The message is everywhere these days. “Meat is bad, so cut it out.” Hearing this makes me cringe.
Why? Honestly, I don’t think the research holds up and I don’t think it’s healthy. Also, in my own life, I felt terrible mentally and physically during the 3 years I was a vegetarian (aspiring vegan). I actually feel better eating meat rather than avoiding it. A lot of my clients feel the same way.
I’ve got 11 arguments that people usually think of for avoiding meat – and why they don’t hold up. Today, here’s #5-#8.
Argument #5: Global warming
If we were to remove all animal products from the US, it would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.6%. Contrast that by the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by our transportation industry (28.5%) or large corporations’ factories (21.6%).
Regenerative farming (as opposed to factory farming) actually improves the environment. For more information on this, check out Sustainable Dish. Diana Rodgers, RD, is way more eloquent and knowledgeable about this topic than I am! Here are some great articles she’s written:
Argument #6: Cholesterol
You only absorb and use 15% of the cholesterol you eat in food. What happens to the other 85%? You either poop or pee it out.
Cholesterol actually has some amazing antioxidant properties that can help guard you against heart disease. Regardless of what you eat, there are many reasons why your cholesterol levels increase: It could be your body’s response to inflammation, or it could be a sign that part of your body is malfunctioning – perhaps your thyroid function is low.
Cholesterol is a major line of defense when your immune system comes under attack, which means that lowering cholesterol levels artificially with drugs could make you more susceptible to germs or bacteria wreaking havoc on your health.
Inflammation is the real culprit in heart disease, not cholesterol. Without inflammation in the body, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body and not accumulate on blood vessel walls.
Treating the source of the inflammation in your body is much more effective against heart disease than artificially lowering cholesterol via medication. When we expose our bodies to toxins or processed foods that our bodies weren’t designed to process, that creates inflammation.
[Side note: I am NOT telling you to go off your medication. Talk to your healthcare provider about what’s best for you].
Argument #7: Blood sugar
Due to its fat and protein content, meat helps keep blood sugar levels stable. Unstable blood sugar can result in Insulin Resistance, Type II Diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Having stable blood sugar also means your energy levels are more sustained throughout your day and helps you feel fuller for longer periods of time. This helps you to avoid unhealthy food cravings and possible subsequent weight gain.
Argument #8: Weight loss
Meat helps burn fat. It has a high “thermogenic effect” because of its protein content, which means that our bodies burn off about 30% of meat’s calories during digestion alone! Digesting carbohydrates results in only a 6-8% thermogenic effect.
Also, as I mentioned above, amino acids from eating meat helps stimulate orexin cells, which helps you burn more calories.
Most of the time, if someone sees drastic weight loss by going on a vegetarian or vegan diet, it’s because they were eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) beforehand.
Of course you’re going to see amazing results (such as weight loss) if you stop eating processed food and start eating more real, whole foods! It doesn’t matter which “healing” diet you try – keto, paleo, vegan, carnivore, etc. Your body will rejoice when you eat closer to nature (real, whole, nutrient-dense food) as opposed to something that came in a box!
Do any of these reasons resonate with you? Let me know in the comments below!
Can’t wait until next week to see what the last 3 reasons are? Check out my Resources page for my favorite books, podcasts, etc. for more reading. My absolute favorite is The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Tiecholz.