Top 4 Drinks For The Carnivore Diet

The Carnivore Diet consists of eating solely animal products for your meals, like ruminant meat, eggs, and fish, but what can you drink? Soda, juice, and alcohol are prohibited, so what does that leave us with? Not much.

We have compiled a list of the top 4 most popular drinks for the carnivore diet. Below you will find some insights on why or why not these drinks may be a good fit for you during your carnivore diet.

Water

Here we go with our no-brainer suggestion. Of course, water has to be on the top of the list, but we want to add a few suggestions.

Not all water is created equal, or should I say harvested and processed equally.

The best water you can get is probably how our ancestors got it, through a natural spring. Natural spring water has copious amounts of minerals and electrolytes.

The hard part is sourcing and testing this water for dangerous contaminants, bacteria, and parasites.

Thankfully there is an online resource called Find a Spring. This website lists natural water springs and hot springs throughout the world.

When water harvesting, I use all glass 5-gallon bottles. Glass is far superior to plastic containers. You will not have to worry about the harmful chemicals from plastic that can potentially contaminate your water. That BPA stuff is gnarly.

Filtered water or reverse osmosis water is another good option. Most likely superior to your typical tap water from your town or city. The challenge with filtered water or reverse osmosis water is that it does far too good of a job and takes out some potentially beneficial minerals and electrolytes.

Alive Water

If you live in certain parts of California, Texas, or Florida, you may be able to order water from the most fantastic water company ever: Alive Water.

Alive Water sources its water from a purity and contamination testest natural spring and uses all glass bottles for delivery!

The water is not molested by UV rays, filtered, or mixed with chlorine. It’s a no-brainer to get on their delivery service.

Use this link to get 11% off your first order, or type in WILD at checkout.

Sparkling Water

Some people suggest drinking sparkling water like Perrier or S. Pellegrino when you can, as they reportedly have sufficient minerals.

In fact, in the book “The Carnivore Code” by Dr. Paul Saladino, he says his favorite go-to for water is Gerolsteiner.

The reason is that it contains a fair amount of electrolytes and minerals. Check out their stats.

	1 Liter of Gerolsteiner
Calcium	348mg
Magnesium	108mg
Bicarbonate	1.816mg
Potassium	11mg
Sodium	118mg
Chloride	40mg
Sulfate	38mg

You can order Gerolsteiner quickly with this Amazon link

That being said, there are ways to mitigate this problem, bringing us to…

Electrolyte Boosted Water

Most people beginning the carnivore diet or even the keto diet usually experience flu-like symptoms at the start of the diet, known as the “keto flu.”

Some say this is due to the body’s transition from burning carbs to burning fat for energy.

A few doctors say this transition period flushes more minerals out of the body and that supplementation may help fight this issue.

They also say you may experience muscle cramps due to missing electrolytes.

Some of the essential electrolytes that may be missing are:

1. Sodium
2. Magnesium
3. Potassium

Generally speaking, most people seem deficient in sodium; at least, that’s what people mention the most in social media and online forums.

Once again, while reading Dr. Paul Saladino’s book, The Carnivore Code, he gives his two cents on electrolytes and muscle cramps.

(Dr. Saladino gives a few recommendations but doesn’t want them misconstrued as medical advice.)

He recommends:

1. 400-600 milligrams of magnesium glycinate per day (about 3 grams in powder form)
2. 6-10 grams of mineral-rich salt (Redmond Real Salt is my favorite salt, and Dr. Saladino loves them too.)

Dr. Saladino doesn’t recommend supplementing potassium.

He says, “I don’t recommend oral supplementation of potassium and have not found this to be helpful or necessary. Meat is naturally a good source of this mineral, and if we are getting enough sodium, we will conserve this potassium well.”

He further says, “if our kidney function is not normal, adding extra amounts of potassium in supplemental form can be dangerous.”

However, let’s take another look at electrolytes from Dr. Ken Berry. He has developed his own electrolyte concoction to combat keto flu, hangovers, and other maladies called “Ketorade.”

Ketorade is not carnivore friendly as the ingredients include stevia, lemon, and essential oil, but what the hell? It’s worth looking at.

In this video, he makes some interesting points and shows how he makes Ketorade.

Dr. Ken Berry’s Recipe for Ketorade:

1. Juice from 1/2 lime/lemon
2. 1/2 Tablespoon Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
3. 1/2 Teaspoon of Nu-Salt (potassium chloride)
4. 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt (Redmond is Awesome)
5. 5-10 drops of organic Stevia extract (I never use Stevia anymore, but it may help if you are weening off sweets)
6. Add some magnesium, about a teaspoon. Warning: too much can cause disaster pants as it has laxative qualities.
7. Fill the rest with either sparkling water or flat

Remove the non-carnivore-friendly ingredients if you want to keep your carnivore diet strict.

It’s worth pointing out that most carnivore diet proponents and doctors don’t recommend supplementing.

Most say that the carnivore diet if followed correctly, will provide your body with enough electrolytes and nutrients.

Bone Broth

Alright, my favorite hot drink of all time bone broth.

When you go on the carnivore diet, you will be getting plenty of nutrients and amino acids from meat, but you might not get much glycine or collagen.

Bone broth is the powerhouse of these nutrients, and some people report better sleep and blood sugar, and some doctors say this helps improve neurotransmitters.

