The Paleo diet has been a huge hit in the world over the last decade, however different variations of the diet have started popping up in recent years. You may have heard about The Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP) or The Dr. Terry Wahls’ Protocol as well as or the Primal Diet (which includes dairy products) or a keto or low-carb version of the paleo diet.
If you’re having trouble getting relief, or are simply looking for something different, you might consider looking into what’s known as the Carnivore Diet.
It is the Carnivore Diet is the exact opposite of the vegan diet. While the vegan diet is 100% plant-based, the Carnivore Diet is 100% animal-based–although some versions may include herbs and spices or even coffee or alcohol. However, it is possible to consider it a meat-based diet.
The diet is typically heavy on fat. It is ketogenic, based on the balance you choose between your macronutrients (protein as well as fat along with carbohydrates). In order to follow the ketogenic lifestyle it is necessary to follow an eating plan that’s at least 65percent fat.
The keto diet also demands being careful not to overdo the protein, as it could be transformed into glucose by the process of the gluconeogenesis. It’s not the case that everyone who follows the Carnivore Diet does a ketogenic version.
However, you should consult your physician or health professional when you’re thinking of incorporating an Carnivore Diet into your seasonal eating.
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
The diet consists of all the animal products This includes eggs, fish, meat as well as dairy. The most basic version is salt, meat and water. This type of diet is geared towards the meat of animals fed on grass and also concentrates on eating every part of the animal. So, it’s more than normal muscle meat.
If you’re on the Carnivore Diet, you’ll be offered the following options:
- Cuts of meat that are fatty such as bacon, ribeye steak, and so on.
- Organ meats
- Additional fats include bacon grease, lard duck fat, tallow as well as other fats from animals
- Dairy with high-fat content, such as grass-fed butter (or Ghee) and cream
- Bone broth
- Bone Marrow
- Jerky
- Fatty fishsuch as mackerel and sardines
- Spices and herbs as you like and in a manner that is acceptable
There are many more as described below. It’s clear this Carnivore Diet is very much nutritious and high in traditional food items.
Health Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
However, despite its limitations it is possible to offer a variety of health advantages. People who advocate this diet such as the orthopedic doctor Shawn Baker, MD, advocate it for diabetes and blood sugar issues and high blood pressure joint pain, digestive issues hormone imbalances as well as mental health problems.
It’s also recommended to lose weight, building muscle and increasing performance.
Many of these health benefits stem from being eliminating diet. Medical professionals suggest elimination diets for various health issues such as inflammation and chronic illnesses like autoimmune disorders. This diet known as the Autoimmune Paleo Diet is a excellent illustration.
But it is possible that eating the Carnivore Diet may also promote health due to its high levels in protein and other important nutrients. In any case there are some ailments that could be improved through this type of diet:
Allergies
It is believed that the Carnivore Diet can be used as an elimination diet. When you eat the entire meat you’re abstaining from a wide range of food categories. It’s like eating:
In order to make this diet less histamine, ensure that meat is frozen for until the maximum time possible prior to making use of it. Avoid aged meat, and ensure that the fish is frozen properly (right after catching). Cheese and yogurt should be off the menu and eggs might be avoided in accordance with your sensitivities.
As these triggers are often the cause of gut inflammation By removing them for a period of time can aid in healing your gut. Because leaky gut is frequently caused by food allergies as well, an Carnivore Diet could help you to tolerate a variety of these food items again.
The toxins in plants like salicylates and oxalates are totally absent when you’re eliminating the consumption of all plant foods.
Weight Loss
Health professionals may suggest health professionals to recommend the Carnivore Diet for obesity and getting rid of body fat. Since it doesn’t contain carbs, it’s an extremely low-carb diet. Although research hasn’t been focused upon studying the Carnivore Diet, there’s a number of studies available on diets with low carbs.
A review in 2013 within the British Journal of Nutrition found that a low-carb diet could help study participants maintain their weight loss for a long time. Although the primary outcome was weight reduction, there were advantages to improving triglycerides and blood pressure, cholesterol levels as well as insulin and blood sugar levels.
It is the Carnivore Diet, with its importance on animal products is also a protein-rich diet. Protein-rich diets can be effective in weight loss. In a comprehensive review released in 2012, high-protein diets performed better in encouraging weight loss than diets that restrict calories.
Type 2 Diabetes
It’s inherently a low-carb diet (actually it’s completely zero-carb) which means it’s stabilizing your blood sugar levels.
Based on a study that lasted for a year of 259 diabetics who were overweight A lower-carb Mediterranean food plan was more effective over both a traditional Mediterranean diet and the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) recommended diet for stabilizing blood sugar levels.
The ketogenic, very low-carb diet was utilized in a different study of patients with type 2 diabetes and was found to improve blood sugar levels, decrease medication usage, and decrease hemoglobin A1c among patients.
As mentioned, a low-carb diet helps lower body weight. The presence of excess weight (especially with an increase in the waist’s circumference) is a symptom associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome tends to accompany both type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease.
Heart Disease
A Carnivore Diet may also be beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease and risk factors, such as an increase in waist circumference, hyper blood sugar and diabetes, as well as elevated blood pressure.
A study testing four different diets that were published within the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) it was found that the Atkins diet showed the most positive effects on blood pressure as well as weight loss, when contrasted to the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN (Lifestyle exercise attitudes, Relationships as well as Nutrition) diets.
Mental Health
According to some studies that suggests a diet with a low amount of carbs and ketones like that of the Carnivore Diet, can help ease anxiousness by stabilizing neurotransmitters, such as glutamate as well as GABA. Research has proven that an increase in GABA levels are crucial to manage anxiety.
