I am not a vegetarian and do not advocate a vegetarian lifestyle. I am an omnivore who has decided to reduce my meat intake. I will continue to enjoy smaller portions of my favorite high quality meats thereby improving my health and potential for longevity.
Eating meat is an important health consideration.
The digestion of meat is inefficient and therefore requires the body to burn oxygen in a process called oxidation which results in the production of free radicals in the body. Many medical and scientific researchers believe that free radicals damage your body and are associated with disease and aging.
Whey, a natural bi-product of cheese manufacture is a high quality protein that is easy to digest and can be efficiently broken down by the body to provide needed protein with lower levels of free radicals produced compared to meat digestion. Simply cutting back on eating meat and getting some of your proteins from legumes, soy, or whey can potentially improve your health.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that “Men who eat red meat as a main dish five or more times a week have four times the risk of colon cancer of men who eat red meats less than once a month”. Heavy red-meat eaters were also found to have twice the risk of prostate cancer in a study of 50,000 male health professionals.
The risk of colon cancer increases with red meat consumption and may be associated with the methods of cooking the meat which can also introduce or create carcinogens.
It has also been found that all meats including beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, and fish form acids in the body which are known to increase the risk of many illness and disease, since the highly acid forming diet causes a large accumulation of debris and hardened mucoid plaque (mucous) in the colon. Once the colon is damaged in this way, the body’s immune system, and ability to eliminate toxins becomes compromised.
My family and I still enjoy light quality lean meats, in much smaller portions, less frequently, and our physical health is enjoying the benefits.
