Why Dr. Shawn Baker (King of Carnivore) Added FRUIT to his Diet

Intro (00:00:00)

• Dr. Shawn Baker, known as the "king of carnivore," has recently added fruit to his diet, which may surprise some given his previous strict carnivore approach.

Grass-Finished Meat Delivered to Your Doorstep (00:00:23)

• Butcher Box delivers grass-fed and grass-finished cuts of meat, including ground bison, ground beef, chicken, pork, scallops, and other seafood options, as well as real bacon.
• The meat is of high quality, with a deep red color, unlike the bright red meat often found in grocery stores.

Why Shawn Added in Fruit to His Diet (00:01:26)

• Shawn Baker experimented with adding fruit to his carnivore diet to test the lean mass hyper responder and lipid energy model.
• He ate 100 grams of fruit, mostly apples, for a week and monitored his cholesterol levels.
• His cholesterol levels did not change significantly, indicating that he may not be lean enough to be a lean mass hyper responder.
• He experienced gut irritation after a few days of eating fruit.
• Shawn Baker fasted for 24 hours and his cholesterol dropped to 156, which is relatively normal.
• After a hard workout that depleted his glycogen stores, his cholesterol increased to 346.
• This supports the lipid energy model, which suggests that cholesterol levels vary based on energy availability.
• Shawn Baker emphasizes that he is not dogmatic about the carnivore diet and encourages experimentation to find what works best for individuals.
• He views diet as a means to achieve health, rather than a strict set of rules or a religion.
• While he primarily follows a carnivore diet, he occasionally incorporates other foods and does not worry excessively about it.

Lean Mass Hyper-Responder (LMHR) (00:04:47)

• A lean mass hyper-responder (LMHR) is someone who has:
  • LDL cholesterol above 200
  • Triglycerides below 70
  • HDL above 80
• LMHR is usually acquired through a low-carb diet, ketogenic diet, or carnivore diet.
• LMHR individuals are otherwise metabolically healthy, with:
  • Low HDL
  • High HDL
  • Low triglycerides
  • Good glycemic control
  • Normal blood pressure
  • Normal BMI
• High LDL cholesterol in LMHR individuals may be potentially protective against heart disease, but more research is needed.
• The study by Matt Budoff will be the first to critically examine the relationship between LDL cholesterol and heart disease in LMHR individuals.
• A study by Morton out of Denmark in 2022 found that LDL cholesterol had no bearing on major adverse cardiac events in individuals with a zero coronary artery calcium score.
• Some researchers believe that particle number over time is the only factor that determines heart disease risk, but this view is considered unscientific.
• Chris Gardner, a respected nutritionist from Stanford, believes it is unethical to study people on a carnivore diet, but Dr. Baker disagrees, arguing that studying these individuals is essential to understanding the health effects of the carnivore diet.

Glucose Spikes From Exercise (00:08:09)

• Athletes driving their glucose up high all the time doesn't necessarily mean it's bad.
• Optimal glucose levels for peak performance in athletes can be as high as 200.
• Glucose levels can fluctuate significantly based on factors like exercise and energy fluxes.
• Basing health decisions on a single measurement, like total cholesterol, lacks nuance and doesn't account for the dynamic nature of physiology.
• No specific information about fruit is provided in this section.

Adding Fruit to Carnivore Diet | Benefits of Fruit (00:10:07)

• Carbohydrates can enhance performance for adapted athletes but may have negative effects for individuals with certain health conditions.
• Training is crucial for muscle growth, with diet playing a secondary role.
• Athletes may need up to six months to adapt to a carnivore diet for optimal performance.
• Finding the minimum effective dose of carbohydrates can minimize negative effects while still benefiting from their performance-enhancing properties.
• Dr. Shawn Baker, a prominent advocate of the carnivore diet, has incorporated fruit into his diet, recognizing the importance of glucose for brain, adrenal, testicle, and red blood cell function.
• Consuming carbohydrates can cause a spike in blood glucose levels, especially for those not adapted to it.
• Dr. Baker focuses on helping individuals with autoimmune diseases, food addiction, diabetes, and obesity, rather than optimizing athletic performance.
• Older athletes may have different dietary and nutritional perspectives compared to younger athletes.

