Limit Red Meat to Two Servings or Less Per Week

Did you know that limiting red meat to 2 servings or less each week reduces risk of premature death by up to 14%?

Why is red meat so bad for you? 

Red meat - which includes beef, pork and lamb - contains heme iron.  Heme iron is a pro-oxidant. Pro-oxidants lead to oxidative stress and systemic inflammation resulting in:

• obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver and diabetes

• increased risk of heart attacks and strokes

Cooked red meat contains mutagens, including heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons resulting in:

• increased risk of colorectal cancer.

To avoid the risk of red meat, 2 servings or less per week ( a serving is 3 ounces, the size of a deck of cards) is the most you can eat. Despite the serious health risks from eating red meat, the average American consumes 11 servings of red meat each week, that's more than 5X what is safe. 

Red meat is ubiquitous in the American diet. Limiting red meat to 2 servings or less per week sounds like a lot to ask. Americans have shifted to a diet of prepared food, processed food, processed meat, and red moved, and  have moved away from a diet rich in whole plant foods. Is there a way to limit red meat to 2 servings or less per week in the modern food environment?

There most certainly is! in this course, Dr. Cohen, a primary care doctor in San Francisco, shares with you effective and delicious strategies for limiting or eliminating red meat from your diet. 

The course begins with an introduction to nutrition.  Dr. Cohen explains how our food environment has made it increasingly difficult to eat healthfully. He proposes a shift back to preparing our own food, from fresh ingredients we buy, including a diet without red meat.    Next, he'll share with you the medical research that shows the benefits of diets rich in whole foods and low in red meat. You'll learn about the role of aggressive marketing, hyper-palatable and hyper-convenient foods in our food environment.  You'll learn about choice architecture for avoiding bad choices. Next, he'll share with you tips for meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation, to make going without red meat easy and delicious. Finally, you'll hear the answers to frequently asked questions, followed by a summary of the information presented.