Why You Should Eat Less Meat
By Sara Butler
Red meat has its place in your diet. After all, sometimes a juicy burger or a steak just seems to hit the spot when nothing else will. Meat is fine to enjoy, in moderation of course. In general, it's important to try to reduce your overall meat consumption, which is why Meatless Mondays have become popular. If you're not totally convinced that cutting down on meaty meals is important, then here are a few of the reasons you may want to try to embrace less meat for your health.
Reduce Your Risk
You may have your heart set on that juicy steak, but it's your heart that you should be thinking of. Eating red meat increases your risk of heart disease. In fact, studies have found that meat-eaters have a 1,000 percent increased risk of heart disease than vegans.
You don't have to embrace veganism in order to protect your heart (unless you want to, that is), but cutting back on meat can help protect you from stroke and heart attack in the future. So, take it easy.
Better Fitness
Your athletic performance could improve by cutting down on meat too. The International Journal of Sports Nutrition found that elite athletes performed better if they followed vegan or vegetarian diets more so than those who included meat in their diets. So don't worry about passing on the meat impacting your performance.
Cancer Risk Reduced
Certain types of cancer have been linked to eating meat. For example, highly processed meats such as lunch meat have been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer while colorectal cancer can be increased by consuming red meat most days of the week.
To reduce your risk, the World Cancer Research Fund suggests limited your red meat consumption to under 18 ounces per week -- and leave the processed meats out altogether.
Reduced Inflammation
Scientists are only beginning to understand the link between chronic inflammation and chronic disease. Research has discovered that people who eat more meat have more markers for inflammation in their bodies than those who don't eat red meat. If you can control your levels of inflammation, then you can lower risk of stroke, heart attack, or death.
You don't have to embrace a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle in order to reap the benefits. Simply pay attention to how much meat you eat each week and try to cut it out for one day -- there's plenty of evidence to support the idea that going meatless one day each week can make you healthier!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wichita, Kans.