Lately, news about the carnivore diet is popping up everywhere - on YouTube videos viewed by millions, on podcasts, and on social media. I recently started my own carnivore journey and am currently on day 22. Because this is the diet I am currently following, I want to write a "carnivore diet for beginners" series of short, easy-to-digest (pun intended!) articles, to help you learn about carnivore, why more and more people are choosing this very restrictive way to eat, what the possible benefits and side effects are.

I also want to focus specifically on the carnivore diet for women. As a woman, I've noticed that lots of carnivore experts are men who share stories that are not at all relatable to me. It's great that someone is a former professional athlete with massive gains in the gym and deadlifts 500 pounds when following a meat-only diet.

I'm a former marathon runner, but at this stage of my life performance in the gym is the least of my concerns. For me, it's about trying to lessen chronic pain, eliminate my IBS, lose a few pounds, stop annoying food cravings, and end my addiction to Nexium for horrific heartburn.

I will share a little bit about the carnivore diet, why women choose to follow an animal-based diet, and 7 benefits of carnivore specifically geared toward women.

What is a Carnivore Diet for Women?

A carnivore diet is a way of eating that only includes animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Women who follow a carnivore diet claim it will lead to weight loss, improved digestion, increased energy levels, and reduced inflammation. Carnivore may reduce the effects of auto-immune diseases or allergies.

A carnivore diet is a high-protein, almost zero-carbohydrate diet that eliminates all plant-based foods. It’s considered a type of Keto diet because it is ketogenic, but it’s much more restrictive.

Not only does this diet cut out many inflammation-causing foods, but it's also packed with amino acids that can help with conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease, eczema, and autoimmune diseases.

On carnivore, you can enjoy lots of meats, eggs, seafood, and dairy like cheese and cream, but you won't be eating salads, grains like bread, rice, and pasta, and no vegetables or fruits. It goes without saying that a carnivore diet does not include sugar in any form, and most women following a carnivore diet do not use artificial sweeteners.

Now that you know a carnivore diet means consuming only animal products, you may wonder WHY women (like me) choose to follow a very restrictive diet like this. In this blog post I will share:

5 benefits women may experience on a carnivore diet.
What should women eat on a carnivore diet?
What NOT to eat on a carnivore diet.
Is a carnivore diet safe for women?

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. This means if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosures here.

7 Benefits of a Carnivore Diet for Women.

Carnivore has been growing in popularity recently because many women have reported remarkable health improvements after switching to this way of eating.

I didn't take jumping into a carnivore diet lightly, and I assume most other women have very strong reasons to try this eating plan. I did some research and discovered 7 common benefits women may expect to experience on a carnivore diet.

1 - A carnivore diet will help women effortlessly lose weight.

Following a carnivore way of eating is a very effective way for women to lose weight. Dr. Paul Saladino, the author of The Carnivore Code, suggests a carnivore diet works 40% faster than even a keto diet for weight loss.

Eating a meat-based diet is very filling, so you don't feel the need to overeat. Because you eat only a tiny percentage of your calories from carbohydrates, your body learns to burn fat for fuel. While you don't count calories on a carnivore diet, you automatically reduce the amount of food you're eating which leads to rapid weight loss.

Insulin resistance is improved on a very low-carb diet.

A carnivore diet will eliminate food cravings and naturally reduce snacking. After a few weeks on carnivore, your body will adapt to eating healthy meats and fats. Cravings for sweets and snack foods will disappear, and you will find yourself naturally eating less and not snacking between meals or at night.

A carnivore eating plan encourages a healthy blood sugar balance and helps end the vicious cycle of endless hunger and cravings.

By the time I finished just 3 weeks of carnivore, I had zero cravings for high-carb foods even when my husband makes stovetop popcorn and eats Girl Scout cookies right in front of me. As far as I'm concerned, this is a miracle.

2 - A carnivore diet may help women decrease inflammation and reduce joint pain.

Chronic inflammation has devastating effects in the body. It has been linked to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer all have been linked to chronic inflammation. Not to mention joint pain, which is incredibly common even if you haven't been diagnosed with arthritis. Of arthritis sufferers, one in 4 adults in the U.S. (approximately 15 million people) suffers severe joint pain. Source CDC.

Many women report reduced joint pain and improvement in their arthritis symptoms. If you have chronic joint pain, as I do, even testimonials in Facebook groups or in YouTube comments will give hope to people who suffer from joint pain. In fact, comments I read on one of Dr. Ken Berry's YouTube videos were what made me decide to try carnivore. What did I have to lose?

A juicy steak is a perfect, satisfying meal on carnivore.

3 - A carnivore diet may help women improve digestion, heal the gut, and lessen IBS symptoms.

