Red Meat: Friend or Foe?

No matter your involvement in the health and fitness field, I'm willing to bet that at some point in your life you've heard that red meat does nasty things to your body.  It has been claimed to increase mortality rate in all sorts of ways, including increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  Those are some pretty hefty claims, all due to the good ol' moo cow.  But let's look at this a little more closely, and try to shed a light on red meat.  You may be surprised to discover that it's not the killer it's been made out to be.

Firstly, I know there have been many studies done on the correlation between red meat and increased mortality.  But every study I come across doesn't quite hold up to the claim that red meat is the actual reason the test subjects died an early death.  In fact, it's virtually impossible to prove that red meat is the reason for premature mortality.  Sure, it's associated.  But hey, if most of those test subjects were on the average American diet of fatty meat and high carb-loaded, chemical packed, sugary junk, then don't you think the latter might have had a bit to do with it?  And what about genetics?  There are just too many factors to blame it all on red meat.  Don't get me wrong, there's some bad red meat out there, but is all red meat inherently dangerous?  Heck no.  Let's look at what makes up the difference between healthy red meat, and the nasty crap.

First thing you should know.  When you eat an animal, you eat parts of what that animal has ingested.  You're getting a little taste of its diet history, and that may be good, or bad.  If you're eating venison, I wouldn't worry too much, as deer tend to have about the cleanest diets going.  If you're eating a cheap cut of beef though, I'd be a little wary, as most of the cheap stuff was fed feed corn and antibiotics on a daily basis in order to make the cows as big, meaty, and profitable as possible.  When fed corn, the cow puts on a lot of excess fat, which marbles (or interlaces) with the actual muscle, making the cuts absolutely delicious, but packed with saturated fat.  The antibiotics most cattle are given have two distinct purposes: First, they prevent the herd from contracting common diseases, and destroying profit.  Second, smaller doses actually cause the animal to gain weight, which INCREASES profit the farmer obtains at slaughter.  Cows are also given growth hormones which...well...cause growth.  All this equates to more meat and more money.

Unfortunately for us, these chemicals remain in the cuts of meat when we consume them, and they don't do our bodies any favor.  And THAT, my friend, is why red meat is bad for you.  There isn't any curse in the meat itself which causes health problems.  In fact, apart from the chemicals, red meat is actually very, very nutritious.

Protein:  Red meat is packed with protein, and has always been a favorite of the muscle building crowd.  In fact, lean ground beef is one of the most useful muscle building tools going.  A little less than a quarter pound of lean beef has about 25 grams of protein, which is pretty darn awesome.  Not to mention it's delicious, cheap, and readily available at almost any grocery store.  And to top it all off, the protein in red meat is very bioavailable, meaning your body can readily use that protein to rebuild muscle fibers with a high degree of efficiency.  Neat!

Vitamins and Minerals:  Surprisingly, red meat has a ton of vitamins and minerals that your body will love you for consuming.  It's extremely rich in B vitamins, and provides about 70% of the required value of B-12 in 100 grams.  It's also very rich in vitamin B-6, vitamin A, riboflavin, and niacin.  Red meat is also one of the best sources out there for both zinc and iron, and will provide about a quarter of the daily recommended value per serving.  Red meat is also extremely rich in selenium, providing about a fifth of the daily recommended value in one 100 gram helping.

Antioxidants:  That's right, red meat has antioxidants!  Actually, it's got a whole bunch, including generous amounts of glutathione, lipoic acid, carsonine, and anserine.  These substances have been proven to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, act as "anti-aging" compounds, and help maintain healthy metabolic rate.

Fat:  Now you may think you know what's coming here, but prepare to be surprised.  Red meat doesn't just have saturated fat, in fact the majority of the fat in red meat is monounsaturated, and is of the same chemical construction as the healthy fats in olive oil.  It will lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise (HDL) cholesterol. The majority of the saturated fat in red meat is stearic acid, which will increase good cholesterol, but have no effect on bad cholesterol, resulting in only a small deficit in the "bad" direction.  The rest of the fat in red meat is polyunsaturated, and will lower bad cholesterol, and have no effect on good cholesterol.  All in all, about 70% of the fat in red meat is beneficial toward your desired cholesterol ratio.  Doesn't sound so bad, right?  Definitely not as bad as it's been made out to be.

