Know the carnivore diet guide, is side effects safe for the body. Generally, a healthy diet program involves all elements of food, including fruits and vegetables. Uniquely, there is one type of diet that actually forbids the consumption of these two sources of fiber, namely the carnivorous diet. Read more here!
What is a carnivore diet?
A carnivorous diet is a strict diet that consumes only animal protein sources, such as certain meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
This diet program does not involve other foods, including fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Diets that only eat meat are claimed to be able to lose weight, improve mood, and control blood sugar.
However, the main reason for increasing meat consumption was not referring to its benefits in losing weight, but as an alternative to reducing carbohydrates.
People who try a carnivorous diet believe that a high-carbohydrate diet is the cause of chronic disease.
They also think that carbohydrate intake that is not accompanied by regular exercise can produce fat.
That’s why too much carbohydrate intake can add weight quickly.
As a result, carnivorous dieters believe that not getting carbohydrates can reduce fat intake in the body.
Carnivore diet guide
In general, a carnivorous diet will eliminate the consumption of plant foods from the diet and only consume animal protein sources.
There is also a series of foods that are usually included in this diet, including:
- beef,
- chicken,
- pig,
- sheep,
- turkey,
- innards,
- salmon,
- sardines,
- butter and
- Bone marrow.
People on this diet are also advised to drink water and bone broth. However, drinks such as tea, coffee, and other drinks made from plants are not allowed.
Unlike other diet programs, this “meat-eating” diet does not have specific guidelines regarding calorie intake or portion sizes.
This diet only suggests eating as often as desired based on the type of food recommended.
Benefits of a carnivorous diet
Each diet program has its own benefits or goals. Here are some of the benefits of a carnivore diet that is believed to be the culprit.
Lose weight
The main goal of a carnivorous diet is to lose weight. The reason, protein intake helps you feel full longer after eating.
This can reduce calorie intake from other nutritional sources so it is believed to help lose weight.
In addition, the consumption of beef and other low-fat proteins can increase the metabolic rate. As a result, the body will burn more calories.
Therefore, a high-protein diet allows you to feel full and eat fewer calories. However, the effect of this dietary change only occurs in the short term.
Read also: Why Am I Not Losing Weight When I Exercise And Diet
Control blood sugar levels
Besides being believed to be able to lose weight, a carnivorous diet is claimed to control blood sugar levels.
That’s because this diet “isolates” carbohydrates, including cakes, sweets, and other high-carbohydrate sweets.
Consumption of too many sources of carbohydrates and sweet foods can certainly trigger a spike in blood sugar levels.
Therefore, limiting refined carbohydrates and sugary foods is important in controlling blood sugar levels.
Carnivorous diet risks
Although considered to be able to lose weight quickly, the carnivorous diet actually holds so many risks for many people.
This risk arises due to a diet that only focuses on consuming protein sources and does not follow balanced nutrition guidelines.
Here are some of the risks of eating more high-protein foods and avoiding other important nutrients.
1. Chronic disease
One of the risks of a carnivorous diet that can occur is causing various chronic diseases, such as kidney problems and heart disease.
How not, this diet only consists of animal protein sources that contain saturated fat and high cholesterol.
Meanwhile, saturated fat increases bad cholesterol (LDL) which increases the risk of heart disease.
In addition, some processed meats, especially bacon or sausage, are high in sodium.
Consuming too much sodium is known to increase the risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other health problems.
2. Does not meet nutritional needs
Not only does it trigger the risk of chronic disease, but a carnivorous diet also has the potential to make the body not get enough nutritional needs.
Meat and other sources of animal protein are quite nutritious. However, that does not mean the meat is the only food that needs to be consumed.
So, a diet that only focuses on protein actually causes the body to lack nutrients.
In contrast, a diet that involves plant-based foods can actually reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Therefore, excessive consumption of meat without being accompanied by the intake of other nutritional sources is not recommended.
3. Digestive problems
Given that meat does not provide the fiber needed to facilitate the digestive process, a carnivorous diet can trigger problems in the digestive organs.
Fiber is a complex carbohydrate that cannot be digested and is good for improving the work of the digestive organs. This type of carbohydrate can only be found in plant foods (from plants).
Lack of fiber is often associated with constipation problems and can interfere with gut health. This can actually weaken the immune system and increase the risk of colon cancer.
Compared to the benefits, a carnivorous diet actually saves more risks to your health.
What’s more, this diet program does not offer an effective nutritional balance to maintain ideal body weight.
Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting any diet. This aims to help determine the type of diet that suits your health condition.