Eating Meat For Weight Loss, If a person has the problem of obesity then he always looks for different categories of diet plan. Because a lot f diet are hectic to understand and sometimes it can mislead or be quite boring so a person cannot maintain it for a long time.
Eating Meat for Weight Loss? These Are the Healthiest Cuts to Choose
Meat is good for you, if you choose right
When it comes to starting (or restarting) your health journey, one of the first things many people opt for is modifying their meat intake — either by reducing it or deciding to cut it out completely. After all, meat has gotten a bad rep (some research has linked eating too much to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseaseTrusted Source and other health issuesTrusted Source).
But according to Jim White RDN, ACSM, an exercise physiologist, meat provides a wide array of nutrients utilized by the body for growth, maintenance, and repair.
“Meat as a whole category is an excellent source of protein, heme iron, and micronutrients such as B-12, zinc, and selenium. Even the bones, in creating bone broth and utilizing the marrow, have nutritional benefits like addition collagen and [they’re] rich in iron,” he says.
FAT CAN BE HEALTHY FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Opting for leaner cuts of meat can help with your health journey, but the fat on meat isn’t unhealthy per se. It’s just that you can eat healthier sources of fat, such as in avocados, olive oil, salmon, nuts, and seeds. Ultimately, whether or not you should be eating less fat depends on your preferred diet.
The truth is, meat can be good for you — but the steak, chicken thigh, or pork chop you choose for dinner is more than just “meat.” There’s food labels, select cuts, fat content, and more to consider.
We’re about to break it all down for you, so you know exactly what to shop for at the grocery store.
How to decode meat labels
A quick trip to the freezer section of your local grocery store and you’re sure to notice countless different labels on your meat products. Organic, grass-fed, free-range… do they have any real benefits as opposed to conventional meat?
Organic meats are said to have a slightly higher range of omega-3 fatty acids — which are natural anti-inflammatories. Grass-fed meat often goes hand in hand with organic. These animals generally have outdoor access.
But it’s a little more complicated, White notes. Grass-fed doesn’t always mean 100 percent grass-fed, as some can be grain finished — meaning prior to slaughter they consume grains.
Much like organic meats, grass-fed meat is much higher in omega-3 fatty acids as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) — a fatty acid that has been linked to weight loss and body composition, White says.
However, the amount of protein between grass- and grain-fed meats appears to be insignificant.
When it comes to chicken, a 2014 study performed by a Canadian research study group concluded that organic free-range chicken was lower in fat compared to caged chicken. However, when the skin was removed there was no difference in fat content.
Everything you need to know about red meat
Beef, or red meat, comes from cattle. It’s a complete, high-quality protein food that contains all the essential amino acids the body needs to support physical activity and a strong, healthy life.
Beef is a good source of:
protein
iron
zinc
niacin
choline
vitamin B-12
- daily value” for protein as these numbers vary greatly depending on the size, activity level, and health of a person, he notes.
Should I eat white or dark chicken meat?
Chicken is high in protein and lower in fat compared to other animal sources like beef. When we think chicken, we often refer to white meat. The white meat, primarily chicken breast, is a wonderful addition for people who want a low-fat, high-protein diet.
However, we can’t forget the dark cuts. While white meat is lower in fat than dark meat, the dark meat is higher in iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins.
Benefits of chicken
iron
zinc
selenium
B vitamins
According to White, a 3-oz. serving of chicken breast (white meat) with no skin provides 25 grams of protein and about 130 calories. Three ounces of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards.
Should I eat white or dark chicken meat?
Chicken is high in protein and lower in fat compared to other animal sources like beef. When we think chicken, we often refer to white meat. The white meat, primarily chicken breast, is a wonderful addition for people who want a low-fat, high-protein diet.
However, we can’t forget the dark cuts. While white meat is lower in fat than dark meat, the dark meat is higher in iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins.
Benefits of chicken
iron
zinc
selenium
B vitamins
According to White, a 3-oz. serving of chicken breast (white meat) with no skin provides 25 grams of protein and about 130 calories. Three ounces of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards.
How does meat affect your gut health?
Protein tends to digest faster than fat in the body, so leaner cuts of meat should digest more quickly. While fish and shellfish typically digest first. Chicken, beef, and then pork come after.
HOW PROTEIN BREAKS DOWN IN YOUR BODY
Protein is broken down by a process called denaturation. Your stomach produces certain enzymes that help break down proteins into amino acids, such as pepsin. Digestion of the amino acids continues in the intestines after leaving the stomach and can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and used throughout the body.
It also turns out that the process of digestion doesn’t change too much based on whether your meat was grain-fed or grass-fed, or if your chicken was caged or free.
But there may be a case for ground beef instead of steak.
According to a 2013 trialTrusted Source: “Older individuals generally experience a reduced food-chewing efficiency. Minced beef is more rapidly digested and absorbed than beef steak, which results in increased amino acid availability and greater postprandial protein retention.”
What are the health risks to eating meat?
Womble notes that cooking pork and chicken to the proper temperatures kills bacteria and parasites like trichinosis and salmonella. When it comes to meat, proper cooking techniques can help mitigate most health risks.
It’s also important to pay attention to where your meat is coming from. As Womble says, “[What] pastured pork eats is better for the animal (since it is what they would eat naturally) and therefore leaves us eating healthier animals.”
Meat health risks
- Bacteria in meat: Free-range animals have the potential to carry more disease, particularly bacterial infections. Pay attention to where your meat is coming from.
- Mad cow disease (BSE) and beef: The chances of contracting BSE are highly unlikely, as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that all brain and spinal cord materials be removed from cattle considered high-risk. These cow products don’t enter the U.S. food supply.
- Antibiotics and pork: The excessive use of antibiotics in pigs in factory farms is said to be a contributing factor to the growth of “superbugs” in humans, which are resistant to other antibiotics. Researchers have discovered antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hog farms in the United States and China.Trusted Source
- Salmonella and chicken: Salmonella is bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Typically, handling raw chicken incorrectly is where the risk of salmonella comes from. Cooking and maintaining good food hygiene can help lower your risk.
- Healthy weight loss plan, find out the best lean meats for weight loss and overall health.
What is the carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet might seem like just the ticket if you love meat enough to eat it for every meal (hello, Ron Swanson). In this diet plan, you do just that: eat meat or animal products for every meal. Unlike keto, which limits carbs to a certain number per day, the carnivore diet aims for zero carbs per day. You eat only meat, fish, eggs and some animal products; you exclude all other food groups — including vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
The carnivore diet boasts weight loss, improved mood, as well as blood sugar regulation. It was founded on the belief that high-carb diets are the cause of chronic disease. However, there are drawbacks to eating nothing but animal protein and zero carbs.
Carbs get a bad rap. When you digest carbs, your body turns them into glucose to be used for energy. But if you’re not exercising regularly to burn those carbs, they can quickly turn into fat. Therefore, too many carbs can pack on the pounds quickly.
“Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source — what it’s accustomed to using for energy,” says Patton. “But if you don’t eat carbs, your next resort is burning fat. And that comes from burning fat in foods you eat or your own body fat.” She says people tend to feel good once they’re off carbs because they don’t have any wild swings in blood sugar, and eating meat is not as inflammatory. But she warns: Too much animal fat can cause inflammation too.
According to Patton, the absence of carbohydrates is what leads to the weight loss associated with the carnivore diet, but carbs are your body’s preferred energy source. And you can have some serious side effects living off a meat-only diet.