Carnivore Diet: Everything You Need To Know

Thursday, September 6, 2018, 14:55

The carnivore diet is a diet which recommends eating meat during all meal times throughout the day. The theory of a carnivorous diet originated from the ancestral belief that people generally ate meat as it was not considered energy efficient to indulge in gathering a lot of fruits and vegetables that would satiate their appetite.

A carnivore, as we all know, is the one who most eats meat (hence, the name a carnivore diet). A carnivore is known to survive on the flesh of other animals.

How Does A Carnivore Diet Work?

Being one of the trendiest nutritional diets, many are preferring the carnivore diet these days. Many people who have chosen this diet have praised it saying it has effectively shown an increase in the energy levels, followed by weight loss and mental cognition. Animal foods are zero carbs.

In this form of a diet, you would need to completely avoid carbohydrates and supplements. When carbohydrates are not part of our diet, then our body finds other sources of energy and enters into a condition of ketosis. Now the body would use the body fats for energy via ketones. This has shown to provide several health benefits.

The carnivore diet helps you eliminate all the danger-causing foods and the potential allergens from your diet. This shows reduction in gastrointestinal problems, along with reduction in weight gain, autoimmune disorders and bloating.

What Can You Eat In A Carnivore Diet?

Below is the food list that can be incorporated when you are on a carnivore diet:

• Meat
The main food sources for people on a carnivorous diet are burgers, steak and red meat. Fatty meats are the best sources of calories to keep the energy levels up as you would not be eating carbs. Poultry, bacon and sausage are also fine to be consumed.

• Fish
Fatty fishes such as sardines and salmon should be mostly preferred. Nevertheless, you can eat other types of fishes as well.

• Eggs
The fat in the yolks is a must.

• Dairy
Technically, milk, cheese, yogurt and butter can be consumed, as they are all obtained from animals. However, you might want to limit their intake when on this form of a diet. This is due to the lactose content of milk, cheese, etc. Experiment with one dairy food at a time and in small doses to see how your body handles them.

• Bone marrow
You can consume bone broths.

• Fatty meat products
Fat-dense products derived from meat are a great hit in this form of a diet. You can choose to include tallow and lard in your diet.

• Condiments
You cannot consume mustard, salsa and some herbs and spices. This makes pepper and salt a life saviour in a carnivore diet. Red meat is flavourful on its own. You would not need anything more than just salt or pepper to give it a tasteful effect.

Will You Experience Digestive Problems When On A Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet provides your body with a lot of protein, which is a lot of fat, but no carbs at all. This could initially make you believe that this form of a diet could lead to digestive problems along with weight gain and high cholesterol issues. However, research has proven that this is a sustainable diet.

You might face difficulties during the first week of this diet, where there could be fluctuations in your appetite and energy levels. Many people actually went on to say that the digestive problems that they had earlier faced went off when they began to follow a carnivore diet. This diet is based on the belief that eliminating fibre intake improves digestive issues.

Benefits Of Carnivore Diet

Eating just meat might sound crazy sometimes, but this diet does have some great health benefits.

• Leads to weight loss

Not taking carbs will keep your blood sugar levels low. There are no insulin spikes; hence, the body would not store the calories as fats. Eating meat and following a low carb, high-fat diet would keep your hunger hormones regulated and would prevent you from craving for food too often.

• Improves testosterone levels

As the carnivore diet is high in fat, it can increase the testosterone levels. It is also known to increase libido.

• Lowers inflammation

People who are high-fat eaters have shown to have lower markers of systemic inflammation when compared to those who aren't. High-fat eating is, therefore, considered beneficial for cardiovascular health.

• Reduces digestive problems

Although many believe that eating more fibre would help you improve your digestion, the opposite is believed by people following a carnivorous diet. It is believed that a no-fibre diet can improve your digestion along with improving symptoms of bloating, straining and gas.

According to a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, reducing or stopping dietary fibre intake improves constipation and its associated symptoms.

• Better mental clarity

Those following a carnivore diet have shown better focusing ability. The initial few days might make you lethargic or moody, but within a week's time, you would start feeling a mental sharpness.