The Candid Carnivore - Real Life

08/25/2026

Healthy Pizza Dippers

My 2 year old granddaughter is a huge fan 😆

I don’t measure anything, but here’s how I make them:

1 - 2 eggs (beat with a fork)

Season with a little salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning

Add some shredded mozzarella and shredded Parmesan, mix

Add some crushed pork rinds (pork panko) - this is the tricky part. If you add too much, the become sort of dense and dry, and hard to swallow if that makes sense. You want it to be a batter consistency, not a dough consistency.

Plop some into a mini waffle iron and cook until it’s just barely starting to brown. Again, if you cook it too long it can become too dry.

Rao’s marinara for dipping - done!

Pizza flavors with no grains or junk.

08/25/2026

💯

People are addicted to easy.
And easy is the reason their life stays hard.

08/03/2026

Fully convinced the Scots invented golf for one of three reasons:

1. As a joke
2. As a drinking game
3. (The most likely) As a means of torture to frustrate and wear down social/business rivals until they bend to their will 😑

07/18/2026

I saw a post this morning that inspired me to share this thought. The post basically said we should listen to and respect others' opinions, and we do not have to agree on everything. That's exactly how it should be!

People have strong opinions, different perspectives and experiences, and various levels of understanding on nutrition, religion, politics, society, and everything else.

You have three options: Teach. Learn. Agree to disagree. (Option 4: don't engage - just scroll LOL)

Nothing should ever come to arguing, name-calling, or threats. We're called to care for one another. I can be incredibly frustrated by someone else's opinion, behavior, or (lack of) understanding.

That doesn't mean I hate them. Ever. Quite the opposite, actually. Change my heart, change my mind, or let me change yours. Otherwise, remain respectful and carry on with your life.

Maybe it's the Gen X attitude, "ok. Whatever." 😆

This life is temporary. What you do with it is between you and God.

07/17/2026

OK, this is probably going to be long, but it's way overdue.

I haven't posted in over 4 months.
If you noticed, I changed the name of my page (I tried to just make it The Candid Carnivore, but Facebook thought that was too vague, apparently).

YES, I am still following a carnivore diet.
YES, I still advise and coach people and try to help. Feel free to reach out if you want help. No charge.

NO, I will not be taking any new clients moving forward.
NO, this page will no longer be solely about the carnivore diet.

This page will allow me to be... candid... about whatever happens to be on my mind. More diary/blog and advice/opinion than whatever this has been for the past few years.

Will I post consistently? Probably not. My "real job" is marketing and content creation. I love promoting other people. I do not love promoting myself. It always feels like I'm making my 'self' an idol. That feels gross. But I do love helping, advising, and expressing myself, so buckle up LOL

You may decide to unfollow - that's ok. No hard feelings.

I will still share things like health and wellness topics.
I will share thoughts about life, especially as it pertains to my current stage of life.
I will share designs I have created.
I will share my Amazon storefront and products I like.
I will share my books - ones I have written AND ones I recommend.
I will share content about my faith (not my daughter Faith, necessarily, but my Christian faith LOL), and probably other things that may or may not offend people.

So if you're here for honest conversations, practical advice, a little humor, random thoughts, and probably a few unpopular opinions... welcome.

It will be real. It will be candid. It will be authentically me. 💛

03/01/2026

Ever walk into a room and completely forget why you’re there?
Lose your train of thought mid-sentence?
Read the same text three times and still not absorb it?

Welcome to 45+. 😅

Meanwhile, in your mind...
You’re still 25.
Still capable. Still sharp. Still strong.

The only problem? Your brain and muscles didn’t get the memo.

Here’s the truth no one told Gen X women:
As we age, our natural creatine levels decline. But creatine isn’t just about gym bros and protein shakes. It’s one of the most studied nutrients in the world for BRAIN ENERGY, MEMORY, and MENTAL CLARITY.

Which means those “brain fog” moments and 3pm mental crash isn't a need for sugar or caffeine.

They’re not personality traits. They’re energy deficits that require essential nutrients.

That’s why Primal Queen created Goddess Creatine Bites — delicious, convenient watermelon bites made specifically for women.

