[readolog_first_paragraph ][/readolog_first_paragraph]There has been so much confusion around the topic of consuming animal flesh that it can be extremely difficult to distinguish between good and bad advice. Some health professionals claim that you should only eat raw food, while others advocate eating meat daily or more heavily than may be necessary. I aim to end the confusion.
A background on meat culture.
For a long time it was thought that red meat and other types of meat were directly linked to heart disease and raised cholesterol levels. And while over-consuming meat can cause negative effects, there is no direct link between heart disease and eating clean and unprocessed meat. This study found that processed meat raised cholesterol levels and a potential risk of diabetes, however it found no direct link between red meat and heart disease.
Americans consume around 270lbs. of meat per person each year, second in the world only to Luxembourg! Check out this npr.org article for more interesting statistics on meat consumption.
The problem is not that meat is bad, but that most of this meat that Americans are consuming is processed and toxic meat. Eating too much processed meat can severely stress the digestive system and lead to issues such as colon cancer.
This fact must be made clear, not all meat is created equal, but I am sure you already knew that. In fact, cows are ruminators; they have long digestive tracts and are meant to subsist on a diet of grass. When cows are allowed to roam and graze on grass, they produce meat that contains higher amounts of Omega 3 Fatty acids, and an overall more optimal balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.
When it comes to meat, it is always about the quality and source.
Processed meat is often fed a diet of processed corn, junk food, sawdust, sewage sludge, and the cattle often has to be treated with a vigorous treatment of anti-biotics and hormones just so that it does not succumb to infection from its poor living conditions. Most processed meat does not have room to properly move and exercise, and this along with a toxic diet, leads to excess fat gain. This livestock is sold by the pound, so fattier meat means more profit.
The problem with eating processed and fattier meat is that fat is where all of the toxins these animals eat gets stored. So when you consume processed meat you also consume all of the hormones, antibiotics, and toxic food that the livestock you are eating ate. This is what will wreak havoc on your gut flora and digestive health. This will kill good bacteria and become a breading ground for harmful bacteria and fungus.
Processed meat is also exponentially more susceptible to parasite infections. Parasites thrive in hosts that have weak immune systems and a toxic diet; making processed meat an ideal place for you to catch a parasite infection from.
By only choosing the highest quality organic, grass-fed, and free-range meat and poultry available, you consume healthier animals and greatly decrease your chance of getting an infection. You eat beneficial fat with a more optimal omega3 to 6 fat ratio that does not have toxins in it.
From an ethical viewpoint, meat that is processed has a life that is highly stressful and the animals are mistreated and abused, these excess stress hormones will circulate throughout the animal and the consumer will eat these when they consume processed meat. Processed meat is often cheaper in price, but can lead to health issues that cost exponentially more.
When I make a purchase of meat I want to ensure that it is of the highest quality possible, ensuring that it had a normal life and was allowed to grow naturally. My personal opinion is that there is in fact a humane way to slaughter an animal for consumption. If you see the difference between feedlot and free-range cows, the cows raised humanly produce a much different vibrational energy when eaten. Processed meat brings my energy and life force down; I often will experience constipation, brain fog, and sluggishness. Fresh meat eaten only when my body is truly craving it makes me feel satiated and deeply energized.
When it comes down to it, choosing meat comes down to the source and quality. You only want to eat and consume high quality fresh meat. Ideally you will know the source of the meat you buy and how the animals are raised. There are many farmers’ networks where people can find a farm that raises livestock where they can go and see for themselves just how the animals are raised.
My recommendation is to network and do some research locally about what is nearby. Ask friends or relatives who may be into buying locally if there are any good places for high quality meats or farm networks. Reaching out into your environment and making connections can be a great way to find a farm that is producing good quality livestock.
When buying meat in the supermarket always buy certified organic meat, and make sure that you only buy grass-fed red meat. Sometimes meat can be certified organic and it is fed an organic grain based diet, instead of being allowed to graze naturally on grass.
How much meat should you eat?
[readolog_blockquote ]The relationship you have with your own body is going to be the most important signaler of when you need to consume flesh and tissue to repair. [/readolog_blockquote]
The answer will be different for each individual. We all have different genetics and habits that may require more or less meat consumption. A bodybuilder or a lumberjack may need to eat a lot of flesh to get the nutrients they need in significant enough quantities for their body to repair itself.
