Historically, humans predominantly ate animal foods throughout the world, and plants were eaten only during their growing seasons or medicinally, until relatively recently. The first place I ever learned about a carnivore GAPS Diet was during a GAPS Practitioner meet-up with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride herself. She calls this variation the ‘No-Plant GAPS Diet,’ and later described it in detail in the Gut and Physiology Syndrome book.
I’ve been helping clients implement the No-Plant variation of the GAPS Diet since 2014, when some of my clients with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) didn’t respond well enough to the GAPS Intro Diet. I witnessed dramatic turnarounds in people with Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and diverticulitis. These clients were able to successfully reintroduce well-cooked plants within about two months, and then stepped through the Stages of the GAPS Intro Diet.
Who is No-Plant GAPS for?
A carnivore GAPS Diet is often recommended for anyone experiencing:
- Irritable Bowel Diseases (IBD), including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
- Any diarrheal condition
- Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) in infants
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Severe forms of mental illness
- Children on the autism spectrum who are deeply malnourished, or who have avoided eating animal protein
- People with autoimmune conditions that are severe or rapidly degrading
There are two variations of a carnivore GAPS Diet that I use with my clients:
- No-Plant GAPS Intro Diet
- Full No-Plant GAPS Diet
Following the No-Plant GAPS Intro Diet is necessary for people with Ulcerative Colitis, Chron’s Disease, other diarrheal conditions, FPIES, deeply malnourished children, and those with severe mental and autoimmune conditions.
The Full No-Plant GAPS Diet is appropriate for people with SIBO, IBS, and those who are using a carnivore GAPS Diet as a short reset for general inflammation, or just out of curiosity.
The Difference Between a Carnivore Diet and No-Plant GAPS
There are several variations of a carnivore diet out there now, but most focus on red meat, organ meats, animal fats, eggs, and occasionally some dairy or bone broth.
The No-Plant GAPS Diet includes an emphasis on the gut-nurturing staples of the GAPS Diet: short-cooked meat stock and foods rich in probiotic bacteria, including both cultured raw dairy and fermented vegetable brines.
Full No-Plant GAPS Diet
If the Full No-Plant GAPS Diet is appropriate for you situation, compose your meals of any of the following:
- Meat stock, 3-5 cups a day for adults
- Meats, poultry, fish and seafood, prepared all ways, with salt as the only seasoning
- Organ meats, including liver, minimum 3-4 ounces a week
- Homemade raw milk yogurt, sour cream, and kefir (watch for die-off)
- Eggs
- Fermented vegetable brines such as sauerkraut, pickle, or vegetable medley brines, or beet kvass
The Full No-Plant GAPS Diet is usually followed for 6 weeks to 2 months, but tune into your body to understand how long it wants you to eat this way.
No-Plant GAPS Intro Diet
If the No-Plant GAPS Intro Diet is appropriate for your health, you’ll follow the steps below in order. They are fully detailed in the blue Gut and Physiology Syndrome book, so if you’re choosing this plan, please read the chapter on The No-Plant GAPS Diet before getting started. I also recommend seeking corn and soy-free eggs and animal meats for people in this situation, as they tend to be highly sensitive to food quality.
- Meat stock, from any animal besides beef, beginning with a few teaspoons a day, and gradually increasing to 5 cups a day for adults (lamb is usually best tolerated)
- Homemade raw milk kefir, made from any animal milk besides cow milk, as it’s too allergenic for sensitive people (seek goat, sheep, camel, water buffalo, reindeer)
- Vegetable medley brine (recipe is in both GAPS books)
- Raw fermented cream
- Raw egg yolk, gradually increasing to 6-8 yolks per day
- Organ meats: liver, kidney, tongue, heart, intestines, minimum 3-4 ounces a week
- Fresh fish and shellfish
My clients who qualify for this plan often spend several months very slowly working in these foods, so be aware that there’s no such thing as too slow, if it’s the pace your body is ready for. It can sometimes take more than a year before you’re ready to begin the GAPS Intro Diet, but you’ll get there.
Variations of a carnivore diet have gained popularity in the past few years as a way to reverse the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. As a former vegetarian myself, I had to reeducate myself to restore my health, and I love that there’s an increasing understanding about how vitally important thoughtfully produced animal foods are to human health.
Having experienced a carnivore GAPS Diet myself, I understand the creativity required to keep it from feeling repetitive, how to keep the nutrition balanced, managing rapid die-off and detoxification, and how to help my clients move through it to their wider health and eating goals. If you’re curious about the side-effects of No-plant GAPS, my experience included waking up with a clear mind every day, elimination of puffiness, zero bloating, less time preparing food, and always feel nourished and satisfied with each meal.
