Meat: Eat Less, But Better
The Short Answer: How much meat to eat? Between the choices of none, a little, or lots, we find ourselves in the middle. Eat a little, but don’t feel bad if others disagree. This is one subject that will always be contentious.
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Where We Stand
Our last post advocated eating meat “sparingly.” It also discussed the movie Forks Over Knives, which argued for a vegan (no meat or animal products) lifestyle, though described as “whole foods, plant-based.” Terms like vegan or vegetarian invoke an unfavorable image, it seems, and were avoided in the movie.
Not wanting to slight the pro-meat group, this week I read about two opposing documentaries. The first is called Fat Head (available as a DVD), the other, a more serious effort not yet released, is In Search of the Perfect Human Diet. You’ll recall that the Atkin’s Diet advocated a meat-based, low-carb diet, but that was yesterday; today it’s called the Paleo diet and seems to be favored by young men who like to argue.
Does it seem to you that women are more often vegetarians, while men are most likely to be carnivores (though they prefer the term omnivores)? I spend a couple of hours reading blog comments as the two sides battled with each other, often guy against girl, and found that they do agree on one thing: The standard American diet (known as SAD) is the main cause of our current poor health.
So there’s this triangle. In their respective corners are the plant-eaters, the meat-eaters, and the factory food-eaters (SAD). Where are we? In the middle, writing menus based on vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts and a little meat, all minimally processed and home-cooked. It’s a good place.
Does Meat Cause Cancer?
You hear this accusation so I checked the science. Chronic diseases like cancer are multi-factorial; you can’t blame them on one thing. So the better question is do meats add to your cancer risk? Studies have taken issue with two meat groups: red meat, and processed meats (which is mainly red meat unless you like turkey sausage). The NIH-AARP study—a long-term, prospective study mainly focused on whites over fifty—is the largest recent study. It’s conclusion: “. . . a diet high in red or processed meat was associated with an elevated risk of both colorectal and lung cancer; in addition, red meat was associated with an elevated risk of esophageal and liver cancer. A decrease in the consumption of red and processed meat could reduce the incidence of cancer at multiple sites.” The range of increased risk was roughly 20-60%, which says that to avoid cancer, you need to do more than just reduce your meat intake. (Incidentally, a surprise finding showed meat protective of ovarian cancer.)
Meat-eaters may dispute these findings, arguing that pastured meat is less risky than feedlot meat, which makes sense; or that processed or charbroiled meats are more carcinogenic than stewed meat, which also makes sense. There are other intervening variables: Those who eat the most red meat were less educated, less physically active, ate fewer fruits and vegetables, more overweight, and were more likely to have smoked. It’s not just about the meat—there seems to be a meat-eating lifestyle.
Heart disease?
A Harvard meta-study linked heart disease and diabetes to processed meat intake. Unprocessed red meat was NOT shown to increase risk. (A meta-study looks at all the related, qualified studies and uses statistics to find broad conclusions. In this case 1600 studies were reviewed, and 20 were qualified for inclusion.) The Harvard finding: Each 50-gram daily intake of processed meats adds 42% to your heart disease risk, and 19% to your type-2 diabetes risk. Eating one serving a week had a relatively small risk, so you don’t have to completely cut out pastrami sandwiches. (Note: 50 grams is almost two ounces, about the amount of meat in a sandwich.)
Other Meat Issues
The Western societies made some serious mistakes with the industrialization of our food supply which we are now trying to remedy. This blog is not anti-meat, as you well know—our motto might be: Less meat, but better. Here is some more fallout from industrialized meat:
• “E. Coli Outbreak in Europe Should Be Warning for Americans.” That’s the title of a well-written Fox News report by Dr. M. Alvarez about the current outbreak in Germany of a new and unusually virulent E. Coli outbreak (over 1600 cases, 499 kidney failures, and 18 deaths, many among women, thus far). Cucumbers from Spain were first suspected as the source, perhaps wrongly. But E. Coli is actually a feedlot problem—cattle fattened on grains have an unnaturally acidic stomach compared to grass-fed cows and the E. Coli mutations thrive in the acid environment.
