"Ancestral Health is a grounded return to the human baseline. Not a trend. Not a diet label. Not nostalgia. A practical way to recover the signals modern life keeps blurring, starting with the fundamentals our biology still recognizes."
These books are written for people who want clarity, structure, and results. From Ancestral Health to Carnivore: The Manual, Blood & Bone, and Metabolic Sovereignty, each title tackles modern health from first principles: real food, real rhythm, and practical frameworks you can apply in daily life.
What Readers Are Saying
"Carnivore: The Manual by Duncan Smart is exactly what the carnivore community has needed — a straightforward, well-organized, and highly practical guide for anyone serious about improving their health through an animal-based way of eating.
What I appreciated most is how clearly the information is presented. This isn’t hype, fluff, or dogma. It’s a logical, experience-driven manual that walks you step by step through how to do carnivore, why it works, and what to expect along the way. Whether someone is brand new or already experienced, there is real value here.Duncan does an excellent job addressing common concerns, troubleshooting typical adaptation issues, and helping readers avoid the mistakes that often derail people early on. The tone is calm, rational, and empowering — you feel guided, not preached at.If you want a resource you can actually use in daily life — not just theory — this book delivers. It’s the kind of guide you’ll reference more than once.Highly recommended for anyone looking to reclaim their metabolic health, simplify nutrition, and understand the carnivore approach with clarity and confidence!"
John LaSpina (Carnivore Teacher Alpha)
"The vivid voice and imagery of this book are like a documentary narrative. It is a compelling ancestral call that is visceral, inspiring, and empowering.Thank you for this clever and beautifully written book that captures the zeitgeist of the Carnivore way of life. It is a work of art that is solidly packed with well-researched practical information.It is a Carnivore Manifesto. If it were a song, it would be the Carnivore anthem."
V. Olson (United States)
"This is a masterclass in good writing and blew my mind ( in a good way). I advise anyone to buy either as a hardback, soft back or ebook as it could / will literally change your life.
After reading the book, I also bought as an ebook as it’s a convenient format to have while on the go and serves as a quick reference guide."
Amazon Customer (United Kingdom)
"Great book. Easy to read with great analogies. You will understand that we have strayed so far from our ancestors when it comes to diet."
Majest (United States)
"Blood & Bone is unlike anything I’ve read in the past. Cleverly and uniquely written in a manifesto format. A powerful and insightful guide to carnivore living.The book is not just informative; it’s visceral, raw, and instinctive. It speaks directly to something deep inside. Reading the book on my summer holiday, I felt myself reconnect with something ancient — something true to carry through modern life."
Dee (United Kingdom
"I found this book so informative for a carnivore such as myself. I thought I knew a lot about the carnivore lifestyle, but after reading this book I have a new outlook on this lifestyle. The facts and information in Duncan's book is life-changing, and a must-read if you are failing on a 'modern' diet of junk food. Highly recommend reading for everyone!"
Kindle Customer (United Kingdom)
"I have read just about every book on carnivore diet/life style that I know of. This stands out as excellent for Duncan Smart’s writing style. This is not a text book and is not written as one, this is more of a manifesto and should be read as such."
Mike (United States)
"Do yourself a favor and order the Hard Back copy. It is a work of art. I also have the Kindle version. The comparison is like a slice of Spam beside a honking 36 oz Tomahawk!"
M. Hamilton (United States)
Carnivore Teacher Alpha Podcast #1
The “Zero Carb” Life Podcast
Juliet Edens Health Podcast
Coach Stephen BSc (Hons) Podcast
Carnivore Teacher Alpha Podcast #1
Carnivore Evolution Podcast
The School of Heritage Podcast
"Ancestral Health is a grounded return to the human baseline. Not a trend. Not a diet label. Not nostalgia. A practical way to recover the signals modern life keeps blurring, starting with the fundamentals our biology still recognizes."
Website for The Ancestral Group © 2026
All rights reserved.
