/32F) climate for 3-6 months of the year, and the
only reason we now have access to fruits and vegetables year round is
because it is easily transported all over the world from areas of the world
with warmer climates.
This means that access to plant foods have always been highly variable,
and it is safe to assume that we subsisted and survived for a large
portion of our evolution mainly on the meat and fat of animals and fish
that we hunted.
For some reason, we don’t see many cave paintings of men hunting down apples or cucumbers.

Our human ancestors 2 million years ago had already developed
weapons and complex hunting techniques. Humans are persistence
hunters, meaning that even if an animal is bigger, stronger and faster, we
would walk, run and sprint over long distances until the animal keeled
over from exhaustion. The ability to sweat allows us to regulate our
temperature within a range of environments, whereas an antelope will
quickly overheat and die in higher temperature climates.
The hunting skills, developed far earlier than previously thought, was to
have profound implications. Once our species got a taste for meat, it was
provided with a dense, protein-rich source of energy. We no longer
needed the same internal resources on digestive tracts required to
process harder digestible vegetation and fruit. The energy-rich meat
nutrients were then diverted to fuel our growing brains.
As a result, over the next two million years our skulls grew, producing
species of humans with increasingly large brains.
Fat was a prized commodity valued for its concentrated nutrient and
energy value, over double that of protein, and tens of times more
concentrated if you look at the nutrient density in plant matter. We
essentially had to eat enormous volumes of plant matter to extract the
same caloric value as a relatively minor serving of fatty meat.
A full-grown wild animal in the 80-250kg/175-55lbs range easily provides

100-200,000kcals, and the estimated ratio between the energy yield vs.
cost of procuring it is on the order of 30-70:1. A successful hunt could
sustain a whole family for a week or more.
1kg of the fibrous plant foods available – very much unlike the selectively
bred varieties we have available today – yielded approximately
2000kcals. Some fruits and seeds would provide 2-4x that, but would
only be available in certain areas for a limited time (other animals would
often get to them before we did).
Thus, the energy yield vs. cost of most plant foods is in the range of 2-
4:1 so 1/20th of what animals provide. It would take a full day of gathering
plant foods to sustain the family for that day alone.
A number of models proposed by modern day anthropologists have

estimated that most hunter-gatherers (75%+) subsisted on mainly animal
foods (55-65%+).

We are still perfectly capable of ingesting and digesting plants, and
genetic selection and pressure regulated this according to what was
available in the climate and area we evolved in. As such, we have
evolved both the muscular and cardiovascular system for hunting, as
well as a digestive system that is more similar to carnivores than
herbivores.

Humans are considered “omnivores”, adapted to eat both animals and
plants, as compared to carnivores that eat all-meat and herbivores that
eat all plants. We would most likely feast on animals to thrive and evolve,
but survive on plant matter during certain parts of the season and in
certain areas where this was possible.
There are modern humans who can survive and thrive on plant foods,
but without any animal foods at all (dairy, eggs, seafood) it often requires
strategic supplementation or extensive knowledge of proper food choices
and combinations. The commonly reported deficiencies in vegan diets
are vitamin B12, EPA and DHA.
The latter two are the omega-3 fatty acids found primarily in seafood,
and the only way to get these from plant sources are through the
conversion of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) from
seeds, nuts and some vegetable oils. Unfortunately, the conversion ALA
into DHA and EPA in the human body is highly inefficient (estimated at
only 4-6%), and worsened by the fact that most sources of ALA are also
rich in omega-6, an inflammatory fatty acid we get way too much of in
our modern diets already and which may inhibit ALA conversion by 50%.
We only need 2-3 portions (a portion is 140g) of fatty fish per week to get
the recommended 1-2g/day of EPA+DHA, or 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil,
and to get this minimum requirement from plant sources you would need
to eat e.g. 450g/1lbs of walnuts or take 3-4 tablespoons (45-60g) of flax
seed oil per day.
My honest opinion is that animals should form the foundation of a

nutritious diet for most people. The incorporation of dairy, eggs and
some sea food will dramatically improve nutrient quality, and I consider
vegetarian diets a better alternative than vegan diets, if you have the
genetic background and/or ethical propensity for selecting a plant-based
diet.

Benefits of Zero Carb
Some of the reported benefits of a Zero Carb diet, with various degrees
of confidence level (meaning that some are documented medically,
others are mostly anecdotal):
- Eliminating cravings and emotional eating

- Effortless weight and fat loss eating according to hunger - when
you want, and how much you want (also referred to as “ad libitum”)
- Improved and more stable energy levels, both physical and
cognitive
- Dramatic reduction in inflammation (confirmed by significant drops
in CRP on blood tests)
- Improved cholesterol and triglyceride numbers (also due to weight
loss and lower inflammation). Some outliers (including myself)
experience increased numbers, referred to as a “cholesterol hyper-
responder”. There are most likely a genetic reason for this, but the
following traits also seem to be correlated with this outcome: above
average muscle mass, below average body fat%, and extreme
weight loss. This is referred to as a “cholesterol hyper-responder”. I
will provide a brief overview of this in the FAQ section later in the
book.
- Improved gut function and digestion (no more bloating, gas,
heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation)
- Mood improvements (there are reports of Zero-Carbers being able
to completely eliminate various medications for depression)
- Elimination of snoring, joint pain and arthritis, migraines, acne and
eczema
- Major reduction or elimination of symptoms related to Myalgic
encephalomyelitis (ME), fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Myalgic
encephalomyelitis is characterised by a range of neurological
symptoms: muscle pain with intense physical or mental exhaustion,
relapses, and specific cognitive disabilities.
There is a paucity of well-controlled research acknowledging or

confirming any of these claims, and there are various reasons for this:
ethical, political and funding issues. If you want to do some reading, I
have some recommendations.

Recommended reading list
Vilhjalmur Stefansson: The Fat of the Land (1956) – (pdf link)
Stefansson was an anthropologist and arctic explorer, who spent several

years of his life living with the Inuit. This book goes in depth about his
experiences eating a diet comprised of fish, caribou, seals and whale.
You will also gain insight on another well-known carnivore population,
the American Indians. The book also chronicles the 1928 experiment
conducted at Bellevue Hospital in New York, in which Stefansson and
Karsten Andersen ate nothing but meat for a whole year. They were both
in excellent health, showed no signs of any nutrient deficiencies and the
book is a great testimony to the efficacy of a Zero Carb diet.
Blake F Donaldson: Strong Medicine (1962) – (pdf link)
Donaldson was a physician who practiced medicine at the beginning and

middle of the 1900s. He prescribed an all-meat diet to all of his sick and
obese patients, in the following ratios: 6 oz of meat (lean) with 2 oz of fat,
3 times per day. Fat provides about 75-80% of total calories with this
ratio of lean to fat, and Donaldson claimed that if a patient ate less than
this or skipped meals, their weight loss actually slowed down. He claims
to have had a very high success rate with this approach, and the book
documents it – this is obviously pure anecdote and no controlled
scientific study.
Walter L Voegtlin: The Stone Age Diet (1975) – (pdf link)
Voegtlin was a gastroenterologist who was considered radical in his

promotion of a carnivore diet, even denouncing the mere existence of
veganism. Perhaps not factually or historically correct on certain things,
he argued that a diet more aligned with our ancestral past would create
optimal health.
Dr Newbold’s Type A/B Weight Loss Book (1991) – (pdf link)
The author discusses two principle causes of obesity, binge eating and
food addiction, and presents a program for losing weight that eliminates
carbohydrates from the diet and limits food consumption to meat, fish,
and (small amounts of) raw fruits and vegetables (introduced after an all-
meat “reset”). His recommended range was 450-750g/1-1,7lbs of fatty
meat per day, eaten according to hunger.

Various
In bodybuilding circles, you will find several recounts of diets used by the
greats during the 1950s-1970s, such as Vince Gironda’s “Steak and
Eggs Diet” and John McCallum’s “The Definition Diet” from the March
1968 issue of Strength & Health magazine.
In modern times, researcher Dr Csaba Tóth of Paleomedicina Hungary

is having staggering success with various conditions on a paleolithic
ketogenic diet. There are studies and several cases of substantial
improvements and even complete remission of auto-immune conditions
spanning from diabetes type 1, hypertension, Crohn’s and even some
cancer types on a diet of mainly meat and fish with small amounts of
honey (as a sweetener in tea).
The guy who originally inspired me to try out the Zero Carb diet, Shawn
Baker, is doing an informal experiment where he has recruited hundreds
of people to document meticulously the physical and mental changes
from an all-meat diet. You can find out more at nequalsmany.com (N =
many)
Carnivory (meat only) has become all the rage in the cryptocurrency
world, a phenomenon which is probably related to these people already
being open to radical and new ideas.
Two of the best-known hardcore carnivores are Zcash creator Zooko

Wilcox-O’Hearn who is very active on Twitter (@zooko), and also
Michael Goldstein (Twitter: @bitstein), founder of the Satoshi Nakamoto
Institute and self-described "Bitcoin and meat maximalist".
Another reason many adopt a Zero-Carb/carnivory diet is because of the

simplicity of it. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs to ever walk
the planet, the likes of Albert Einstein, former President Barack Obama,
Apple founder Steve Jobs, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Facebook
founder Mark Zuckerberg have implemented several routines and habits
to reduce their decision making efforts – such as always wearing the
same outfits.
You see, willpower is a resource that can be depleted if you constantly

have to decide what to do with yourself, so by automating the mundane
decisions such as wearing the same exact outfit and shoes every day
(obviously at least three versions of the same outfit, not reusing the
same clothes until you reek), eating the same foods, and you will have

more brainpower available for the more important decisions in your daily
life.
So what’s for breakfast?