• There are other disease issues with industrialized meat production: Mad cow disease (in humans new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or vCJD) has dropped off the radar but is this due to closed eyes or disappearance? Antibiotic-resistant Staph. aureus. is another problem. One group, Translational Genomics Research Institute, found that ¼ of the meat and poultry in stores to be contaminated with antibiotic resistant S. aureus.
• The inhumane treatment of animals disturbs caring people also. Animal cruelty can happen anywhere, but the larger animal confinement operations, as portrayed in the media, are especially troubling.
• Environmental issues with CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) have also been in the news. Here’s one expert’s view: “the best thing you can do for the environment is to eat less meat.”
Our Fifteen Minutes
Some of you alert readers have noticed our family in the June issue of Martha Stewart Living, which has been out a couple of weeks. The lead story is about family reunions and was filmed at the century-old home in tiny Midway, Utah where my wife’s father grew up. The picture above is me in story-telling mode; if it's not about nutrition, then it must be family history stories. The message of the article (10 pages, mind you) is about the importance of family reunions. They're part of what makes families strong. And strong families are more capable of finding the diet that is most healthy for them. If you hold reunions, good; if not, think about adding them to your family traditions.
Please comment: We're looking for more ideas on what you need to improve your family's nutrition and health.
Photos by Francesco Lagnese for Martha Stewart Living
Friday, June 3, 2011 at 2:24PM | by Skip Hellewell | 37 Comments | Share Article | in cancer, meat | Email Article
Reader Comments (37)
LeeAnn, we try to keep 3-6 months of storable food on hand for any emergency. A portion is stuff we use bought in bulk and cycled (honey, canned goods, pasta and pasta sauce, etc.) and the rest is stored stuff that has a long shelf life (wheat, dried beans, etc.). Produce storage is limited by our freezer and refrigerator space. It's a less healthy diet if we have to live on it for more than a week, but it's food. Best.
I too really enjoy this blog, thank you Skip! I am a young mother who has for the last couple years been really interested in reading books on nutrition and learning about the food and body/mind correlation. I have definately found it to be a HUGE factor, what I eat DIRECTLY affects how I feel.
The China study was a very interesting book and I like that he made the correlation that yes pollutants all around us can increase our cancer risk but we have no control over that. What we do have control over is what we feed our bodies and that has a greater impact on our health than external influences such as polluntants. It really makes me feel like I have some control over my health!
Lately I have been reading about Green Smoothies as my mom owns a Vitamix blender and makes up concoctions all the time. I just use a regular blender but it is a great way for adults and kids to get greens in their diet. It is much faster and easier for me at least to blend up a little orange juice and handful of spinach or kale and add some frozen fruit and a banana. I definately notice a difference in my energy when I drink them daily, greens are good for the body! Some fun books I have read lately on this topic are "The Green Smoothie Diet" by Robyn Openshaw (don't let the title turn you off, it is not all about loosing weight with smoothies) Also there are a few books by Victoria Boutenko who is someone who turned her and her families health around through dietary changes. They are both Raw Food believers, which I am not a raw foodist and I eat meat but slowly I am learning many things and making small changes to help my family be healthier!
My first goals are to feed my family less meat and increase consumption of fruits, veggies and greens. One small step you could do is half or 1/4 the amount of meat called for in a dish whether it's lasagna or curry or whatever and bump up the veggies in the dish. I find the toughest thing is just finding recipes that don't make the whole family feel deprived that are healthy with little or no meat. I think posting healthy and tasty recipes should definately be a part of this blog! I will look through my recipes and post one soon!
Here are some husband approved recipes!...finally
Summer Salad or Salsa
3 cans shoepeg corn, drained (small cans)
3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
8-10 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
5-7 avocados
2 packages of Good Seasons zesty Italian dressing mixed with ½ c. vinegar, 1 T. water and 1 T. oil
Chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.
This makes quite a bit. The more avocados the better. I have done a third of this recipe for just the two of us. (It would probably be really good with some finely chopped jalapeno pepper too)
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
You can use any vegies you like (make them chunky) – we often use:
Mushrooms, zucchini , yellow squash, asparagus (yummy),onions,
Other ingredients: green onions sliced on bias, crumbled feta cheese, fresh grated parmesan, toasted pine nuts, fresh chopped basil.
