The Carnivore diet has become more popular within the past few years in the fitness community. Essentially only eating meat and other animal products, you can imagine this being rather controversial. I have personally done this diet, and it is one that has significantly helped me. Now, there is definitely some nuance to this that needs to be explained, so there will be more posts about this diet in the future. This is going to be a basic how to eat the carnivore diet post where I will be rather superficial in the nuance. If you want to hear from an actual doctor, look up Dr. Shawn Baker. He is the biggest proponent of the carnivore diet that I know of, but also talk to your doctor about it to see how it could work for your specific situation.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet is extremely simple. Basically, you eat grass-fed meats and other animal products. There is a belief that humans ate this way for thousands of years, so it is something we should naturally be able to do. It is important to note that there are essential fats and essential amino acids, meaning that you must consume these fats and proteins to survive. However, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, meaning you technically do not need carbs in order to survive.
One of the most important things you need to know is that your body is literally made out of what you put into it. The food you eat is literally used to create new cells and carry out physiological processes within your body so, if you eat trashy foods that are processed, you probably will not feel great because that is what your body will use. On the other hand, if you eat natural foods, such as grass-fed beef and other naturally fed meats, you will probably feel the best.
Benefits
There are quite a few benefits to eating a carnivore diet. One of the biggest ones, at least for me, is that meat is very satiating, meaning it will fill you up and help you not feel as hungry as you otherwise would have. This is very helpful for weight loss. Also, since you are also eating only protein and fat, your body will burn the fat you eat for fuel, so you will become fat adapted under normal circumstances (barring some health condition that may prevent this).
Furthermore, the carnivore diet is thought to reduce inflammation throughout the body, especially since you are no longer consuming foods that are known to cause inflammation (i.e., gluten). Processed foods can also cause inflammation, and this includes processed meats. The point is to eat as naturally as possible.
Finally, it is believed that there are hormonal benefits to the carnivore diet as well. For one, you will not have the multiple insulin spikes throughout the day by eating carbohydrates. Insulin is used to help store nutrients into different tissues within the body. Also, it is known that healthy fats are essential to proper hormonal function, including testosterone.
How to Eat the Carnivore Diet
Again, the carnivore diet is rather simple to follow, with foods including:
- Fatty cuts of beef: ribeye, NY strip, ground beef, etc.
- Organ meats
- Fish: salmon, trout, other nutrient dense fish
- Eggs
- Bone marrow
- Low-Lactose dairy
- Simple spices without calories or carbs
Now, this isn’t an all-inclusive list. The point is to consume nutrient dense cuts of meat and other animal products. Yes, calories are important, but that isn’t the main reason your body needs food. Your body needs nutrients, so give your body nutrient dense food.
Foods to avoid
Essentially everything not listed above. Fruits, vegetables, sugar, low-grade meat(grain-fed), etc. This is rather restrictive, but a lot of the people that I know who the carnivore diet has helped needed a restrictive diet anyways. These people had severe autoimmune disorders and other things where they needed something drastic.
Nuance and disclaimer
Remember, everyone has different metabolic needs, so the carnivore diet might not work for you. However, as is alluded to above, I do know some people personally who the carnivore diet has helped, to be more specific, a close friend with Hashimoto’s. You might not have autoimmune disorders or be diabetic, but it can also be just another tool for you. For example, I use the carnivore diet when I travel. I could be sitting for 12 hours straight and not have access to unprocessed food, so I will eat as much steak and eggs as I can, then go on my trip. It really helps me with the hunger, and I also don’t feel like crap throughout the day, even though I have only eaten once. I have also been eating like this for a few years, so I’m used to it. If you are used to McDonalds 10 times a week, you might be different, but I’d argue that you have other greater concerns in that case.
Anyways, if this is something that you think may help you, whether you have an autoimmune disorder or just want to lose weight, give it an honest try. 3 days is not an honest try. Try it for a month straight, talk to your doctor and see if they are willing to help you. Get blood tests done before and after so you have a way you can quantify your health progress. If you doctor isn’t happy about it, ask why. Different doctors have different opinions, so talk to others if you want. Actually, listen to them, listen to dissenting opinions and actually try to understand the nuance so you can make an educated decision.