Steak
Ok, and what’s for lunch?

Steak
How about dinner?

Steak
In the words of Walter Voegtlin of The Stone Age Diet: “It's Safe, It's
Sane, It's Simple, and it Really Works”.
The Bear
A legend in the Zero Carb community (yes, there are thousands of

people in various Facebook groups, living and thriving on an all-meat diet
for several years) is Owsley “The Bear” Stanley, who followed a diet
completely free of all plant foods (with the exception of spices) for over
50 years - from 1958 (age 23) until his untimely death in a car accident in
2011 (age 76).
Fun fact: Mr. Stanley was a soundman for the rock band the Grateful Dead.

He has posted hundreds and thousands of posts with some pretty radical
ideas on various forums throughout the years (link to some selected
reading), and has been a great inspiration for many prolific ZC authors.
As a preliminary introduction and segue into the chapter on how to do

the Zero Carb diet, Mr. Stanley offered these guidelines:
▪ Eat only from the animal kingdom.
▪ Eat nothing from the plant kingdom.
▪ Do not eat milk and yogurt.
▪ Cook beef rare to preserve nutrients.
▪ Eat plenty of animal fat.
▪ Eat the fattiest parts first.
▪ Organ meats are not necessary.
▪ Supplements are not necessary.
▪ Do not eat vegetable oils.
▪ Do not eat salt or salted butter.
▪ Spices are okay for flavoring.
▪ Drink plenty of plain water.
▪ Eat as often as you are hungry.
▪ Do not worry about calories.
This is what Mr. Stanley himself did for more than 50 years, from which
he claimed to achieve youthful vibrant health and suffer no health
consequences.

How to do a Zero Carb diet
It can be quite simply stated as such: Eat nothing but meat, drink nothing
but water for 30 days. And by meat, I would recommend cuts or varieties
that have at least 10g, preferably 15g, and up to 20g of fat per 100g/3oz
– often referred to as 80-90% lean in the US. Bacon can have up to 30-
35g of fat per 100g, though I only advise using that as flavouring and not
as the primary portion of the meal.
Most will feel the best on fattier cuts of meat and a higher fat intake, at a
ratio of 1-1.5g fat per 1g of protein.
For me, it is the opposite: the fattiest cuts of meat or adding fats beyond
what is found naturally in foods, made meals harder to digest and would
sometimes cause varying degrees of nausea. It appears that leaner and
more muscular guys who regularly engage in high intensity exercise,
often do better with slightly lower fat:protein ratio (0.6-0.9g fat per gram
of protein), whereas most people and those who engage in lower
intensity exercise do better with a higher fat:protein ratio.
Salt: I would strongly recommend that you increase salt consumption,

especially in the transition period. You will lose a lot of fluids and
electrolytes in the beginning, and a lot of the symptoms (headaches,
lethargy) can be reduced or mitigated by salting your meals to taste, and
then a little more than you think is necessary. On a normal diet the
guidelines are anywhere from 4-6g/1-1.5 teaspoon of salt (1600-2400mg
sodium), but you can increase that by 30-50% and even double it to 10-
12g of salt/2-2.5 teaspoons (4000-5000mg of sodium) if you are active
and/or live in warmer climates with increased sweat rates.
You will adapt to the higher salt intakes, but if you find your food
unpalatable with too much salt, just swig down half a teaspoon of it with
some mineral water.
Water: Mineral water, carbonated or still, is great for extra minerals. I

would also advise you to forget everything you’ve heard about having to
drink 8 or whatever glasses of water. This is a myth and unless you live
in a tropical climate or perspire like a race horse, drink water to thirst and
you will be fine. The water from coffee and tea also counts, by the way.

Summary points:
● Eat meat with (at least) 15-20% of fat/80-85% lean

● A ratio of 0.5-0.8g of fat per gram of protein for leaner, more
muscular individuals and for those involved in high intensity training
● A ratio of 1-1.5g of fat per gram of protein for most people
● A minimum of 4-6g/1 teaspoon, up to 10-12g/2-2.5 teaspoons of
salt (2400-5000mg sodium) per day
● Water according to thirst. Tea and coffee also counts.
Why 30 days?
Because that’s how long it takes to go through the adaption period and
truly experience the profound changes in your physiology and mental
clarity that I and thousands of others have experienced first-hand.
The adaptation period will be different for everyone, but expect that the
worst of it – headaches, lethargy, sleepiness, nausea, digestive transition
(from loose stools to constipation) will last for roughly 2-5 days and up to
1-2 weeks.
I personally chose to not go strictly all meat or drink only water through
the full 30 days. I stopped coffee for the first 30 days, as I just didn’t feel
like having it anymore, but now I do enjoy a cup or two daily – mostly
before noon.
You should avoid anything sweet, even if it is “natural” or with the safer
alternatives such as Stevia. You want to reset your brain circuits that are
craving sweets and this is done most effectively by weaning yourself
completely off it, both in its artificial and natural forms.
How extreme you need to be will depend on your personality type, and
the severity of your health issues, but there is something to be said for
“temporary extremism”. By going all-in instead of half-assing it, you will
establish a new baseline and complete reset, and this will enable you to
better evaluate the effects of every food or food group that you may or
may not reintroduce after the 30-day experiment.
After 30-days you can obviously decide whether you want to keep going
(I went for 60, then for 90 days because I just felt so good on it), and if
not - later on you will read how to transition to a carb-based diet.

What should you eat?
Beef and lamb works best for most people, and these types of meats
should not be overcooked. A ribeye retains more of its flavours and
nutrients if you just lightly sear it for a couple of minutes on both sides so
that the center is still red – referred to as blue-rare.
Beware of cured or aged meat, as the concentration of histamines

increases dramatically, and may cause reactions in some people
sensitive to these chemicals produced by your immune system to rid
your body of allergens. If you experience reactions to eating meat, make
sure you get only the freshest cuts available.
I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to buy grass-fed organic all the

time, the fatty acid profile isn’t extremely different, but this will depend on
where you live. In Norway the government has extremely strict policies
both in terms of animal welfare and feed quality, so food quality ranks at
the top in the world.
Pork is a close second choice, although some don’t feel well on it. I often
use a few bits of bacon for flavour to my meals, as the recipes later in
this book will show, but I let my instincts guide me on how much and how
often to eat it.
Wild game meats such as reindeer, deer, moose, caribou, antelope,

venison, rabbit, bison, buffalo and mammoth (just checking if you were
paying attention, they are extinct) are also great, but they are also quite
lean and will be less satiating.
Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) is usually not a preferred food by most

who try ZC, but for variety I think it is great.
Remember that pork and poultry have a higher risk of bacterial or

parasitic infections and need to be cooked thoroughly.
Fish is obviously also great, but you should go with the fattier types (wild
salmon and trout, mackerel, sardines, herring). Some fish can have high
levels of heavy metals, but the mineral selenium will bind up e.g. mercury
and reduce or even eliminate any toxic load. I also prefer to think of the
benefits of foods instead of becoming paranoid of every single thing that
could be wrong with it.
Crustaceans (crab, oysters, clams, lobster, shrimp) are considered

superfoods of the ocean (particularly rich in vitamins and minerals,

omega-3s and one of the most powerful antioxidants astaxanthin) - but
are also very low in fat and should be “boosted” by animal fats or fatty
fish.
You also might consider including both organ meats (liver, heart, kidney,
sweetbreads, brain) and bone broth (slow-cook meat on the bone, or
make bone broth separately from leftover bones and skin) for the added
nutrients but there are many ZCs who don’t eat any of this and still
experience vibrant health.
Pemmican was a high-energy combination of dried lean meat from

caribou, bison, deer, moose and rendered fat. It was a prized commodity
of the Native Indians, said to be invented by the Cree, adopted by the fur
traders of that time, and later by the Arctic and Antarctic explorers - such
as the famous Norwegians Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. Some
variations also included dried berries.
Pemmican can be made at home, although it requires some preparation,

but is a great way to boost energy intake for people requiring high calorie
intakes - such as athletes. It is also great as a travel food or for hiking
and camping trips, as it was originally intended for.
For the less extreme versions of ZC, you could include eggs (I eat up to
12 per day), and dairy such as cheese and butter.
I prefer organic and free-range chicken eggs, but try rotating the types of
eggs and even the way you prepare them, as eggs are known to cause
reactions in some people.
Some also experience reactions to cow’s milk, so you could try feta
cheese or brie from sheep and goat’s milk. My personal favourite is a
salty white goat’s cheese from Underdalsbui in Norway.
As egg and dairy intolerances are quite common, those of you with food
intolerance issues should focus on meat-only for the 30-day experiment,
and then introduce eggs and dairy gradually later.
Some also find that they lose less weight (or gain more weight) when
they eat a lot of cheese, which is probably because it is so tasty.
High palatability and easy access is what drives food consumption, as

argued by Stephan Guyenet in his excellent book The Hungry Brain –
Outsmarting The Instincts That Make Us Overeat.