While another person may just need to eat meat once a week. Given the meat consumption per person in the U.S. I would say that meat consumption is entirely too high.
I will eat chicken maybe once per week, fish twice per week, and maybe some eggs for dinner on another night. I will rotate a different type of protein such as organic tofu in one night to mix things up. My red meat consumption varies. I would say on average I consume red meat perhaps once per week, on some weeks I may have it more, some weeks I may not eat red meat at all. I just listen to my body.
The relationship you have with your own body is going to be the most important signaler of when you need to consume flesh and tissue to repair. And even though I eat what could be considered flesh sometimes as much as 5 nights per week, I may consume a bit less than your average person, and I am 6’ 5” and 200lbs of lean mass. I eat my meat very consciously and always do well never to over consume it.
The key is going to be how well you digest meat and your body’s own unique needs. If you can effectively utilize meat and assimilate the nutrients in it, you should eat it as much as you physically need too. However, if your digestive system becomes stressed from meat, and you experience symptoms such as feeling over-full or constipated, you are probably eating too much meat. Try having a very small piece that is cooked just right, and always make sure to properly chew until it is almost liquid. Tissue can be difficult for the stomach to breakdown so always chew your meat to a pulp to ensure that you can utilize the nutrients. Eating meat rushed and in large amounts is the cause of much digestive stress and confusion in meat eaters.
You should only eat meat that is cooked as close to rare as possible. Again, many people think that this will automatically lead to parasites, which is not entirely true. If you choose processed meat, than yes, eating meat more on the raw side will lead to parasite risks from the fact that it is a more sickly animal. But organic and high quality meat does not run that same risk, in my opinion you should only cook the meat as much as you need to feel safe about killing off any bacteria or parasites that may be in it. For me this means I eat most of my meat about medium-rare. I just cook my steak just enough so that I know the middle got heated up and that’s it. I like to see some nice red and pink still in my steaks, as long as the middle has been heated thoroughly.
I have not experienced any problems from eating my meat cooked like this, but I would never eat a standard piece of meat raw, I do not trust the quality. By not over-cooking meat the max life force within the animal can be absorbed by the body. Cooking the meat to well or a crisp makes it unusable by the body and may increase the formation of cancer causing chemicals. Anytime meat gets cooked it transforms and eventually breaks down the life force within it.
I would recommend that everyone takes a look at their relationship to meat and how much they consume. Is it being digested easily? Are you only purchasing high quality and organic local meats? Do you feel sluggish from eating in a rush or from eating too much meat? These are all questions that should be asked and assessed.
If you can be truly honest and listen to the body’s cravings than you will know how much meat you should eat. I can only share my experience, which has been that my own meat consumption varies greatly.
I have been Vegan to cleanse my body for a few months at a time, but then I get the craving to once again consume flesh. I do not think that cutting out meat entirely is a wise choice. Meat is an extremely dense and vital life force and nutrition delivery system for the body. Not eating any form of flesh can lead to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, such as Vegans and Vegetarians commonly being deficient in Vitamin B12, which has important functions within the nervous system.
The simple fact is that meat is so extremely nutritious that one would need to eat many pounds of plant-based foods to get a comparable nutritional content. At the end of the day, meat, fish, and eggs, can all be much more effective and energizing than plant-based alternatives.
Not all nutrition is created equal, because the human body cannot absorb vitamins and minerals the same from different sources. Plants are generally much more difficult to absorb and utilize vitamins and minerals from, this is why cooking some vegetables has actually been shown to increase the bioavailability of vitamins in them. The same rule applies to many different types of animal products. When eaten properly, high quality organic meat is an extremely potent and bioavailable source of nutrition.
Plants are living beings as well, and eating too many in an attempt to match the nutrients one can get from meat, would almost certainly not be energy-efficient and would cause much stress to the body. Human beings are omnivores; we function optimally by eating a diet that is based on our genetic influences, and a bit of everything, which includes diversity of plants and animals.
How do I know this? Because I have experienced the extremes of both sides, which is what being a Vegan or Meat-Fanatic that does not care about quality really are. We have no moderate examples in our culture, just two extremes. We have the stick thin vegan who runs around doing Pilates and lashing out at meat-eaters, and the ignorant fat guy who drinks beer and eats 350lbs. of tortured animals each year and wonders why he is sick.
