I get asked about meat here and there, so I wanted to share my tidbits.
Informational Food/Health Documentaries
I highly recommend watching “Game Changers,” “You are what you eat“, “You are what you eat: A twin experiment“, and “Secrets of the Blue Zones – How to Live to 100.” They are all on Netflix. You can learn a lot about the misconceptions around meat and protein from these documentaries. The longest living people are eating very little or no meat. Of course there are other factors, but it’s just something to think about.
Conflicting health information. I think they are all great informative shows to watch overall, but I still take what resonates with me and leave what does not. For example, I love the many ways they show that plant-based is beneficial for our health, heart, brain, and longevity, but the terms plant-based and vegan can get really muddy when it comes to the fake processed stuff. I’m not for fake processed meat or fake eggs made with crap processed ingredients. This is when we take a step back and remember the closer to nature and less processed, the better – truly plant-based. Also, plant-based does not necessarily mean no meat. You can be plant-based and still eat meat.
What Is A Plant-Based Diet?
Plant-Based Diet- A diet that does not necessarily avoid all animal products, but the majority is plant focused. Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Nuts, Seeds, Spices, Legumes, and Whole Grains make up the majority of the diet. (This is where I fall. I still have animal products on occasion, but it is pretty rare over the years – mostly goat cheese.) ~ her healthy style
Do We Need Protein?
Yes, we do need protein, we couldn’t live without it. Thankfully protein is in pretty much everything! I do however believe we all need different amounts; our bodies are not identical. It also seems we need more the older we get? I’m not sure yet for myself, I’ll let you know when I get older. 🙂
Can I Still Eat Meat And Live A Healthy Lifestyle? Remember this is my perspective.
I absolutely think you can eat meat and still live a healthy lifestyle as long as you don’t over do it! Too much is too much fat for our livers to process. Excess meat is linked to heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 Diabetes, and the list goes on. If you are concerned with protein – read this article from The Game Changers – animals are the middlemen since most of their protein comes from plants. Most of us, whether largely meat eating, plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian, get in way more protein than we even need. I’ve read that when we really crave meat, it can mean we are not getting enough calories from other foods, craving fat, or possibly low in iron. There are of course more stats to it, but that one always stuck with me.
My Personal Journey With Meat
I personally have never been one to really want a lot of meat. My favorite was a grilled cheeseburger in the summertime. I lowered my meat intake around 15 years ago after learning we have plant eating teeth and that meat ages us. I also learned from food pairing that a meat protein & a carb like a potato/pasta don’t pair well together (too much can lead to weight gain). Since I’m a fan of healthy carbs, as I believe it gives us much more energy, this was just another reason that I didn’t eat a lot of meat. I probably enjoyed it 3-5 times a month – generally with friends, out to eat, and holidays. The exception to this is when I worked with two different functional medicine doctors for two years while I was healing my gut. They had me on a high-protein, low fruit diet – this did not work for me.
The reason why I cut meat mostly out more recently (I had it once last year) is because I struggle with the animal aspect of it after reading a graphic article. It’s this one if you want to read it – warning it’s fairly graphic. I try to keep it unlabeled as best as I can since I think labels put pressure on us. Because of this I didn’t have any guilt when I did have it last year or if I do again. I think a healthy relationship with food is the most important of all. I’ve also seen some health educated vegans, eating clean diverse diets, start eating meat 2-3 times a month again because they said no amount of plant-based iron helped them with their anemia (with this said, there are so many variables to low iron). So yes, I do think there can be some benefits to eating meat. Any benefits aside though, I do know some just really enjoy it! That’s why I ate it once in awhile – it was never because I thought I was lacking nutrition. And no, I do not think everyone that eats meat hates animals. My husband is the biggest animal lover and he also worked on a farm growing up so he knows the sad sides of it too. He still enjoys meat when we are out to eat, with family and friends, but it’s minimal. Whether or not he changes in the future is his choice.
I don’t know what my future holds with meat and nor do I need to know. I will always listen to my body and needs and make changes if I see fit. I invite you to do the same. Don’t forget that we can always change if something is not working for us. I didn’t bring up fish here, but I enjoy fish, especially salmon.
RESPECT Goes a Long Way
There is such a big divide in this world between vegans and meat eaters and all it does is create a more hostile environment/world. This does more harm than good for all. Everyone is entitled to their own belief system/perspectives and we don’t need to make sly comments towards one another. We just need respect. If you know consuming meat offends someone next to you, eat your meat at a different time when you are not by them if possible. If you are not sure, ask! Both respect and not feeling the need to change someone else goes a long way.
What Should I Look For When Buying Meat?
If you do eat meat, try to get not only grass fed, but grass finished as well. Many grass fed labeled meats still finish their “grass fed” cows with feeding them GMO corn/soy. This causes the cows to gain weight which in turn gets them a higher selling price. Also, you’ll see what the majority of America’s beef and chicken industry looks like in the “You are what you eat: A Twin experiment” on Netflix. It’s sad. There is nothing natural about the way the majority of these animals are living. You’ll also see a glimpse of what the industry does to our environment. So really try to educate yourself and see where your meat is coming from and how the animals are treated. There are good farms out there. You will pay a lot more, but it’s worth every single penny in my opinion. Of course we can’t help it all of the time – with others, out to eat, etc. … I am always talking about the norm, not 100%. Consistency over perfection with all.
What Are Some High Protein Non-Meat Sources?
High Protein Non-Meat Protein Sources: raw spinach, spirulina, quinoa, chickpeas, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, nori, potatoes – potatoes have a lower protein amount, but highly absorbable!, quality clean protein powders -I use the pumpkin seed protein powder from Wilderness Poets sometimes- code RIANE10 saves $10 off $49+
What Should I Look For When Buying Meat?
Better Quality Meat Sources: Wild-caught or sustainably caught salmon/fish, Free-range Organic Chicken, Organic Pasture-Raised Grass Fed & Finished Red Meat
My Tidbits:
Regardless of what lane we choose, eating a rainbow of whole plant foods gives us a more diverse microbiome – healthier gut. Fill that plate with mostly plants. 🙂
Reminder: I share my thoughts and what I have learned along the way, but always do what feels right for you! Only you know what is best for you. I am forever tweaking and making changes, listening to what I need and how I feel. Remembering to nourish not only my body, but my mind as well.
Thank you so much for following me here! You can also find me on the daily @herhealthystyle on Instagram. Xx Riane
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I am only featuring items I love. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you so much for your support! See my full disclosure.