We usually associate the carnivore diet with eating meat and animal fats. However, that doesn't mean people following this diet only eat animal foods and nothing else. People often go to carnivore keto to lose weight healthily and effectively.
In addition, there are several more reasons why some people prefer eating a meal plan based on this diet, which promotes holistic living. It's known to help deal with digestive system problems and build lean muscle.
Since the carnivore and keto diets are different, it can take time to determine what rules to follow. Another critical factor is the nutrient value of real food included in a keto carnivore diet. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know to try this diet.
What Is a Carnivore Keto Diet?
The combination of the carnivore and the keto diet is known as "keto vore." The keto carnivore diet is a version of the ketogenic diet. It includes nutrition from meat and animal fat that you otherwise wouldn't get if you strictly followed keto.
Unlike the keto diet, the strict carnivore diet doesn't include fruits and vegetables. Instead, it involves meat and certain animal products. Maintaining a healthy body balance is essential by consuming vitamins and proteins and minimizing carbs.
This diet variation is very low-carb. You can combine these two diets and create a unique meal plan that best suits your needs and preferences. Also, listen to what your body needs to make sure you provide the essential nutrients for a healthy lifestyle.
How to follow a carnivore keto diet
Diet practitioners can tailor the keto carnivore diets to their liking. They can eat only carnivores for a few days and then switch to keto. Others prefer to follow a meat-based diet, sometimes including fruits and vegetables.
If you follow the ketogenic diet, you'll mainly eat animal-based products with the addition of nutritious whole foods. This diet is easy to follow since it involves repeatedly consuming the same products.
Following this diet will also make your life easier regarding meal planning. You won't have to worry about what you will eat tomorrow. Only a few options can be elevated if you add seasonings for a flavor punch.
Carnivore and keto-friendly seasonings include black pepper, turmeric powder, basil, and thyme. Use salt in moderation and include fresh chives for a fresh bite. Dill and oregano are great flavor enhancers following a keto vore diet.
Opt for anti-inflammatory foods & drinks
Processed meat, deep-fried food, and salty snacks can cause body inflammation. High sugar intake can also set the stage for an inflammatory disease, so it should be avoided.
Instead, choose fresh products such as salmon, ginger root, and a handful of berries in your smoothie.
Eliminate carbohydrates from your diet
Animal meats contain little to no carbohydrates. Excluding carbohydrates from your diet can prevent bacteria from attacking your body.
For this reason, the keto carnivore diet benefits include improved gut health improvement.
Stay away from processed foods
Following the keto vore diet means eliminating processed food. Products such as cheese, savory and sweet baked goods are considered processed.
This diet doesn't allow the inclusion of these products because of their high carb level.
Eat more micronutrients
The keto diet is known for focusing on the importance of eating foods that contain vitamins and minerals. You can get their nutritional benefits by eating fruits and vegetables.
More specifically, organic produce that has vitamin D promotes well-being and overall physical health.
Include plant-based produce
Carnivore ketos do not favor plant-based foods. This is because plant foods can contain substances that interfere with the function of the body's digestive system.
However, that doesn't mean eliminating plants. Opt for the ones having low plant toxins, such as cucumber.
What is it like to eat keto carnivore?
The keto carnivore diet is strict, but it can be custom-tailored. It only requires following the diet guidelines regarding the type of food you will eat.
Anyone can follow this diet unless they have some underlying medical condition requiring more sugar or carb intake. Low-carb foods can cause ketosis in some people.
Eliminating sugar from your diet plan can lead to frequent cravings. A keto vore diet rigorously allows consuming items explained in detail below.
Low-carb food
Just because certain foods are considered healthy, that doesn't mean they don't contain carbohydrates. The keto carnivore diet doesn't allow eating high-carb products. Therefore, look at the fruits and vegetables with the lowest carb levels.
Before anything else, remember that berries and greens are the healthiest sources of vitamins and minerals. But, you can introduce a variety of fruits and veggies in your keto vore diet.
Vegetables
To burn energy instead of carbs, you need to eat low-carb vegetables. These diets restrict the intake of starchy vegetables. Instead, it would help if you ate greens that have low carbohydrate levels. We listed some of them below as references:
- Broccoli
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Asparagus
- Kale
Fruits
Choose low-carb fruits to help you stay hydrated during a keto-carnivore diet. Some of the below-mentioned fruits are seasonal. However, you can buy them frozen and put them in your smoothie or oatmeal because they have hydrating benefits.
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Lemons
- Peaches
- Apples
- Kiwis
- Oranges
Dairy-free products
Since dairy products contain high levels of lactose, they are not recommended when following a keto-carnivore diet. If you want to commit to the requirements of this diet fully, try to eat the below-mentioned dairy-free products.
