Episode Details

Courtney Luna spent 25 years yo-yo dieting — Weight Watchers at 13, Paleo, seven years of on-and-off Keto, and a painful detour into "everything in moderation" — before finally landing on strict carnivore. In this episode, the former yacht chef, homeschooling mom, and author of Carnivore in the Kitchen shares how ditching carbs for good helped her lose 60 pounds, get off her anxiety and depression medications, clear decades of acne, and end a lifelong battle with disordered eating. She also explains why "just a little" carb reintroduction cost her 20 pounds and her peace of mind, how her family eats carnivore on the road while living in a van, and why she believes sugar deserves the same zero-tolerance approach as alcohol.

[00:00–01:14] Opening Segment — Meet Courtney Luna

•Courtney is a former yacht chef turned homeschooling mom and carnivore content creator.

•She lost 60 pounds, came off medication for anxiety and depression, cleared lifelong acne, and ended 25 years of disordered eating.

•Her family left their California home in January 2026, converted a van, and hit the road full-time.

•Her cookbook, Carnivore in the Kitchen, was published in 2024.

[01:15–07:33] From Weight Watchers at 13 to Strict Carnivore

•Courtney's dieting history: Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, cabbage soup, Special K, Paleo, and seven years of Keto — always chasing weight loss, not health.

•Anti-diet culture convinced her to try "everything in moderation" — a slippery slope that led to a 40-pound gain in four months.

•Her husband introduced her to Dr. Paul Saladino's content; after research, she tried animal-based eating for six weeks, then went strict carnivore.

•Results: lost nearly 60 pounds, came off anxiety and depression medication, cleared her skin — and has kept the weight off for four years.

[07:33–12:14] The Relapse: Why "Just a Little" Carbs Backfired

•Reintroducing "healthy" carbs like rice, avocado, and fruit led to a 20-pound regain and a return of intrusive, OCD-like thoughts.

•Being five years sober from alcohol, Courtney compares carb/sugar addiction directly to alcohol addiction: moderation doesn't work for people wired as "abstainers."

•Her advice: figure out whether you're an abstainer or a moderator, and identify your specific trigger foods (for her, it's fruit).

•Modern fruit is bred sweeter and larger than it used to be — she calls dried mango "a glorified candy."

[12:14–13:20] Lessons From Life as a Yacht Chef

•Cooking for wealthy clients on vacation showed Courtney just how sugar-addicted most people are.

•Almost every boat she worked on wanted carb-heavy comfort food and desserts — the opposite of what she'd recommend today.

[13:20–16:56] Writing Carnivore in the Kitchen

•The idea for a cookbook took shape about a year into her carnivore journey; she researched publishers used by Dr. Ken Berry and Maria Emmerich and landed a deal with Victory Belt.

•The book took about six months to write and develop recipes, then another six months for editing and photography.

•Goal of the book: prove carnivore doesn't have to mean plain steak and eggs — it can be creative, sustainable, and family-friendly.

[16:56–18:52] Staples, Recipes, and Meal Prep Tips

•Her go-to "gateway" recipe for skeptics: bacon cheeseburger soup.

•Keep staples on hand: cooked bacon, salami, hard-boiled eggs, dairy (if tolerated), and pre-cooked proteins like a crockpot roast or a container of cooked chicken.