“The problem is not necessarily a lack of willpower or an incorrect
understanding of what to eat. Rather, our appetites and food choices are
led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a
survival game that no longer exists. And these circuits don’t care about
how you look in a bathing suit next summer.
The brain has certain properties that it's hardwired to look for in food.
When it finds those properties in food, it motivates us to eat the foods
that contain them, and the more of those properties that a food contains,
the more motivated we become. Generally those properties revolve
around things that supply calories, like sugar, fat, starch, and protein.
For millions of years, our ancestors had to fight to get enough food to
survive every day, and calorie intake, in addition to ensuring survival,
was also a major determinant of reproductive success— in other words,
how many children you're going to leave behind, which is the currency of
natural selection.
Because of this, our brains are very deeply hardwired to look for calories,
and this is a very strong reason why we want to eat certain foods. When
you're in the presence of a food that the brain views as highly desirable
because of the properties that it has, the brain is going to motivate you to
eat more of that food that it considers desirable. The brain even starts to
sweep away all the things that would normally limit your intake, like
satiety, so you end up being able to eat a lot more calories than you
otherwise would.
The brain is very strongly wired to prioritize foods that it finds valuable.
I'm not saying that we can't ever eat things that taste good—that's
unrealistic. But if we tend to focus on simpler, more satisfying foods, and
limit those foods that really cause us to lose control, then it makes it
much easier to regulate your calorie intake in a healthy way. “
— Stephan Guyenet, The Hungry Brain
So the problem with what we consider “junk food” is not only a high
calorie density, but also that the combinations of flavours tricks our

brains into eating more calories of it than we have a physiological need
for.
Even though the calorie density is high in meat, the flavours are less
intense, and when you remove the sweet part of the equation, you are
better able to auto-regulate your calorie intake. This is why most people
lose so much weight on a Zero Carb diet.
Supplements
Most won’t need any supplements at all since meat is so nutritious, and
the ZC purists frown upon any use of supplements. If you choose to use
any supplements, my recommendations would have to be a high-quality
omega-3 supplement (if you don’t eat fatty fish at least once a week),
vitamin D3 (if you don’t get any sunlight regularly), and Betaine HCL with
pepsin and gentian bitters, to improve digestion during the transition
phase.
The lower esophageal sphincter (the gate between your stomach and
esophagus) reflexively closes in reaction to a lower pH in the stomach,
so if you experience heartburn/reflux it is because you need more and
not less stomach acid.
For those who don’t eat meat on the bone or consume bone broth, I
would also include collagen peptides, 10-30g per day (e.g. 10g with
every meal). Especially if your motivation to do ZC is severe
gastrointestinal issues such as food intolerances or leaky gut, or if you
have tendon and joint pain.
How much should you eat?
Most will just tell you to eat according to hunger and satiety signals.
I mostly agree, and you WILL get to this point eventually, but I do prefer
to have some rough guidelines and surely you do, too. Hunger signals
are way different with a ZC diet, and there will be very few cravings, your
blood sugar levels will be much more stable and consistent, and many
will end up under-eating. I know I did.
The high energy density of animal foods means that the stomach will not
be stretched to the same extent as with the high volume of foods of most
regular diets, and you need to “relearn” what hunger really means.

Hunger on a ZC diet is when you start to feel lethargic, or just “weak” and
lacking energy. You will also become more preoccupied with food, the
brain’s way of telling you to eat.
If you suddenly feel like you need some carbs, it is more probable that
you just didn’t eat enough at the previous meal.
After a couple of weeks, you should be able to auto-regulate how much

to eat. I know some of you will overanalyze this, but at some point you
need to start trusting your own body.
Some of us have a pre-programmed conception of fattier cuts of meat,

bacon and juicy burgers being unhealthy. Most would think that having a
whole lbs of meat (454g) for a meal is overeating, which in practice is
about 800-1000kcals and just about perfect for the average male eating
on the order of 3 meals per day.
If you eat too much at one meal, you will most likely eat less at the next
meal - or even skip it altogether. If you don’t eat enough, you will be
hungry sooner. It all balances out in the end.
It’s a paradox that we grew into adults without having to constantly worry
about eating too much or not enough - then come to believe that we now
need to micromanage our nutrition to get strong and healthy.
One of the reasons why people get fat is, after all, the combination of
inactivity and brains circuits that have been entrained to eat calorie-
dense, tasty foods.
Zero Carb is a great way to solve one of the driving forces behind weight
gain. If you are overweight or obese, you will most likely lose a lot of
weight on ZC. The emotional and reward circuits in the brain that have
been entrained to eat highly palatable foods and/or if you are bored,
depressed, sad or stressed will first go through withdrawal.
If you just stick with it through the rough transition, you will experience
freedom for the first time in a long time – perhaps even for the first time
in your life.
Even though meat only seasoned with salt and pepper can be quite
tasty, especially if you add bacon to it, it is lacking the range of flavours
that processed foods are so good at throwing at you to make you

overeat. Hence, you will spontaneously end up eating far less calories
than usual, and lose weight.
That being said, people who have been intentionally restricting and
starving for long periods of time – the eternal dieters – will gain weight
initially when they eat ad libitum (according to hunger, without
restrictions).
I think this should also be allowed, as long-term sustainable weight loss

can only be achieved once you achieve true food freedom. The success
rate for weight loss “diets” is a paltry 2-5%, meaning that out of 100
dieters, 95 to 98 of them will regain the weight they lost once they go off
the diet.
A major psychological paradox is that by trying to eat less, you

eventually end up eating more. So if there is one takeaway I want you to
have, even if you decide not to go Zero Carb, is to stop thinking in terms
of absolutes - if you’re either “On” or “Off” a diet, you will be stuck in
limbo for eternity.
You will achieve long-lasting changes in your body once you can let go
of the whole premise of “diet”, and start thinking “lifestyle”. Eat to fuel and
nourish your body, listen to your instincts and honestly - eat like an adult
(Fruit Loops for breakfast? Come on…)
Ok, so for those who still want to have some rough guidelines on how
much to eat per day, let’s break it down into bodyweight ranges and
activity levels. These are roughly maintenance levels for most people:
Weight: 50-70kg (110-155lbs) 70-90kg (155-200lbs) 90-110kg (200-240lbs)

Low active 600-900g/1.5-2lbs 900g-1.2kg/2-2.6lbs 1.2-1.5kg/2.6-3.3lbs
Med active 750g-1.1kg/1.6-2.4lbs 1.1-1.5kg/2.4-3.3lbs 1.3-1.7kg/2.8-3.7lbs
High active 900g-1.4kg/2-3lbs 1.3-1.7kg/2.8-3.7lbs 1.5-2kg/3.3-4.4lbs
The quantities listed are meat with a fat content in the range of 14-18%
(82-86% lean).

Bacon. It speaks for itself.
If you eat bacon, fattier cuts of meat (25-30% fat), or cheese, drop the
serving sizes by 30-40%.
If you want to include eggs, replace 3-4 eggs (depending on the size) for
each 100g/3oz of meat.
If you want to lose weight you can either eat 10-20% less as a starting
point, or simply use leaner cuts of meat. I would still recommend that you
eat meat with a minimum of 5-8% of fat, or that you eat extra-lean meats
only 2-3 days per week.
The protein intake will seem high to some of you, especially if you have
previously done a keto diet. For the highly active people it may end up
around 4g/kg (1.8g/lbs) bodyweight at the higher end, but if you have
more muscle mass than most and do hard, high intensity training such as
bodybuilding, Crossfit or glycogen-demanding sports you will probably
make good use of all that extra protein.
Some feel better on more fats and less protein, so you would choose
fattier cuts of meat and use tallow, lard or butter when cooking.