A study of 15 studies found that a ketogenic diet with very little carbs helped with schizophrenia, depression, as well as animals that have been used as models for Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Although diet isn’t the sole answer to all of these health issues It is usually beneficial or supportive.
Carnivore Diet List
If you’re wondering what you can consume on this diet other than plain meat, there are choices! Here’s a list of food items to eat on this diet
Fats
Fat is a key element of the Carnivore Diet, particularly since it’s not derived from plant food sources like cooking oils, nuts, seeds, oils, peanut butter, etc. Here are some fantastic fats that you should include:
- Lard
- Tallow
- Duck fat
- Grass-fed butter (or Ghee for lactose free Carnivore Diet)
- The heavy cream (Check for food sensitivities to dairy before)
- Aged grass-fed cheese, which includes the following cheeses: cheddar, gruyere gouda, blue cheese and even parmesan (Check for food sensitivities to dairy before you purchase)
- Pepperoni/salami/prosciutto
- Bacon fat/lard/beef Tallow to cook with
- Healthy mayo
- The rinds of pork that are raised on pasture (I love this variety)
- Sardines
- Wild-caught salmon
Proteins
Proteins are, naturally an essential ingredient in the Carnivore Diet. Find a farmer in your area If you are able. If you can’t, there are fantastic mail-order options that will deliver grass-fed and humanely raised meats as well as high-quality seafood right to your doorstep.
- Pasture-raised pork and bacon
- Beef that is fed grass
- Bison
- Duck
- Wild boar
- Venison
- Turkey
- Cage-free/pasture-raised chicken
- Cage-free/pasture-raised eggs
- Lamb
- Wild-caught fish (salmon, tuna, shellfish, cod, sea bass, mackerel, mahi mahi, anchovies, sardines, lobster, scallops, mussels, crab)
What can all these wonderful foods come together on the table at dinner, or in the lunch bag? We’ll discuss some menu ideas later.
Carnivore Diet Meal Plan: What’s on the Menu?
If you’re wondering what the Carnivore Diet looks like on any given day, don’t worries! Here’s a glimpse of what you can be eating when you follow this diet. There’s a wide selection of carnivore-friendly dishes in Wellness Mama. We’ll list a few recipes below.
Breakfasts
Here are some delicious and nutritious breakfasts that you can eat on this Carnivore Diet. (You may have to cut back on the vegetable intake if you’re following an exact version):
Lunches
Lunch could be leftovers from dinner that night prior. Here are a few alternatives for carnivore-friendly meals:
Snacks
Foods that are leftovers may be a good option and you could discover that you’re not hungry in between meals. If not, jerky is an option around. You can also make it yourself
Dinners
Dinners are when it is where the Carnivore Diet really shines. You can go to your preferred steakhouse or hamburger joint for a simple carnivore-themed date night. To spend the evening with your family, you can try these recipes:
Fats & Condiments
Mix up your fats to make your meals more exciting. Here’s how you can make your own tallow, or even add flavor to your butter, if you’re using herbs.
Drawbacks of the Carnivore Diet
There are some things to keep in mind in case you decide to attempt this diet. The first is that this type of diet is generally only advised for the short time.
Since it does not include any plant-based food items, such as vegetables, fruits as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts as well as seeds. This diet may cause deficiencies in nutrient levels that include important vitamins like vitamin E, B complex vitamins as well as vitamin E.
There is also the possibility of developing deficiencies in the major minerals such as magnesium and calcium as well as micronutrients such as Iodine and chromium.
Deficiencies can result in adverse consequences. The most common side effects that people experience while following diets such as the Carnivore Diet include the following:
- constipation
- Low energy
- Bloating
- headaches
- irritability
- brain fog
- desire
- Unwanted weight loss
The microbiome of the gut is based on a process referred to as saccharolytic fermentation. It involves the breakdown of carbohydrates for example, vegetables. This process is responsible for the production of propionate, butyrate and acetate. These are short-chain fatty acids, which are essential for maintaining the health of your gut. Particularly, butyrate assists to keep leaky gut at bay by maintaining the quality of the gap junctions, eliminates ammonia and aids in metabolism. Propionate is a key component in the T-cell-mediated immunity. It is also utilized for the synthesis of cholesterol and for lipogenesis. Saccharolytic fermentation is based on prebiotic fibers including inulin and oligosaccharides.
You can try a few various things to minimize these adverse negative effects. Keep reading for some tips for success:
Tips for Success on the Carnivore Diet
If you want to be successful with this Carnivore Diet, you’ll need to be prepared. Here are some useful suggestions for staying healthy on a diet based on meat:
- Begin by slowly increasing your consumption of carnivore food over the course of a few weeks instead of a sudden jump to completely. Begin by slowly cutting down on your intake of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Ideally, you’d be following a paleo-style diet or have been in a grain-free state for a time before beginning.
- Begin by adhering to your Carnivore Diet for 30, 60, or even 90 days. The longer duration will permit you to observe positive results.
- Don’t attempt to cut back during your Carnivore Diet and deprive yourself. Consume enough to satisfy yourself.
- Do not overly limit the use of seasonings and herbs. You can make this diet work for you.
- Be aware of your electrolytes and ensure that you are using unprocessed salt when you need it.
- Make use of magnesium HCl along with enzymes when needed to aid digestion while your body adjusts.
- Consult your doctor about the addition of a butyrate supplement such as Tributyrin.
The key is to create a diet that works for you. It doesn’t need to be a complete all-or-nothing diet. It’s possible to start with meat along with salt as well as water, for 30-days in the event that you’d like. Some prefer to do up to three or four months of an Carnivore diet during winter months to reset their digestive system.
Take care of what is best for you and take note of any symptoms you experience and how they are changing.
