Lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity have been skyrocketing worldwide. This has forced people to look at their diets since unhealthy eating habits are the leading cause of such conditions.
New-age diets are the outcome of this introspection, and there is a variety of them. Followers of each will swear by how much theirs has benefitted them. One of those is the carnivore diet, as suggested by https://carnivoreinsider.com/. In this diet, you need to entirely lay off any plant-based food and subsist on just animal-based products.
Health Effects of a Meat-Based Diet
The main goal of a carnivore diet is to lay the person off carbs, which is the leading factor behind weight gain and consequent illnesses. It has a multitude of effects on the body. These effects must be weighed according to your body’s condition before going on a diet.
The Foods Allowed and Prohibited
Learning about what foods are allowed will give an idea of what is being ingested in terms of nutrients. The common types of meat consumed in this diet are:
- Fish and other seafood
- Beef
- Pork
- Mutton
- Other animal products like eggs, bone broth, lard, and bone marrow
- Rich dairy like heavy cream, butter, hard cheese, etc.
- Water
Dieters must be careful to watch over what they eat as they shouldn’t consume any of the plant-based foods like:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- High lactose dairy
- Legumes
- Sugars
- Alcohol
- Plant-based oils
- Beverages other than water
You can mix and match the meats or stick to one type, but you shouldn’t step over the line to the plant foods mentioned above.
Benefits
Carnivorous diet is categorized as animal-sourced foods(ASF) which have all the benefits that meats give, such as:
- Reduced weight
- Reduction of Depression and Anxiety
- Prevention/better management of diabetes
- Pain reduction or elimination
- No skin problems or digestive issues
- Control of arthritis
There still isn’t conclusive evidence of these being the consequence of the diet. This diet is mainly followed by those who wish to reduce weight. The principle of reducing carbs to push the body to ketosis is the idea behind this. Ketosis is when reduced carbs bring down blood sugar levels triggering the burning of fat.
Similar effects have been observed with other diets as well when carb-rich foods have been eliminated from them.
Are There Any Side Effects?
This diet is not without its problems, though. The lack of entire groups of food leaves you without fibres, vitamins, and other micronutrients.
During the adaptation period, you may experience some flu-like symptoms when your body doesn’t get its daily glucose dose. You may get exhausted quickly in this phase. But, the symptoms are usually short-lived as your body adapts to the new diet. Experts suggest eating more fat meat, staying hydrated, sleeping properly, and working out regularly.
With a proper understanding of your situation and potential consequences, the carnivore diet can aid for a healthy life.