How much weight can you expect to lose on ZC?
As mentioned, I find that those who are underweight may actually gain
weight, whereas those who have weight to lose will often lose weight.
Zero Carb seems to be a great equalizer in that regard.
I have had clients lose from anywhere from 2-4kg/5-10lbs the first week
(a lot of it will be water retention), then a consistent 1-2kg/3-5lbs of
weight loss per week thereafter.
Case 1: Well-trained and above average muscular male, 31yrs, dropped

from 100kg to 96kg in 6 weeks, and according to DEXA (Dual X-Ray
body scan) he gained lean body mass during that time. Also experienced
dramatic reductions in inflammation, so that probably skewed the DEXA
slightly, but still impressive.
Case 2: Female, 44yrs, dropped from 74kg to 64kg in 8 weeks, while

gaining 20-30% strength on all lifts. She had been struggling to lose
weight for years, her gut function improved dramatically, and her
cravings for sweets (and red wine, incidentally) disappeared.
I personally lost 5kg/11lbs of bodyweight, and my waist measurement

dropped by 5cm/2” in the first 30 days of my ZC experiment, with no
apparent loss of muscle mass. My strength numbers were the same or
better in all exercises after the adaptation period. This was also due to
less inflammation and joint pain, and faster recovery.
10 week difference. The before picture was 4 weeks prior to starting the Zero Carb diet and in the
middle of my carb-based diet, while the after picture was taken 6 weeks into Zero Carb.

The lighting is obviously different and enhances the transformation in the
after picture, but I also think the visual impact was striking and in line
with what the scale and calipers showed.
People also kept telling me I looked much better. The most appreciated
comment was that I looked 10 years younger…hah, I wish (but still a
great compliment)!
Remember that I had been dieting for 8 weeks on a moderate carb, low
fat diet, and had been fluctuating between 1800-2300kcals. I had been
stuck at around 100kg for 2 weeks. When I switched to ZC, my weight
started dropping rapidly. The first few days I obviously dropped a lot of
water retention, most noticeable in my face, but I also felt as if bodyfat
just melted off me.
My digestion had been a problem for several years, and I had tried
various protocols such as a low FODMAP diet, probiotics, and all kinds
of supplements with no luck - until Zero Carb.
The bloating after eating was gone. Stomach pains and growling - gone.
Irregular bowel movements...well, not gone - but regular and effortless.
As I mentioned previously, my hunger was almost non-existent and it

was easy to undereat. My body started running warmer and I had more
energy, so to slow down weight loss I had to increase my food to 2500-
2800kcals and some days up to 3000kcals. My weight was still dropping
at a rate of 1kg/2.2lbs per week.
I’m not claiming any metabolic advantage, but I do think some people, as
mentioned in the chapter “How to determine if Zero Carb will work for
you”, respond much better to low- or zero carbohydrate diets.
Having said all that, I would recommend that you take your time losing
weight, and focus on eating to comfortable fullness. The changes in your
brain circuits and your metabolism take time, and even if you will see
dramatic changes during the 30-day period, I would adopt a long term
perspective.
Most people (9 out of 10 according to most statistics) end up gaining

back all the weight they lost - and then some - since they always
approach weight loss as a quick fix instead of adopting better food and
activity/exercise habits they implement as a permanent part of their
lifestyle. Don’t end up on the wrong side of that statistic.

Can you gain muscle on a Zero Carb diet?
Yes, you can, as long as you have sufficient nutrients and calories, and
as long as you are still below your natural muscular genetic potential.
One of the primary ways a ZC diet is great for building muscle is due to
the high fat intake. There is a clear correlation between fat intake and
testosterone levels – the primary anabolic and androgenic hormone in
men, and estrogen - the primary anabolic hormone in women.
The muscle growth benefits of elevated testosterone and estrogen

manifest over several weeks and months, so you won’t spontaneously
grow muscle overnight, but there is also no reason to think a ZC diet
should limit muscle growth.
Case 3: Male, 36yrs, dropped from 80kg to 75kg in 12 weeks, using a
low-carb diet at first, then switching over to Zero Carb while increasing
his calorie intake - and he gained muscle and still managed to lean out
even more (bodyweight was the same, caliper and waist measurements
dropped).
(yes, I realize the after-picture is flipped...it’s a selfie taken in the mirror)

In his own words:
“Your coaching has been easy to implement and I have quickly noticed
significant positive changes in energy, mental clarity, patience and calm,
hormone balance, fat reduction, muscle growth and strength. The right
choices and priorities have been meaningful and you have guided me on
the right track, beyond my ego and past my blind spots. All the pain and
inflammation is gone, and I find a great pleasure in inspiring people
around me and showing them what is possible. I wish everyone could
experience the energy from this body-and-mind transformation”
But isn’t insulin needed for maximum anabolism?
Insulin only plays a permissive role in muscle growth, which means that
a little goes a long way. You don’t need to jack up insulin levels sky high
to get maximum muscle growth, so even the small elevations in insulin
from protein+fat meals are sufficient.
As long as you get enough protein (you obviously will on this diet) there
will be no further benefits from elevating insulin further by having carbs in
your diet.
Some experts claim you always need a calorie surplus to gain muscle,
but this is only conditionally true. You can gain muscle in a calorie deficit
just fine if you have a lot of stored body fat, as this bodyfat will be
mobilized and along with incoming calories be used for muscle growth.
Nutrient partitioning – a measure of how efficiently your body directs

incoming and stored calories towards energy production and muscle
building vs. fat storage – can be vastly improved with an all-meat diet
combined with a proper training program.
Although research shows that you don’t really gain more muscle mass
above a protein intake of approx. 1.6-1.8g/kg bodyweight (0.7-0.8g/lbs),
eating more protein certainly isn’t going to be detrimental and it very well
might help.
There are also some well-controlled studies on ketogenic diets these last
few years showing that even if it seems to be more effective for fat loss,
it can indeed provide muscle gains if you just consume enough food.
One of my more advanced clients on ZC had a DEXA (Dual X-Ray) scan

showing that he indeed lost bodyfat and gained muscle mass in only 4

weeks. DEXA does have its limitations, but there are many bodybuilders,
Crossfitters and powerlifters who have provided lots of anecdotal
feedback in various facebook groups and Reddits.
The community KetoGains (webpage, Reddit) is worth checking out, and

even though it’s not strictly ZC you will see that for building muscle and
staying lean, they agree with my recommendations of a higher protein:fat
ratio than many in the ZC community or the recommended ratios for a
therapeutic ketogenic diet.
However, when you have been training for many years and are close to
your genetic potential, it will be increasingly hard to build more muscle
regardless of how you eat or train. If you manage to put on 0.5-1kg/1.1-
2.2lbs of muscle in a whole year, that is considered excellent gains.
As such, you should probably use other markers than bodyweight

changes to determine if you are moving in the right direction or not –
such as strength gains, energy levels, mental focus and overall well-
being.
How many meals per day should you eat?
This is personal preference, and what suits your lifestyle the best.
I have started some of my clients off on 4 meals – breakfast, lunch, pre-

or post-workout, and dinner/evening meal.
Most gravitate towards a 3 meal pattern, as every meal is very satiating

and it just feels better for the digestion.
This is what I ended up doing, too.
Usually this entails breakfast within an hour or two after rising in the
morning (7-8am), then lunch around noon-2pm or so (12-14:00hrs), then
dinner at 6-7pm (18-19:00hrs).

The breakfast of champions
I find that this is also very conducive to an optimal circadian rhythm or

biorhythm, a topic that those of you who have followed me for a while will
be very familiar with.
In practice, this ends up as 12-14hrs from the last meal to the first, and is
what most would define as an “intermittent fasting” diet, although I don’t
really think we should be using labels for an eating pattern that will feel
very natural for most of you.
There are also quite a few who end up on a 2 meal pattern (late
breakfast and early dinner) and even a few who do fine with only 1 meal
per day.
If you are intent on adopting the 16:8 intermittent fasting pattern that is
so popular in some circles, you can postpone breakfast for another hour
or two and/or eat dinner earlier.
Spread the calories evenly over your choice of meals, or eat less earlier
in the day – especially if you have a sedentary job – and more around
your physically active time of the day (e.g. if you go to the gym in the
afternoon/evening). Some also prefer to eat more for dinner, and if you
do I would advise you to not eat dinner too late (19-20:00hrs/7-8pm at
the latest).

This all depends on your personal preference, when you work, when you
play, when you are most active, when you go to the gym, when your
family prefers to eat and whatever else you want to take into account.
Let your instincts and intuition guide you, and align the eating pattern
with your life - not the other way around.
What about special occasions? (Various social events,

vacations and travel, birthdays and so on)
Well, the easiest approach - if you feel like the social pressure and
expectations would be too much to handle – is to plan the 30-day period
outside of any social events. If you are an adult, you should be able to
eat what you damn well please, without having to explain yourself to
anyone.
If your family, friends or colleagues really need you to have cake or

Gin&Tonics for them to feel good about themselves, and you don’t want
to fight or argue or explain why you’re doing what you’re doing – lie and
tell them that your doctor has put you on a special elimination diet to cure
your IBS, food intolerance, or similar conditions that are so prevalent
today (and for some of you reading this, it might even be true), and that
it’s only for 30 days.
For traveling, you won’t find a ZC diet difficult at all. There are very few
countries in the world where you can’t get meat or fish, but quality can
obviously vary tremendously so you might have to do some research
before you go. Restaurants usually get the highest quality food, although
it can become prohibitively expensive depending on where you travel to.
A very useful tip is to buy a small table-top grill and make your own food.
It costs $20-30 and is compact and easy to bring along. Remember a
travel adapter as the plug and AC currency differs from country to
country. Buy ground beef and fresh cuts of steak, and refer to the recipe
section for some easy tips.

