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Meat only diet

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Replies

  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Do did this Shawn Baker guy that everyone seems to idolize and respect as "the go-to carnivore guy" ever get his medical license reinstated?
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    I always thought keto was too extreme for me, but an all-carnivore diet?.. I just hope it doesn't become the next fad diet once the keto fad goes away.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2018
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Do did this Shawn Baker guy that everyone seems to idolize and respect as "the go-to carnivore guy" ever get his medical license reinstated?

    He has around a 15 minute video on YouTube related to the circumstances behind that. I had no idea it was suspended. I personally like the guy. I'm a rower, though, and found him to be pretty open minded and very transparent, even though personally I disagree with his health choices. I've known Shawn (albeit not that well) for years through rowing, not through following him on Instagram.

    Before he came onto the scene with his Instagram and on the Joe Rogan show, etc., he was just a guy that was working on rowing WR 500 and 1000m rows (which he ended up breaking). Now, it seems, he's also posted some medical reports where vegans are saying "see, he's not healthy" and there's a new whole debate about his health, all while he's still performing extremely well on athletic performances. Extreme low carbers and paleo supporters say his numbers are all explainable.

    Regardless of what you think about him, the guy has put himself out there as a human "guinea pig". I personally think anything that extreme for long periods of time isn't healthy. His performances have defied the norm, no question. Whether or not his extreme lifestyle if a good thing/bad thing long term remains for debate.

    BTW, I'm mostly Vegan, so no agenda here on the Paleo, ultra low carb bandwagon...
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:

    You mean like the mix'n'match meat special? ;)

    w2wydm1x2i7b.jpg
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:

    You mean like the mix'n'match meat special? ;)

    w2wydm1x2i7b.jpg

    Oh dear :lol:

    They always have the budget meat next to the regular meat in the meat section, I tried it a few times and regretted it each and every time.

    I can't work out why the Budget porterhouse steak's, for example, taste/consistency is just so horrible, it's fatty and full of gristle. I always assumed they get the porterhouse from the same place on the cow!? Do cows have premium and cheap sections... :tongue:

    Sorry to derail. Bottom line- Decent cuts of meat is bloody expensive!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:

    It depends on what you eat and where you live. If I stick with beef only, the ground beef (I assume that is what you call "beef mince") ranges based on how much fat is mixed in. Higher fat generally is cheaper. Usually, I can get ground beef where I live for around $3 USD per lb., more or less, on sale. That seems to calculate out pretty close to what you are paying. I do look for sales and freeze it. For example, I bought a 10 lb. roll of 85/15 ground beef for $25 USD last week. I can split up that 10 # roll and eat for several days. I also find roasts and sometimes steaks for $3-$5 USD per lb. The more expensive cuts can range up to $10-$15 USD per lb., but I don't buy those. That's all if I stick to beef.

    Pork, on the other hand, is very cheap here. There are often sales of various cuts of pork for $1-$2 per lb. This includes boneless loin, ground pork, sausage, bratwurst, pork butt roast, etc. Ham and bacon are generally more expensive because there is more demand for that.

    Chicken here is also usually pretty cheap, depending upon the cut. Boneless/skinless breast is the most expensive. There is a 10 lb. bag of chicken hind quarters on sale at a local grocery store for $4.90 ($0.49 per lb.). Turkey is not much more expensive, and become really cheap around the fall holidays along with ham. Fish is the most expensive meat.

    Fishing and hunting is more or less expensive depending upon how much you do it. If you buy the equipment and license, then do it once, then it is really expensive.

    All in all, I probably eat for about $5 or less most days if I'm preparing and eating my own food at home.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »

    He has around a 15 minute video on YouTube related to the circumstances behind that. I had no idea it was suspended.

    He has a long, long Rogan interview where he went to great lengths to talk about how brilliant and ethical he is and how he was railroaded. Yada, Yada, Yada. The PDF of the suspension is on line as is the Joe Rogan interview. I've not listened to anything about him/the suspended medical license since. I just keep hearing his name come up.

    I really don't know anything about him and carnivore is of no interest to me. I sat down at the computer to look up a German Red Cabbage Recipe and here I sit reading/typing. LOL.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Thanks for the insight @midwesterner :+1: And yes, beef mince = ground beef.

    Another thing that gives me the *kitten* is you guys pay less than we do for the Lamb we export over there.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I personally would find it pretty gross and excessive. I do find it fascinating too. One guy I know of in the indoor rowing community is mentioned in this article. One of the better articles I've seen on it related to the topic of a meat only diet.

    https://optimisingnutrition.com/2018/03/14/dr-shawn-bakers-carnivore-diet-a-review/

    Really interesting article! Thanks for posting it. I want to check out all of those links later today - there's a few I haven't seen.

