As I am typing out this blog post, I am drinking my butt off because I had a hotdog from Varsity. I wanted to treat myself and I thought about getting myself Varsity. Ever since I’ve had this hotdog, ya girl has been drinking her butt off to make sure that I’m staying hydrated. Also, it feels as if my body has been digesting this food FOREVER. And this exact moment is the reason why I have limited the consumption of any red meat. So, let this be a reminder for you too.
If not a reminder, maybe it can pique your interest from the perspective of someone who barely consumes red meat. And I should say this as well: I am NOT a vegan nor a vegetarian. I do consume some meat (i.e., chicken, fish, and turkey). But, with those, I haven’t been consuming them as much either. So, I just wanted that to be clear just in case.
Alright, let’s get into why I am a no go on the moo moo.
Reason 1 – It’s more eco friendly!
And it’s true! All you have to do is search on Google “why it’s more eco-friendly to eat less red meat” and there will be plentiful resources that will tell you why. Now, if you’re not wanting to do that extra research, then I’ll help you out! When it comes to eating meat, it produces a lot of the climate warming greenhouse gases. It comes in two forms. The first form is the gas that cows produce whenever they have flatulence. Yes, their farts are lethal. The cows fart methane, which is a very potent greenhouse gas.
What’s the second form? The second form is that the untouched forests become grazing lands for the cows, which, in turn, destroys the forests. I remember reading a bunch of articles and they mentioned how reducing the amount of meat that you consume can reduce emissions more than you think. I think there was one study that showed reducing meat consumption by 25% decreased the emissions by 1%!
And when it came to those articles, they truly moved me. What also helped this hit home for me was when I took an ecology course. I remember watching documentaries about the climate changes that are occurring and what can be done! And, honestly, it made me understand that small changes eventually make big dents. And well, for me, I’ll help make those big dents by reducing it to darn near 0%. It’s the least I can do for the environment.
Reason 2 – It feels so heavy
I know I’m not the only person to feel this, but when I eat red meat, I feel soo heavy afterwards. I feel as if there’s a small rock in my stomach that makes me so tired. And it makes sense because protein takes the longest to digest. And when your body is digesting food, you go into the rest-and-digest state, which may cause you to feel fatigued or tired. Again, it makes sense. However, whenever you eat red meat, it just feels as if I’ve become a turtle and need to take a power nap.
And I know I’m not the only person to feel this way because I have family members of mine who have decided to cut back on the moo moo munching. I remember my cousin telling me that she was deciding to cut back because of how heavy and taxing eating red meat was. At first, I didn’t really understand what she meant. It was only until I started to eat less and less meat when I realized EXACTLY what she was talking about.
It reminded me of a similar experience I had with my architect teacher in high school. We were talking about becoming more healthy and we were talking about sodas and why we wanted to stop drinking them. My teacher chimed in and she mentioned that she hadn’t drank any sodas in years. She said that once she stopped drinking them as much, she started to taste the high fructose corn syrup in them. Again, at first, I didn’t really understand what she meant. It was only until years later when I flashbacked to that exact moment.
Reason 3 – Red meat CAN put you in the RED for LDL
If you have no idea what LDL stands for, I’ll break it down for you. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein, which is referred to as bad cholesterol. These lipoproteins carry fat throughout your body via your bloodstream. When it comes to an increase in LDL, it can cause there to be a buildup of plaque (cholesterol) in your arteries. This then increases a person’s chances of heart disease and/or a stroke.
Well, how can red meat have anything to do with LDL? Well, red meat is high in saturated fats, which, in turn, CAN cause elevated levels of LDL. Now, if you eat one steak, you’re not going to have your LDLs just skyrocket. This is only the case if you consume red meat A LOT! I can’t really say that I was consuming red meat a lot, but I can definitely say that it was a solid part of my daily diet. I would eat bacon, sausages, steak, cheeseburgers, and many more foods that I can’t think of at the moment.
So, when I saw how many other meats I can consume that have less of a health concern, I thought that I can expand my taste buds and try those more. I mean, there’s poultry (i.e., chicken and turkey), fish (salmon, red snapper, cod, etc.), and even plant-based proteins that are delicious (i.e., lentils, beans, etc.). Once I found recipes that weren’t boring in taste or just bland, I fell in love with all of these other meats. Now, I wouldn’t call myself a vegan, vegetarian, nor a pescetarian.
But, I would say that I am definitely eating healthier than I have previously. I know that health is wealth, and health is one of those invaluable assets that you want to have. At the very least, that’s an asset that you want to keep and have in tip top shape. So, the least I can do is feed myself all of the foods that will benefit me. Of course, I am allowed to also live and have a treat. But now, I FEEL better and that’s priceless. So, maybe you can reduce your red meat consumption. Give it a try! At the very least, you can say that you gave it a go. You can also see the effects of what happens when you reduce it for YOUR body.
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