You can make some very tasty steaks in this table top grill, as applying heat to both sides closes the
surface and traps the juices inside the meat.
FAQ - Answers to common questions and concerns

Can a Zero Carb diet be healthy?
Yes, both ketogenic diets and a diet that doesn’t necessarily create
ketosis (due to the higher protein:fat ratio of a Zero Carb/carnivory diet)
may have a range of potential health benefits.
An accumulating body of evidence have shown ketogenic diets to be

neuroprotective, i.e. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.
Due to the low insulin levels, a Zero Carb diet is obviously very beneficial
for insulin and glucose metabolism, and an appreciated treatment for
diabetes. The reduction in glucose and insulin also drops inflammation,
which plays a role in a vast number of diseases and disorders.
See this review, and the following graphic:

What about plants foods (vegetables, root vegetables, grains, fruits,
nuts, legumes etc) – aren’t they healthy?
The official recommendation from basically all health experts and

authorities are that fruits and veggies are a vital component of any diet
that will promote a long and healthy life.
And I’m not even going to get into documentaries such as “What The
Health?”, “Food Choices” or “Cowspiracy”. I was literally in physical pain
when I watched these movies, and I think that for every person they are
converting into veganism, they are hurting ten times as many by
misrepresenting research and pushing blatant lies.
Here’s a good review of “What The Health?”, and here’s even a vegan
dietitian saying how bad the movie was.
I fully support the development of sustainable food practices, and I think

the food industry as a whole is doing a lot of horrible things in the name
of profits, but I just can’t use that as an argument to stop eating a food

group humans have been eating for millions of years to cover their
nutrient needs and evolve into what we are today.
I’m not going to dispute that plants are healthy, but I think it is necessary
to place it into the proper context. I consider plant foods conditionally
healthy.
As outrageous as it may sound, there is actually no single scientific study

in existence comparing a diet with vegetables to a diet without
vegetables and documenting.
So we are again faced with epidemiological studies comparing high-

vegetable diets to low-vegetable diets.
People who eat more vegetables tend to be more health-conscious, and

do lots of other things differently from the average person. They may eat
less processed food, drink less alcohol, smoke less, eat less sugar,
count calories, exercise more, be more active – and then also influence
their family and offspring to do the same (causing selective pressure).
These variables are very hard to account for in epidemiological studies.
To provide context, consider that plants and grains don’t have feet to
evade predators, and don’t have claws or fangs to defend themselves
with. Instead, they have evolved various defense mechanisms to survive
and reproduce, and these compounds are toxic to both animals and
humans.
Ingesting minor amounts of these toxins function as a stressor in the

human body. Let’s explain that further.
Hormesis is a biological phenomenon where you can achieve a

beneficial effect (improved health, stress tolerance, growth or longevity)
from exposure to low doses of a substance that is otherwise toxic or
lethal when given at higher doses.

This is, incidentally, why synthetic anti-oxidants have such abysmal
success rates in improving health in humans.
We have always assumed that by eating antioxidants from plants we get

positive effects, but a more recent theory is that we enable our own
bodies to boost our internal antioxidant mechanisms by eating the plants
own defense mechanisms – the phytochemicals.
Michael Ristow, a researcher of energy and metabolism at the Swiss

Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, performed an experiment in
2009 where he had 39 male volunteers exercise regularly over several
weeks.
The group that ingested large doses of vitamins C and E before training
failed to benefit from the workout. Their muscles failed to become
stronger. Insulin sensitivity, didn’t improve. Increases in antioxidants
such as glutathione, didn’t occur.
Exercise accelerates the burning of fuel by your cells. If you peer into
muscles after a jog, you’ll see a relative excess of the supposedly
dangerous reactive oxygen species (ROS) that we are taking
antioxidants to defend ourselves against. ROS can be considered the
waste products of our mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse.
A while after exercise, these ROS are gone and there is an abundance
of antioxidants in their place. That’s because the muscle cells respond to
the oxidative stress by boosting production of antioxidants internally.

Contrary to the current ROS theory, Ristow figured that perhaps we
shouldn’t neutralize ROS so much as increase them in a way that
mimicked what happened in exercise in order to boost native
antioxidants, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase overall resilience.
Ristow called this idea “mitohormesis”, a subcategory of hormesis.
So exposing our bodies to the right amount of phytochemicals, the body

responds the same way it does to exercise, by increasing anti-oxidants
and increasing resiliency and health.
In excessive doses, however, some of these phytochemicals can create

various problems for susceptible individuals.
Some of them will just inhibit or disturb uptake of micronutrients (thus,

the analysed values of vitamins and minerals may not be indicative of the
body can make use of). Some of them may cause severe allergic
reactions and even food intolerances in susceptible individuals.
The nicotine in tobacco slows grazing insects, and works as a stimulant

in humans – one of the most used and abused ones at that. At the other
side of the coin, it may cause heart palpitations and various
cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders
Legumes and grains contain lectins, which defend against insects, but
also may cause autoimmune reactions and break down the intestinal wall
over time in humans.
Gluten is a protein found in cereal grains, responsible for creating that

fluffy and tasty consistency of baked goods when it interacts with yeast,
but may cause severe intestinal discomfort and destroy the integrity of
the gut lining over time.
Plants may be chock full of micronutrients, but as most of them are stuck
within the cell walls of cellulose and fiber, it usually requires quite a lot of
processing to extract and make use of. Humans have evolved cooking
and processing techniques through thousands of years enabling us to do
exactly that, such as sourdough baking, sprouting, soaking and
fermenting. These techniques are able to neutralize anti-nutrients in
plants and grains and make them more digestible.
On a Zero Carb diet where inflammation is already minimal, there is very

little need for various plant chemicals to keep inflammation from a
regular Western diet in check.

The intestines require a vast supply of the right bacterial strains to
ferment and extract nutrients, and herbivores are specialized in this –
whereas us omnivores can have varying degrees of success with it and
sometimes we see overgrowth and dysbiosis (imbalance in the gut
bacteria) that some people struggle with for years:
1. Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth

2. Candida overgrowth, a type of yeast that is normal in your mouth
and intestines, but which may grow out of control (carbohydrates,
alcohol and stress are common causes)
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – an umbrella term for abdominal
pain and altered bowel habits (constipation and diarrhea).
The hormetic region is simply a moving target, and sometimes a given

stressor may have to be eliminated completely, and then gradually
introduced at a rate that allows the system to rebuild and become
resilient again.
It’s the same thing with exercise. Sometimes you need to deload -
dropping training volume, reduce loads or take some time completely off
- to allow your body to recuperate and recover.
What about bowel movements, don’t you need fiber to stay regular?
Fiber is way overrated for regular bowel movements, and has a relatively
poor track record for helping people normalizing both loose stools and
constipation.
The main difference from a carb- and fiber-based diet and Zero Carb is
that the volume of food will be dramatically reduced.
So whereas a “normal” bowel movement, at least if you go on a daily

basis (which you should) is around 400-600g (1-1.3lbs).
On Zero Carbs, you will either have loose stools for a few days during
the transition, or you won’t go to the bathroom at all – but as the nerves
in the colon get used to the lower volume of mass and resensitized, you
will become regular again. Don’t strain or force anything, and don’t take
any fiber supplement!
You should start becoming regular (daily or every other day) after 2
weeks or so, and the bowel movement will now be around 60-90g (2-
3oz), which is about 1/5th-1/10th of the usual.

There will be a huge die-off of several strains of the gut bacteria
responsible for digesting and fermenting fibers and carbohydrates, as
well as die off of harmful micro-oganisms that have inhabited your gut
(also called Herxheimer reaction).
This is actually a very good thing for most people, as their previous diets
have led to dysbiosis (imbalance in gut bacteria) and related symptoms
(SIBO, Candida, IBS) as mentioned in the previous Q&A on fiber.
Low FODMAP diets (the elimination of fermentable carbohydrates) have

a high success rate for treating various digestive disorders, but I am of
the firm belief that for many people, the complete elimination of plant
foods and carbohydrates is a necessary therapeutic intervention for
complete resolution of symptoms.
There are thousands of case studies and reports of the ZC approach

improving and even curing severe gut and digestive issues.
Compare that to the constipation, flatulence and pain due to fermentation

of fibers by our microbiome that so many vegans experience, from years
of eating a high-plant, high-fiber diet.
Fiber is by definition indigestible to humans, and while it can provide

more satiety, reduce glycemic response by slowing down digestion, and
reduce cholesterol by binding some of the LDL particles, there is no
evidence that it can lead to weight reduction or protect the colon from
cancer, constipation or other diseases.
For many, fiber causes constipation, irritation and damage to the

intestinal wall and colon, flatulence and pain due to fermentation of fibers
by our microbiome – the latter which can also be considered
conditionally healthy.
I think part of the reasons why current experts put such faith in fiber for
health purposes is a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of research.
Although I don’t want to put too much faith into any conspiracy theories, I
don’t think we should completely ignore the fact that a lot of the positive
research on fiber and grains have been funded by the food industry.
Also, when the health of a traditional cultures were compared to the

health of our modern culture, the traditional cultures were deemed
superior. What makes modern diets so unhealthy?

