Steven Hines, the Managing Director of Stockman Steaks sat down with Dr Anthony Chaffee to ask him all of the questions that were crossing our mind.
We have really enjoyed having you as part of the Stockman Steaks Team and we are excited to ask you so many questions that our customers would love to know more about. Many people hear your accent and assume you are in the US; however, you have been living in Perth, Australia for some time. How did you end up in Australia?
Yes, it might sound weird to a lot of people that I ended up in Perth. I had a strong Rugby Connection from my playing days and played against the Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and European teams. I thought Australia might be a great place to try.
I took time off from my residency in the US to take on humanitarian work in Bangladesh. Then in 2017, I worked with the Rohingyan Refugees in Burma. Many people do not realize that a government genocide killed 200,000 people and led to 1 million people fleeing. This is a conflict that has been going on since the 1950’s.
After this experience, I thought Australia would be a great place to check out and have enjoyed living here since then.
When and how did you start following the Carnivore diet?
When I first started studying medicine, I did not have any inclination at all towards the Carnivore diet. During my undergraduate studies I had a Professor of Cancer Biology who impressed on us how toxic plants could be. This blew all of us away. He made it very clear he thought plants were toxic and went as far as preventing his own kids from eating any plants.
After this, I went to the grocery store and only purchased meat and eggs. Very quickly I felt amazing and noticed just how significantly faster I recovered from playing rugby. Initially I was worried that I was not getting enough vitamins, so I would include the occasional banana or other item. However, I did notice that my gums were not bleeding as a result. I questioned whether I should be taking a multivitamin, however, I also noticed that contrary to popular belief I was not getting scurvy.
Then for 12 years, I stopped eating Carnivore and went back to whole foods. I followed a clean, Omnivorous diet. However, after I returned from Bangladesh, I came across information which demonstrated to me that humans are in fact Carnivores. We are the Apex Predator in the ecosystem. Once I re-started the Carnivore diet, I realized I had never felt better or worked better and had better recovery.
Looking back, at 25 I felt like a superhero — and at 25 and a half, when I stopped, I did not. Then at 38 I decided to go back to what I had been previously doing and then transitioned to just eating fatty meat. Immediately my health improved, plus I found it so much easier to put on muscle and lose body fat. Up until this point, I simply thought age was catching up with me. However, the change in diet demonstrated to me that this was not the case.
I started spending 10-12 hours a day reading and studying a huge body of knowledge in this area that does not get taught to you in medical school. These studies show the benefits of eating a ketogenic diet that is primarily based on meat. Countless studies plus archaeological findings corroborate this. I then started to think about all of this from the point of view of a doctor.
I discovered that humans are in fact carnivores and that eating items such as Kale can be very toxic to us. Cats and dogs are accepted to be Carnivores and if they eat differently, they end up very sick. Dogs end up needing insulin for diabetes and cats end up with Lupus.
I realized this was pivotal to our health as a species. I am now trying to get this out to as many people as possible. We should basically be healthy without exterior influence.
Tell us more about your daily routine. What time do you wake up and what do you eat in a day?
I normally wake up naturally around 7.30am. I don’t drink coffee or tea as they are both plants. I am not hungry in the morning, but I drink a lot of water. I normally work all day and don’t eat while I am working. I don’t find I am hungry and don’t need to take a lunch break. I normally work 10 hours straight.
My dinner is almost always Scotch Fillets or Rib Eyes which I get from Stockman Steaks when I am home. Plus, to get more fat I either melt grass-fed butter into my steaks or I take the Stockman Steaks pure beef fat and I chop it up into little cubes. I then fry them lightly in the pan in a little pile next to the steaks.
I also really do enjoy eating lamb midloin chops for their high fat content. I also include Bone Marrow as a healthy addition from time to time.
What in your opinion are the best sources of protein for nutrient value?
The best source of DHA is in fact grass-fed meat. In fact, beef and lamb have as much DHA as wild caught fish which may surprise people. However, if you eat meat from a feed lot it will start to contain less and less DHA. A major misconception is that beef and lamb have a higher saturated to unsaturated fat ratio than fish, however this is not the case. Lamb has an even slightly higher amount of DHA than beef.
