BusyBits #1: Why Carnivore? | Article OtW | Tips for Beginners | Protein IceCream

Hey fitness nerds!

I love meat, more specifically beef.

Believe it or not, I eat steak almost every evening for dinner.

That started before the whole carnivore diet craze (I blame Jordan Peterson for that). Even though, I can’t say I am opposed to the idea of eating beef all the time, I love my ice cream dessert from time to time.

In today’s newsletter, we will delve deeper into why people are crazy about the carnivore diet and what makes it so efficient at weight loss.

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IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WE WILL COVER:

Weekly Insights:

• The Rise in Carnivore Popularity

• Article of The Week: Exercise and its Effect on Brain Development

• Tips of the Week

• Delicious Protein Ice Cream Recipe

The Rise in Carnivore Popularity

If you follow the fitness and biohacking Twitter you’d see that carnivore diet is all the talk now.

Debates, threads, arguing, even more arguing…

but why is it so popular?

It seems like the more limiting the diet is, the more people rally behind it.

As the name suggests Carnivore diet consists of only meat, fish, eggs and some amounts of dairy.

Research says…

The main health benefits are weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation, increased mental clarity, and improved gut and heart health¹ (sounds counterintuitive but there are a lot of studies that suggest that).

Other benefits include improvements in health conditions like allergies, skin conditions, autoimmune diseases, and digestive health.

Now this is what my friends and clients say:

1. Simplicity
   
   The carnivore diet is straightforward and simple.
   
   Eat meat and don’t eat anything else.
   
   There is no need to count calories or protein consumption. Pair that with strength training and cardio and losing weight is almost guaranteed.
   

2. Feeling Full
   
   The high protein content of the carnivore diet can help people feel fuller for longer, which can help in weight loss
   

3. Community
   
   One of the strongest communities on Twitter, no doubt.
   
   On top of that, there are a lot of success stories, tips and support that you can find online.
   
   Some people find the carnivore diet as sticking it to the mainstream nutrition and a bs that is the traditional food pyramid.
   

4. Testosterone and Libido Boost
   
   Due to excess cholesterol, protein, carnosine, carnitine, and vitamin K intake.
   
   No need for viagra if you have a juicy rib eye steak every day for dinner am I right?

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The carnivore diet is very controversial.

Its adversaries argue there is no scientific basis to it, and that there are a lot of limitations like:

1. Nutrient deficiencies such as fibre may affect gut health and the diversity of the microbiome, which plays a crucial role in overall well-being² .
   

2. Heart Health may suffer due to a high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol from animal products but personally (and from talking to clients) I have not seen a significant change in my blood lipid profile.
   

3. Kidney Health may suffer due to high protein content, however, if you have two healthy kidneys that should not be a problem if you drink enough water.
   

4. A highly restrictive diet like the carnivore diet can have a profound impact on your mental health and could lead to social isolation.

My two cents:

If it works for you, go for it. I know a lot of people who changed their lives with a carnivore diet.

Article of the Week

3 Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

This week I will focus on fitness beginners.

People who want to start to live healthier lives but are confused by the overwhelming barrage of fitness influencers, YouTube gurus, and nonsense 2016 blogs that still seem to rank first on Google.

1. Start with Walking
   

   

   
   If you live a sedentary lifestyle and would like to start being more active the BEST way to start is by going on daily walks.
   
   You get your heart rate up but don’t experience the soreness of an intense workout.
   
   It is the exercise equivalent
   

2. Time-block exercises
   
   Allotting dedicated time for exercise in my calendar has been a game changer.
   
   I used to skip workouts when I did not feel like going or was tired because of bad sleep.
   
   Now, when I see a notification from Google Cal I have to go to the gym.
   

3. Remove sweets from your home
   
   Remove any foods that do not align with your diet.
   
   There is no point in testing temptation and willpower. You are setting yourself up to fail.
   
   Just like an addict who wants to quit does not keep drugs at home neither should you keep sweets and other sugary foods at home (we are all addicted to sugar and it is one of the most powerful drugs out there).

This Week’s Recipe

Vote below to choose the diet for the next week’s recipe

The Most Delicious Protein IceCream

It is guild free and you can eat as much as you want since it is mainly protein.

The Ingredients

• Protein Powder of your choice. 
  
  I use 2 scoops of double chocolate protein powder and it works great. I personally use whey but vegan works as well.
  

• Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  
  Any milk works, but I love a little bit of coconutty flavour. Add about half a cup for every scoop of protein.
  

• Xanthan Gum
  
  Half a teaspoon should suffice. If you want to avoid using a thickening agent, a good alternative is placing the mix onto a tray, freeze it overnight and blend it again making it a nice sorbet consistency.
  

• Optional:
  

  I add unsweetened cocoa powder, some frozen barriers, and vanilla extract.

The Instructions

Start by mixing the protein powder and the coconut milk (or the milk of choice) in a blender. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract and frozen blueberries as you seem fit. Blend for a minute.

Next, you’ll need to add the xanthan gum blend for just a minute or two. You will see the volume increase significantly (make sure the blender is big enough). It will thicken and make the texture to be silky and smooth.

Place it in a bowl and chill in the freezer for half an hour so it becomes cold but not frozen. If it is not cold enough mix it with a spoon to break the ice crystals and freeze for another 30 minutes. Chilling it prior is to ensure the cream separates from the liquid. The entire can will be used, but it helps with consistency.

Finally, remove the protein ice cream from the freezer for 10-15 minutes to thaw slightly. Scoop out into bowls and enjoy.

I sometimes add some peanut butter or pistachio sauce on top.

Vote for the next Recipe and diet by clicking the button below:

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