IBS is said to affect 14-24% of women in the United States. Source. I believe the stress, fear, and anxiety associated with worrying about an IBS flare-up in public are even worse than the actual symptoms.

A carnivore diet can help many people alleviate many to all IBS symptoms because it removes irritating carbohydrates and fiber, FODMAPS, and inflammatory plant proteins like lectins from the diet. Source.

As an IBS sufferer myself, I have read many, many testimonials from women who say an animal-based diet cured or greatly reduced their IBS symptoms.

4 - A carnivore diet can improve skin health.

A diet rich in protein and healthy fats found in animal products provides essential nutrients that support skin health.

Also, collagen, found in foods like chicken skin, pork skin, fish, and beef, has been shown to improve skin's elasticity (prevent sagging skin), boost hydration, and lessen the appearance of wrinkles. Collagen is also plentiful in bone broth, which can be part of a carnivore diet.

I eat a lot of bacon and eggs on a carnivore diet!

5 - A carnivore diet may help balance women's hormones.

A carnivore diet may reduce PMS. A very low-carb diet like carnivore reduces inflammation and helps fight fatigue, irritability, and depression, which many women experience before their periods.

An animal-based diet may lessen PCOS symptoms. By only consuming animal products, women cut carbohydrate intake which lowers insulin and allows the body to rebalance sex hormones.

A carnivore diet may delay menopause. Though some women (myself included!) can't wait for our periods to stop, delayed menopause is actually associated with lots of GOOD things. When women reach menopause at a later age, they have a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures and dying as a result of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.

6 - A carnivore diet has natural anti-aging properties.

Not only does collagen from a carnivore diet makes your skin look better, but it also has other important qualities. It stops bleeding in case of injuries, strengthens hair, teeth, and nails, and prevents bone loss. It also increases muscle mass (which helps with fat loss).

7 - A carnivore diet may help resolve autoimmune issues in some women.

According to a 2021 study on the carnivore diet conducted by Harvard, 56% percent of the 2,029 participants cited autoimmune disorders as a reason for going carnivore. My autoimmune condition (inflammatory arthritis) is the number one reason I decided to take a leap of faith and start carnivore.

The study found that after at least 6 months on the carnivore diet, 89% of the participants reported improving or resolving their autoimmune disorders. You can read the Harvard study here.

I have also read tons of comments on videos and in Facebook groups how women with autoimmune diseases experienced relief on carnivore.

All animal products (meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy) are allowed on a carnivore diet.

What Should Women Eat on a Carnivore Diet?

On a carnivore diet, you can eat animal-based foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. It is recommended you choose high-quality, unprocessed sources of these foods, but do the best you can. If grass-fed ribeyes, pasture-raised eggs, or raw heavy cream are not in your budget, you can choose regular ol' ground beef or eggs from Aldi or Walmart instead.

Enjoy meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs on a carnivore diet.

You can eat any type of meat like beef roasts, steaks, ground beef, lamb, chicken, pork, bacon, and eggs.

Experts suggest focusing on fatty cuts of beef on a carnivore diet because these cuts are high in healthy fats and provide essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Additionally, the high fat content helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Some of the best types of seafood to eat on a carnivore diet include shellfish such as shrimp, crab, and lobster, as well as fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

On a carnivore diet you cook with butter, bacon grease, tallow, duck fat, or lard.

These cooking fats are preferred because they are high in saturated and monounsaturated fats, which are important for energy and maintaining healthy hormone levels.

RELATED: See all Carnivore blog posts.

What NOT to Eat on a Carnivore Diet.

Because a carnivore diet is an animal-based diet, the list of things you cannot eat is very long.

On a carnivore diet avoid:

fruits
vegetables
vegetable oils like olive oil, avocado oil, corn oil
grains like rice, oats, barley
anything made of wheat, like pasta, bread, rolls, tortillas
snack foods like tortilla chips, Cheetos, pretzels
sweets like candy, cake, cookies

Many experts also recommend against consuming artificial sweeteners.

Pork ribs (St. Louis style) are actually fairly cheap and make a great carnivore meal.

Is a Carnivore Diet Safe for Women?

The carnivore diet is controversial, but it appears a diet of meat, fish, eggs, and dairy is safe and can improve women's health. Nutrient-dense meat and animal products provide the body with healthy fats, protein, and nutrients like vitamin D, folate, zinc, and choline. A carnivore way of eating also eliminates inflammatory foods and carbs that spike an insulin response.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you're a woman who is considering a carnivore diet or who is also a carnivore newbie like me, please check back for more articles in this series specifically geared to carnivore for women. I look forward to sharing what I've learned, what I've eaten, and my results.

--The Keto Minimalist

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