What You Should Know About Meat

There is always so much hype about what kind of meat is good for you and bad for you that I thought it was time to set the record straight here at Style Quirk. If you’re in doubt about your dietary choices, read on! To begin, know that there are two types of meat (generally). There’s red meat and white meat. Red meat is the usually dark meat that comes from cows, lambs, and (unfortunately) horses. It has a reputation for being unhealthy. Not only is it often prepared in unsavory ways (processed and littered with greasy fat), it’s also been linked to causing cancer down the road. In addition, studies at Harvard have shown that eating just one serving of processed red meat a day increases your chance of developing heart disease by 42 percent, and your risk of acquiring diabetes by 19 percent.

On the other hand, white meat comes from poultry and fish. It is a leaner meat without the skin (and assuming it’s not prepared in a fat-injecting way), and none of the diseases linked to red meat have the same relationship to this variety of protein. Pork is an iffy subject. It used to be a universally recognized red meat, and then scientists decided it was more similar to white meat in nutritional terms. However, like beef and lamb, it has also been linked to terminal illnesses, but in a less severe degree. It definitely looks white, but nowadays the health benefits of traditional white meat is vastly superior to pork, so it’s kind of in the middle. What are the best meats to fill your tray? Will, you can never go wrong with fish. Fish, especially salmon, is rich in omege-3 fatty acids, which are wonderful for your heart, hair, skin, and nails. Turkey is also the best kind of poultry to enjoy, thanks to its low fat content. If you absolutely love red meat, consider looking into buffalo. This may sound crazy, but if you can get some shipped to you, you may never look at beef the same way again. It has far less fat than steak or hamburgers, because they’re largely grass0-fed. It even packs a smaller punch of fat than “lean” beef. Buffalo used to be endangered, but they are firmly protected and up for grabs now, so grab some while you can. Lastly, always stay away from bologna, spam, and pastrami – they’re virtually the worst out there because of their preservatives, fat content, and high calories.