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Articles- Is Meat Fit to Eat?- 7/24/09

Is Meat Fit to Eat?

What does your body have to say about that?

After growing up vegetarian and doing some time as a vegan, I now believe I feel best when I consume meat. I have had clients who have had significant symptoms resolved when meat was added into the diet.  And I have had clients who experienced improved health and vitality by reducing and even eliminating meat.

What is your relationship to meat? I encourage you to experiment.

The Nutrient Profile

Meat is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins (especially B vitamins), protein and healthy fats.

Human Anatomy: Fit for Meat?

Some say the human anatomy is designed to handle meat, others say it is not. One thing is for sure is that our original ancestors did eat meat, but they ate it raw.

Raw Meat?

Heat is known to diminish and damage nutrients, including those in meat and milk (pasteurization destroys milk). Parasite and bacterial infection from most raw meat is a major concern as most meat comes from industrial farms and processing plants, there is long delay between butchering and eating, and most modern humans have weakened digestion and immune systems. Personally, I regularly consume raw egg yolks and prepare red meats rare.

The Experts Debate

The brightest, most highly trained PhD’s and doctors disagree the most basic nutrition questions, including “Should humans eat meat?” I personally enjoyed the debate between Dr. T Colin Campbell, PhD and the Weston A. Price Foundation (see end of article for links to the entire debate).

The China Study

In The China Study (2005), Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. of Cornell University concludes that diets high in protein, particularly animal protein (including casein in cow’s milk) are strongly linked to diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

The study was a “survey of death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer for more than 2,400 counties and 880 million (96%) of their citizens” conducted over the course of twenty years. Campbell, who originally grew up on a dairy farm and recommends a vegan diet (no animal foods at all).

The Work of Dr. Weston A. Price, DDS

In Nutrition and Physical Degeneration(1939), Dr. Weston A. Price, DDS shares his remarkable research of the health and diets of 14 isolated populations from around the world who ate only their traditional diets: whole foods indigenous to their region. All of the populations ate meat- some a little and others a lot.

These “primitive” populations had impeccable physical development and health. Dental cavities, impacted molars, tooth crowding, allergies, heart disease, asthma, headaches, general fatigue, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, and degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease were virtually nonexistent.

Because of the unique period of time, Price was able to observe what happened once modern processed foods (refined sugars, refined flours, canned goods, etc.) displaced the traditional diets: all of the above ailments became prevalent.

Using the Whole Animal

The healthy populations in Dr. Price’s study used the entire animal, including bones (full of calcium), organs (packed with minerals and vitamins), heads and feet (tremendous sources of gelatin). Nowadays, these parts are rarely eaten. We favor the less nutritious muscle meats, which many of Price’s cultures discarded.

Currently, I teach my clients who want to eat meat how to make delicious and nourishing broths with the bones/heads/feet and how to incorporate organ meats into stews, chilies and burgers.

About Vegetariansim and Veganism

I am open to the idea that a low or no-meat approach could be superior to a meat-centered approach. Vegans should absolutely supplement with a high quality B-12 as it is not available in usable form in plant sources, yet it is vital for optimal health. Vitamin D levels should be carefully monitored and likely supplemented. See my article on Vitamin D.

Junk Food Vegetarianism

People cut out red meat and pork and think they are eating healthy; yet, often they continue to eat the processed foods that are clearly implicated as causes of disease: like breads, bagels, cereals, crackers, pretzels, artificial sweeteners, ice cream, energy bars, frozen meals, and sweeteners.

Meat as Medicine

Because meat has a grounding, balancing and tonifying affect, in its highest quality forms, it can be considered as a medicine0- balancing out the stressed and depleted modern man and woman. I have had clients who had significant symptoms resolved through adding meat back into their diet.

WARNING!!!

Quality is a major issue with meat. Probably 90% of the meat on the market is not fit to feed your family. Much of it comes from disease-riddled factory-farmed animals who were fed the wrong foods, while being pumped stimulants, hormones, and antibiotics.

Know Your Source

I recommend buying from local farmers who you can talk to and check up on. It’s not easing to farm the right way. It takes committed partnership between farmer and consumer to create sustainable economy in which everyone’s needs can be met.

Find high quality animal foods near you. Contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation at

What to Ask For

Companies often cut corners and do the absolute minimum to qualify for labeling terms, so remember that the most important step to take in sourcing meat is to actually go to the source to check it out, but here are the terms to look for and ask for.

1. Free Range- The animals have plenty of room out of doors to move their bodies, breath fresh air, bask in sunshine, and eat natural foods

2. Grass-Fed- Cattle, bison, goat, lamb, and other cud-shewing animals are designed to eat and thrive on grass. When they are fed grains they become sick and the quality of the meat and milk suffers. Grass-fed is much more important than organic

3. Hormone and Antibiotic Free- This is a no-brainer.

4. Organic- Once again a no-brainer, but not as crucial as the first three. For instance, a milk could be “organic,” but the cow was eating organic corn and soy (the wrong type of food).

Give Thanks

I want to end this article by encouraging us all to honor the plants and animals we eat. Life is given so that we may live on. What an honor.

Further Reading on the Debate

1) WAP Criticisms of The China Study

http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/chinastudy.html

2) T. Colin Campbell’s Rebuttal

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/campbell_china_response.htm

3) WAP Response to the Rebuttal

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Campbell-Masterjohn.html

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