½ lb. cooked orzo (I found some w.w. orzo recently)
Lemon juice (from 2 lemons) and 2/3 to 1 c. chicken broth, 1/3 to ½ c. olive oil
3 to 4 chicken breasts cut into chunks (we use much less)
Toss vegies with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes. We usually do them on the outdoor grill.
Cook orzo according to directions.
Cook chicken in olive oil and remove from pan and set aside. (We do the chicken on the grill)
Deglaze the pan with a bit of chicken broth, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, add chicken broth, lemon juice and whisk in olive oil to make a vinaigrette. Season it with salt and pepper and pour over pasta. Add chicken and vegies and toss. Sprinkle in some feta and parmesan…you can decide how much to add. Toss in green onions, basil and pine nuts. We leave the pine nuts separate and let people add their own. The orzo will continue to absorb the vinaigrette. It is good warm, at room temperature and even cold.
Salmon with Lentils – We found this on the food network and it says all rights reserved, so I won’t type it out. But you can find it at www.foodnetwork.com. Search for Salmon with Lentils. It is the #5 recipe.
Hannah, we acknowledge your suggestion for more healthy recipes. (Have you tried Beth's Vegetarian Enchilada recipe?) We've gone back and forth on how much to focus on recipes, and how much to focus on basic food information. It's a feast in progress.
Nano, thanks for the recipes. We're going to try all the contributed recipes and make a top ten list. Best to you.
Skip, your family is beautiful! What lovely photos.
I think you are spot on with the information you shared regarding eating meat. I am going to make a concerted effort to limit our efforts to grass-fed beef and on a more limited basis (perhaps 1-2x/week).
In terms of future topics.... I'd love to hear about what is considered "processed" food. I know things like frozen dinners or Hamburger Helper are surely considered processed, but what about something like string cheese or Cheerios? Any help here is appreciated.
Lisa, a set of guides for reasonable processing limits is needed. In olden times, food was processed to be edible without refrigeration, or to last through the winter until the spring crops. Milk was only good for a day or so, but yogurt lasted longer, butter even longer, and cheeses could keep for months and years. Today homogenization and pasteurization are being reconsidered. This rethinking of our food processing is part of the ongoing rediscovery of real food.
Shooting oats through a gun to make Cheerios? Is there a benefit? It would be great to hear our food scientists address these issues, rather than defend what has been done. We'll definitely come back to this. Best to you.
Hi Skip, I've been reading your blog for months now and just wanted to leave you a comment...I'm sixteen and developed an interest in changing my family's eating habits after my grandmother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. She doesn't use the computer, so I've been printing out your weekly tips and mailing them to her, and I believe they have helped her a lot. Our family lives in California and has switched to shopping almost entirely at the Farmer's Market. I have completely eliminated processed foods from our house, and started cooking dinner to make it easier for my mom to make the changes. I really look forward to your posts every week, I (and my Grandma as well) really appreciate the time you spend on this blog. I love learning more about what I can do for my health, and that of my family. I want to echo the other comments asking for a dairy post. We drink Organic non-fat (sometimes 1% or 2%) non-homogenized milk from grass fed cows that is pasteurized at a very low temperature, you can still taste the taste of the grasses that the cows eat, (Straus Family Creamery) and I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to buy whole milk. I have read a lot about the benefits of fat in dairy, and since my sister and I are teenagers with developing brains (the brain is 60% fat) I feel like we should be. Also, I'm wondering about Raw Milk. I have two readily available sources of it, but have been kind of scared to try it. Do you think that I am getting most of its benefits from the milk I'm drinking now? Again, thanks so much! And looking forward to your next post.
Katherine, I have a question and a comment. Your halo, does it show? The way you are helping your grandmother definitely puts you in the angel squadron; it's unusually kind and caring. My comment is on milk: Though I try not to drink too much, I love full-fat milk; I even use half-and-half on my breakfast compote. That's what I do, you have to decide what's best for you.
Keep up the good work Katherine, you're an extraordinary girl. Because you represent an important age group for nutrition, I'd like to interview you some day. Please stay in touch.
Thanks Skip for another great and informative post! I am wondering what it is about processed meats that make them so much more detrimental to our health then unprocessed meats - is it the nitrates and preservatives? If we use preservative (and nitrate) free bacon, for example, does that move it to the unprocessed category, or is it something else (i.e., high fat content of processed meats, that most of them tend to be pork products)? We love fresh sausage (and find that cut from the casings its a great way to flavor sauces and soups), and nitrate-free bacon, but wonder if our avoidance of preservatives is only part of the processed picture.
