Today I interview Dr. Paul Saladino, the leading authority on the science and application of the carnivore diet. He has used this diet to reverse autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, and mental health issues in hundreds of patients, many of whom had been told their conditions were untreatable.   In addition to his podcast, Fundamental Health, he can be found featured on numerous podcasts, including The Minimalists, The Model Health Show, Bulletproof Radio, The Dr. Gundry Podcast, The Ben Greenfield Podcast, Dr. Mercola, Health Theory, Mark Bell’s Power Project, and many others. He has also appeared on The Doctors TV show and will release his first book in 2020 titled, “The Carnivore Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health by Returning to our Ancestral Diet.”   Dr. Paul Saladino is board certified in psychiatry and completed a residency at the University of Washington. He also is a certified functional medicine practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine. He attended medical school at the University of Arizona, where he worked with Dr. Andrew Weil focusing on integrative medicine and nutritional biochemistry.   Prior to medical school, Dr. Paul worked as a physician assistant in cardiology. It was during this time that he saw first-hand the shortcomings of mainstream Western medicine with its symptom-focused, pharmaceutical-based paradigm. Dr. Paul decided to return to medical school with the hope of better understanding the real roots of chronic disease and illness, and how to correct and reverse these. He now maintains a private practice in San Diego, California, and sees clients from all over the world virtually.   In this episode, Dr. Paul Saladino explains how he started in the health world – he always had a strong desire to be responsible for his own body. Dr. Paul defines the carnivore diet. The diet cuts out all plants and is entirely animal-based. By removing plants from your diet, plant toxins will also get cut out. Dr. Paul reveals which plants should be removed from your diet because of toxicity. Stop eating seeds, leafy greens, and sweet fruits to avoid nasty toxins. Stay tuned to hear Dr. Paul explain the problems with Game Changers.   [00:30] About Dr. Paul Saladino Paul wanted to be able to fix his own car. When he got sick, he also wanted to be able to fix his health. “We are part of this bodily machine. I want my machine to be as tuned as can be.” – Dr. Paul Saladino Paul didn’t want to go to the doctor to find out that he needs medicine, and just have to believe that. He wants to be the agent of his health and his family’s health.   [13:30] About the Carnivore Diet It’s a diet that is entirely based on animal foods and excludes all plant foods. There’s a version of the diet that does include some plant foods. Anything you can hunt is going to be animal food. Carnivore diets exclude plant foods and appreciate the spectrum of plant toxicity. Paul gives people the tools to make the right choice for them. When Dr. Paul made the transition from paleo to carnivore, he cut out all the plant foods. There are toxins in plants that he completely eliminated. Plant toxins can be damaging to the gut. Leaky gut is gaining more widespread acceptance.   [21:00] The Practice of Fasting Paul is at the weight he wants to be at. He does not use fasting as a tool. Fasting can be used as a valuable tool. We need to be careful about how we use it. For some people, fasting may be too much.   [22:30] The Carnivore Code The book is entirely written with 425 references. Paul wants the book to be readable, yet he wants to include all the science. You can preorder The Carnivore Code here. Paul’s favorite thing about the book is the anthropology. The first part of the book is all about humans.   [33:10] Plant Toxicity Spectrum   Plants and animals have been coevolving. Plants have always been absorbing toxins. The seeds of plants are most vulnerable. Grains, seeds, beans, and nuts are all seeds. If a plant is