Because creatine supports:

🧠 Sharper memory recall
⚡ Faster thinking & clearer focus
😊 Better mood & reduced mental fatigue
💪 Lean muscle building & preservation (so your body stays as strong as your mindset)

When you preserve muscle, you preserve metabolism, strength, and independence long-term.

Translation:
You don’t just feel 25 in your head.
You move like a strong, capable woman who plans to stay that way.

Clinically backed creatine in a form women will actually take — and actually love.

Because aging isn’t about shrinking.
It’s about staying sharp, strong, and sovereign.

Gen X energy. Goddess strength.

Welcome to your next era. 👑💖
25% off with my link: https://primalqueen.com/pages/goddess?snowball=STEPH11690

02/07/2026

Joining the fun! Swipe to see how Chat did me dirty on the first try 😑 😂

01/31/2026

Your gut may not need more fiber; it may need less irritation.

If you have any digestive issues, “eat more fiber” is terrible advice.

For many people, the problem isn’t what they’re missing; it’s what they’re eating.

When sensitive guts remove fermentable, irritating carbs (FODMAPs), about 50–70% of people with IBS see meaningful symptom improvement.

Sugar, ultra-processed foods, and grains keep the gut inflamed. Adding more roughage on top of that usually makes things worse.

The first step is simple:

Take things out.
Let your gut calm down.
Then see how you actually feel.

Sometimes healing starts with less, not more.

Sources: Halmos 2014; Staudacher 2017; Black 2018; McIntosh 2017

01/27/2026

𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 “𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕” 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒚.

That’s not enjoyment.
That’s addiction.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:
• Added sugars make up ~13–17% of daily calories in the average U.S. diet (USDA)
• Regular sugar intake drives dopamine spikes, followed by crashes that increase cravings and appetite
• Repeated exposure raises tolerance—meaning you need more sugar to feel the same effect
• High sugar intake is linked to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
If dessert is non-negotiable, your metabolism is negotiating for you.

This is why “e𝐯e𝐫y𝐭h𝐢n𝐠 𝐢n m𝐨d𝐞r𝐚t𝐢o𝐧” fails so many people.
You cannot moderate a substance that was engineered to bypass satiety and reinforce habitual use.

Nobody sneaks steak.
Nobody says, “I was good all day, I deserve ground beef.”

If you feel “off” without sugar, that’s feedback, not a personality trait.
Remove the stimulus. Stabilize blood sugar. Let appetite normalize.

This is not punishment.
This is relief. This is 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮.

—
Sources:
• USDA Dietary Guidelines & ERS Data
• Lustig et al., Nature, 2012
• DiNicolantonio et al., BMJ Open, 2018
• Volkow et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011

01/24/2026

𝐈f a “𝐟o𝐨d” 𝐫e𝐪u𝐢r𝐞s a m𝐚r𝐤e𝐭i𝐧g d𝐞p𝐚r𝐭m𝐞n𝐭, i𝐭 𝐢s n𝐨t f𝐞e𝐝i𝐧g y𝐨u.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are not designed for nourishment.
They are designed for shelf life, profit, and 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (aka addiction).

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬:
• Ultra-processed foods now make up ~58% of calories in the U.S. diet (USDA data)
• Higher UPF intake is associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, and all-cause mortality
• These products are engineered using refined sugar, industrial seed oils, starches, and additives to override satiety signals
• Real food does not need:
– mascots
– buzzwords
– “heart healthy” labels
– or a Super Bowl commercial

According to the NOVA food classification system (used in over 50 countries), ultra-processed foods are formulations of substances rarely or never used in home cooking - not food as humans have historically eaten it.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
If your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, your metabolism doesn’t either.

𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:
If it has an ingredient list longer than a CVS receipt, leave it on the shelf.
If it advertises itself as “balanced,” “fortified,” or “part of a healthy lifestyle,” ask why it needs to convince you.

No marketing budget.
No cartoon characters.
No health claims.

Just meat. Eggs. Fat. Salt. Water.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡.
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙.

—
Sources:
• USDA Economic Research Service
• Monteiro et al., Public Health Nutrition (NOVA classification)
• Srour et al., BMJ, 2019 & 2022
• Hall et al., Cell Metabolism, 2019 (NIH metabolic ward study)