Beef and lamb also contain the highest amounts of fat-soluble vitamins such as D3, K2 and A-Retinol.
So, Anthony I believe I already know the answer to this next question, however I will ask it anyway. What do you eat for dessert?
More meat!
When I was a kid, I remember being told by my mum, I couldn’t have dessert until I finished eating my dinner. Somehow, I was always too full to eat anymore but found room for dessert.
These days, milk tastes like ice cream to me. If I drink one glass, I will want more. My sweet sensations are far more sensitive.
I now normally just have one meal per day and that is all I need.
I will eat more when I am training hard in the gym and will then sometimes have a second meal. If I stick to Carnivore, it quickly converts to muscle.
Anthony, what would be your number one tip for anyone starting the Carnivore Diet?
You really need to eat more fat than most people expect. If you start the diet and you are constipated, it is due to not eating enough fat. You need fat for energy and the essential nutrients. I aim to obtain 70% of my calories from fat. That comes about from eating 65% lean meat and 35% actual fat which is more calorie dense.
Meat has all of the nutrients you need. So many people who do not eat enough meat are deficient in Vitamin B12.
What is a reason you see some people not getting the results they were hoping for on the Carnivore Diet?
When I encounter this and then ask questions, I find they are still drinking energy drinks, eating snacks and treats. If you want to see impact from the diet, cut out everything else except for meat, eggs and water.
Why do many people online talk about getting diarrhea when they start the Carnivore Diet?
This can often be due to the reverse of what I was talking about before and in fact eating too much fat. Steven, have you ever heard the saying “Quicker through fat than a goose?” This came from Errol Flynn.
If you run out of bile for absorption the fat can go straight through you.
Also, so many people still drink coffee which acts as a laxative.
Additionally, fibre studies in clinical trials have been shown to increase constipation not improve it.
However, if you only eat fat with no fibre but then drink caffeine when you start the Carnivore Diet, this can lead to explosive diarrhea.
It normally takes people a few weeks to adjust to the diet and produce more bile.
What do you recommend if someone wants to improve the health of their micro-biome?
My recommendation is to avoid these 5 items.
1. Artificial Sweeteners.
2. Diet Drinks
3. Fruit Sugars
4. Sugar Alcohols
5. Caffeine
What do you think about the use of Magnesium and Electrolyte Supplements for people on the Carnivore Diet?
I don’t think they are necessary. If you reduce or remove caffeine, your magnesium levels will increase. The key is to avoid anti-nutrients. If you are metabolically sick, it is critical to avoid these.
I listed to a Joe Rogan interview in which he said for the first 3 weeks, he was a “disaster pants” but I am willing to bet he drank a lot of caffeine.
Thank you so much Dr Chaffee for this insightful interview and being part of the Stockman Steak’s team. We look forward to picking your brain with more questions in our next interview.
About Dr Anthony Chaffee
Dr Anthony Chaffee is an American medical doctor and neurosurgical registrar in Australia who, over a span of 20+ years, has researched the optimal nutrition for human performance and health.
It is his assertion that most of the so-called chronic diseases we treat are caused by the food we eat, or don't eat, and can be improved, and in some cases even reversed, with dietary changes to a species-specific diet.
He began University at the age of 16 studying Molecular & Cellular Biology with a Minor in Chemistry, which culminated in an MD from the Royal College of Surgeons.
He is an All-American rugby player, former professional player in England and America, and has also trained in MMA fighting at AMC Kickboxing in Kirkland, Washington more recently. He volunteered as a doctor in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, helping the survivors of the 2017 genocide in Burma of the Rohingyan people.
Website thecarnivorelife.com
Instagram instagram.com/anthonychaffeemd
X x.com/anthony_chaffee
YouTube Anthony Chaffee MD
Apple Podcast The Plant Free MD with Dr Anthony Chaffee
Spotify Podcast The Plant Free MD with Dr Anthony Chaffee
About the Author
Steven Hines is one of the owners and co-founders of Stockman Steaks. His family has been in the meat business for over 5 decades and 3 generations. He has a passion for eating great quality meat and researching the health benefits behind it.
