How adopting an animal-based diet helped boost Travis Smyth’s health and energy levels
Travis Smyth has enjoyed a journey from Shellharbour in New South Wales to the world stage of pro golf on the Asian, Australian and LIV Golf tours. Picking up golf at age 12, Smyth quickly made up for lost time as an amateur when he won the Northern Territory PGA Championship.
Since turning pro, Smyth has achieved plenty in the game – including an Asian Tour win at the 2022 Yeangder TPC. That same year, he qualified for the inaugural LIV Golf events, leveraging his standing on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. In 2023, Smyth continued his strong form with a T-6 at the PIF Saudi International, and a third place at the World City Championship in Hong Kong – a result that earned him a spot in the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, marking his debut in a major. Smyth’s consistent play came about the same time he began a new diet. He says embracing an animal-based diet saw his health and energy levels receive a significant boost. He sat down to take us through it.
▶ ▶ ▶
Australian Golf Digest: When did you first hear about this diet?
Travis Smyth: I first heard about the carnivore diet about two years ago. It was gaining traction on Instagram, with some health advocates I follow talking about it a lot. But I didn’t start [implementing] it until about six months later, so I’ve been doing it for about a year. Sometimes I stick to it very strictly in my off weeks mainly because it’s challenging to maintain when I’m on the road. When I do get strict, I feel incredible. I’ve started to book Airbnbs for tournaments so I can cook my own meals.
▶ ▶ ▶
What’s the theory behind it?
I’m not a dietitian, so I’m careful about giving advice, but my main reason was health. I was getting sick a lot while travelling, even though I thought I was eating pretty well. Every couple of weeks, I’d come down with something – fever, flu symptoms, body aches. It got so bad I was getting sick at least once every golf trip. Eventually, I saw a gastroenterologist in Sydney, who did blood tests, but everything came back normal. He then looked at my diet and suggested I cut out almost everything except protein-heavy meals. He told me not to worry about vegetables unless they were organic, which is hard to find on the road, so I ended up focusing on eggs, steak, ground beef, chicken, pork, lamb – mostly beef and eggs because they’re easiest.
I later added in some dairy, so now I’d describe my diet as “animal-based” rather than strictly carnivorous. I eat anything that comes from animals, like honey, milk, cheese, yogurt and kefir, and even some fruit.
▶ ▶ ▶
How has it impacted your golf game and life overall?
Staying healthy instead of constantly battling illness has had a huge impact on my life and golf. Since starting this diet, I’ve noticed a big improvement – especially when I go strict with it. It almost feels like it ‘resets’ my health, and I don’t get sick as often. The times I have been sick in the past year are usually after a hectic travel schedule when I’ve strayed a bit from the diet. That experience always pushes me back to being strict again, as it’s the only way I feel my best. When I’m on it, I feel like I’m at my new ‘normal’. I hardly ever get sick, but when I do, it’s usually when I’ve come off it for a while.
▶ ▶ ▶
What should someone trying this diet look out for or be conscious of?
Again, I’m not a dietician, so I don’t want to get into the technical details. Some people on social media talk about cholesterol levels, for example, but I don’t worry about that. As long as I’m getting exercise, I feel good about it. It’s hard to measure if my golf game directly benefits from the diet, but I’ve been playing consistently well over the past two years. Staying healthy definitely helps me perform at a higher level. Before, I was often so sick I’d have to miss practice rounds and just rest in bed to be ready for Thursday tournaments. I’d feel terrible, with bone aches and all sorts of issues. Now, knowing what keeps me healthy is a big relief.
▶ ▶ ▶
What are the main positive outcomes for you?
Just understanding my own ‘recipe’ for feeling good and staying healthy. I now know what works for me and what doesn’t, which is invaluable.
*Always consult your doctor before starting a new nutrition program
