This weeks buzz is allllllll about red meat. I like to discuss topics where there is confusion, where people tend to write something off when they don't quite understand it or if mainstream media is talking about it. Red meat takes the cake on all of that, so let's discuss some points below!

Now, many people these days cut out red meat because of a few reasons. The main reason is because someone, somewhere is saying its bad for you and you need to stop eating it immediately! (yet give you no clear context). Heck, I just did a google search, "why is red meat bad for you" and this is what came up:

• "can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes"
• "can raise the risk of coronary heart disease"
• "can raise the risk of stroke and certain cancers"

That's odd. Looking at the above, any type of food we consume as humans can cause all of the above! We just need to be smart and careful about our portions and how we consume certain foods. As I always say, THE DOSE MAKES THE POISON. Too much of anything is bad for us. Too much sun, too much social media, too much news😉...all really bad for us if it's excessive amounts. 

So. Red meat is not bad for us. At all. Some people, yes. Most people, no. Our bodies were designed to breakdown animal protein such as red meat and use it efficiently. Like this list below. Heres all the great things we get from red meat consumption:

• Essential amino acids that your body needs to build muscle.
• Contains high levels of B12, iron, zinc and selenium - which are all essential for our bodies.
• High doses of natural creatine that aids in building muscle. 
• Helps the body produce testosterone (even you females need that!)
• High quality protein source.
• Its just really good (to me) 😁👍.

Now, we can see the benefits of red meat from above. However, like we said above, the dose makes the poison. WHICH MEANS, if you are someone who is overweight, at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, heart issues of any kind, family histories of cancers, do not regularly exercise 2-4 times per week, etc. then eating red meat everyday is probably a bad idea for you. These types of people should probably keep their red meat consumption to 1-2 times per week until they get back on the right track to a healthier lifestyle. BUT, thats like ANYTHING when you are unhealthy. Being unhealthy puts you at risk for a lot with your body, no matter what type of meat you are consuming. A healthier body can process red meat (and other foods for that matter) a lot better and more efficiently. Many people who fall into those unhealthy categories above also consume poor and low quality red meat options. Here are some bad red meat examples below:

• High, fatty cuts of red meat that contain a lot of "white" around edges.
• 70/30 ground beef ratio.
• Burgers, tacos, meatloafs and anything mashed together usually contains fattier sources of red meat. 

Consuming the above foods multiple times per week, yes, probably not a good idea for ANYONE, healthy or unhealthy. However, if we exchange those options above for things like these below: 

• Grass-fed, farm raised, free range beef.
• 90/10 ground beef ratio.
• Lean cuts such as filets, tenderloin and sirloin. 

These cuts above are A LOT better for us as humans, both healthy and unhealthy people. We just need to make smart decisions when it comes to selecting the cuts and sources of our meat, not just red meat. 

SO...lots of information we just covered. All in all, red meat is NOT bad for you. If you are someone who does not eat red meat due to the humane concept, totally get that, keep doing you. If you do not like to eat red meat because of the commercial side of things, totally get that - just purchase grass fed, free range and farm raised. We should all be eating grass fed, free range and buying local anyways! It's better quality for us, better for animals and better for the environment as a whole. 

Be healthy. Be happy. Eat your red meat in moderation (like anything else) 2-4 times per week (if you like it) and stop listening to Bryan from your local book club who is an overweight vegan, hasn't eaten meat in years and has never tried to exercise. He knows absolutely nothing about nutrition and how it effects the body. That would be like me saying "playing the drums is bad for your health and muscles". I know nothing about music and instruments, so I have no basis telling people what to do there. See? As always, trust the science🙂! Eat plants, eat animal products, dairy, everything and anything that was put on this earth. Our bodies are engineered to process and thrive from all of the wonderful elements our earth provides! Just do so in moderation, again, the dose makes the poison😉. 

Harvard article HERE

Layne Norton video HERE

Should dietary guidelines recommend low red meat intake? Read the full study HERE

(this is a really good one)