What is the Carnivore Diet and Is It Right For You?
By now you’ve probably already heard of the keto diet and most likely caught wind of the term carnivore diet but what is the carnivore diet and how does it compare to keto?
We’re going to talk about that and a few other things in this article.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s first look at what exactly the carnivore diet is. According to Healthline:
The Carnivore Diet stems from the controversial belief that human ancestral populations ate mostly meat and fish and that high-carb diets are to blame for today’s high rates of chronic disease.
That’s an interesting concept if you think about it. It seems that in the last century or so, more and more illnesses and diseases have cropped up. Could it be because of our unhealthy lifestyle? Possibly.
If you’re just starting the keto diet, a food journal specifically for keto like this one can help you to stay on track. Track your meals, macros, mood, fasting times and movement daily to spot helpful and harmful patterns that help you achieve your weight loss and health goals.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
We all know what being a carnivore is, right? Eating only meat. Actually, the true definition is a little more gruesome than that as it relates to animals and killing others for food but the bottom line is carnivore = meat-eating.
Now with that said, the carnivore diet is exactly that. You only eat meat (among very few select other foods but we’ll get to that in a bit)..
I found a great YouTube video on the Mind Pump TV channel about the carnivore diet that I think you might like to watch. It’s full of information on the carnivore diet that’s quite eye-opening.
You can watch that video here:
Carnivore diet vs Keto-what’s the difference?
The Carnivore diet is a very restrictive diet. You can basically only eat meat, fish, poultry, and animal products such as eggs and milk. This article from everydayhealth.com breaks down the Carnivore diet in very simple terms making it easier to understand.
The Keto diet, restrictive as well, lets you eat fruits and veggies among other yummy foods! The focus on keto is keeping carbs low, fats high and proteins moderate.
If you aren’t much of a veggie and fruit eater, the carnivore diet might work out well for you but for those of you who like variety in your daily meal plan, going carnivore could be quite the challenge.
If you’re lost and not sure how to get started with the keto diet, this meal plan is for you. It’s a fool-proof guide to winning at the high-fat, low-carb lifestyle.
Keep in mind both also have different health benefits. While both can be used to lose weight, some people who choose to go on the carnivore diet do it for health reasons (reverse autoimmune disease and other health ailments-check out this video on how one girl cured arthritis).
What can you eat on the carnivore diet?
If you’ve been wondering which diet is right for you, carnivore or keto, let’s have a look at some of the things you can eat on carnivore and that may make your decision a little easier.
So what can you eat on the carnivore diet?
- Meat
- Fish
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Butter/lard
- Organ meats (liver, heart, etc)
- Bone marrow
- Bone broth
- Salt and pepper
- Water
As you can see, very restrictive, not very colourful and pretty bland. If you think you can handle eating a very plain and simple diet like this one, definitely give it a try! I’m a girl who loves food and variety.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t rule out going carnivore for short time periods. Check out my modified 28-day ketovore experience here.
Let’s look at the difference a little more here between carnivore and keto so you can see just how restrictive this diet is and how the keto diet may be easier to pull off if you are looking for a diet plan for weight loss.
New to the keto diet? Start here! This will help you to figure out how to stick to this diet and make it a lifestyle for you.
What can you eat on the keto diet?
- Meat, fish, poultry
- Eggs
- Low carb veggies and fruits
- Cheese and yogurts
- Avocados
- Coconut oil
- Some nuts (pecans, brazil nuts, macadamia, walnuts-are lowest in carb count)
Clearly, the keto diet has much more variety and colourful foods to choose from. Still, it is a restrictive diet as well. If you love bread and potatoes and pasta and sugar, you may have a difficult time on keto. That’s why being armed with a keto meal plan is a good idea when getting started.
Comparing the two diets, you can see how limited your food intake will be so when deciding which one might be best for you, it’s just a matter of what you can live without easily. If you love fruits and veggies, carnivore won’t be for you in the long-term.
Though carnivore enthusiasts will argue that you’ll feel so great on the diet, you won’t want to get off. Enter, a carnivore keto diet.
What about a carnivore keto diet?
The carnivore keto diet basically just means eating lots of meat, animal produce, and zero carb foods. Easy to pull off? It would take someone with strong mental discipline to do it but with any diet, whether it be keto, paleo, Mediterranean, or carnivore, make sure you do proper research and maybe even talk to your doctor or local health care practitioner before embarking on any such journey.
We are not all created equal so what works for some, may not work for you. I believe in diet variation and am down to try anything within reason so I can see how I feel and what works best for my body.
Are you giving the carnivore diet a try?
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