#364 – AMA #75: Diets: how to evaluate and implement any diet including keto, carnivore, vegan, Mediterranean, and more
whatshot 151 snips
Sep 15, 2025
In a recent AMA, listeners discover how to choose the diet that suits their individual needs, rather than chasing a universal solution. Five essential criteria for sustainable eating are defined, including energy balance and micronutrient sufficiency. Popular diets like keto, vegan, and Mediterranean are examined, complete with their strengths and potential pitfalls. The discussion is lightened by a humorous family chess tournament, showcasing the fun side of competition. Practical tips for tracking dietary progress using modern tools are also shared.
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insights INSIGHT
Five Non-Negotiable Diet Criteria
Peter Attia defines five non-negotiables any sustainable diet must meet: energy balance, metabolic health, adequate protein, micronutrient sufficiency, and long-term adherence.
These criteria form the baseline to compare diets rather than searching for a single "best" diet.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Measure Diet Success Objectively
Track outcomes objectively with tools like DEXA, fasting insulin, A1c, CGMs, and symptom logs to judge a diet's effectiveness.
Use labs and body composition rather than anecdotes to decide whether to continue or change a diet.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Chess Tournament With His Son
Peter shares a lighthearted chess story about losing to his youngest son after a blunder.
He admits one past episode of throwing pieces but says it only happened once.
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In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explores how to determine the right diet for yourself rather than searching for a universal “best” diet. He begins by laying out five non-negotiable criteria that any sustainable eating pattern must meet—energy balance, metabolic health, adequate protein, micronutrient sufficiency, and long-term adherence—before introducing a practical rubric for evaluating different diets. Using this framework, Peter walks through the ketogenic, carnivore, vegan, and Mediterranean diets, highlighting their strengths, ideal candidates for each, and common pitfalls such as micronutrient gaps or adherence challenges. He explains why this guidance is aimed at people who feel overwhelmed by diet choices, not zealots defending a single approach, and provides practical advice on using tools like DEXA scans, lab markers, continuous glucose monitors, and symptom tracking to assess whether a diet is truly working.
If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the AMA #75 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.
We discuss:
Peter’s family chess battle [3:00];
Framing the diet discussion: moving past tribalism to practical frameworks for evaluating various dietary strategies [5:00];
Peter’s high-level nutrition framework [11:00];
Why diet is such a uniquely polarizing subject [14:15];
The five non-negotiables that apply to any diet [17:45];
How to think about energy balance in the context of evaluating a specific diet [20:15];
How diet can address metabolic health [21:45];
Protein as a dietary foundation [23:30];
Micronutrient essentials: avoiding deficiencies in restrictive and processed diets [24:45];
Why adherence and sustainability are essential for diet success [27:15];
Examining the standard American diet through the five non-negotiables [31:00];
The evaluation framework for specific diets [33:30];
The ketogenic diet: defining ketosis, clinical origins, modern uses, and potential health benefits [35:00];
The main strengths and weaknesses of the ketogenic diet [43:00];
How to avoid micronutrient deficiencies while on a ketogenic diet [47:15];
Electrolytes and fiber and the ketogenic diet: preventing magnesium loss and maintaining digestive health [49:15];
Adherence challenges of the ketogenic diet [51:30];
The carnivore diet: definition, motivations, anecdotal benefits, and possible mechanisms [53:15];
The main strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet [57:30];
Plant exclusion on the carnivore diet: nutrient gaps, gut changes, and unanswered questions [1:03:15];
Adherence challenges of the carnivore diet [1:04:45];
The vegan diet: definition, core beliefs, and various motivations for this strategy [1:05:45];
The main strengths and weaknesses of the vegan diet [1:09:15];
Adherence to the vegan diet: social acceptance, edge cases, and personal sustainability [1:13:15];
The Mediterranean diet: definitional challenges, traditional patterns, and its relatively strong evidence base [1:15:15];
Limitations of the Mediterranean diet: loose definitions and indulgence risks [1:19:30];
The Peter Attia Drive