Again the epidemiological research blamed modern diets lacking in fiber
to be the issue, not taking into account that modern diets are also loaded
with processed foods, sugars, refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils.
Now, it is absolutely true that modern diets contain far less fiber than
traditional diets did. Traditional peoples ate whole, stone-ground, or
cultured/fermented grains with their fiber portions intact. However, no
study have yet to show that adding fiber back to our modern diet restore
us to the excellent health of our ancestors.
As with plants, there is a hormetic region for fiber that is different for
everyone, and my personal belief is that when you completely remove
carbohydrates from you diet you should also remove fiber – at least for
the 30-day experiment to see how you feel on it.
Throughout evolution, we would eat less plants when our hunting was
successful and vice versa. We would also eat less or no plants during at
least one of the four seasons, depending on the climate. I believe there
are good reasons to eat an all-meat diet for at least for 30 days,
especially if you live in colder climates, just like our ancestors would do
naturally during wintertime or when animal foods and fish were plentiful
and plant foods were scarce.
I’m not going to recommend that you stay on ZC for life, so if and when
you reintroduce carbohydrates you should also reintroduce fiber.
Many of you will experience a dramatic improvement in digestion and

colon health on ZC, and the constant bloating from excessive amounts of
fiber will leave you like a fart in a rainstorm. Literally.

Won’t you be missing out on a lot of vitamins and minerals?
In terms of nutrients, meat and organ meats in particular are nutritional

powerhouses compared to most plant foods and grains.
It is highly doubtful you will suffer from any deficiencies eating an all-meat diet

From diagnosisdiet.com by Georgia Ede MD

The most common concern for deficiency of a carnivore/meat-based diet
is vitamin C. There is actually vitamin C in meat, but it is only a few
milligrams and only found in fresh meat. The need for vitamin C can be
debated on a Zero Carb diet, and since vitamin C and glucose compete
for the same receptor it has been argued that vitamin C needs drop
dramatically on a low- or zero-carb diet.
There have been no reports or medical records of deficiencies (such as

gout) so far, from the tens of thousands of people who have followed it
for months and years – so I think it is safe to assume that it is a non-
issue.
Is this a Paleo diet?
There are different interpretations of the Paleo diet. The meat and fish
part is just like the Paleo diet, but the overt focus on plant foods that
some Paleo proponents have, is not.
The Paleo diet has unfortunately been both misinterpreted and

malpracticed in its modern form, so far removed from our ancestors’
original diet, that it should be viewed as a perfect example of the power
of marketing and branding - not as a guideline for optimal human health.
Paleo cookies and Paleo protein powders? Yeah, you can imagine paleo
man snacking on cookies and chugging protein shakes after devouring a
fresh kill around a campfire.

Truth is, we don’t know exactly what paleo man ate, and – as mentioned
previously – it would vary tremendously from year to year and according
to season, climate and geography.
You can refer back to the chapter “The Original Human Diet” for more
information on what the Paleo diet most likely was.
Isn’t buying all that meat crazy expensive?

Depending on where you live, fresh cuts of meat can be expensive (and I
would prefer fresh cuts most of the time to preserve nutrients).
However, you are also not buying tons of other food which for some
people can be even more expensive. For me personally, I spend about
the same or maybe 10-20% more money per month depending on if I get
cheaper cuts of meat and ground beef, or if I buy the more expensive
ribeye/entrecote options.
Having said that, consider high quality food and nutrients and
investment in your health and well-being, not a cost. It’s impossible to
estimate, but you could probably imagine the savings in medical bills
from staying healthy, not to mention the actual return-of-investment from
a quality of life perspective!
Won’t the high protein intake inhibit ketone production?
You may or may not show urinary, blood or breath ketones on this diet
depending on the protein:fat ratio and energy intake, but unlike a
ketogenic diet where protein usually needs to be restricted and fat intake
needs to be higher than protein (in grams), on this diet you’re not really
chasing ketones.
Ketogenic diets can have therapeutic effects in some populations

(epileptic children, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s to name a few), but, unless
you have some neurological disease, ketones aren’t important.
I have measured elevated blood ketones in the morning a couple of

weeks after starting ZC, but given the high intake of protein and varying
intake of fat, there would be days I would register minimal ketones.
I didn’t notice any difference in mental or physical performance with high

or low ketone levels, and the consensus in the ZC community is that it

doesn’t seem to matter. There is no correlation between ketones and
performance or fat loss in research, either.
It has been postulated that after proper keto-adaptation, your cells will be
so efficient at converting and using ketones for energy that you won’t
measure any excess in the urine, blood or breath. I think this sounds
plausible.
Doesn’t meat cause cancer/heart disease/diabetes?
The answer is: No.
Quoting from this recent pooled analysis:
"In conclusion, these prospective data do not support a positive

association between higher red meat and fat intake and colorectal
cancer risk. "
And this review on red meat intake and heart disease
“Red meat has been associated for a long time to an increased the risk
of CVDs. However, recent findings demonstrated that despite the
presence of heme iron and carnitine, red meat does not significantly
increase cardiovascular risk when it is assumed in recommended
doses.”
Still, other reviews do report an association, but you need to be aware of

the following fact: There are no randomized controlled studies (RCTs)
demonstrating that consuming fresh red meat causes any disease.
Most research claiming elevated disease risk are epidemiological

studies, where populations are matched according to certain criteria, and
then evaluated on several lifestyle and nutrition variables.
The problems with this type of research are numerous.
First, it doesn’t differentiate between consumption of that tender rib-eye

you got from the local farmer’s market, or consumption of that concoction
of various ingredients the food industry choose to call a “burger”, often
fried in copious amounts of rancid and oxidized vegetable oil.
Second, it is very difficult to tease out the true risk factors. Is it the meat
causing the elevated disease risk, or is it that people prone to eat

processed junk food are also prone to have a sedentary lifestyle and a
high BMI – extremely likely to elevate disease risk?
What if there was a study showing that during a summer heatwave in

Arizona, people were more likely to die – and at the same time, water
consumption rose dramatically. Would you then assume that a higher
water consumption kills people?
See, correlation doesn’t always mean causation. Did the smoke cause
the fire, or was the smoke just an indicator that there is a fire
somewhere?
These questions can be much more difficult to answer in epidemiological

research, and conclusions should be taken with a giant grain of salt.
More often than not, it’s the media interpreting these studies which is
causing various myths about nutrition to spread among the public, the
researchers are usually more cautious in their conclusions. Words such
as “may” and “could” are used frequently, but when the news report
these findings they tend to omit these qualifiers and post the clickbait
headlines.
What about saturated fat and cholesterol, isn’t it bad for my heart
health?
A short overview to provide context:
● HDL-C is high-density lipoprotein, aka the “good cholesterol”. This

brings cholesterol back to the liver for recycling.
● LDL-C is low-density lipoprotein, aka the “bad cholesterol” (not
necessarily true, but wait for it). This transports cholesterol away
from the liver to elsewhere in the body, and can be part of the
process of inflammation that underlies cardiovascular disease risk.
● IDLs, or intermediate-density lipoproteins, somewhere between
LDL and VLDL particles.
● VLDL is very low-density lipoprotein, also a kind of “bad
cholesterol”. We definitely want this to be lower.

When you get a basic blood lipid panel, you usually measure:
● Blood triglycerides: how much total triglyceride is in all the

lipoprotein particles combined.
● Total cholesterol: how much cholesterol is in all the lipoprotein
particles combined.
● HDL-C: how much of this is HDL-C
● LDL-C: how much of this is LDL-C
Note that LDL-C can be calculated from Total cholesterol minus HDL-C,
which doesn’t tell you the density of the various LDL fractions - and this
is important. But in general, we want most of these to be lower, except
for HDL, which we want to be relatively higher.
Numerous studies in recent years have finally disproved the correlation

between dietary fat, meat, cholesterol and the causes of heart disease.
In fact, there is very little to no correlation between the cholesterol you

eat and the cholesterol in your body. It is intrinsically produced and auto-
regulates itself regardless of what you eat.
Also, as should be obvious now, some of the healthiest diets and

populations in human history have been very high in meat and animal
fat. Outside of hereditary factors, the main culprit of heart disease is our
modern lifestyle with inflammation, obesity, inactivity, smoking, alcohol
and refined carbohydrates.
Now, as mentioned earlier in the book, some people experience elevated

cholesterol levels on a low- or zero-carb diet.
Hypercholesterolemia can be inherited, a condition known as familial

hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome
and related health problems like cardiovascular disease. FH happens
when genetic variations affect our body’s ability to clear LDL effectively
from the blood. Over time, LDL and its cholesterol passengers can build
up in our arteries.
The label “hyper-responder” has been used when there is an increase of

anywhere from 50% to 100%+ of their original carbohydrate-based diet
cholesterol numbers. There is a lot of debate as to how this affects risk
for heart disease, given that the low or non-existent carbohydrate intake
is also very anti-inflammatory.

