A carnivore diet is a zero-carbohydrate diet that allows you to eat animal products. Here we will explain how to do this and what to keep in mind.
Well, if the keto diet is your thing, you're totally hooked on the carnivore diet. Excessive keto diets, carnivore diets limit everything that keto does. However, the foods you can eat are limited to animal products. This, like the keto diet, also follows a zero-carb approach to losing weight.
Health Shots reached out to nutritionist Garima Goyal to learn more about the carnivore diet. These are the only things you can and cannot eat!
What is a carnivore diet?
A carnivore diet is an extreme form of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that focuses exclusively on foods of animal origin. “This diet consists primarily of animal foods, especially meat. People who follow this diet typically avoid all plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Meat, fish, and eggs. The idea behind this diet is that humans evolved as carnivores and that plant foods may contribute to health problems. It is based on the belief that there is a gender,” Goyal explains.
Carnivore diets are highly restricted and may lack certain essential nutrients found in plant-based foods.
What can a carnivore eat?
Although low-carb diets are very restrictive in nature, there are ways to make them interesting. “The carnivore diet focuses on the intake of animal foods while strictly eliminating plant foods,” says Goyal. Beef, pork, lamb, game, and other animal meats are staple foods. For poultry, chickens, turkeys, and other poultry are allowed. Usually includes all kinds of seafood. “Eggs are allowed, preferably pasture-raised or free-range. There are also versions of the carnivore diet that allow high-fat dairy products such as butter and cheese. But there are also versions that exclude dairy products,” explains Goyal.
What to avoid on a carnivore diet
Plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should be avoided. Processed foods containing additives and artificial ingredients should be avoided. “Avoid all forms of sugar, including natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup,” says Goyal.
Expert-approved carnivore meal plan
breakfast
Scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage cooked in butter
lunch
Grilled steak or beef patty, chicken thighs or wings
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snack
beef jerky or pork rinds
dinner
Grilled salmon or other fatty fish, pork chops or ribs
beverage
Water (anhydrous or sparkling), black coffee or tea (optional)
What are the benefits of a carnivore diet?
Although some of its proponents claim certain benefits, it is important to note that there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims, and there are potential risks to this diet. says Goyal.
1. Possible weight loss
We know that protein deficiency affects weight. Well, this diet has no such problems at all. The restrictive nature of the diet also reduces calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss, at least in the short term.
2. Simplified eating patterns
For people who find it difficult to make food choices or are sensitive to certain food groups, the simplicity of the carnivore diet can make meal planning easier.
3. Increase protein intake
The diet is naturally rich in animal protein, which is essential for muscle maintenance, repair, and various physiological functions.
4. Relief of digestive symptoms
Eliminating certain plant foods may provide relief for people with certain digestive issues, but this is very individual.
What are the disadvantages of a carnivore diet?
The scientific basis for this diet is relatively limited, and there are potential health risks associated with severely restricting plant-based foods.
1. Risk of nutrient deficiencies
Excluding plant foods can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins (such as vitamin C), minerals (such as potassium), and various phytonutrients that contribute to overall health.
2. Digestive health concerns
A lack of fiber in plant foods can affect your digestive health and cause problems such as constipation.
Also read: Are you on a low-carb diet? 5 side effects you need to be prepared for!
3. Cardiovascular health
As is common in carnivore diets, diets high in red and processed meat are associated with increased intake of saturated fat, which can negatively impact cardiovascular health.
4. Microbiome diversity
Plant-based foods contribute to a diverse gut microbiome that is associated with various aspects of health. The long-term effects of a diet lacking plant fiber on the microbiome are not well understood.
5. Potential health risks
Long-term studies of carnivore diets are lacking, and the effects of carnivores on health, particularly chronic disease, are not well established.
