“What the Heck Should I Eat” Mark Hyman
So. I wrote this really long detailed post about how Dr. Mark Myman addresses the current culture and perspective on meat. How it is safe, how saturated and trans fats have gotten a bad rap and are not all created equal and so many other details…and I just didn’t like it.
It was wordy, felt argumentative (however unintentionally), and was not really me. I wrote it last Tuesday, edited it Monday all day, but couldn’t bring myself to hit publish. So I’m going to start over.
As the reader, I want to bring information to you I wish I had known. Information not in the mainstream because it would hurt the financial bottom lines of some huge corporation or lobby group, or that it’s remedy can’t be bought or exploited for financial gain so no one is studying it, because…well… why? The things I get excited about as I read are rarely a page by page synopsis situation. In fact, I can read and entire chapter and it only reinforces things I have heard already, or it’s fluff and says really nothing.
It happens.
So. Here we are. Thanks for staying with me! I’m going to hit some things I thought were really cool in this chapter. I believe food is medicine, and knowledge is power. I also believe in the Lord and the bible and that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit…
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
While there are many ways to honor God with our bodies, what we put in and staying healthy are the ones I often address in my blogs. So let’s see what jumped out at me about meat in this first chapter of Part II in this book “What the Heck should I Eat?” by Mark Hyman…
From the get-go….
Meat has been a very long staple, yes? Mark addresses proteins and the comparative value between plant based sources and meats. It’s striking what he explains, the pros and cons, and how to make decisions that are best for you. We work harder to get the nutrition out of veggies… definitely give it a read!
Saturated fats? Bad guys or unsung heroes?
There are saturated fats that actually raise HDL (GOOD) cholesterol to protect you from heart disease. Like when you grab a health bar and it’s all almonds and honey and cocoa powder but the saturated fats are 4 grams and you pause and wonder how is this healthy? We’ve been programmed to avoid them, so what’s the deal? Not all saturated fats are created equal, or bad. Dr. Hyman (on page 40) explains in fabulously easy terms how new studies are showing the direct health benefits of saturated fats! Eye opening!
He details 8 things you should know about meat. A few really struck me as amazing…
“Animal foods are our only source of vitamin B12”
Food: What the heck should i eat p. 42
Energy!!!!! Great hair, nails, and clear mindedness! B12 helps form the protective covering around your nerves, protects you from anemia, and it’s also integral in increasing your white blood cell count to keep your immune system strong! I could go on….Isn’t that amazing?!
Another detail is in “We are what our meats eat” (p. 45) where he addresses how meats are fed GMO grains and soy instead of being allowed to graze. They are also filled with antibiotics, hormones, and vaccines to keep them healthy and fatten them quickly. Since their natural diet would have been grasses the extreme change in diet has affected their health. Who knows, it’s likely why they now need all those antibiotics and vaccines which also sit in the meat. Then all of this is handed down to us…on our plate.
YUCK
Grab. Grass. Fed. Meats.
As Dr. Mark Hyman likes to say… “Geek Alert!”… This next fact really intrigued me. Grass fed meats have a 500% increase on a trans-fat named CLA that is a “powerful antioxidant that slows the growth of cancerous tumors.” (p.48) YUP! Read that again!
It also ……….
- prevents plaque from forming in arteries
- prevents atherosclerosis
- reduces the risk of heart disease
- reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
- lowers triglycerides
- helps with weight control
- helps with your metabolism
Isn’t that amazing?!?!? I was blown away. This alone is a reason to buy grass fed. Does it cost more? Yes, it does. Dr. Hyman addresses this cost increase and ethical farming issues as well on the next few pages (p. 49 and 50).
He closes out this chapter with how cooking your meat affects your body. When you high heat cook meat or overcook it you create carcinogenic compounds that cause health issues, and are in no way beneficial. I had no idea! Definitely dig into this on page 51.
He summarizes all the major details of this chapter, at the end, for quick reference. His book layout is so very reader friendly!
In closing…
I’m going to be growing as a blogger and I appreciate you joining me on this journey! Grabbing a read here gets you a great overview and bullet points on how to find things actually healthy to eat. It’s daunting sometimes and who has time to read tons of health books?! I love this research journey and my prayer is that my shortcuts and writings get you excited about food and what you CAN EAT so you can live life victoriously!
“in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Romans 8:37
God Bless.
Thanks for the research synopsis!
I think a huge key for most people is the cost associated with eating healthier. I would be interested on what the author says about that.
The cost for many does go up eating healthier, but over time (healing time) medical costs go down. Many don’t realize they are needlessly suffering illnesses they spend a lot of money on treating with prescriptions, when the foods they eat are the illnesses trigger….once they change their foods to a cleaner less synthetic diet and their body heals they no longer spend so much on medications.