The Meat Effect

Is anybody else as surprised that it's been less than two weeks and I'm writing another blog post? Because I sure am. I'm trying to decrease the amount of Friends I watch during homework breaks and increase the amount of productive things I do. It's crazy how many things I've done today! 

As discussed in last week's post, I am continuing to write about the 8 steps to the Mediterranean Diet as described by oldwayspt.org. I want to go over the second step, which is called 'change the way you think about meat'. If you missed last week's post, I talked about the first step, 'eat lots of vegetables', which may be a useful read for you to understand exactly what's going on for the next few blog posts.

Anyways, the phrase 'change the way you think about meat' sounds kind of weird. What exactly does that mean? To show this concept, I did a bit of googling. The first thing I googled was "American Diet". I'm sure all of you can guess what came up: meat, meat, meat, meat, and dairy products. There were little to no vegetables, fruits, or whole grains in any of the pictures. Next, I googled "Mediterranean Diet" and found very different results. What came up was pictures of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, whole grains, and just a sliver of meat.

I really don't think anything can explain the concept of 'changing the way you think about meat' better than these two pictures. The Mediterranean Diet isn't vegetarian, but rather uses meat as a side dish instead of vegetables. Which is basically the exact opposite of the average Western diet. 

What I love about this is that you don't have to completely forget about meat--you just need to change the way you think about it. Eat a little less meat, eat a little more plants--it's as simple as that! Though the Mediterranean diet typically stays away from fried meat and red meats, this doesn't mean that you have to. Once again, eat a little less meat and a little more plants. As you get used to the proportion change, maybe try leaner meats like turkey or chicken, and perhaps grill or roast instead of fry. The Mediterranean Diet is actually not a diet at all--it's a way of life. It should really be called the Mediterranean Lifestyle instead of the Mediterranean Diet.

Here are some of my favorite 'change the way you think about meat' meals:

1. Adding vegetables to my taco meat to put inside of tortillas

2. Putting less meat and more lettuce or spinach on my sandwiches

3. Using beans as a substitute for half of the meat in a recipe

4. Substituting half of the meat in soups and stews for rice or barley

5. Specify half meat/half vegetables on my pizza deliveries

6. Ordering a side salad with my dinner, as well as a vegetable side that isn't french fries

But this just begs the question--why is this important? Studies have shown that those who eat a more plant-based diet than meat-based diet have lower risk for chronic diseases, live longer and higher quality lives, and are generally just happier people. There are so many nutrients that are found in plants that aren't found in meat, and there are a couple found in meat that aren't found in plants--this is why both are important, but there is an emphasis on plants.

Please use these ideas to decrease the amount of meat we eat in proportion to vegetables. The first couple of days you try this it may be a challenge. But I promise as you continue to work on this, you will feel more energized, your skin will look healthier, and you will find that you are loving the greater variety in your diet.

Have a great week everybody, and remember to change the way you think about meat!