    Shawn Baker is a machine. I used to row, but what he can do is amazing.

    No problem. One thing (though for me personally eating a lot of meat isn't my diet) I respect a lot about Shawn is that he's not over the top saying, "this is the right way"... Actually, quite the opposite. He says, and I hate to misquote him, but many of us on the C2 forums used to ask him a lot about his diet, that going nearly all animal products seemed to fly in the face of everything he learned as a doctor, but anecdotally, it works for him. He has improved performance, less inflammation and his ability to recover faster has gone through the roof.

    Now, you could say that Shawn was a world class athlete before going all meat (he played professional rugby and also was a WR powerlifter years ago) but you can't argue that he's not doing bad going on all meat.

    To me, people all get too dogmatic with what's THE right diet. I'm not sure anyone knows yet.

    Yeah... I don't think there is any one right diet. I think some are better than others, and there are some ways of eating that mist people would do better without, but there is no one diet for everyone.

    The article you linked even had a long term carnivore who switched to omnivore because it wasn't working well for her. It was a very fair article.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:

    It depends on what you eat and where you live. If I stick with beef only, the ground beef (I assume that is what you call "beef mince") ranges based on how much fat is mixed in. Higher fat generally is cheaper. Usually, I can get ground beef where I live for around $3 USD per lb., more or less, on sale. That seems to calculate out pretty close to what you are paying. I do look for sales and freeze it. For example, I bought a 10 lb. roll of 85/15 ground beef for $25 USD last week. I can split up that 10 # roll and eat for several days. I also find roasts and sometimes steaks for $3-$5 USD per lb. The more expensive cuts can range up to $10-$15 USD per lb., but I don't buy those. That's all if I stick to beef.

    Pork, on the other hand, is very cheap here. There are often sales of various cuts of pork for $1-$2 per lb. This includes boneless loin, ground pork, sausage, bratwurst, pork butt roast, etc. Ham and bacon are generally more expensive because there is more demand for that.

    Chicken here is also usually pretty cheap, depending upon the cut. Boneless/skinless breast is the most expensive. There is a 10 lb. bag of chicken hind quarters on sale at a local grocery store for $4.90 ($0.49 per lb.). Turkey is not much more expensive, and become really cheap around the fall holidays along with ham. Fish is the most expensive meat.

    Fishing and hunting is more or less expensive depending upon how much you do it. If you buy the equipment and license, then do it once, then it is really expensive.

    All in all, I probably eat for about $5 or less most days if I'm preparing and eating my own food at home.

    I'm in western Canada, and our beef prices are in between. Lean ground beef is around $8.50/kg. My family and I go through about 2-5 kg of beef a week. If we have roasts it us often pork because it's cheaper. The club pack of chicken breasts I buy are about $10/kg.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2018
    @Stevencloser - that was the main thing he was trying to prove was wrong. I actually agree with you but he was trying to disprove that you needed carbs to do powerful stuff. Certainly, sprint rowing (that he does) qualifies as powerful stuff. So does powerlifting, etc., all of which he does all the time. Personally, I tried low carbs (not ultra low but low) and felt like garbage doing high level athletic training. That was his whole premise and a lot of folks bought into it. Whatever someone believes, it's harder to argue someone isn't doing as well as they could when they break a WR.

    No he never eats carbs at all. Completely animal products (which, again, I personally find disgusting) but eggs, cheese and meat. That's it as far as I know.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Do did this Shawn Baker guy that everyone seems to idolize and respect as "the go-to carnivore guy" ever get his medical license reinstated?

    Yes.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    @Stevencloser - that was the main thing he was trying to prove was wrong. I actually agree with you but he was trying to disprove that you needed carbs to do powerful stuff. Certainly, sprint rowing (that he does) qualifies as powerful stuff. So does powerlifting, etc., all of which he does all the time. Personally, I tried low carbs (not ultra low but low) and felt like garbage doing high level athletic training. That was his whole premise and a lot of folks bought into it. Whatever someone believes, it's harder to argue someone isn't doing as well as they could when they break a WR.

    No he never eats carbs at all. Completely animal products (which, again, I personally find disgusting) but eggs, cheese and meat. That's it as far as I know.

    It appears that Shawn eats quite lean meats - over 50% protein - so it is possible that his level of ketosis is very mild.