So the real question is, how do you get all these health benefits without all the nasty hormones and fat associated with cheap cuts of beef?  What you need to look for in the grocery store is GRASS FED BEEF. Ground, grass fed lean beef is very low in unhealthy fats, packed with protein, and basically eliminates most of the marbled fat that exists within the meat itself.  Grass is a much healthier alternative for the cows, and by eating it the cows retain much less fat overall and build higher quality muscle.  The same can be said for pork, and you should look for grass fed, or pasture raised varities.  This will virtually ensure that the animal was healthier, and carrying less fat at the time of slaughter.

But wait, even if you choose a nice cut of grass fed meat, you're not out of the woods yet.  You should also make sure you look on the label for something like "no hormones" or "no antibiotics," to ensure you're getting meat WITHOUT all the nasty chemicals.  This will provide you with a healthy and fantastically delicious dinner which will definitely help you build some muscle and trim the fat.  Just be smart about your purchase, read the labels, know your red meat.

Here's a link to the FDA's list of labels that can be placed on food, and what you should look for depending on your goals:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asp

Still scared of the myths you've heard about huge caloric content?  Let me brush that nonsense aside right now:

This is for lean, ground, grass fed beef.  Not bad at all.  I could fit that into so many diets I couldn't even come close to counting them all.  Don't be scared of red meat.

Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have put this picture in...a little too cute...

Bottom line:  Red meat isn't inherently bad for you, and is in fact quite healthy in its natural state.  Don't be scared to eat it, and pay no attention to all the haters of red meat and all its glory.

Enjoy your food, love red meat, and as always, GOOD LUCK!


References:
http://www.eatthefatoftheland.com/red-meat.html
http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/f/AntibioticsrGBH.htm
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-red-meat

The Banana: A Fruit For The Gym

When it comes to lifting, running, jumping, swimming, climbing, biking, or any other gym/workout related activity, all carbs are NOT created equal.  It's common knowledge that our body needs carbs to fuel it during intense activity, and carbs to refuel it after that intense activity has been completed.  Your body is like a high performance engine, which runs on carbohydrates.  Without that fuel, you're not going to get very far.  And with low quality fuel, you may be able to function, but just barely.  You'll end up misfiring and running rough more than making all the power you could, if you want to continue with the engine analogy.  There are many great sources of carbohydrates out there, most of which are natural and delicious.  You might think of oats, whole wheat bread, vegetables, or brown rice, just to name a few.  But all these are complex carbs, and while they'll fuel your body extremely efficiently in the long run, sometimes you need a faster digesting carbohydrate to really give you that kick in the seat of your pants.  I'm talking about sugar.  That's right, that dangerous thing that so many fitness enthusiasts avoid like the plague.  I'm here to tell you that not all sugar is bad, especially right before and right after your workout.  And where's a great source of healthy, natural sugar?  Why...fruit, of course!

But guess what, when it comes to working out, not all fruits are created equal, either.  Most fruits are comprised mainly of the sugar called fructose, which isn't bad for you, but isn't optimal for muscle glycogen fueling/replenishment.  In fact, fructose can only be used toward refueling liver glycogen, not muscle glycogen.  There are, however, a few fruits that are higher in glucose rather than fructose.  Glucose can easily be used by the body to refill muscle glycogen stores, so these fruits would be a much better choice pre and post workout.  And what's the most optimal choice as far as fruits go?  Why, it's America's favorite fruit, the banana!

