Diets come and go, but some stick around and gain massive popularity. Not so long ago, ketogenic diets, paleo diets, and low carb diets were believed to be a fad, but they are still around and more popular than ever. The Carnivore Diet is another diet that was originally believed to be a fad but is increasing in popularity among those that follow the keto diets and the low carb diets.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The Carnivore Diet is a restrictive diet that only includes meat, fish, as well as other animal foods such as eggs and some dairy products. It excludes all other foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and seeds. Strict followers of the diet also don’t consume any herbs besides salt and pepper.Red meat (preferably grass-fed) is widely considered the staple when it comes to the Carnivore Diet, but those that follow it are allowed to consume meat from just about any animal. Proponents of this diet, such as Shawn Baker, MD, author of The Carnivore Diet, also recommend limiting or completely eliminating your dairy intake to foods low in lactose, which is a sugar found in milk and dairy products such as hard cheese and butter.
How to Follow the Carnivore Diet
If you want to follow the Carnivore Diet, you must eliminate all plant foods from your diet and exclusively eat meat, fish, eggs, as well as low-lactose dairy products in small quantities.The foods that you should eat include pork, chicken, beef, turkey, salmon, white fish, sardines, organ meats, lamb, as well as small amounts of hard cheese and heavy cream. Bone marrow, lard, and butter are also permitted. Proponents of the diet emphasize consuming fatty cuts of meat to meet your daily energy needs. (1)
The Carnivore Diet encourages the consumption of bone broth and plain drinking water, but it discourages drinking coffee, tea, or other plant-derived drinks. It does not provide specific guidelines regarding the intake of calories, serving sizes, or even the number of snacks or meals to eat per day. Proponents of the diet recommend eating as often as your heart desires.
Carnivore Diet Vs. Keto Diet
The Carnivore Diet is not the same as the Keto Diet. If you are on the Keto Diet, you are still allowed to eat low-carb vegetables and can have plant fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, etc., coffee/tea, vinegar, salt, spices, as well as other non-animal foods for nutritional value and tastiness.Carnivore Diet Vs. Paleo Diet
The Carnivore Diet is not the same as the Paleo Diet. If you are on the Paleo Diet, you are encouraged to eat a variety of pre-agricultural plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, etc. since those foods are high in nutritional value, tasty, and add variety.Health Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The Carnivore Diet provides numerous health benefits, which include the following:
The consumption of more animal protein with every meal you take also stimulates the synthesis of muscle protein and this helps build muscle and prevent muscle loss. Simply put, following the Carnivore Diet will help you achieve a more sculpted physique by since it promotes fat loss. (2)
Final Thoughts
The Carnivore Diet is definitely successful as a short-term weight loss tool and offers several key health benefits as clearly explained here. The only real drawback associated with this diet is that you will have to give up a lot of freedom since it is a highly restrictive diet.
It might be increasingly challenging to stick with the diet in the long run, but the results are definitely worth it. If you would like to learn more about the diet, you should check out “The Carnivore Diet”, which is a book by Shawn Baker that provides all that you need to know about this diet.
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213917/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826507/
3. https://mikhailapeterson.com/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6451242/
5. https://www.dietdoctor.com/child-type-1-diabetes-successfully-treated-paleolithic-ketogenic-diet
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6423692/