Question: Some people suggest choosing grass-fed beef or bison because they are leaner than regular beef. Why don’t you include them as options for lean protein?
Answer: You hear of leaner cuts of beef having less fat than others. You even hear how grass-fed beef is much better for you than all others. All that may well be true to a minute degree, but what you want to imprint in your mind is that certain foods are dangerous to your arteries and other foods are not. I won’t argue the point of one being a little lower in saturated fat than another, because we are not discussing minutia. You are learning changes in your eating lifestyle.
Red meat is a huge source of the saturated fat found in the typical American diet. Saturated fat contains the “lethal” LDL cholesterol that contributes to blockage in the arteries, heart attack and stroke. In addition, the American Cancer society reports that red meat is a convincing cause of colon cancer. Also, medical studies have shown that the individuals who did the worst in Alzheimer’s study were the ones who ate the most meat and dairy products.
There may be “less” of the bad fat in grass fed beef or specific cuts, but it is still there. Prescription for Life has pointed out that the foods you eat are an addiction. To beat an addiction, you have to do away with the desire for that particular food by abstaining. Your eating lifestyle should focus on grilled fish or chicken as your protein source. Fish is the best option because it has so many of the good fats in it. These good fats are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fats. They help improve your “hero” HDL/Total Cholesterol ratio.
If you keep eating bison or “lean” beef, your desire is still the same for that red meat. It’s similar to someone who smokes fewer cigarettes, or “maybe just on Saturday,” in an attempt to improve their health. They are not beating the desire for smoking and I would guess a 99th percentile of them reverting to their regular smoking habit sooner or later.
The whole idea is to develop a healthy lifestyle for eating. I grew up eating hamburgers and steak. I hardly ever had fish. But now, after the knowledge of what different foods do to my heart and brain arteries, I have no desire what so ever for a steak. My tastes have changed due to making healthy choices and I even prefer fish!
“Cow photo courtesy of dan at www.freedigitalphotos.com
