OPINION: Over the years, Buzz Moller’s diet has evolved from a conventional diet to a low-carb one, and for the past two years he’s only been eating meat and animal products. Though the carnivore diet is not recommended by most nutrition experts, Moller, 61, says he’s felt better than he’s ever been. He shares his experience:
Note: The following is a personal experience and should not be read as medical advice. Readers are advised to consult a doctor before making any major changes to their diet. See the end of this article for dietary advice from Health New Zealand (te whatu ora).
Ok. My experience with the carnivore diet, yes, it’s a bit weird. Most people eat meat, but if you eat only meat, suddenly you’re a weirdo. Most people are eating the same things as you, but you’re not eating the other things they’re eating. I try to keep it a secret when I’m out socially. I get a pie and gently pick out the middle. I put some salad and bread on my plate and only eat ham. I tell people I really care about, especially those who have health issues. I try to get them to try it, but in 2 years, it’s only worked for about 2 people.
Our (now four-person) family’s embrace of meat began slowly about 10 years ago. I’ve always loved food, everything, with no exceptions. I’ll eat anything. I’ve done some strange things, too. Once at boarding school I downed a whole glass of thick milk with sugar in it, went temporarily blind and ended up in hospital. I went on a skiing holiday and only ate 24 meat pies.
As I grew up, I became more interested in the health side of food. I have tried most diets (macrobiotic, zone, vegetarian, 10-day fasts, etc.). But things got serious when my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 11. At the hospital, we found out he couldn’t process carbohydrates without insulin, and they brought him a high-carb meal. My son looked at me and said, “Why should I eat it if I can’t process it?” I didn’t have an answer. But that prompted me to research it thoroughly. I started reading scientific studies on nutrition and metabolism and listening to audiobooks. One big thing I learned was that carbs are not essential. Say what? Who knew? After talking it through with my partner Jenny, we slowly transitioned our son onto a low-carb diet, and the rest of the family followed suit. We were basically on it before we even knew about the keto diet. We removed all sugar and carbohydrate-based foods (fruits, grains, legumes, sugary vegetables like beets, carrots, potatoes) from our fridge and cupboards. And my health started to change.
Before that, I had a big salad every day (I even made a YouTube video called “Salads for Blokes” – cutting vegetables with a knife is cool). I had porridge for breakfast and broccoli pasta for dinner. But my health wasn’t that great. I had arthritis in my hands, knees and back. The kids remember me getting off the trampoline after playing monsters and saying “ouch”. I had lung problems, heart problems (no life insurance because of 35% blockage) and ended up having hip surgery because I had very little cartilage left in my joints. I was 51 then. Now I’m 61 and I don’t have these symptoms anymore. But it was gradual. Once I cut out grains and sugar, the arthritis started to improve and I called off the hip surgery on the day of the surgery. The surgeon wasn’t happy. After 6 years on the keto diet, we happened upon Carnivore Diet I learned about it through a friend, and at first I thought it was odd. No plants at all? But the more I looked into it, the more I understood how the intestines and digestion work, and it all made sense.
Driven by fear of possible lung disease (my father and grandfather died of lung disease), I gave up plants and ate only meat. Within months my lungs were clear and I wasn’t coughing up phlegm for the first time in 10 years, something the doctors could only explain as a misdiagnosis. My singing voice returned and my migraines stopped. Jenny cured her lifelong IBS within weeks of weaning herself off cauliflower and broccoli. My knees, which had always been unstable and painful after a serious skiing accident, are now fine. It’s so unexpected it makes me laugh – I thought it was all just genetics that came with age.
FYI, I’m no formal expert on these things. After school I gave up on my dream of becoming a doctor and did a Bachelor of Commerce. I worked in the stock market but ended up becoming a solid plasterer with a Masters in Music. Health is a fascinating hobby for me and I’m always reading books about it. There also seems to be great progress happening in the field of mental health with diet. Two of my favourite psychiatrists at Harvard, Dr Chris Palmer and Dr Georgia Ede, are brilliant. In New Zealand Dr Matthew Phillips’ metabolic research into Parkinson’s and neurodegenerative diseases is groundbreaking.
But once we get back to normal life, there’s no drama around mealtimes because all four of us eat pretty much the same things. And because we made the transition slowly, it feels completely normal. I feel a certain freedom as the cravings for modern, artificial foods disappear. My daughter, who struggled with an eating disorder, found it helped her release from constant anxiety and shame around food.
A typical day for us might look something like bacon and eggs for breakfast, lamb chops or burger patties for lunch, and steak (sometimes with a smear of butter) for dinner. Instead of cooking marathons, we eat quick, satisfying meals, and because our blood sugar stays stable, we don’t snack, feel guilty, or overthink food. No measuring required. When I’m hungry, I eat.
What about the critics? Sure, there are those who warn about colon cancer, heart disease, etc. In my opinion, that’s outdated thinking from the 70s.*
Research suggests that a diet high in processed carbohydrates causes inflammation.
What do I like most? I feel like I’m aging in reverse. I have a mix of energy and calm. My body is closer to what it was in my 20s. And it’s liberating to not obsess about food.
It’s still a bit unconventional at the moment, but if you can handle being weird or are tired of feeling awful all the time, you can learn to not care what other people think.
Baz Moller is a musician, teacher and plasterer living in Oakland.
What does the New Zealand Ministry of Health (Te Wātu Ora) say?
The New Zealand Ministry of Health (Te Wātu Ora) and the majority of nutritionists and medical professionals continue to recommend eating a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, some nuts, seeds and legumes, along with animal foods and other sources of protein. Read the official guidelines here.
*According to Hart Foundation A diet high in meat increases the risk of both colon cancer and cardiovascular disease.
