Bear Grylls says tests show he has ‘heart of a warrior’ on steak diet

Bear Grylls says doctors have told him he has the ‘heart of a warrior’ – after revealing his wife was so worried about his daily diet of ‘six eggs and a steak’ that she asked him to have a full coronary MOT. 

The 50-year-old explorer, who once evangelised about the vegan diet and even wrote a cookbook including his favourite plant-based recipes, follows a ‘butter and beef’ diet that sees him enjoying red meat daily. 

This week, he told his 8 million followers on Instagram, that he’d decided to have a full health check. 

He wrote: ‘I had a full coronary CT scan recently as Shara was worried my cholesterol was so high and that I must have furred arteries as I eat so much grass fed salted butter and saturated beef fat. 

TV explorer Grylls, 50, says his wife Shara pushed into having heart tests because she was concerned that his high cholesterol diet was furring his arteries (The couple pictured at Wimbledon last year)

The 50-year-old, pictured on location in Costa Rica in May, re-shared details of the regime he follows to maintain health – including steak every day – with his 8million Instagram followers

The former Scout Leader and father-of-three continued: ‘The result was shocking and good (a relief!): zero inflammation and zero calcium score and the doctor telling me I had the heart of a warrior. So relieved but so happy too.’

After turning his back on his former plant-based diet, Grylls has since admitted that he’s now ’embarrassed’ to have once promoted to his fans.

Inspired by how our ancestors survived for millennia, he now eats red meat, blood, bone marrow, as well as salted butter, eggs, fruit and honey. As well as veg, he avoids processed foods, bread and pasta. 

Last year, Grylls shared a snap of his ‘breakfast of champions’, which included steak, bacon and avocado

Build-a-Bear: The rules the TV explorer follows to stay healthy, which he’s shared this week on Instagram 

This week, after receiving the clean bill of health from his cardiologist, he re-shared his beliefs on what makes for a ‘happy, healthy life’.

The explorer, a former Etonian who became one of the youngest people to climb Everest, says he eats a steak a day, three to six eggs and Greek yoghurt and fruit. 

A fan of electrolyte water, which helps maintain hydration and replace lost minerals, he also recommends drinking around 450ml (16oz) daily.

Grylls, who stepped down from his role as Chief Scout earlier this year after holding the position since 2009, also suggests ‘walking 30 to 60 minutes per day’, sleeping 7 to 8 hours and getting 20 minutes of sunlight on your body every day. 

Exercise? Lifting weights four times a week for 45 minutes. 

Exercise: The father-of-three says he uses weights four time a week to keep his muscle tone strong

The star has also previously talked of his love of food supplements including ‘healing’ Lion’s Mane and Chaga Cacao. 

Many nutritionists recommend Lion’s Mane Mushroom for supporting ‘brain and neurological health’, while Chaga Cacao is a blend of superfood fungus extract, cacao powder and ceylon cinnamon. It contains beta-glucans, naturally occurring carbs, and can, it’s claimed, help with your immune system.

Grylls regularly shows off his toned physique on his Instagram page – and says doctors have told him he has the ‘heart of a warrior’ 

Grylls recently said he now feels ’embarrassed’ that he used to promote veganism – and has now shunned vegetables completely in favour of red meat

In 2022, Grylls posted a picture of bacon, sausages and scrambled egg on X, with the caption: ‘Solid feed up before speaking at an event! Ready to go.’ Right: The same year, Grylls shared a photo of his ‘dream lunch’ on X – which consists of grass-fed beef and live, eggs, rice, butter, cheese and bone marrow supplement

Some of his regime faced criticism in the comments below the post. 

One person wrote: ‘I think Bear is pretty irresponsible advocating that level meat consumption. The health and environmental consequences of excessive consumption of animal-based foods are well documented, not to mention the ethics of animal agriculture’.

Another added: ‘Bruh, every study about health and food shows, that more than twice meat per week has a serious impact on eg the chances of getting cancer.’ 

In May last year, Grylls opened up in an interview with PA about how he largely shuns vegetables now after turning his back on his vegan diet.

He claimed that he’d ‘never felt stronger’ and that his skin and gut have ‘never been better’ after binning the plant-based diet.

He said: ‘I was vegan quite a few years ago – in fact I wrote a vegan cookbook, and I feel a bit embarrassed because I really promoted that,’ Grylls said in an interview with PA. 

‘I thought that was good for the environment and I thought it was good for my health. 

‘And through time and experience and knowledge and study, I realised I was wrong on both counts.’

Experts also say that despite red meat being a good protein source, too much can increase the risk of bowel cancer, while a recent Harvard University study found low-carb diets can increase the risk of early death. 

Grylls pictured taking part in a baptism ceremony for Russell Brand in the Thames (pictured)

The pair are firm friends, but Grylls’ association with Brand hasn’t always been received positively by his fans

The 50-year-old said that since switching to a red meat-focused diet, he no longer craves junk, and slammed his previous plant-based diet as ‘such an unhealthy way to live.’

He said: ‘I was having salads every day, I would really crave junk food and once or twice a week have cheat meals – a real blow-out of whatever you want, burgers, pizzas, etc’.

He added: ‘You’re basically starving for 80 per cent of the time and then you’re bingeing for the rest. That’s not good for the body.’

Grylls added: ‘I find now I’m always full when I’m eating so much meat and eggs and butter and fruit and honey – I’m never hungry.’