    Most carnivores don't seem to be focused on ketosis. It is more about avoiding foods that don't help their health or making weight loss and maintenance easier. TBH, I see very little ketone chasing in this group, and they seem less likely to speak negatively against carbs. Just my observation.

    As to his performance, I believe he's improved his times for WR while carnivore. His glycogen stores are full (they don't empty out and stay empty).

    I find it interesting how LOW his insulin is even though his BG is slightly elevated. It looks like he has excellent insulin sensitivity. It doesn't appear to affect his performance either.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2018
    Personally, for me, it all comes down to balance. Do I think that some people might benefit from ketosis as a reset of sorts? Yes, and I think there's some evidence of that. We all could benefit by eliminating simple carbs and sugar more than the standard Western Diet. But for me, the "deal breaker" on this kind of diet (my ethics aside and don't want to get into that whole debate) is I think they are just understanding how important that fiber is to the diet.

    This is like a zero fiber diet? I suppose meat has some I guess. How that would effect your long term health is very unknown and I certainly wouldn't want to subject my body to that. Even people that point to the Inuit diet as all meat neglect to mention that they also eat berries and wild tubers/greens. They don't exist just on meat. Also, back when Shawn was posting up his diet, he'd mention grass fed then show pictures of standard supermarket meats. I'm not sure that industrial produced Western meat matches what the Intuit (or Gronk or whoever) ate.

    A lot of microbiome experts point to the Hazda tribe in Africa as the ideal microbiome diversity (they have very little Western diseases). Part of the year, they eat wild meat or insects -- really diverse mix and part of the year, they eat tons of tubers and berries and plants. Again, diversity of diet. When they eat tubers, nearly 100g a year. There are people that test their gut bacteria that have followed the tribe around eating what they eat and drinking what they drink (sometimes not the cleanest of water either).

    I guess my point is, no one has solved the riddle of what is best to eat. I'm skeptical of anyone claiming they have figured it out. Yes, getting rid of a lot of junk is good.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Do did this Shawn Baker guy that everyone seems to idolize and respect as "the go-to carnivore guy" ever get his medical license reinstated?

    He has around a 15 minute video on YouTube related to the circumstances behind that. I had no idea it was suspended. I personally like the guy. I'm a rower, though, and found him to be pretty open minded and very transparent, even though personally I disagree with his health choices. I've known Shawn (albeit not that well) for years through rowing, not through following him on Instagram.

    Before he came onto the scene with his Instagram and on the Joe Rogan show, etc., he was just a guy that was working on rowing WR 500 and 1000m rows (which he ended up breaking). Now, it seems, he's also posted some medical reports where vegans are saying "see, he's not healthy" and there's a new whole debate about his health, all while he's still performing extremely well on athletic performances. Extreme low carbers and paleo supporters say his numbers are all explainable.

    Regardless of what you think about him, the guy has put himself out there as a human "guinea pig". I personally think anything that extreme for long periods of time isn't healthy. His performances have defied the norm, no question. Whether or not his extreme lifestyle if a good thing/bad thing long term remains for debate.

    BTW, I'm mostly Vegan, so no agenda here on the Paleo, ultra low carb bandwagon...

    While you can certainly still have great athletic performance on a carnivore diet, biological fact remains that ketosis and fat oxidation doesn't support high bursts of energy as well as a diet with carbs glucose does. There's no way around that. I dont know the guy, maybe he does it like most other people who are touted as elite low carb athletes and carbs up before an event has enough gluconeogenesis. Maybe he's a freak of nature. IMO He'd still probably perform a tad better fueled by carbs in an intense event.

    FIFY

    No, not gluconeogenesis. As far as I know the body doesn't do enough gluconeogenesis to support someone doing intense workouts. Especially not in keto where the whole shtick is making your body use less glucose. If you have any resources showing where people created enough glucose through gluconeogenesis to support things like rowing world records, high intensity exercise that eats through energy like it's nothing, feel free to show them to me. And anyway, gluconeogenesis is still less efficient than having filled glycogen stores available beforehand.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I couldn't do it, but i also couldn't afford it! I don't know about the US, but meat is flippan expensive here in Aus!

    Chicken Breast is around $12 per kg
    Porterhouse steak $20 per kg if you're lucky.
    Beef mince around $10 per kg

    I've tried the "Budget" red meats, and lets just say i'd rather go vegetarian than eat that yuckness :confounded:

    You mean like the mix'n'match meat special? ;)

    w2wydm1x2i7b.jpg

    Address please? For the purposes of "research".