So, is this dangerous? We don’t really have the answer, given that the
official recommendations for laboratory values of triglycerides, HDL- and
LDL-cholesterol values were developed in the context of a carbohydrate-
based diet.
Since LDL-cholesterol, or low density lipoprotein, is simply a carrier for –

among other things – triglycerides, it is only natural that there needs to
be more of it if fats are to be the main energy source when
carbohydrates are eliminated from the diet.
Making something available doesn’t indicate anything about its usage.

How much cholesterol is in your blood isn’t really the concern here, you
would rather know how much cholesterol leaves the bloodstream,
oxidizes and causes an accumulation of plaque in your arteries
(atherosclerosis).
Read:
The fallacies of the lipid hypothesis by Uffe Ravnskov
Beyond the Lipid Hypothesis: Plaque Development - Dave Feldman
Beyond the Lipid Hypothesis (Part 2): LDL Modification - Dave Feldman
As Dave Feldman of Cholesterolcode.com has shown, both an extreme

intake of saturated fat and a replacement of some fat with carbohydrates
can cause large drop in cholesterol numbers in only a few days, so I
think there are still some details and mechanisms that need to be hashed
out before we can say anything with certainty.
I experienced this first-hand with both a client and myself, where we both
dropped our LDL-numbers by 60-70% - from almost double the upper
end of the reference range to normal levels - in a couple of weeks by
eating some leaner cuts of meat and adding in some carbohydrates from
fruits and berries. The doctors had never seen such dramatic changes in
cholesterol values in such a short time span before!
CRP - a marker of inflammation - went from 0 to 6 in my client, though

(reference range 0-5). I didn’t get my CRP tested on the follow-up (it was
0 on the ZC blood test), but I suspect I have similar changes going by
how my joints feel...
The prudent approach would obviously to live an active and healthy

lifestyle even if you are a hyper-responder, but if you have blood lipid
values outside of the normal range always consult with your doctor if you
are in doubt. Just don’t expect him or her to be open to these new and
yet unproven theories on cholesterol readings, and you will most likely be
prescribed a statin (medication) to drive your cholesterol numbers down.

I’ve been told that a Zero Carb diet may hurt performance, is this
true?
Most studies suggest that aerobic and anaerobic performance is either

impaired or maintained on a ketogenic diet. However, many of the
studies have small sample sizes, no control group, or are quite short (2-6
weeks). These limitations, and many others, reduce our ability to draw
strong conclusions.
Although the body only requires a couple of weeks to make the switch
from carbohydrates to fats and ketones, it can require up to several
weeks or months for some individuals to see improvements in
performance.
A recent study, titled “Keto-adaptation enhances exercise performance

and body composition responses to training in endurance athletes” was
different, and had a 12 week intervention phase. A ketogenic diet was
compared to a carbohydrate-based diet (65% carbs).
From the study: “Both groups performed the same training intervention
(endurance, strength and high intensity interval training (HIIT)). Prior to
and following successful completion of 12-weeks of diet and training,
participants had their body composition assessed, and completed a
100km time trial (TT), six second (SS) sprint, and a critical power test
(CPT).”
Time trial didn't change in either group, before or after the intervention.
Sprint peak power increased by 0.8watt/kg and CPT peak power

increased by 1.4 watt/kg in the keto group, vs. a -0.1 watt/kg and -
0.7watt/kg, respectively in the carb group.
The keto group also dropped -5.2% in bodyfat, vs. -0.7% in the carb
group. This also explains how the keto group improved on so many
performance markers - the performance markers were measured in
watts per kg bodyweight, so when bodyweight decreased more in the
keto group that automatically gives an advantage.
This study also suggests that the low-carb, high-fat subjects’ tank had
improved significantly, via increased mitochondrial health and fat
oxidation capacity.

Now, this study - in the same way studies both in favor and against
ketogenic diets have their methodological issues - but from an
experience perspective, there are countless of people who have found a
ZC diet to have beneficial effects on both performance and muscle mass
gains, given enough time. I also believe this is correlated with
carbohydrate tolerance, and if you have a low carb tolerance you will
most likely benefit from a ZC diet and perform worse on a carb-based
diet.
Some research examples on power-based sports:
Ketogenic dieting with only ~22 grams of carbs a day has been found to
have no impact on strength performance in international level gymnasts
training on average 4.3 hours a day. These athletes also lost 2kg+ of
body fat even though they were already very lean!
Similarly, a ketogenic diet had no negative effect on strength

performance in Taekwondo athletes training 5 hours a day, 6 days a
week:
“The daily plan of the program consisted of 1 h of low intensity dawn

exercise; 2 h of morning exercise, mostly for physical strength
improvement; and 2 h of afternoon exercise, mostly for Taekwondo skills
training.”
Even CrossFit performance was unaffected by ketogenic dieting

compared to a diet with 2.6 g/kg carbs.
Yet unpublished research from Poland showed that a ketogenic diet in

bodybuilders and powerlifters does not hinder power output, but
anaerobic cycling endurance was impaired - as other research has
confirmed (again, in the short-term).

A Zero Carb Diet may impair endurance sports in the short-term, but should not impair
performance long-term and there are both studies and multiple cases of it improving both
high-intensity performance, strength and muscle mass.
I’ve heard low-carb diets will inhibit thyroid levels and metabolism,
is this true?
The conversion of T4 to the bioactive T3 is moderately inhibited on

ketogenic and low-carb diets, yes—but the body adapts quickly and
upregulates metabolism, thus making T3 more bioavailable and
metabolism is largely unaffected (2). From my own experience, body
temperature (a proxy for metabolic function) was actually higher on the
ZC diet than on the carb-based diet, so my theory is that the high nutrient
density of the diet, eating a diet suited to your carb tolerance (see the
chapter on this) and as long as you eat sufficiently to maintain weight
(after the initial weight drop during the adaptation phase), you should at
worst maintain and at best increase your metabolism on Zero Carbs.

How to transition from Zero Carb after 30 days (or more)
Ok, so now you have experienced how a ZC diet affects you. You will
have hopefully experienced the incredible benefits that a lot of people
have reported from it, lost weight and body fat, and may be tempted to
continue.
If you do, I say go for it!
I did almost 3 months, and only quit because I wanted to do a new set of
blood tests to prove to my doctor how easy it is to manipulate cholesterol
levels.
If you don’t feel well on it – and even though some people’s health is so
deteriorated that they need more time to heal – I’m not going to tell you
to continue.
I can also completely resonate with the social aspect of eating, where
you just want to enjoy some chocolate or cake in grandma’s birthday, or
you don’t want to have to answer the constant barrage of questions on
your way of eating.
Whatever the reason, if you don’t want to continue, here’s what you
should do:
There are both daily (circadian) rhythms that dictate when and what we
should eat during the day, but also seasonal (circannual) rhythms that
dictate what we should eat throughout the year, so my recommendation
is that you choose local foods in season, first of all.
These are the freshest foods and more aligned with the body’s seasonal
rhythm.
Also consider eating foods that are common to where you were born or
grew up, or where your (X*great)-grandparents were born or grew up. If
you don’t know or have an interracial mix of genes, it might be useful to
get a DNA-test at 23andme.com.
It doesn’t make evolutionary sense for a Norwegian of Viking ancestry to

eat pineapples or banana during wintertime, so I will most likely go back
to ZC as we get deeper into winter.

Still, if I feel like having a banana on Christmas Eve, I will. No reason to
be dogmatic about it, as many people in the keto and ZC communities
tend to be.
I don’t believe that NOT eating ZC will make you sick or unhealthy either.
It’s an important distinction to remember. Trust the resilience and
adaptability of the human body to be able to eat almost any type of
nutrient at any time.
Frozen veggies, fruits and berries will probably be available year-round

where you live, so I’m not going to say that it will be bad for you to eat
this during the winter – but I do think you should have a certain period of
time during the colder season completely without any plant foods.
I believe what I believe based on the limited research available, the

understanding I have of human physiology and biology, but also use a
good dose of intuition and instinct to guide me.
And although some consider anecdote worthless, the results I have

achieved with numerous clients are more than enough evidence for me,
and will trump any statistical advantage from a study on “recreationally
trained” youths. I may be suffering from cognitive bias, but I can’t sit on
the fence and wait for research to confirm what I have already learned
from decades of experience and my own, in-the-trenches research.
Having said all that, the safest strategy in my opinion is to gradually

reintroduce foods or food groups for 3-5 days at a time. Start by adding
foods that you most want or like, and not foods you have been told you
need or have labelled as “healthy” and “unhealthy”.

