The Carnivore Diet: Is the Zero-Carb Diet Really Effective?

Picture this: For breakfast, you dig into a pile of bacon. When lunch hits, you chow down on a sizzling sirloin steak. And when it’s time for dinner, you grill up a few classic beef burgers — hold the cheese. And the buns. And the veggies.

The carnivore diet sounds like a meat-lover’s dream. Also known as “carnivory” or the “zero-carb diet,” the principles of the diet are simple: eat only animals. There is no food timing, portions, or macros. You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Some followers drink coffee and eat animal products like butter and cream, while others restrict themselves to solely water and meat. That’s it.

“The carnivore diet is a way of eating that includes only animal foods, such as meats, fish, eggs, and dairy,” says Ariane Hundt , M.S., a clinical nutrition coach based in New York City. “It does not prescribe specific amounts of protein and fat, and simply excludes carbohydrates.”

Hundt says, “Studies have shown that a diet low in carbs and high in fat provides astounding benefits to mental performance, physical performance ( even in endurance sports ), digestive benefits, cardiovascular health , inflammatory disease reduction, and also boosts anyone’s adherence to a diet due to the absence of hunger and cravings and a great boost in energy.” The carnivore…