Guilt about meat

[ElizabethVC82]

I'm on day 6 of my first W30, and it's going great. A little background: I'm in great health and don't need to lose much weight (maybe 5 lbs). I'm also a passionate cook who eats few processed foods or sweets (not a humble brag, just context). I'm doing it as an alcohol cleanse and just a challenge as someone who relies on carbs and cheese more than I would like. My only issue so far: I consider myself a "flexitarian," and I have some real guilt about eating meat at 2 out of 3 meals a day. I've been sourcing excellent quality sustainable meat, and I really enjoy my W30 meals, but I've always tried to minimize meat in my diet (especially beef) because there are so many studies directly linking it to cancer, etc. I read It Starts With Food and I'm on board with the science. But I still can't shake this feeling that I'm doing something ecologically (and possibly physically) harmful. Anyone have any words of wisdom?

[Tom Denham]

Visit real organic farms and you will see that meat is part of a wonderful organic eco-system. The problem is not beef. The problem is the industrial farming system that makes growing anything sad. If making a real farm visit is a stretch for you, check out http://www.polyfacefarms.com/. They are a great online education.

 

The studies that link beef to cancer were apparently designed to link beef to cancer. A researcher can create outcomes with study design.

 

I met with my functional medicine doctor on Thursday to review blood work. She said that she could tell that I ate clean based upon my lab work. She said lots of patients claim to eat "clean" but she knew I was telling the truth. She also reviewed a variety of things that indicated my health was amazingly good for a 58 year old man. I eat red meat pretty much every day and sometimes twice per day. I have been eating like this for the past 5 years. 

[aimeeb]

I totally understand how you feel.  I've been a flexitarian for years, leaning towards vegan and vegetarian about 90% of the time.  This is a totally weird way of eating for me and I actually think it's adding to the sluggish feeling I've had lately.  I'm on day 27 and all I want to do is sleep!  I plan to continue eating this way after my Whole 30 but will tailor it to include much less meat and more protein from alternative sources.  For me, I just feel better, and 'less greasy' eating less meat.