Amazingly, I still see clueless dieticians and mainstream medical mouthpieces on TV and the internet warn about the supposed hazards of eating red meat.
Well, maybe they didn’t get the memo the government issued earlier this year to drop its decades-old advice about avoiding all dietary cholesterol and saturated fats, including butter, eggs, meat and shellfish. The science simply never existed to forbid these healthy foods as part of a balanced diet. I suppose they also missed all the big studies showing elderly people don’t get enough protein, primarily because they don’t eat enough fish and meat.
In any case, I’m here to remind you to eat protein throughout the day. Not just once at dinner. Here are some healthy guidelines to help you choose good sources of protein…
- When you eat red meat, poultry, or dairy, make sure it comes from free-range, organically raised cattle and hens. It’s leaner and won’t contain antibiotics or hormones. Also, ask the butcher at the shop or supermarket to wrap your cuts in butcher paper, not plastic, so it won’t be exposed to chemicals in the plastic either.
- Choose lean cuts of red meat, such as flank steak, with some healthy marbling. Low-fat cuts of pork often include the word “loin.” When you make meatballs or meatloaf, combine some lean ground beef with ground pork, and/or other ground meat for a tasty, healthy option.
- Avoid artificially processed, packaged meats like cold cuts and hot dogs.
- Broil, bake, roast, or sauté your meat. Searing the meat first will help keep juices in for moist, tender flavor. You can also grill your meat, but just avoid overcooking or charring it. Excess heat can cause nutrients to break down. Also–some old studies from National Cancer Institute suggest blackened, charred meat may contain chemical byproducts of combustion that may be associated with some cancers.
- Try getting some protein daily from other sources, such as fish, seeds and nuts. Fatty fish such as herring, salmon and trout contain high levels of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows fish oil and omega-3s reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, dementia, inflammatory conditions, neurological disorders, and many other health problems.
When it comes to salmon, make sure to choose wild-caught varieties from the Pacific. As I’ve said before, there is no wild salmon caught anymore in the Atlantic. It all comes from fish farms. And studies show farmed fish have one-tenth the vitamin D and other nutrients as wild-caught fish. Plus, farm-raised fish often contain high levels of heavy metals and other toxic contaminants.
Seeds and nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, flax, sunflower and walnuts are also good, supplemental sources of protein. They also contain healthy essential fatty acids, as well as some fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin E. Plus, research shows eating nuts can help lower your blood sugar, reduce your Type II diabetes II risk, and help you avoid putting on excess weight.
- Try some wild game for a change of pace. It typically consists of just about five percent body fat. So it’s a great source of lean protein.
Now–I know some men and women who inadvertently follow a nearly vegetarian diet. Not because they’re consciously vegetarians…but because they simply prefer carb-heavy foods.
If you follow that kind of diet, you’re making a huge mistake.
Obviously, a carb-heavy, vegetarian diet offers little protein. This kind of diet also lacks key minerals, such as selenium, magnesium, and zinc. Plus, several studies show vegetarians suffer from low levels of important, basic nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin D, and vitamin E.
I hope today’s Daily Dispatch helped you separate the meat from the myth. I’ll give you more details about how to get enough healthy meat in your diet and all the benefits for both physical and mental health in this month’s issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter. If you’re a subscriber, you can access this issue by logging onto my website, with your username and password. If you’re not yet a subscriber, now is the perfect time to get started.