As a health and wellness enthusiast, I am interested in all things diet and nutrition-related. Recently, the health and wellness community has been taken over by a highly disciplined regiment called the carnivore diet. From TikTok describing its vast benefits to interviews proclaiming the diet is life-changing, the carnivore lifestyle seems to be everywhere. So out of pure curiosity, I decided to try it for a week.
The first step in my carnivorous experience was finding out exactly what the diet entailed. To my surprise, it was nothing like the delicious tik-tok charcuterie boards. The diet consists solely of meat, eggs, fish, avocado, and certain dairy products in moderation. The carnivore diet is similar to Keto or paleo restrictions except instead of a low carb intake, the carnivore diet aims for zero carbs whatsoever. The faith in the diet stems from the belief that modern chronic diseases can be traced to carbohydrates and by eating like a caveman, the diseases can be remedied. Although I believe that food is medicinal, I was skeptical about the extremity of the diet and what it would result in physically.
Within the first few hours of the diet, I realized that this would be a harder challenge than I thought. For Breakfast, I would routinely have chicken, beef, or eggs with a side of avocado and black coffee. While this wasn’t exactly a luxurious breakfast, it did keep me full and satiated for a longer time than my usual yogurt and berries. For lunch, I would have eggs with some kind of animal protein and raw butter. The raw butter was pretty hard to adjust to, but not as bad as I expected. For a snack, I would have either cheese or tuna and for dinner, I would just repeat lunch. The hardest part of the diet for me was not having my usual fruit or nut variety on hand. When I was hungry, I would either have to make myself a meal or eat more cheese. I will say that if this diet did one thing, it humbled me immensely.
In the first few days, I felt extremely fatigued with headaches and constant exhaustion. This was my body getting used to the rapid shift from my usual diet, but after that period, I felt invisible. I had more energy in the mornings and increased stamina during my workouts. I also noticed that I didn’t get as bloated from my meals as usual. My skin was also significantly more glowy and clear because my hormones were not being disrupted by my diet. I woke up less puffy in my face and went to bed feeling calm instead of stressed. Overall, the physical benefits of the diet were very rewarding and I could see why people would want to adopt the diet as a lifestyle.
Despite the external benefits, the negative side of the diet is what it did to my mental state. I was constantly stressed about my next meal and whether I would be able to keep up with the restrictions, which took a toll on my mental health. I also noticed that I wasn’t receiving the same sense of joy that I usually got from food. I love cooking, yet I was no longer excited to cook my meals because they were the same thing over and over again. So while the diet is very promising with many benefits, I would warn those who are trying the diet to be very careful because it does have the potential to be harmful internally.
Sustainability is key when adopting a new lifestyle and diet change. With this diet, I did not see a way where this style of eating could be a long-term solution or lifestyle because of its limitations. This may be the perfect diet for those who are meat fanatics or picky eaters, but not for those who enjoy a plentiful, balanced diet. Not to mention how expensive it can be to eat virtually only meat. Organic meat is not very cost-effective. This is another aspect that can prove unsustainable in the long run. The carnivore diet has some really good practices I will be adopting into my diet such as the high protein goals and the focus on whole non ultra-processed foods, but overall, the restrictions proved to be incompatible with my lifestyle. I am glad I tried this, but safe to say, I have not been converted into a full-time carnivore yet.
