Influencer Isabella Ma, better known as “Steakandbuttergal,” advocates for a carnivore diet centered around meat and butter, claiming it has brought significant health benefits.
With over a million followers across social media, Ma regularly posts about her meals, which include soft-boiled eggs, fatty steaks, and lots of cold butter.
She also enjoys “golden jello”—congealed boiled oxtail fat—which she claims to be beneficial for skin, hair, nails, and anti-aging. For the past five years, her diet has mainly consisted of beef, lamb, seafood, and around 12 to 16 eggs a day.
She believes her high-fat eating plan has helped her shed 30 pounds, clear up cystic acne and psoriasis, and alleviate PMS symptoms.
Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., owner of Mohr Results, weighed in on Ma’s dietary choices, calling it impractical—health concerns and dangers aside.
“Food should be enjoyed and while I hate to judge people’s food choices, I can confidently say no one wakes up thinking, ‘I sure am craving congealed oxtail fat and cold sticks of butter today!’ And it is certainly not going to bring any joy,” he says.
Carnivore diets have been trending recently, promoting a meat-based, zero-carb approach. They’re similar to popular low-carb, high-fat diets—like Keto and Atkins— which work by pushing the body into a state of ketosis where it burns fat for energy instead of sugar.
But, while Keto and Atkins diets allow room for low-carb vegetables—like broccoli and spinach—Ma proudly follows a vegetable-free approach.
Ma used to be a vegan, a stark contrast from her current diet. She shared her comparative bloodwork results, showcasing how her total cholesterol increased from 163 to 365.
Her HDL rose from 73 to 98, while her LDL—the “bad” cholesterol—climbed from 81 to 264. Ma says the high LDL is a non-issue, but Mohr sees it as a major red flag.
“She is young, so maybe this hasn’t been a concern just yet—but an elevated LDL like hers, along with zero fiber and other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from fruits and veggies, at the least, is concerning,” he says.
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