High-protein diets have grown increasingly popular and come in various varieties. One such variant, carnivore diets, is one of the more polarizing trends and involves restricting vegetarian items to one day per week. Although its advocates claim substantial health advantages, it still causes much debate among experts.
We explore all aspects of the carnivore diet, from its carnivore benefits and risks to how this type of eating plan could potentially support healthful living.
What Is a Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet stands out among high-protein and low-carb diets because it lacks carbohydrates. Many who adopt the carnivore lifestyle do so with goals like losing weight or treating an autoimmune condition in mind.
Carnivore Diet Pros and Cons
Carnivore diet advocates often boast of its many potential advantages, from weight loss and increased testosterone levels to improved digestion. Yet many of their claims lack solid scientific backing – here, we outline their reported pros and potential drawbacks.
Carnivore Benefits | Pros of Carnivore Diet
Carnivore Diet’s Anti-Inflammatory Potential:
Recently, carnivore diets have garnered much attention due to their potential anti-inflammatory benefits for those suffering from an autoimmune condition.
This increased attention stems from stories such as Jordan Peterson’s daughter Mikhaila Peterson, who has reported relief from ailments including depression, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety, gastric reflux, and psoriasis after following diets consisting primarily of salt beef and water.
However, scientific proof cannot be produced to support these claims with scientific proof as traditional anti-inflammatory diets typically consist mostly of plant-based.
Elimination of Food Sensitivities:
A carnivore-based diet can be seen as the ultimate elimination diet. By eating only certain items from their restricted menu, people naturally avoid many allergens like wheat, nuts, and soy, which often trigger food sensitivities or allergies in themselves and others.
Weight Loss:
Many individuals are turning to carnivorous diets with the hopes of weight loss; however, there’s no scientific support for their claims.
Humans are omnivores that need nutrients from both animal and plant sources. Also, restricting ourselves only to meat can leave our bodies short on essential plant-based vitamins like C and E, which contribute to many disorders in the human body.
Cons of Carnivore Diet
Constipation:
Although animal-based diets don’t appear to increase constipation rates as strongly, their lack of fiber-rich foods could seriously threaten colon health.
Gastric Cancer:
Consuming processed and red meats increases one’s risk of gastric cancer, as evidenced by 42 studies’ meta-analyses. Case-control analyses suggest an association between processed/red meat consumption and cancer of the gastric tract; however, cohort analyses do not support this conclusion.
What is the Cost of the Carnivore Diet?
Carnivorous diets can be costly as their focus on low-fat red meat can quickly add cost; adding seafood to their consumption as often as three times per day could easily stretch budgets beyond their capacity.
Exercise Alongside their Carnivore Diet
Advocates of the carnivore diet recommend eating animal fats to maintain energy levels without carbohydrates. Keep yourself hydrated, as drinking more water improves overall health and digestion. Adherents to this lifestyle emphasize diet over exercise for weight loss as exercise could stimulate appetite, which could thwart their weight reduction goals.
How to Start With the Carnivore Diet
Starting any diet can be daunting, particularly one as restrictive as the carnivore diet. Making the switch requires careful consideration so your body adapts without issue – here are procedures and tips that will help ease you into this lifestyle safely.
Tip # 1 – Be Responsible
Carnivore diets must be approached responsibly, as the restrictions can have dire health ramifications. At the same time, some individuals have reported positive outcomes from following such eating patterns.
- Keep a Record of Your Health: Make sure you keep an accurate account of all health-related metrics such as energy levels, weight, mood, digestion, and habits to track any changes that could require medical treatment and be helpful when reviewing your records.
- Consult Healthcare Experts: Before making any significant dietary adjustments, you should speak to healthcare providers, such as doctors or dietitians, which is essential if you suffer from conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or kidney issues.
- Keep a Close Eye On Your Body: Track how your diet affects you physically. Consult a medical provider immediately if any adverse side effects emerge, such as severe stomach upsets, fatigue, or mood shifts.
Tip # 2 – Gradual Transition
Switching abruptly to an all-meat diet can be quite an adjustment for your body, so a gradual transition will allow it to adjust more smoothly.
- Gradually Increase Your Meat Consumption: Gradually increase your meat consumption over several weeks by gradually adding it to your diet and simultaneously decreasing other food groups’ consumption.
