the bear diet.
giving the in's and out's from my pov about the bear diet and why i chose it as a new lifestyle change.
if you’re like me, you’ve probably heard of and tried every “diet” or “lifestyle” change under the moon. i feel like as women, especially our generation, we are conditioned to “watch what we eat”. at least this is the case for me, having grown up an only-child, with a mom who fed me SlimFast for breakfast before Kindergarten. i think at the age of eight, was the first time i looked in the mirror and felt “fat”. i was always the tallest and “biggest” of my friends, even throughout high school, and that was an insecurity i carried with me for years and years, into adulthood.
it wasn’t until 2023 when i hired a personal trainer and truly learned about nutrition and exercise. i was actually FLOORED to learn that i needed to eat more to lose weight, which is the opposite of what society has screamed at us our entire lives. i can’t tell you how many editions of Seventeen Magazine told me to count calories, do crunches, and favor cardio—and i wasn’t 17 when i was reading this, i was 11. and reversing years and years of this shit that has been embedded into our heads, is actually so difficult.
when i embarked on my fitness journey in 2023, i quickly grew a love for eating nourishing, protein-focused meals, because i couldn’t believe how good it made me feel. i was able to put myself in remission from my auto-immune disease, Hashimotos, and each day that i focused on my nutrition and heavy lifting at the gym, i felt amazing.
in the fall of 2023, i became pregnant and it was THE WORST pregnancy i have ever endured. i was sick every single day and spent 99% of my pregnancy on the couch or in bed. my birth and postpartum journey wasn’t any better, and i am just now getting to a headspace where i can focus on my own health and nutrition again, which feels so so good.
which brings me to the bear diet. i stumbled upon someone on Instagram talking about how she started eating only meat and berries, and completely transformed her life. her hair was better, her skin was better. her sleep, her moods, her periods, you name it! and it got me thinking…DUH! we live such a “processed life” these days, but our bodies weren’t designed for this. we weren’t designed for powdered greens and supplements as our base of nutrition, or nut milks and canned goods. processed carbs and starches that have been stripped of all nutritional value, have become a base in most meals, and yet we wonder why we feel like shit and are bloated all of the time.
so, i decided to just do it, because i already eat pretty closely to this anyway, minus my addictive fresh bread recipe and a good pasta plate. so really the transition wasn’t hard for me, i just knew that i needed to be intentional about planning and about shopping, so that i didn’t get overwhelmed with the cost of the food or feeling like i didn’t know what to eat. i have noticed a HUGE change in my energy, my nails and hair, my skin, zero bloating, AND i have lost 10lbs in three weeks. weight-loss wasn’t my focus, but ya girl is not complaining babyyyy.
before we get into how i’m doing it, here’s what ChatGpt says about the bear diet that i think is helpful/necessary to know before starting it yourself.
“The "bear diet" isn't a widely recognized or formalized dietary plan like the "paleo diet" or the "Mediterranean diet." However, some people might use the term to describe an eating style inspired by the eating habits of bears, with a focus on whole, natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and animal proteins.”
while a lot of people eat nuts and seeds when doing the bear diet, i have chosen not to since they’re not native to where i live. in addition to eating like a bear, i am also focusing on things i can access near where i live/in our climate, because our bodies can actually recognize things like this, which i think is so fascinating! i am also still having cream in my coffee with organic hazelnut syrup, and a diet coke here and there because i want to and i’m not trying to strip my life of all of my favorite things lol—that’s not sustainable and will send me packing so dang fast. also, don’t forget to drink your electrolytes!!! so important. these are my daily electrolytes, and i like to add a packet of true lime or fresh-squeezed lime.
let’s start with a list of things i eat all the time:
eggs for breakfast every day! i cook them over-easy and throw them on top of ground beef, ground turkey, or eat bacon/sausage, and whatever fruit i want.
boiled eggs for snacks. i like mine between soft and hard boiled, so i boil them for 10 minutes before placing in an ice bath. i peel them all at once and store them in the fridge so that they’re easy to grab, because if they’re not, i will avoid eating them. it’s just how my brain works.
fresh fruit with honey drizzle and bee pollen sprinkled on top! so good, this is my daily snack choice or meal pairing. right now i’m loving cut up strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, and blackberries! here is the bee pollen i use!
Archer beef sticks. anything marked as “Paleo” is a good indicator that you can eat it! i love the Archer brand, best flavor I have tried.
Kalahari Biltong air-dried jerky. SO DELISH!! and the highest protein EVER. literally just dried meat, and it’s so good. it’s spendy, but for 32g of protein, it’s worth the price.
salmon and shrimp. salmon is local to us here in Montana, depending on the season/location, however i do know that shrimp is not. but i love it and it’s a good source of protein, so i’m eating it!
ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey. i cook ground meats up on sunday so that i have something quick to grab and heat for meals throughout the week! i stock up anytime i see that it’s on sale. i’ve seen a yummy recipe for a ground chicken PIZZA crust! haven’t gone that far yet, but if you feel like you’re missing out, then use ground chicken, eggs, and sea salt to make a pizza crust! top with meat and cheese of choice, and fresh tomato sauce that you’ve made. tomatoes are fruit, in case you forgot!
chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks. do not make me eat a dry chicken breast ever in my life. i am an adult and i refuse. i cook these with butter and sea salt and any fresh or dried herbs i feel like adding.
honey cinnamon citrus tea. i actually just grabbed lemons and oranges in today’s grocery order to start making this in the mornings! simply slice an orange and a lemon thinly, place in a glass container and heavily drizzle with honey so that your fruit is coated, and add as much cinnamon as you wish. mix well and store for a few days. when you’re ready to have tea, open your jar and place one slice of each fruit coated in your honey and cinnamon in a mug and top with hot water. this tea is great for immunity, complexion, and inflammation. i’ll also brew mine with one liver detox tea bag.
mango sorbet. this could work with any fruit, but mango is my fave! chop and puree 1-2 mangoes and freeze in your Ninja Creami ice cream pints for 24hrs. when you’re ready to enjoy, spin it on the gelato setting, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle some bee pollen on top for crunch if that’s your jam. the Ninja Creami is the BEST small kitchen appliance we have ever bought, and i can’t recommend it enough!
. i don’t do hot sauce often because i got so used to never having it while living with Hashimotos—peppers were off limits big time, as they’re a nightshade and caused me a week-long flare. but, if i’m going to do hot sauce now, yellowbird is my choice!
if you need more inspo, i highly recommended finding some bear diet accounts to follow (just search in the explore page on any of your social apps), and of course check Pinterest always! shop what’s on sale and freeze! if you want to really stock up and store your meats the best, i recommend vacuum sealing everything in portions of your choice, and then freezing in your freezer/deep freezer! we save so much money by doing this, and we also do it with cheese, leftovers, fruit, and veggies!
love ya bye!