Shawn's Diet Before Carnivore (00:15:28)

• Shawn used to party, drink, and eat poorly without any noticeable health issues.
• In his late 20s, he transitioned from rugby to powerlifting and gained weight rapidly by consuming 10,000 calories a day.
• He ate excessively, including multiple entrees, appetizers, and desserts.

Thomas' Carb Intake (00:16:48)

• Thomas adds between 70 to 120 grams of carbohydrates to his diet on high-training days.
• He hasn't noticed a significant difference in his training performance but feels he might have slightly better peak performance and sleep.
• Adding carbs has helped his sleep but has also increased inflammation and joint pain.
• Despite consuming close to 100 grams of carbs per day, he still registers 0.5 millimoles of ketones.
• Thomas speculates that his higher training demand while consuming carbs might be putting more mileage on his joints, causing inflammation.

Combining Fats & Carbs (00:18:20)

• Shawn Baker decreases his fat intake when he eats carbs.
• He finds that he ends up eating fewer calories and feeling tired when he combines carbs and fats.
• Baker believes that the combination of fat and carbs, like donuts and ice cream, is a significant driver of fat storage and obesity.
• He suggests that it's better to be primarily adapted to either fat or carbs, rather than combining the two.
• Baker emphasizes the importance of consuming fat when following a low-carb or zero-carb diet and carbohydrates when following a very low-fat diet.
• Unlike essential fats and essential protein amino acids, carbohydrates are not essential but can provide energy and be useful.

Physique of Our Ancestors - What Are We Designed To Do (00:20:45)

• Humans today are not designed to have six-packs and low body fat percentages like bodybuilders.
• Indigenous populations throughout history have typically had higher body fat percentages, around 10-18%.
• The type of training we do today, with high repetitions and heavy weights, is likely not comparable to what humans were designed to do.
• Carrying things over long distances, pushing and pulling heavy objects occasionally, and not sitting for long periods are more in line with our natural design.

Humans Are Omnivores (00:22:20)

• Humans are omnivores and have the ability to thrive on a mostly meat diet.
• If Twinkies had been available 50,000 years ago, humans would have likely eaten them due to their taste and energy content.
• Humans intuitively ate what tasted good to them, with animal fat and fruit being likely dietary components.
• The availability of fruit would have depended on the geographical location and climate, with tropical regions having year-round access and colder regions having limited access during ice ages.

Best & Worst Cuts of Meat (00:23:41)

• Meat has phytonutrients and polyphenols, which are conditionally beneficial compounds.
• Pasture-finished meat has a greater concentration of these compounds compared to grain-fed meat.
• The bioavailability of these compounds in meat is high.
• There is no significant difference in clinical outcomes between people who eat grain-fed beef and grass-fed beef.
• Regeneratively raised meat may have environmental benefits, but it is not essential for improving health.

Doing Carnivore Without Red Meat (00:27:00)

• Most people who successfully follow a carnivore diet long-term focus on some form of red meat like beef, lamb, or wild game.
• There are no known successful cases of people doing carnivore with only white meat.
• Historically, Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson lived with the Inuit for 12 years and ate only fish for six months, claiming to be healthier than ever.
• Fish has a heart-healthy reputation and may offer some benefits.
• Dr. Baker recommends avoiding prepackaged meats with long ingredient lists and opting for whole cuts of meat.

Where to Find More of Dr. Baker's Content (00:28:29)

• Dr. Baker can be found on various social media platforms:
  • YouTube: Sean Baker MD
  • Instagram: Sean Baker 1967
  • Twitter: S Baker MD
  • TikTok: Sean Baker
  • Website: carnivorediet.com