I personally love bananas.  I recently added one per meal into my diet, just to increase carbohydrate intake.  They're delicious, nutritious, and do wonders for your body.  As mentioned above, a banana pre-workout can really give you an added energy boost as all the simple sugars are converted into immediate muscle energy, and post workout a banana is an excellent way to refill muscle glycogen.  The glucose in bananas both spikes your blood insulin to encourage muscles to "suck up" all the nutrients you're giving them, and replenishes muscle glycogen levels at the same time so you'll be ready and willing to hit the weights even harder tomorrow.  A good insulin spike after a workout is exactly what you want, which is why a banana paired with a whey protein shake is an excellent way to ensure proper recovery after a hard workout session.

And if you're already a fruit lover, and perhaps been curious as to their effects on your workout and recovery, but didn't really know which kind to pick, just know that a banana is probably your best bet if you want great results!

But good, natural glucose isn't the only thing bananas have going for them, oh no.  In fact, they're absolutely loaded with all sorts of other nutrients that will do you a world of good:

-Bananas contain a decent amount of your daily vitamin C intake, about 11%.


-They also have a large amount of dietary fiber, about 3.5 grams for one large banana


-Bananas have no fat or cholesterol, and therefore are an extremely healthy snack choice, especially if you're looking for a little energy boost.


-Bananas are rich with potassium (16% of daily intake), which is the forgotten electrolyte.  A balance of sodium and potassium can help your body remain adequately hydrated and energized, as well as ensure proper neural function (clear thinking.)  Many people consume an excess of sodium, but not nearly enough potassium.  Cut out the table salt, add a banana, and see how good you feel!  

Potassium replenishment is also extremely important after a workout, as you've usually drained a good amount of electrolytes from your body.


Here are the nutritional facts for a large banana:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 121	(506 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	0.4g	< 1%
Sat. Fat	0.2g	< 1%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	1mg	< 1%
Total Carbs.	31g	10%
Dietary Fiber	3.5g	14%
Sugars	16.6g
Protein	1.5g
Calcium	6.8mg
Potassium	486.9mg

There it is, a little overview of my favorite workout fruit.  If your workout diet is lacking, add one or two bananas, as I did.  I can bet you'll see a huge improvement in your strength, stamina, and recovery.  Plus, they taste amazing, why wouldn't you want to have one?  And if you were merely confused on which fruit to choose for your workout goals, you can now feel secure in the fact that a banana will always be a better choice than an apple, a pear, an orange, etc, just because of its glucose-fructose ratio.  Cool stuff, right?

Keep on eating that magic yellow powerhouse!  GOOD LUCK!

Food Worship #11: Brussels Sprouts

I know what you're thinking...I'm crazy.  Those nasty little cabbages you used to hate as a kid?  Why would those be a super food?  Well as you might have guessed, their green exterior and dense, veggie "aura" means that like your mother said, they're remarkably good for you.  And you know what?  I personally believe they're absolutely delicious.  They're packed with fiber, and when cooked right they're dense and provide an incredibly satisfying bite, requiring just the right amount of effort to really know you've got some substantial food in your mouth.  Yup, I love brussels sprouts.  Sue me.

So what makes these things so good for you?  Well, they're loaded with nutrients of all kinds, both macro and micro, and most definitely help your body out in all sorts of ways.  Not to mention they can really bulk up a meal (these little guys fill you up fast, they're quite substantial for sure.)  Also, when they're cooked just right, brussels sprouts are actually quite tender and delicious, and I bet if you haven't had them in a few years (due to painful childhood memories) that if you tried them again in your maturity you'd be surprised to find they're pretty darn tasty, especially compared to certain other veggies.  Let's explore a little more in detail about why you should do just that, and how exactly you'd be doing your body good.

Fiber:  As I alluded to earlier, brussels sprouts have quite a bit of fiber in them.  In today's world, the more fiber you can get, the healthier you'll be and the better you'll feel.  One cup of brussels sprouts has about 7 grams of fiber (THAT'S A LOT!), and one sprout has about 1 gram of fiber.  All this fiber supports digestive/colon health, and also can assist in slowing the digestion of food so that the body more effectively uses what it's given. This can also prevent, to a certain degree, rapid fat gain, because it gives your body a longer time to use the food you've eaten.  So get your fiber, and stay on track.