Meat
Correctly following the keto vore diet includes eating fatty meats. This is because thick cuts of meat contain the highest nutrient levels. Before choosing your preferred meat, make sure the source is grass-fed. Here are some meat types you can eat:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Chicken
- Turkey
Fish
The reason why fish is allowed in this diet is to provide meal variety. Eating fatty meats every day may become overwhelming. Besides that, seafood is excellent for weight loss, which is one of the main reasons people turn to this dietary program. Some fish options you can eat are:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Crab
- Cod
- Haddock
- Mackerel
Nuts & seeds
The carnivore diet by itself excludes the consumption of nuts and seeds. However, some often combine it with keto-approved foods. Nuts and seeds can provide the body with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Nuts and seeds you can include in this program:
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Flaxseeds
- Hemp seeds
What foods to avoid in carnivore keto diet
Eating certain foods on a keto-carnivore diet can cause bloating and inflammation. Due to this, try to avoid consuming the following products.
They don't meet the requirements of this specific diet. Also, they can cause diabetes, heart disease, and digestive health problems.
Sugar
Sweet treats containing a lot of sugar are strictly forbidden in this diet. Some of them include cakes, cookies, and pastries. Even the most common products people often eat for breakfast contain high sugar levels.
These involve fruit yogurts and cereal.
High-carb fruits & veggies
Generally, you should avoid high-carb fruits and vegetables if you want to see positive results by following this diet. Fruits with high levels of carbohydrates are bananas and pineapples.
Vegetables to avoid during the keto-carnivore diet include potatoes and carrots.
Beans
Although most people see them as healthy food, this diet does not allow beans. They are high in fiber and carbohydrates.
Kidney beans, black beans, and legumes should be excluded from a carnivore and keto-based diet.
Wheat
High-carb products such as wheat should be avoided while following a low-carb diet. Although whole wheat has a lot of health benefits, its carb levels are too high for this diet.
Try eliminating food such as bread, crackers, pizza, pancakes, and biscuits from your diet.
Corn
Among some of the most fiber-packed products is corn. The taste of sweet corn is unmatched, but you should avoid it during a keto-carnivore diet. In addition to containing a lot of fiber, it's a high-carb starch.
Should You Go on a Carnivore Keto Diet?
The keto-carnivore diet has hopeful benefits for those who prioritize weight loss. It also encourages the intake of healthy nutrients to improve your digestive system.
However, this diet may not be suitable for everyone because of the drawbacks of strictly following it.
Benefits of the carnivore keto diet
Because of its high-protein and low-carb characteristics, this diet has plenty of benefits. The high protein intake in this diet may also improve your metabolism.
This eating regimen may suit you if you struggle with health issues like cholesterol.
Intake of beneficial nutrients
Animal products contain a lot of healthy nutrients that your body needs. Consuming meat is vital for hormone regulation and improving the body's metabolism.
The human body needs micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals to produce energy.
Promotion of healthy fat loss
Carbs and sugar are the biggest enemies of fat loss. Eliminating sugar and saturated fat from your diet should help burn fat while getting proper nutrition from healthier foods.
You can start losing weight by committing to this diet safely.
Digestive system improvement
Beans are among the most challenging products to digest for most people. Since this diet doesn't allow them, it suggests alternatives for improving your digestive system.
High-carb vegetables can negatively affect your gut health, so the keto-carnivore diet is low-carb.
Drawbacks of the carnivore keto diet
Knowing how beneficial the practice of this diet can be is great. But what if we tell you that you might only like some aspects of it?
Are you keener on following a restrictive diet or a customizable one? Does your body need more fiber than this diet allows? Consider the drawbacks below.
Restrictive rules
Even though the keto diet rules are easy to follow, they are restrictive. It states that you should only eat meat and keto-approved products.
Other than that, you are supposed to eliminate everything else. The drink choices are also limited - you can only drink water.
Lack of fiber
Many health professionals have reviewed the pros and cons of this diet. Their studies found that the keto diet combined with meat lacks fiber. For some people, the lack of fiber in their diet can cause problems.
These problems include high blood pressure and immediate hunger after a meal.
Recurrent constipation
The ketogenic diet can cause constipation in some people. The reasons for this usually include the fact that it's low in carbs and fiber. Another reason why it may cause constipation relates to dehydration.
The sudden calorie decrease leads to sodium loss and frequent urination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have cheat meals on a carnivore keto diet?
Once you establish blood sugar management, it's less likely to cause cravings. However, that doesn't mean you can't have a cupcake on your birthday! If you have cheat meals on your keto carnivore diet, don't go overboard and back to your old habits.
How long should I stay on the carnivore keto diet?
Stay on this diet as long as you feel good and energized. You are perfectly safe if you feel your body didn't need that piece of bread after all. However, this is only the case for some. Some people's bodies need more fiber and carbs, which this diet lacks.
What types of drinks does the carnivore keto diet allow?
Since tea is made from plants, this diet doesn't allow it. Also, coffee and high-lactose milk should be avoided when following this diet. The keto-carnivore diet encourages people to drink as much water as they need. In addition, they can add bone broth to their meals.
Conclusion
Consuming healthy fats through meat is essential to a carnivore keto diet. This way, you reduce your carb intake and focus only on protein that benefits weight loss.
However, keto carnivores should eat less protein. That's when keto's nutrients come into play.
This diet provides balance. Also, it may reduce inflammation, prevent the suffering of heart disease, and protect our digestive organs from harmful toxins.