The Story Behind the Invention

This story describes our personal experiences, observations, and the events that led to the development of what we later called the Raw Carnivore Diet. It reflects our journey of exploration into natural nutrition, animal biology, human health, and the belief that understanding nature can sometimes provide valuable insights into well-being.ere...

The Story Behind the Development of the Raw Carnivore Diet

1.0 How It All Began

Our story began in 1998 when I met Merete and her three dogs: two black Labradors and a Golden Retriever. At the time, Merete fed her dogs a homemade raw food produced in Zealand, Denmark. When that food was no longer available, we switched to commercial dry dog food.

Within just one month, we noticed significant changes in the dogs. Their coats became dry and flaky, clear signs that they were lacking essential nutrients.

Driven by growing concern for our dogs' health, we began researching everything we could about pet nutrition. We contacted manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, only to discover that very few people had a deep understanding of what was actually contained in commercial pet foods. Information was often vague, incomplete, or misleading, and ingredient lists frequently raised more questions than they answered.

We decided to look to nature for the answers.

To better understand what dogs were biologically designed to eat, we studied their ancestors—the wolves. This led us on several research expeditions throughout the United States, Canada, and the Arctic. There, we observed wolves in their natural habitat and analyzed thousands of wolf scat samples to determine exactly what they were eating.

Through this extensive and scientific approach, we concluded that the optimal diet for a dog should closely resemble the natural diet of a wolf.

It was during this period that we introduced the concept of BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) to Denmark. Our goal was simple: to create a diet that reflected what nature intended for dogs—a diet that would not merely keep them alive but allow them to truly thrive.

2.0 The Development of Our Raw Food Business

Our journey started with a simple purchase of meat from local slaughterhouses. We packed the meat into sausage-shaped portions and froze them.

Everything began with a single chest freezer.

As demand grew, we added another freezer, then another. Before long, our operation had expanded from one freezer to twenty-one freezers and eventually an entire frozen storage facility.

People began noticing the remarkable condition of our dogs and frequently asked what we were doing differently. When we explained that we had switched to a diet based on raw meat and nutrient-rich supplements, curiosity quickly turned into demand.

We began selling our homemade raw food products to friends and acquaintances in the dog community. Demand increased rapidly, and production expanded accordingly.

Customers purchased our products in large bags containing 15 to 25 kilograms of fresh red meat in various formulations. Their enthusiasm was unmistakable, and it soon became clear that we had discovered something unique.

In 2000, our company took a major step forward when we acquired a new property in Gilleleje, Denmark. There, we established our own fully food-approved production facility.

Sales grew dramatically during the following years as more and more people discovered the benefits of natural, nutrient-dense nutrition.

Throughout this period, our focus remained firmly on the diet of wolves. We trusted nature completely and sought to understand what millions of years of evolution had already perfected.

To eliminate any potential influence from human activity, we continued our research through expeditions in the United States, Canada, and the Arctic, where wildlife ecosystems remained largely untouched.

3.0 A Personal Discovery

Around this same time, I began suffering from severe back pain.

A visit to the private hospital Hamlet revealed that I had previously suffered both a fractured spine and a fractured neck, injuries that had resulted in significant osteoarthritis.

The doctors offered me two options:

• Undergo surgery that would leave my spine largely immobilized.
• Learn to live with the condition.

I chose the latter.

Unfortunately, my condition continued to deteriorate. I became increasingly hunched over, struggled to stand upright, and relied heavily on pain medication simply to get through the day.

By then, we had already witnessed remarkable changes in our dogs through nutrition.

This led us to ask a simple question:

If nutrition could produce such profound results in dogs, why couldn't it do the same for humans?

Merete and I began experimenting with a diet consisting primarily of red meat.

We followed this approach for nearly two years.

Within just a few days, I was able to stop taking pain medication. I could stand upright again and return to work with only minor discomfort. Although I still experienced occasional pain during heavy physical activity, it was manageable and no longer controlled my life.

Needless to say, this experience had a profound impact on me.

Soon, people began asking whether we could help them address their own health challenges.

We developed individualized dietary protocols and observed improvements in a wide variety of conditions, including allergies, digestive disorders, and chronic inflammatory issues.

Eventually, individuals diagnosed with cancer also began contacting us. Although we approached these cases with caution, we agreed to help where possible and observed outcomes that encouraged us to continue investigating the relationship between nutrition and health.

4.0 The Curious Hands

Throughout this journey, I discovered something unusual.

I seemed able to detect areas of increased heat emission from the body simply by placing my hands near a person or animal. While this could not provide a diagnosis, it often indicated the location and relative intensity of a problem.

Over time, I noticed that cancerous tissue frequently appeared to generate significantly more heat than surrounding tissues, likely due to its elevated metabolic activity.

For much of my life, I assumed everyone possessed this ability. It was only later that I learned this was not the case.

This sensitivity proved particularly useful when working with dogs, as body heat could easily be detected through their fur.

Interestingly, this principle is not entirely new.

Around 370 BC, the Greek physician Hippocrates reportedly used a primitive form of thermal assessment. Patients were covered with a thin layer of clay, and the areas where the clay dried first were believed to correspond with areas of illness.

This historical concept eventually led me to discover thermal imaging technology developed in the United States.

Thermal cameras could visually display, in color, the temperature variations that I believed I was sensing with my hands.

Having access to thermal imaging made it significantly easier to explain findings to patients and to monitor changes over time.

We quickly acquired our first thermal camera and incorporated thermal imaging into our work. Today, several advanced thermal imaging systems are used throughout our clinics.

As the years passed, increasing numbers of both human and animal clients sought our assistance, and we continued exploring the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, inflammation, and overall health.

5.0 Can Terminal Patients Recover?

In 2012, we met our first terminally ill patient.

The patient had previously undergone treatment for testicular cancer and had initially been declared cancer-free. However, the disease later returned and had spread to both the liver and kidneys.

After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, he was informed that no further conventional treatment options remained and was classified as terminally ill.

Having heard about our work, he contacted us and asked whether we could help.

We explained that we could make no guarantees but were willing to develop a nutritional protocol for him.

He followed the program with remarkable discipline.

Eight weeks later, he returned to the hospital for evaluation.

According to the patient, imaging studies showed no detectable evidence of the previously identified cancer. When he explained that he had followed a nutritional program, the result was largely dismissed as coincidental.

Regardless of differing interpretations, the experience had a significant impact on us and strengthened our determination to continue exploring the role that nutrition may play in supporting health and recovery.

The patient remains alive and well today.