Where’s the Beef? Should We Eat Red Meat

It’s officially grilling season with burgers and steaks flying on and off the grill.   The million dollar question that I often get is, “Should I avoid red meat?”

First of all, I am a huge proponent of eating protein in general, whether it is plant -based protein or animal-based protein.  Our bodies are made of muscle, which includes all of our organs.  Protein is what builds muscle and makes them stronger.  Protein can also help lower blood sugar, fortify cells with a number of key nutrients and even stabilize mental imbalances (please see Felice Jacka study on effect of red meat for depression and anxiety).

The key to protein is to eat quality protein.  What that means is that all protein is not created equal.  Just as things we buy in the supermarket labeled as food is not always identifiable as food to our bodies, neither are many types of protein many of us consume.

For example, take a look at this hamburger I bought from a fast food restaurant.  It looks like the same burger millions of people around the world eat every day.  However, I purchased this burger on January 23, 2013!  That was not a typo, folks.  This burger is 3 1/2 years old.  The crazy part is that it looks just like a burger that was bought minutes ago.  Ok, mine is now hard as a rock but check it out–it never broke down or got moldy (the “meat” or the bun!).  You need to ask yourself if this never broke down while sitting on my counter for years, what does it do in your body?

Yes, let’s get REAL, quality counts.  What about all red meat?  There was a study by Harvard in 2012 that concluded that all red meat was risky and led to increased chance of early death.  Is this really true?  In actuality, this study was conducted using all types of meat, not distinguishing between conventionally grown meat or organic, grass-fed meat.  As Autumn Fladmo Smith stated in her interview on the Anxiety Summit,  “the subjects ate conventional meat, prob with a bun made of gluten, ketchup with High Fructose Corn Syrup and a glass of soda filled with sugar and other garbage…”

Again, quality counts.   In my practice, I encourage my clients to eat organic grass-fed meat 1-2 times a week.  Quality meat provides Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.  It increases our levels of antioxidants such as glutathione, has 3-5 times more “good” fatty acids, has 7 times more Vitamin A, 3 times more Vitamin E, and more minerals such as zinc, iron and magnesium, than conventional meat.

However, it’s not just what organic, grass-fed meat has, it’s what it doesn’t have.  Quality meat does not have added hormones, antibiotics and pesticides that conventional meat has.  These “additions” lead to higher acidity and endocrine disruption (among others), which can lead to inflammation, which is the basis for all disease.  No thank you to meat with toxins on the side!

Some people do have difficulty with red eat resulting in stomach upset.  They likely have digestive issues with LOW stomach acid to help break the meat down.  Be sure to chew, chew, chew.  It is also helpful to take 1-2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar in hot water before or after a meal to help better digest the meat. Betain with HCl is very helpful along with food enzymes.

Bottom line, only eat organic grass-fed meat.  Your body will tell the difference, it tastes better, and it’s easy to find.  I buy my organic chicken at Costco and often order my red meat from U.S. Wellness.  I even buy meat snacks from PaleoValley.com.

This was one of the topics regarding the huge impact of food on the Anxiety Summit.  Today is encore day when you can listen to all expert interviews for free.  Knowledge is power and you never know who you will be able to help.