Are You Eating Too Much Red Meat?
By Sara Butler
Many Americans have red meat as a staple in their diet. After all, what's more classic than a cheeseburger in American culture? But too much of a good thing can be a detriment to your health and wellness, including indulging in too much red meat.
Even though red meat is full of quality protein and important nutrients, there are negative health outcomes associated with eating too much of it. Here are some signs that you may be having too much red meat in your diet.
How Much Is OK?
You don't have to cut red meat out of your diet to be healthy, but you should limit it. The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that most people have just three servings of red meat per week -- or about 18 ounces total per week.
Signs of Too Much Red Meat
The best thing you can do to judge whether or not you're eating too much red meat is to listen to your body. If you notice any of these things, then it may be time to take a closer look at how much red meat you're eating.
- Bad breath - Stinky breath can be due to too much red meat. That's because when your body digests red meat, it produces ammonia as a byproduct, causing bad breath.
- High blood cholesterol levels - Too much saturated fat in a diet can cause your blood cholesterol levels to go way up.
- Body odor - If you've got some serious funk going on outside of the gym, then it may be due to too much red meat. Protein can have an impact on your natural smell.
- Weight gain - Packing on the pounds can be the result of excessive meat consumption in your diet. You should always choose lean cuts of red meat when you do eat it in order to reduce the number of calories in a serving by cutting the fat.
Know Your Serving Sizes
One of the best things you can do to control red meat consumption is to understand the serving sizes associated with red meat. You can have three four-ounce servings each week, but that won't do you much good if you don't know what four ounces look like.
One four-ounce serving of red meat is about the size of your palm or a deck of playing cards. How big was the last steak you sunk your teeth into?
If you have questions or concerns about your red meat consumption, talk to the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Downey, Calif.