Common Sense Guidelines
A diet defines the foods that you eat, not necessarily how much of it you eat. If you maintain your weight at 2500 calories a day, eating 5 ribeye’s and a tub of butter will probably make you gain weight. For any diet to work, you have to actually adhere to it. So, if you are the above person with a 2500 calorie maintenance level, eat that much, just within the parameters of the carnivore diet. The main way I personally use the carnivore diet is to lose weight and body fat. By eating just meat I find it significantly easier to not eat as many calories and therefore lose weight.
Another sort of dogmatic concept that may need destroying is that you must eat 3 times a day. For one, says who? If you only want to eat once a day, that shouldn’t be a problem, AS LONG AS YOU GET AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS AND CALORIES. Giving yourself an eating disorder is not okay. Eat as many times as you need to get the nutrients and calories you need to reach your goals AND be healthy. As an example, when I am trying to gain weight, I will add more meals in with slightly smaller portions, I have found that is the easiest way for me to get enough food in. When I am trying to lose weight, I will reduce the number of meals I eat in a day to help me eat less calories. I have found that the carnivore diet is one of the easiest ways for me to eat fewer meals since I am only eating meat, and I do not have problems with hunger throughout the day. I also use it with fasting sometimes too, so, if that’s your thing, keep that in mind.
Problems with the carnivore diet
There are some problems that arise with a carnivore diet. Since you are only eating meat, you will not consume as much vitamin C or fiber. This may be a problem. I have seen arguments that since you are not eating the inflammatory foods anymore, you do not need vitamin C. This is something that still sparks debate, so keep an open mind and listen to both sides. Also, keep in mind that the body is a system of systems. So only looking at one factor will not tell the entire story. This is where the nuance starts to build up and when you should talk to a health professional who is acquainted with your specific situation.
A similar thing happens with fiber. Since you are eating only meat, your body uses everything you consumed, and you tend to not produce as much waste. Therefore, you don’t need the fiber to help move the waste. I have found that when I do the carnivore diet, I only need to “get rid of the waste” once every 3 or 4 days. I’m not constipated, there just isn’t anything there to get out.
The other problems with the carnivore diet are an abundance of sodium and saturated fat. Now, an obnoxious amount of saturated fat is probably not healthy, but it is used within the body. Also, sodium is a necessary electrolyte that your body needs, and your liver can dispose of a lot of the excess. Personally, I have felt the effects of not having enough sodium, and once I actually paid attention to my sodium intake and consume more than recommended for average people, my health markers actually improve, and my performance and overall well-being improve significantly. Before I had enough sodium, I have chronically low blood pressure and would pass out on a pretty regular basis. Once I started consuming sodium on purpose, my blood pressure returned to the healthy amount, around 120 over 80, and I was much more energetic and stopped passing out or becoming light-headed. However, I have an immediate family member with Congestive Heart Failure, and they have to be very strict with their sodium intake. Again, factors like this should be discussed with your trusted healthcare professional who understands your specific situation.
Critiques
Critics of the carnivore diet explain how the diet doesn’t have a balanced nutritional profile. This goes back to the deficiencies that can come with only eating meat, and they say that you then must supplement to remedy those deficiencies. They also bring up how the cultures that eat only meat due to their climate, like some up towards the arctic circle where there are very few if any plants, eat extremely fresh meat, sometimes even raw. They also eat organ meats (which contain a plethora of nutrients). They also argue that it is extremely unhealthy to do this long term (so is being significantly over-weight).
Conclusions
The Carnivore diet is something that I have personally used over the past few years to aid me in attaining my goals. Ultimately, it is just another tool that can help you increase your health and physique. Eating only high-quality meats and animal products is rather restrictive, but sometimes that is necessary. Give it an honest try for a month or two and see if it is something that is helpful for you.
To your wealth and future,
James Forsythe
