If the time has come to decide on a diet, one is truly spoiled for choice. Keto, the Mediterranean diet, paleo, pescatarian, meat and fruit diet, flexitarian diet plan – and that’s not even scratching the surface.
However, how do you know what’s right for you? Before we delve into the pros and cons of the meat and fruit diet, let’s go over some of the basic steps that will ease you into choosing the right one.
Choosing the Right Diet
Before you commit to a diet plan, always consider your health goals, food preferences, and dietary needs, including restrictions.
Goal assessment
The first and most important question is what you want to achieve. Is it weight loss or gaining muscle, or do you perhaps need to manage a health condition? Maybe you just want to maintain your current health. Setting your goals before you start researching will determine all further steps.
Food preferences
Results require commitment, so make sure you know well in advance what you’re up against. Take into account possible allergies, whether you’d like vegetarian, vegan, or mixed plans, what’s allowed or occasionally allowed, and decide whether that’s something you can stick to long-term.
Consult a healthcare professional
A web search will only get you so far, but advice from a medical professional will provide the best possible outcome for your diet. They will be able to recognize what your body needs most and what you should avoid for the best results in the shortest time.
The Meat and Fruit Diet
If you’re here, you’re interested in what the meat and fruit diet has to offer, and the allure has most probably come from the fruit part.
The meat and fruit diet focuses primarily on consuming meats and fruits, leaving little to no room for other food groups such as vegetables, dairy products, or grains.
This high-protein diet is adjacent to keto, low-carb, carnivore, and paleo.
Let us confirm or debunk all the arguments related to this popular 2023 diet together.
The Pros of the Meat and Fruit Diet
Weight loss
High in protein, this diet will often result in weight loss as it pivots around chicken, beef cuts, turkey, pork, and fish (sometimes eggs) in addition to low carbohydrate fruits such as berries, pears, apples, and citrus fruits. The meat and fruit diet will help control appetite and cravings, prevent breaking down the muscle tissue, and provide a feeling of fullness.
Blood sugar regulation
Avoiding foods high in carbohydrates will help those suffering from diabetes 2 or those in dire need of regulating their blood sugar levels.
Nutrient density
In contrast to extremely restrictive keto or carnivore diets, adding fruits will provide vitamins, fibers, and minerals among a wide range of nutrients.
The Cons of the Meat and Fruit Diet
As with every diet, we should consider the drawbacks for the healthiest outcome.
Nutritional imbalance
Be prepared that in the meat and fruit diet, you won’t take any nutrients in restricted food groups such as dairy, whole grains, or vegetables.
Lack of diversity
As the meat and fruit diet is pretty self-explanatory, there’s a risk you’ll find it monotonous very soon and, therefore, might find it challenging to maintain long-term.
Digestive health in the meat and fruit diet
Some may experience digestive discomfort due to the high meat intake and certain fruits. Consult your healthcare provider for advice on the best dieting period or the pauses you could take.
What are Fad Diets?
Fad diets, otherwise called extreme diets, can take a toll on your health. Here’s what you may encounter if you choose to stick to one for too long:
- Nutritional deficit – eliminating many other food groups, like in the meat and fruit diet, leads to calorie and nutrient deficiency when you’re body is deprived of necessary vitamins.
- Metabolism shutdown – not getting enough calories makes your metabolism slow down in order to save energy. This is also the main reason you may gain weight once you start including other food groups again.
- Lean muscle mass loss – apart from your appearance, you’ll notice a change in your metabolic rate as your body will burn fewer calories at rest. Be careful to maintain a healthy muscle mass.
- Impact on hormones – fad diets, meat and fruit diet not excluded, may cause a hormonal disbalance in your body, resulting in changes in sleep, stress, and appetite.
- Mental health issues – with restrictive diets, we can easily become obsessed with managing our food intake and body image. Unhealthy obsessions such as these easily lead to disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.
Is the Meat and Fruit Diet a Fad?
In all honesty, yes. All extremely restrictive diets promising fast results are considered fad or crash diets and the meat and fruit diet falls under the category. Although it has its strong points, you should be really careful and use it in moderation.
Final Thoughts
The meat and fruit diet may sound very appealing, especially if you aim to lose weight or regulate your blood sugar. However, sticking to it long-term may actually do more harm than good. This is why consulting your healthcare professional is of utmost importance. They will probably find a less extreme diet you can maintain long-term without any side effects.
Choose a healthier, more moderate lifestyle when it comes to dieting, and you’ll be surprised at the positive results.