Thanks for saying that, you're too kind. I'd love to contribute, just let me know.
Thank you again for the blog. It is both informative and timely.
I completely agree with the information that has been given I just struggle with incorporating it all. The "meat sparingly" is something that I firmly believe but have trouble knowing how to completely change it. I live in a ranching area so finding grass fed beef is not difficult. I feel that at least when we are eating beef it is the best possible. We just need to eat less of it, even though we are not eating as much most people in the area. I would love to know more about substitutes for meat.
I have a question about athletes. My son is a basketball player on a university team. He struggles keeping his weight on because he is so fit and trains so much. The trainers tell him to eat more protein which includes a lot of meat and protein shakes. I would love to get him pointed in a healthier direction. He doesn't live at home so I'm not in control of his meals but he is always asking for suggestions to keep his weight up. Any suggestions towards this would be welcomed.
Dairy is also a question of mine. Even though grass fed beef is easy to obtain, raw dairy is not. We do not drink a lot of milk, just use it for homemade granola, but we like cheese and occasionally yoghurt. I would love more information about this.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Jayne, the 2/3 of America that is overweight would love to have your son's problem—wanting to ADD weight. I fear that some of the worst food is eaten by our college students—they're out of mom's system, very busy, and eating in cafeterias and fast food places or just snacking between studies. I agree with you that the protein supplements are problematic. One question, does the university offer a course in nutrition and would your son be interested to take it? Learning how to add plant-sourced protein would be an excellent start.
There is a post coming up on milk—a topic many question. Best to you.
I read Jaynes's comment and wanted to offer some advice. I have an athlete- friend with the same problem as your son and he says the only way he can keep from getting too skinny is eating at night. Right before bed he eats an additional meal, healthy but high calorie. Maybe your son can try that. (oh and it definitely taught me-normal non pro athlete type-what NOT to do late at night ;)
Thanks for the replies. I will look into a nutrition course. It would be very helpful - as long as it didn't suggest what the trainers are telling him. I would be concerned about that - more meat and protein shakes!!!
I will suggest to him to eat at night. Hopefully he will try more plant based protein.
Thanks again.
Jayne - as one with a degree in nutrition from a university, I have to admit that your fear is correct. Unfortunately, most of what we all here believe in is still considered 'alternative' for basic nutrition. As well as the fact that their main focus is nutrition related to public health, not personal health- two very different things.
Skip- thank you for the additional info about The China Study in the comments. I have not yet read it, but it is on my list :) One thing that I have wondered about, does it address how the results affected other populations (cultures and genetic backgrounds)? If I remember correctly, they first talk of their results in rats and then the implication on the Chinese health. Is it possible that other genetic makeups would not respond the same way? That for the Chinese, lack of meat is best, but for those of other backgrounds, some meat is indeed ideal? I guess with all the talk of paleo and traditional diets, it has me thinking there is definitely middle ground. I particularly love your recommendation of how much meat and dairy is 'sparingly'. I had always been told The China Study advocated complete vegetarianism, which turned me off to reading it since I don't believe that is best for my family. Your clarifications have been most helpful and now I am excited to read it!
I also wanted to add another perspective to the dairy as this has been on my mind as well. If you think about it, according to the scriptures, one of the purposes of animals on the earth is for meat. What is the purpose of milk from those animals? To feed their young, much like breastmilk is intended by God to feed our young. Cow milk is naturally made to work for the digestion of a young cow, not necessarily or naturally for the digestion and body of a human. Will this convince me to cut dairy completely from my life? No, but it does give me food for thought on how much it should be used.
Sorry, another suggestion for Jayne: increasing plant protein is good, but what about also increasing good fats for added calories? I have been trying this with my young son that can't gain weight and was allergic to dairy (or so we mistakenly thought). Coconut oil has very strong evidence of being a healthy fat despite it's initial appearance of high saturation. Of course, this is difficult to do if you are not cooking his meals. Best of luck!
Thanks again for the suggestions.
I hadn't thought of coconut oil but perhaps that is something that I can help him incorporate. Great idea.