- Reduce Carbs: If possible, gradually decreasing carb consumption will help minimize withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, or fatigue often associated with “carb influenza.” This strategy could save time and effort when reducing carb consumption.
- Monitoring Changes: When transitioning, be mindful of any physical changes and emotional adjustments to ensure you make necessary adjustments when necessary and don’t compromise your health in any way. This will enable you to make necessary modifications and avoid harm to yourself or anyone involved in the transition process.
Tip # 3 – Tailor the Diet Specifically to Meet Your Requirements
Dieting for carnivory may seem restrictive. But that shouldn’t stop you from customizing it to meet your preferences and personal needs.
- Integrate Supplements: Carnivorous diets lack essential vitamins found in plant-based food sources. Supplementation may help fill these nutritional gaps – taking multivitamins, magnesium, calcium curcumin, potassium as an anti-inflammatory, resistant starch fiber supplements, or even psyllium husk may all provide needed boosts of essential micronutrients for overall wellness.
- Add Variety to Your Meat Choices: Increasing variety in your meat choices could ensure you receive all the vitamins and nutrients your body requires for good health. Try various kinds of lamb, beef, pork, poultry meat, and fish species like tuna. Organ meats like liver can provide additional health benefits that supplement a nutritious diet.
- Consider Including Small Amounts of Plants: If your diet lacks essential minerals and vitamins, adding small portions of non-meat food that contain these resources could be the key. Berries and leafy greens contain antioxidants and fiber, so adding them could also add antioxidant protection.
Tip # 4 – Maintain Adequate Hydration Levels
Hydration is of critical importance in any diet that includes meat. While meat does contain water content, this often isn’t sufficient to meet daily water demands.
Drink Plenty of Water: Drive to drink eight glasses or more daily of water-rich fluids such as tea and juice to support proper digestion, energy maintenance, and detoxification processes. Water can aid digestion while simultaneously aiding these activities.
Note: Consuming meat increases our need for sodium, potassium, and magnesium electrolytes. To stay on top of their levels, we may want to consider drinking electrolyte-enriched waters and taking electrolyte supplements to maintain our balance of electrolytes.
Tip # 5 – Set an Exercise Timetable
Exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle; however, its value will differ depending on whether or not your diet includes meat.
- Modifying Your Workouts Based On: Since fats and protein provide your body’s source of energy instead of carbohydrates, it may be possible to change intensities and lengths of workout sessions accordingly. Take note of your performance during physical activity to monitor energy levels throughout.
- Consume Animal Fats to Increase Energy: Carnivore benefits & diet advocates advise incorporating animal fats such as Lard and Tallow into meals as an energy boost. Consider including meat cuts that contain these sources.
- Prioritize Recovery: Allow yourself the necessary rest between exercises. A carnivore diet could impede this recovery due to its restrictive nature. Be mindful of any signals your body sends you regarding when and how often to exercise, so adjust as necessary.
Tip # 6 – Be Prepared for Social Situations
Adopting an all-meat diet may prove challenging in situations with limited food options.
- Approach Ahead: Before attending social events, always plan by eating before going and/or bringing meat-based food items from home if applicable. Notify hosts or friends in advance so they know what’s expected of you.
- Be Firm But Polite: Always come prepared with professional explanations to share about your food choices without sounding rude or dismissive. Some individuals might question them or simply be curious, so having something ready ahead of time could prove valuable for conversations that arise about these options.
Tip # 7 – Keep Up-to-Date and Be Flexible
Being an herbivore requires being aware of and accepting of all available research while keeping an open mindset to eating habits and maintaining an adaptable approach.
- Continue to Educate Yourself: Make an effort to continuously learn more about nutrition and its potential consequences through research published in nutritionist- and science-related journals, blogs, and health websites.
- Be Open to Changes: If your diet does not fit your needs or presents any health concerns, be ready to adapt it or remove it completely to put yourself and your health first.
Conclusion
While a carnivore benefits lifestyle may appeal to some individuals, it is wise to approach it with caution and an open-minded perspective. To maximize results, your diet must be varied enough in energy intake that its nutritional values ensure complete well-being for your overall health and well-being.
Explore alternatives: If the carnivore diet doesn’t sound appealing to you, explore alternatives that could provide similar advantages without as many risks, like Paleo or ketogenic (including ketogenic or balanced high protein protein diet).