Let’s not forget that bone broth is said to support joint and bone health!

Bone broth is easy to make, and you can make batches to last for the whole week. Typically I will get bones at the grocery store, local butcher, or sometimes at the farmers market.

A simple way to make bone broth with a crockpot.

1. Fill your crockpot with bones (I prefer beef bones.)
2. Add water
3. Add two tablespoons of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (this helps extract nutrients from the bones.)
4. Add my favorite nutrient-dense salt Redmond Real Salt (15% off with link)
5. Let sit for 20-30 minutes
6. Then turn on the crockpot and let simmer for 12-24 hours. People say the longer it simmers, the more nutrients are extracted.
7. Store in glass Mason Jars. (Do not use plastic!)

When done, refrigerate it. Heat it, and serve it when you crave a hot and tasty beverage!

Here is the Wild Lumen’s way of making Bone Broth.

Milk

Okay, this one is just as controversial as adding supplements to your water.

Milk isn’t for everyone, as some people are just entirely intolerant, and others can handle it in small quantities or more.

A few carnivore diet proponents and doctors also say milk is terrible as it can mess with blood sugar, cause inflammation, and even lead to more disease. We are also talking about milk-filled protein drinks and powders.

Here are five potential problems with milk. (Do your own research to see if milk is a good fit for you.)

1. Lactose: some people are lactose intolerant as a result of inheriting faulty genes. Lactose is also sugar, which most people on a carnivore diet try to avoid.
2. Casein: this protein is very similar to the gluten protein. For some, gluten can lead to gut issues like impermeability and autoimmune problems. Some doctors recommend staying clear of milk to help with these gut issues.
3. Cancer: conflicting medical studies show that milk can help with cancer cell growth, and others that show milk has conjugated linoleic acid, which may have anti-cancer abilities. Dr. Chris Masterjohn (non-medical doctor) says milk can be harmful when its fat is separated from proteins like skim, low-fat, 1%, and 2% milk.
4. Insulin Issues: some doctors say that milk can elevate insulin levels, which you may not want. Mark Sisson wrote a nice blog post on the effects of milk, insulin, and working out called “The Definitive Guide to Dairy.”
5. Weight Gain: Milk contains sugars and carbohydrates, which can cause weight gain. An 8-ounce glass of milk contains 12 grams of carbs, mainly from that sugar called lactose!

Milk can be good for you too. It contains Vitamins A and K2. Doctors and researchers believe these vitamins to be good at fighting disease.

Of course, milk has other vitamins and nutrients, like Riboflavin, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, and Niacin.

Go Raw!

Most people will say that raw milk is the way to go if you include milk as a carnivore diet drink.

Raw milk has the fats and proteins intact, which may make it healthier.

Also, people will say that raw milk is excellent for helping the immune system and is easier for your body to digest.

A significant resource of raw milk is Real Milk. They have lists of places to find raw milk for purchase and other helpful articles. They also answer questions on safety!

Bonus Drink: Pre-mixed Electrolyte Water

Remember when we were talking about Ketorade and adding electrolytes to water? Redmond Real Salt created a great formula of pre-mixed electrolyte powder, which you can add to water. I love this stuff!

I use it as a pre-workout or post-workout supplement. It’s called Re-Lyte, and here are the stats per serving:

• 1000mg of Sodium
• 500mg of Potassium
• 1585mg of Chloride
• 75mg of Calcium
• 60mg of Magnesium

I recommend trying it out. They have three flavors: Mixed Berry, Lemon Lime, and Unflavored.

The unflavored is perfect for the hardcore/strict carnivores, as the flavored versions contain stevia.

The Redmond Real Salt links in this post should hook you up with a 15% discount, but if not, just type in WILD at checkout.

Common Drink Questions

I get many questions on whether you can drink alcohol, coffee, tea, lemon juice, or flavored sparkling water on the carnivore diet.

I’ve provided links to posts that answer these questions in great detail. Check out:

• Can You Drink Alcohol on the Carnivore Diet?
• Can You Drink Coffee on the Carnivore Diet?
• Can You Drink Tea on the Carnivore Diet?

Carnivore Drink Recap and Opinion

Those are the four leading drinks that I drink when I am on the carnivore diet. Water is naturally at the top of my list, and that’s what I drink the most.

I drink electrolyte water/mix maybe every couple of days.

Bone broth is a significant player, and if I had more time, I would make/drink a cup daily.

Milk is cool for me, too, but if I drink too much regularly, I will have more facial acne, but that’s dairy in general.

Recently I wrote this article on what not to drink while on the carnivore diet.

• 7 Worst Drinks for a Carnivore Diet

Everyone is different, and I suggest you do your own research to see if electrolytes and milk are a good fit for you.

Carnivore Discounts

• Redmond Real Salt and Re-Lyte Electrolyte Mix (15% Discount)
• White OakPastures Regenerative Farmed Meat (10% Discount)
• Carnivore Crisps (10% Discount)
• Live Water Glass Bottled Spring Water (11% Discount)

Recommended Books

1. The Carnivore Cookbook by Jessica Haggard (For a limited time, use ANDY5 at checkout for $5.00 off)
2. The Carnivore Diet by Dr. Shawn Baker
3. The Carnivore Code by Dr. Paul Saladino

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or dietician, or nutritionist. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.