The answer, like everything in the case of two extremes in life, is that it is somewhere in the middle. Balance. Yin and Yang. Humans clearly can utilize and function extremely well off of diets that include some source of high-quality meat or animal products. On the other hand, most humans that eat ONLY plants can clearly not.
Do not end up being on either side of an extreme. If you decide that you do not wish to ever consume red meat again, that is fine, but be open to your body’s cravings. Do not cut out all animal products simply because you want to be part of a label such as Vegan.
What is the ethical reason behind not eating organic eggs? I honestly cannot think of one. I have seen chickens that lay eggs and are fed organically and get sunlight, they look pretty damn happy to just be chickens laying eggs. The eggs taste phenomenal and fulfilling. Is a fish really that bad to consume once in a while? Sure it is indeed a living thing, but so are plants. Plants are beautiful to me, and so are animals. Humans are at a point in our existence where we have the potential to have near complete control, or at least a major influence, over our environment. We have the choice to either destroy the environment or cultivate love and sustainable food.
If a fish or cow can provide nutrition that can aid you in being the strongest person you are able to be, especially since only humans can help our collective environment, what is so bad about that? Eating meat mindfully supports many people as well, and if you are voting with your money in a responsible fashion, it will be beneficial to the environment.
One must also consider that certain meats, such as organ meat, contain extremely high concentrations of nutrients. In a mere 100g of chicken liver, which equates to just 167 calories, you get an arsenal of bioavailable nutrition, that is perfectly balanced for optimal absorption and use by the body. Just 167 calories of chicken liver contains 267% DV (Daily Value) of Vitamin A, 50% Vitamin C, 128% Vitamin B12, over 100% Folate and Riboflaven, It also contains significant amounts of the minerals Iron, over 100% of your DV of Selenium, Copper, Zinc, Phosphorus, among others. Chicken liver also contains a healthy amount of cholesterol, which is needed for cellular function as long as it is from high quality sources, and a great balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/667/2
To my knowledge there is no such plant-based food that can give you this type of balanced nutrition in a mere 167 calories. I am sure some may be impressive, but in my opinion none will be comparable. Realize that production and energy also goes into eating plant-based foods, and the nutrients in them will not be as bioavailable as a high quality liver meat would be. Plants are also living things.
Do not allow others to make decisions for you, don’t identify with labels when it comes to your diet.
Always be open to high quality animal products, and listen to your own morals and ethics. Realize that logically, humans must consume some high quality animal products to get the nutrients needed in the quantity that we need them. I am not proclaiming that everyone needs to eat red meat, but you probably will need to include some seafood or eggs at the very least.
If your heart and body says to never eat red meat again, that is fine, but be open to seafood or eggs as an alternative. Choosing a radical extreme and following what has become nothing more than a label is not a good way to choose when you eat animal products.
Food that has a strong life force allows you to do much more good for the world than someone who is nutrient deficient and eating processed flour just because they are “vegan”.
[readolog_blockquote ]The time in your life will come into play, and where you are emotionally and spiritually will also have an impact.[/readolog_blockquote]
Whatever diet you choose to follow, do it rationally and do it because it is what YOU are craving. I believe that too much meat will overburden the body. I also feel that the person I am when I consume animal products more, such as red meat, vs. who I am when I am vegan, is very different. But being different when needed is a good thing. Your diet and who you are should be allowed to vary. By not identifying with any specific label or strict way of eating I can change my diet and adapt as needed.
So in closing; the amount of meat you eat should be based on your needs as an individual. The time in your life will come into play, and where you are emotionally and spiritually will also have an impact. When I am in a period of cleansing and restoring energy, I may eat very little meat or go vegan for a few days, but once I need sustainable energy I will eat whatever high quality food source naturally comes my way.
When you eat meat make sure that it is always free-range and organic, grass-fed, and of the highest quality possible. Do not over-cook your meat, and do not overeat it. Chew your meat well and eat it with good intentions and be grateful to the life that is going to become a part of your energy. Eat in good spirits and truly enjoy it.
Photo cred: http://www.fleishers.com