A typical lunch after transitioning back to carbs: Eggs, goat cheese, ground beef with
crushed tomatoes. A side dish – like literally on the side of the dish – of carrots and an apple.
I’m obviously not recommending you should prioritize chocolate and

pastries just because you want or like it, so use some common sense.
Start off with foods in their natural state, not processed junk food – but
when everything is fine and dandy and life is good, have some of those
Belgian truffles if you’d like.
Rinse and repeat.
After a 30-day reset you may experience some gastric upset from almost
any food you reintroduce, as the guts needs to upregulate its enzymes
and bacteria responsible for fiber and starch digestion, which is why you
should give it at least 3 and preferably 5 days to properly evaluate.
One thing I have noticed after reintroducing carbs is that although I do

have more water retention, some slight bloating, more post-meal
sleepiness and experience more hunger and cravings (after reading all of
that again, you might wonder why I went back to carbs at all), my
digestion has improved significantly compared to before the ZC diet.

I would have variable reactions to almost any food before, grains in
particular, but I have now had both oats and wheat/gluten with no major
issues. Beats all kinds of low FODMAP protocols, probiotic supplements
or various gut healing protocols I have ever tried.
Most people will probably do fine around 50-70g of carbs per day, but I
personally needed to go all-in on carbohydrates when I reintroduced
them. At 50-70g per day, I had all the symptoms that made me feel
horrible on my previous keto diet attempts (lethargy, lack of mental
focus, cravings, digestive issues) so I needed to get up to 120-150g per
day to feel better.
I can have a day here and there on lower carbs, but for me it’s either
zero or 120g+ of carbs, and I will definitely go back to zero. The
simplicity of it, the food enjoyment, and the mental and physical benefits
are just too significant to ignore.
You can also do 30+ days of ZC several times during the year, such as
during the wintertime, if you want to lean out for some important event or
the beach, if you start experiencing joint pain, digestive issues or
inflammation, or if you just damn well feel like it.
Once you have done it the first time the adaptation phase will be much
quicker and easier, as the body has learned how to switch over more
seamlessly.
“Master Roshi” from Ketogains is thriving and looking awesome well into his 60s on a meat-
and dairy-based diet with some carb foods thrown into the mix occasionally.

Practical take-aways and summary points
In this book you have received an understanding of the background and

reasoning for an all-meat, zero carb diet.
You have learned why this diet may be more suited and even optimal for
people with a low carbohydrate tolerance.
I have also pointed out that there is not going to be a single diet that will
work for everyone, all the time.
Finally, you have received a practical guide on what to eat, how much,
and how often. Here is a summary of the Zero Carb diet:
● No plant foods (no vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds or grains)

● Red meat (beef, lamb, wild game), with fattier cuts (15-20%+)
preferred as the foundation
● Poultry, pork, (fatty) fish, seafood, eggs and dairy as viable
alternatives. Some may want to eliminate eggs and dairy, though –
at least for a 30-day trial period.
● Cook beef rare. Cook pork and chicken well-done.
● 2-3 meals per day
● Eat according to hunger. For most people the portion sizing will be
around 200-500g (half to one lbs) per meal, depending on your
bodyweight and activity levels
● A ratio of 0.5-0.8g of fat per gram of protein for leaner, more
muscular individuals and for those involved in high intensity training
● A ratio of 1-1.5g of fat per gram of protein for most people
● A minimum of 6-8g (1-1.5 teaspoon), up to 10-12g of salt (2-2.5
teaspoons), or the equivalent of 2400-5000mg sodium per day
● Water according to thirst. Tea and coffee also counts as fluids that
will cover hydration needs and thirst.
After (at least) 30-days, you may introduce 2-3 foods for 3-5 days at a
time to determine your individual response. Carbohydrate intake can
increase to 50-70g per day, but some may have to go above the
ketogenic threshold of 100g to feel normal again.
Prefer locally grown foods in season, and prefer the traditional ways
of preparing foods, but no reason to be dogmatic about it.
My best advice is to let your intuition and instincts guide you. Your
body loves you, and you should love it back.

Good luck!
Borge A. Fagerli
Coach, Mentor and Author
www.borgefagerli.com
Apply for VIP Coaching: www.borgefagerli.com/vip-coaching

(Read the whole page to see if you qualify first. I have a very limited availability and need
to be extremely selective with who I take on as a client)
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/coach.borgefagerli

Instagram: www.instagram.com/borgefagerli
Twitter: @BFagerli
Acknowledgements
I want to thank:
Alex Ferrari of naturallystrong.me who has been an invaluable
resource to me during the writing and marketing of this book, and just
for being a generally awesome guy!
My wife, Ingeborg, for being my best partner, friend and soulmate, for
being the best mother in the world for our son, for being patient with
me during my most intense periods of experimenting with new diets,
while writing this book, and generally when I’m inside my own little
bubble at times.
My son Isak, for reminding me of what is important in life, and for

making me want to be a better father first and foremost. I love you
more than life itself.

Zero Carb Resources
● Article: Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods

● Infographic: Guide to Meat Cuts
● Infographic: Meat Done-ness Hand Test
● Infographic: Grillmaster Cooking Times for Beef, Pork, Chicken,
Seafood
● Infographic: Cast Iron Skillet Care & Maintenance
● Video: How To Cook With Cast Iron Skillet
● Video: What Is The Best Way To Cook Steak
● Video: How To Buy A Great Steak
● Video: How To Roast A Turkey
● Infographic: Marinating Times of Fish, Tofu, Chicken, Lamb, Beef
and Pork
● Video: How To Cook Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
● Image: Egg Yolks After X Minutes of Boiling
● Infographic: The Chef’s Guide To Knives
● Infographic: How To Fillet A Fish
● Infographic: Cooksmarts Guide to Flavoring With Spices
● Infographic: 10 DIY Dry Rub Recipes
● Infographic: 9 Easy DIY Spice Blends
● Article: What Spices Go with What Meat?
● Image: When Freezing Meat To Reduce Thawing Time

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The Zero Carb Diet - 2

Before beginning any diet or exercise program, including any aspect of

The author claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any

The Zero Carb Diet - 3

Zero Carb is sort of a misnomer, as there will be some carbohydrates

It’s not helpful to anyone to stigmatize foods, or use labels such as

Anyway…let’s get on with it.

I believe nutrition is an individual matter, and that you should eat

The Zero Carb Diet - 4

I have previously tried, quite unsuccessfully, a ketogenic diet. I did two

I felt horrible on it and like I could never really adapt.

It felt restrictive, as I had to limit protein consumption to ensure I stayed

The appetite suppression that so many claimed as a great advantage,

I was always bloated, as I had to eat lots of low-calorie veggies to stretch

Exercise performance tanked, and I didn’t really experience any of the

The Zero Carb Diet - 5

As I mentioned in the introduction, nutrition should be an individual and

Some of the “evidence-based” experts and authorities can support their

The Zero Carb Diet - 6

First some background understanding on the storage hormone insulin.

Insulin increases in response to intake of food. It tends to increase more

Insulin is a master regulator of your metabolism. Let’s have a look at

This is called insulin sensitivity.

The Zero Carb Diet - 7

Some people are genetically inclined to have a lower insulin sensitivity,

The Zero Carb Diet - 8

Being overweight and sedentary generally leads to insulin resistance.

In these people, the cells became insensitive to insulin: no matter how

The Zero Carb Diet - 9

Insulin sensitivity isn’t the whole story, though.

Your insulin secretion needs to be appropriate for a certain level of

If you have high insulin sensitivity, but your pancreas oversecretes

Low carb tolerance is associated with an insulin secretion that is too

The Zero Carb Diet - 10

Incidentally, lack of sunlight also induces insulin resistance, which is why

We are meant to be active, and it is an absolute necessity to maintain

With my low bodyfat levels and glycogen-demanding training (weight

However, I tend to oversecrete insulin, and unless I manage my

I actually experienced this during the writing of this book.

After almost 3 months on a Zero Carb diet, I have reintroduced

An hour later, I started cold sweating, shaking and getting dizzy.

I measured my blood glucose, and it was 2.8mmol/L (50mg/dL) – where

A good way of resolving both this is to drop carbohydrate intake. Most

The Zero Carb Diet - 11

Note that probably 60% or more will have a normal carbohydrate

The Zero Carb Diet - 12

Some advocate “cheat” days or allowing a treat here and there as an

I do agree that having a normal and healthy relationship to any food

Genes load the gun

I have also done extensive genetic testing, first through 23andme.com,

The Zero Carb Diet - 13

We are not victims of our genes, and shouldn’t think of it as a gift or

Asians have a 90% prevalence of lactose intolerance, whereas

In a study of Hispanic people of Caribbean origin, participants with a

There are multiple gene interactions, such as FAIM2, FLJ35779, FTO,

The Zero Carb Diet - 14

Reproductive success in a portion of a population exerts what is referred

Some traits have been formed through millions of years of evolution,

For example, Cornell University researchers have found a genetic

Some recommended reading if you want to dig deeper on the topic is

This may be a range of foods, but it beats following the population-based

The Zero Carb Diet - 15

Sometimes, grandma knows best. She’s also awesome at making stews.