Is the Carnivore Diet Worth the Hype?

Not a week goes by without some new and ‘effective’ diet making the social media headlines. Maybe it’s a top actress who’s dropped the name of an anti-aging diet she swears by or a reality tv star who reveals their
new-&-improved vegan version on a magazine cover, new diet trends are constantly popping up for better or for worse.

One such trending meal plan is the Carnivore Diet. As the name goes, it is a meat-only diet plan that excludes plant-based foods and focuses on nutrition from animal sources. But we’ve always been fed the benefits of a balanced plate, so how does the carnivore diet score on the healthy meter? Is it sustainable for yourself and the earth in an increasingly alarming environment? Let’s find out!

Breaking down the basics of the Carnivore Diet:

To start off, Carnivore Diet is an elimination diet high in fat. As the name suggests, the diet eliminates all plant-based foods and keeps the focus on animal foods instead. By doing so, one skips out on carbs and relies on fat and protein to derive energy. So, in a nutshell, the carnivore diet is similar to the keto diet, or more like an extreme version of it. So, if you have experienced success with going keto, taking up the carnivore diet will be easier.

There aren’t many strict guidelines to following a carnivore diet, but a few simple basic rules that you need to keep in mind. The first is – to include every food that is an animal or comes from animal sources. We’re talking eggs, organs, fish, and even things like collagen and dairy.

What you will be eliminating from your plate are things like plants and veggies, packaged foods, grains and legumes, and obviously sugar-based things such as sodas and refined oils. If followed under the care and guidance of functional medicine experts at MyPureMD Houston, the carnivore diet can prove to be a therapeutic and healing lifestyle.

Here’s what a typical carnivore diet would look like:

• Red meat rich in fats
• Organ meats
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Tallow and lard
• Bone broth
• Bone marrow
• Full fat dairy

What you would be giving up on the carnivore diet:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Plant based milks
• Grains & legumes
• Breads
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Refined oils
• Packaged snacks & drinks
• Chocolate, coffee & tea

Is the carnivore diet worth the hype?

New on the scene, the carnivore diet is still under research for its effectiveness. However, many people around the world are reporting significant improvement in their symptoms of gut issues, metabolic conditions, and even chronic autoimmune disorders such as eczema. Enhanced mental clarity is another commonly reported benefit of following the carnivore diet. However, it is an extreme form of a diet and should be followed under the guidance of functional medicine experts in order to extract the maximum benefit of this elimination regime.

Potential benefits of the Carnivore Diet:

1. By combining the pros of keto diets and elimination programs, you can see beneficial effects on certain chronic health issues.
2. Adopting a nose-to-tail approach empowers you to extract the maximum nutrition, flavors, textures, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a sustainable method that minimizes wastage.
3. Being in ketosis, you receive the anti-inflammatory advantages of ketones along with the mitochondrial biogenesis, boosted fat burning, and controlled appetite, to name a few.
4. Consuming protein promotes satiety levels, naturally resulting in caloric restriction and boosting overall weight loss.
5. Since the diet is primarily made of protein and fat, the nutrients are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, leaving little residue. This helps give the gut a break and helps alleviate symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, or irritable bowel syndrome.

Potential downsides of the Carnivore Diet:

1. Taking up an only-meat diet can cause big upheavals in the gut microbiota. This manifests in constipation as the protein takes longer to be broken down. The absence of fiber means there’s no material to keep things moving, so your schedule is bound to be messed up for a while.
2. Generally, people with cholesterol, cardiac, and blood pressure disorders need to proceed with caution. The carnivore diet scores high on saturated fats and may cause elevated cholesterol levels.
3. Since carbs are completely cut out, some people may experience fatigue thanks to a lack of easily accessible glucose.
4. Getting started on a carnivore diet can cause your hormones to go into a tizzy. Expect mood swings and irritability that arise from these hormonal fluctuations. The brain interprets the lack of carbs as a signal for starvation and increases cortisol levels to manage blood sugar. Increased cortisol can spike stress and anxiety, withdrawals from sugar, and other symptoms.

Is the Carnivore Diet worth the hype, and should you get started on it?

Yes and no, the carnivore diet works well for certain people but can cause the opposite effect in others. If the idea of a no-plant, all-animal diet appeals to you, then get in touch with us to develop a customized plan to see whether you’re a good candidate. With detailed discussions, thorough testing, and close monitoring, the carnivore diet can be a good idea for a short-term meal plan for starters. If you think this new diet can be beneficial for you, then contact us at 346-240-4911 to being your journey to great health!