Before I commence, here are a couple of pics of my beautiful little grandbabies. (Yes, I am taking advantage of a captive audience for the sole purpose of bragging.):
First, Gideon James, who was born May 6th (he loves his Grandma!):
And secondly, but certainly not least, miss Melody Lynne, who was born January 16th:
Okay, on to the subject of red meat:
First of all, if you are a vegetarian, this blog is not going to be one you will get any good out of, whatsoever. You saw the pics of my grandbabies, so leave me a comment on how sweet they are and move on to a blog that is relevant to you. :-D
For everyone else........
The main reason I hear for people avoiding red meat is the fat content. There ARE many cuts of red meat that have fat marbled throughout. These, as with all fatty foods, should be eaten sparingly. But there are many cuts of read meat that actually have a very reasonable, if not downright low, fat content. Of course, 93% and higher lean ground beef is one of them, but also top round and eye of round are leaner cuts. Sirloin isn't too bad, either, as long as you cut the fat off of the outside.
The trick with red meat is to take a look at the piece of meat itself and see how much fat is marbeled throughout. The more solid red color it is, generally the leaner. If there are little flecks of white in there, that's fat. So choose according to your diet needs.
Plus, I'm not sure fat from organic meat is all that bad for you. I have to seriously wonder if this kind of fat, like butter, will wind up being placed in the "Not-as-bad-as-we-once-thought" category, since it's a naturally occurring fat the way God made it to be. However, fat from any source (healthy or not) is still calorie-dense, so keep this in mind with respect for your total caloric need according to your goals.
Did you note I said "organic" in the above paragraph? This is important, as is grass-fed. When grazing animals are eating what grazing animals are naturally inclined to eat (mostly grass and green stuff), there are important components in their meat that are good for us and we simply can't get in non-grass-fed critters. Additionally, when animals are pumped full of antibiotics (to keep them from getting sick in their over-stuffed quarters) and growth hormones (so they can butcher them sooner), and/or when they are fed non-organic feed, these components are subsequently in their meat. When we ingest them we have them entering our own bodies and wreaking havoc in our cells.
The takeaway? Buy organic and/or grass fed meats, of all kinds, as often as possible.
I tend to have a low iron level. Not low enough to make me anemic, but low enough to make me hormonal, grumpy, and hard to live with. I take supplements, but the iron in natural sources absorbs better into my system and does me more good. Red meat is a very high source of iron. For this reason I try to eat a lean source of it at least every-other day. (And my cholesterol levels are excellent, as is my blood pressure.)
Also, red meat is high in B-vitamins, which directly contribute to energy. I once tried to go vegetarian. I called my sister, who was a vegetarian at the time, and told her about the headaches, low energy, and crankiness I was experiencing. She said "Take B Vitamins- make sure it's full spectrum...." and proceeded to list off all the supplements I should now add to my diet, in the absence of meat. I listened, then replied "Or I could just eat some meat". Guess what was in my next meal? Yep. Red meat. Problem solved.
I'm not saying everyone should eat red meat. Obviously humans can survive without it. I'm just saying don't put it on your "Bad Food" list without really knowing that it is bad for YOU, particularly if you enjoy it.
Good-quality beef doesn't scare me. Pop tarts do.
Ending note: I realize not everyone is going to agree with my viewpoint on red meat, or any other of the foods I've blogged about in my "Food Snubbing" series. That's okay- You certainly have the right to your own opinion. I've mulled these subjects over and observed "studies" and "evidence" for many years before I stuck my neck out and blogged about them. So unless I see conclusive evidence to prove otherwise, and by that I mean scientific proof from more than one source, I am more than likely not going to change my position.
And with that, my Food Snubbing blog series is concluded. If you want to read any of the others, check the last several blogs right before this one. And please leave comments- I enjoy hearing from you!