Heart Health:  Brussels sprouts are great for your heart in a couple different ways.  Firstly, they lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol.  That's awesome, because with all the processed food out there today you'll need a good cholesterol-lowering tool that's easy to cook up and munch on.  Brussels sprouts also help to create a substance in the blood called isothiocyanate (ITC) sulforaphane which has anti-inflammatory properties and may even be able to repair damaged blood vessels.  That's pretty awesome if I don't say so myself.

Omega-3:  Now I know what you're thinking, how could brussels sprouts have an essential fatty acid in them, after all there's only 0.6 grams of fat in an entire cup!  But you'll be happy to know that the little bit of fat brussels sprouts do have is ALL good for you, and also is anti-inflammatory.  Oh, and it'll support good cholesterol too, as an added bonus (as if there aren't enough bonuses to brussels sprouts already...)

Anti-Oxidants:  Brussels sprouts have so many of these it's astounding:  everything from vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, ferulic acid, and a special one called D3T (3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione) that's actually quite rare in food.  All these anti-oxidants help to prevent oxidation damage to your cells, which in turn can have effects on preventing several kinds of cancer.  Make brussels sprouts a lifetime habit and perhaps you'll have a better chance of warding off cancer throughout your entire life.  I'll take that kind of benefit any day.

Vitamins and Minerals:  Oh boy do brussels sprouts have a bunch of these.  Eating a serving of brussels sprouts is almost like taking a multi-vitamin.  In one cup of brussels sprouts you'll be getting nearly 200% of your daily value of vitamin K, and 120% of your daily vitamin C.  WOW!  That's impressive.  You'll also be getting a heaping helping of folate, manganese, and vitamin A.  But that's not even close to the whole story.  Here's the nutritional profile of brussels sprouts, courtesy of WHFoods.com:

Brussels Sprouts 1.00 cup, raw 88.00 grams 37.84 calories
Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
vitamin K	155.76 mcg	194.7	92.6	excellent
vitamin C	74.80 mg	124.7	59.3	excellent
manganese	0.30 mg	15.0	7.1	very good
folate	53.68 mcg	13.4	6.4	very good
dietary fiber	3.34 g	13.4	6.4	very good
vitamin A	663.52 IU	13.3	6.3	very good
potassium	342.32 mg	9.8	4.7	very good
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	0.19 mg	9.5	4.5	very good
tryptophan	0.03 g	9.4	4.5	very good
vitamin B1 (thiamin)	0.12 mg	8.0	3.8	very good
iron	1.23 mg	6.8	3.3	good
phosphorus	60.72 mg	6.1	2.9	good
protein	2.97 g	5.9	2.8	good
molybdenum	4.40 mcg	5.9	2.8	good
magnesium	20.24 mg	5.1	2.4	good
vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	0.08 mg	4.7	2.2	good
choline	16.81 mg	4.0	1.9	good
vitamin E	0.77 mg	3.9	1.8	good
omega 3 fatty acids	0.09 g	3.8	1.8	good
calcium	36.96 mg	3.7	1.8	good
vitamin B3 (niacin)	0.66 mg	3.3	1.6	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good	DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good	DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%

Also, at the top there you can see that one cup of brussels sprouts has only about 40 calories.  This WILL vary depending on how big the sprouts are, but never will brussels sprouts be considered a calorie dense food.  If you decide to munch on these babies you'll get full far before you do your figure any damage.

So...brussels sprouts!  They're FANTASTIC!  They taste great, are tender and juicy, go great with almost any lunch/dinner, and are packed with all the health benefits you could ever want.  Try them out ASAP, there are a lot of AMAZING recipes out there for them.  I like mine boiled/steamed, but you can add all sorts of things to them.  In fact, here's a fantastic yet simple recipe I found online that'll really spice up a plain dish of brussels sprouts:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/danny-boome/sauteed-brussels-sprouts-and-red-cabbage-recipe/index.html

Give them a try, what do you have to lose except an unhealthy body?  GOOD LUCK!!


References:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10