Diet Directions: Everything You Need to Know About Meat

Humans have evolved as omnivores to consume meat, in addition to other natural fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Our body's digestive tracts are designed to efficiently convert meat into energy, while utilizing an abundance of essential minerals, proteins, and natural fat for growth, repair, and vital health processes. Healthy, natural fats help aid the absorption of essential fat-soluble vitamins, improve a variety of organ functions, improve hair and skin quality, and actually promote fat burning rather than fat storage by activating fat-burning genes. Whereas, unhealthy, unnatural fats found in processed, fried, or hydrogenated foods do the opposite and block our cell receptors from activating fat burning. The protein and fat in meat also helps satisfy our appetite, provides a slow-absorbing source of fuel for the day ahead, and slows the absorption of carbohydrates into fat, while lessening blood sugar spikes. It remains additionally important to supply our bodies with adequate protein and essential fatty acids as we regularly exercise, in order to build muscle, burn fat, and avoid muscle loss as we lose weight. Lastly, essential fatty acids contribute to a healthier thyroid, the critically important regulatory gland of our metabolism, growth, development, reproductive system, and central nervous system.

Consuming meat as close to its natural state as possible remains considerably advantageous for our metabolism and digestion. Additional benefits from choosing natural meats include decreased salt contents, lessened exposure to dangerous toxins, and a greater prevalence of healthier fats. When possible, choose organic chicken instead of steroid-injected super-chicken, grass-fed beef instead of grain-fed beef, and integrate an assortment of wild fish in your diet and reap the benefits of meat in its natural state. Actively investigating the labels of your next meat purchase or asking your butcher for additional guidance are also suggested steps toward ensuring you are receiving meat of optimal quality. Many dieters fear eating meats and fat, when in reality, consuming healthy, natural fats can significantly aid an idling metabolism.

Best Choices (The fresher and more organic/natural, the better)
Wild salmon, halibut, chinook, sardines, mackerel, cod.

Other Healthy Meat Choices
Steamed or boiled shrimp, tuna, snapper, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, bison, lean turkey or ground turkey, lamb, pork loin/tenderloin/shoulder, nitrate-free turkey bacon.