About the Author
Duncan Smart is an international endurance athlete and the author of Ancestral Health, Carnivore: The Manual, Blood & Bone, and Metabolic Sovereignty. He writes and teaches a practical, science-based approach to metabolic health rooted in ancestral principles, cutting through modern nutrition noise with clarity and disciplined simplicity.A former mathematics teacher, Duncan began researching endurance performance and, through that process, returned to the fundamentals that move the needle: real food, fasting, recovery, light, and rhythm. Through meat-based nutrition and foundational lifestyle practices, he experienced firsthand how simple inputs can transform energy, focus, and resilience. He holds a BA (Hons) and a PGCE in Mathematics, bringing academic precision to his exploration of metabolism, mindset, and self-reliance.Based in North Yorkshire, UK, Duncan trains, writes, and helps others rebuild the human baseline through real-world practice and measurable results. He has appeared in television interviews and made numerous guest appearances on health and performance podcasts. He also writes in the wider field of metaphysical thought and personal development, reflecting his interest in mindset, meaning, and the deeper layers of human experience.
Author's Q & A
What inspired you to write these books?
This body of work grew out of lived experience and a long process of questioning what modern life normalises. I had to confront poor health, low energy, excess weight, and the gap between what I was told should work and what actually restored me. What began as personal change became a deeper return to fundamentals: real food, real hunger, real rest, movement, light, recovery, and a way of living the body still recognises. I wrote these books to give people a clearer path back to those fundamentals, without ideology, and with principles they can test in their own lives.What are the books about?
Taken together, this body of work explores ancestral health as a practical framework for restoring the human baseline in a modern world. It examines how food, light, sleep, movement, stress, recovery, and daily habits shape energy, appetite, mood, resilience, and long-term health. Rather than offering trends or quick fixes, it returns to first principles and shows how changing your inputs can change the way your body functions.What is the bigger message you’re trying to get across?
The bigger message is that most people are not broken; they are living under conditions that distort biology. Modern life amplifies appetite, fragments attention, disrupts sleep, dulls recovery, and trains dependence on convenience and stimulation. This body of work is about turning that volume down and rebuilding strength, clarity, and self-reliance through habits the body can actually work with over the long term.Do the titles have any special significance?
Yes. The titles each point, in different ways, to the same central idea: the human body still runs on an older operating system. You do not need to romanticise the past to recognise that many modern inputs conflict with human biology. Across this body of work, the titles reflect a return to fundamentals and the belief that health is not a product you buy, but a pattern you practise.What was the hardest part for you to write?
The hardest part was writing honestly about where I started, how far I had drifted, and what it took to change. It is not easy to speak plainly about exhaustion, weight gain, poor recovery, and the habits that grow out of stress, pressure, and modern living. It was also a challenge to keep the writing direct and uncompromising without turning it into hype. I wanted the voice to be strong, but the framework to stay practical, testable, and real.How have the books been received?
They have been received with more warmth than I expected. Some readers connect most with the physiology and the practical frameworks. Others respond to the deeper theme: that many people feel off not because they are failing, but because their environment is working against their biology. The most meaningful feedback comes from people who make one change, feel the difference, and begin rebuilding from there.Do you have any advice for people who feel stuck?
Start small, but start. Choose real food. Simplify your meals. Prioritise protein and nutrient density. Give your appetite room to settle instead of feeding it constantly. Protect your sleep like it matters. Get morning light in your eyes. Walk daily. Lift often enough to build strength. You do not need perfection. You need consistency, honest feedback, and the willingness to stop bargaining with the habits that keep you stuck. Your body keeps receipts. Let it show you what works.Tell me about your current work in progress.
I am continuing to build practical resources around the ideas in this body of work so they are easier to apply in everyday life. That includes shorter guides, protocols, companion material, and tools that help people work on one lever at a time: food, light, sleep, movement, stress, and recovery. The aim is always the same: fewer slogans, more signal.What are some of your favourite books?
Two books that have had a lasting impact on me are Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. They are simple, sharp, and they speak to the tension between human potential and conformity. They remind me to listen to the part of myself that refuses to settle.Which authors inspire you?
I am drawn to writers who carry clarity, conviction, and restraint. Richard Bach, Hemingway, Orwell, and Jack London all express difficult truths without overcomplicating them. In the health and nutrition world, I have learned from people willing to challenge convention with evidence and integrity, especially when the incentives run the other way.