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 not allowed, so what does that leave us with? Not much.

We have come up with 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.

If you are new to the carnivore diet and want more info, then check out this entertaining post called “Carnivore Diet 101: A Meaty Resource.“

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 this water and testing it 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 I go 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 amazing 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 15% 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 get a chance, 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 being 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, and that brings 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 people say this is due to the body’s transition from burning carbs for energy 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 as a result of missing electrolytes.

Some of the key electrolytes that may be missing are:

1. Sodium
2. Magnesium
3. Potassium

Generally speaking, it seems that most people are 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 to be 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 goes on to say, “if our kidney function is not normal, adding extra amounts of potassium in supplemental form can be dangerous.”

However, let’s take a look at 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.

He makes some interesting points in this video 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

Obviously, if you want to keep your carnivore diet strict, just take out the non-carnivore-friendly ingredients.

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 be getting a whole lot of glycine or collagen.

Bone broth is the powerhouse of these nutrients, and some people report better sleep, better 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 2 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 when you crave a hot and tasty beverage!

(I never add veggies or spices to my bone broth as I don’t want the potentially hazardous chemicals and pesticides that come with them.) If you are interested in learning more about the dangers of naturally occurring plant chemicals, check out:

1. 10 Chemicals in Plant Food Slowly Killing You
2. 5 Ways Green Smoothies Are Killing You

Here is the Wild Lumens way to make 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 completely intolerant, and others can handle it in small quantities or more.

A few carnivore diet proponents and doctors also say milk is bad 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 5 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 the result of inheriting faulty genes. Lactose is also sugar which is what most people on a carnivore diet are trying 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 will recommend staying clear of milk to help with these types of gut issues.
3. Cancer: there are conflicting medical studies showing 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 may not be something you 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 mostly from that sugar called lactose!

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

Of course, there are other vitamins and nutrients in milk 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 choose to 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 great for helping out the immune system and is easier for your body to digest.

A major resource of raw milk is Real Milk. They have lists of places where you can 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? Well, Redmond Real Salt just came out with their new 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 3 flavors: Mixed Berry, Lemon Lime, and Unflavored. The unflavored is perfect for the hardcore/strict carnivores as the flavored versions do 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.

Questions?

I get many questions on whether you can drink alcohol, coffee, tea, lemon juice or even flavored sparkling water on the carnivore diet. I’ve provided links to posts that answer these questions in great detail. Check out:

1. Can You Drink Alcohol on the Carnivore Diet?
2. Can You Drink Coffee on the Carnivore Diet?
3. Can You Drink Tea on the Carnivore Diet?

I think you will be surprised by what we found!

Carnivore Drink Recap and Opinion

Those are the 4 main 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 an electrolyte water/mix maybe every couple of days.

Bone broth is a major player, and if I had more time, I would make/drink a cup every day.

Milk is cool for me, too, but I notice 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 to not drink while on the carnivore diet.

1. 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.

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.