The Simplest Diet That Has Ever Existed is Also the Healthiest

Thomas DeLauer interviews nutrition researcher Dr Chris Masterjohn on building a minimal, budget-conscious diet, with Masterjohn arguing that “meat and potatoes” can cover many micronutrient bases. Masterjohn cites red meat as a strong source of bioavailable iron, zinc and compounds such as creatine and carnitine, and describes potatoes as a practical way to increase potassium intake. They discuss using ground beef blended with organs (liver, heart, kidney) as a more palatable route to organ meat intake, and Masterjohn says shellfish and organ meats can help address nutrient gaps for people attempting carnivore-style eating.

The conversation shifts to metabolic tolerance for combining fat and carbohydrate, with both men discussing the “Randle cycle” as a possible explanation for why some people gain fat or feel “destabilised” when mixing higher-fat meat with starchy potatoes. Masterjohn says individual responses vary and suggests testing meal composition against energy, sleep and morning glucose.

DeLauer describes maintaining very low body fat for years and raises concerns about sleep, partitioning and hormones. He says his testosterone rose from below 300 to around 580–600 after taking 600 mg CoQ10, and he speculates this improved his sleep; Masterjohn says CoQ10’s mitochondrial role makes it a plausible factor, while glycine is less likely to reliably raise testosterone.

They also discuss carb timing for sleep, including the idea that high-glycaemic carbs may reduce sleep latency, and briefly cover honey as a carbohydrate source with potential digestive advantages. The episode contains a Thrive Market promotion segment.

• Masterjohn recommends steak (red meat) and potatoes as a simple diet that can supply many essential nutrients.
• He suggests ground beef blended with organ meats as a practical way to increase nutrient density for people who dislike liver.
• They discuss whether mixing high-fat meat with starchy carbs causes problems for some people, including via the “Randle cycle”.
• DeLauer says his blood work showed testosterone rising from below 300 to about 580–600, which he attributes mainly to taking 600 mg CoQ10.
• Masterjohn says RCTs on CoQ10 often show benefits around 100–200 mg on average, with more variable results at higher doses, and argues diet should be optimised first.
• They debate carb timing for sleep, with Masterjohn suggesting carbs may promote sleepiness while protein can promote wakefulness depending on timing and individual response.