Why the beef with red meat? 🤔

March is National Kidney Month and today is World Kidney Day! 

Let’s celebrate by taking a step to feel our best and showing our kidneys some love! 💕

There is a lot of noise out there about how to eat healthy. There is no one size fits all perfect meal plan because every body is different. Do what feels good for you and your body and just try your best. We all indulge, including me; I have a piece of dark chocolate every day! Sometimes two pieces 🤭 And I finally stopped telling myself that was a “bad” health decision. We all are trying to do our best so remember to speak kindly to yourself and strive for a balanced, colorful diet including lots of fruits and vegetables. They are packed with the vitamins and minerals our body needs. 

The first food I removed from my plate was red meat. I had my kidney surgery in 2006 but didn’t stop eating red meat till 2014. I stopped “cold turkey” (no pun intended) and you can read what happened here. (hint: I don’t recommend going it alone) 

In honor of World Kidney Day, let’s all show our kidneys some love by not adding red meat to your plate today. 

If you are a meat-lover, it’s perfectly okay to like what you like. Just please consider decreasing your intake of red meat.

Here’s why:

• Red meat is the most challenging food for our bodies to digest. It requires the most amount of our natural stomach acid and natural enzymes to break down all the animal protein that is in red meat. 

• Red meat takes approximately 2-3 days to be fully digested through your body. During those 3 days, all it’s doing is… rotting in your colon waiting to join the kiddies in the pool. 😳💩

• Our kidneys have the important job of metabolizing food: separating and keeping what our body needs, then eliminating waste through our urine. Red meat is the most difficult food for our kidneys to metabolize. 

• Eating red meat daily puts a heavy burden on our two beans, causing more harm and worsening existing kidney issues. So, if you are a kidney patient, you really need to re-evaluate your relationship with Mr. Salisbury Steak. 💔

To sum it up, your kidneys work overtime to process red meat, and no one ever wants to work mandatory overtime.🤦🏻‍♀️

Cutting out red meat was the turning point for me but who am I to tell you not to eat hamburgers. It took me 29 years to stop! Burger King hosted my 6th birthday party and my fondest childhood memory is jumping in the inflatable Whopper Hopper! 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

So, please try to gradually reduce your intake of red meat by adding single portions to your plate only 2-3 times a week. And if you want to stop eating meat altogether, give it a try and see how you feel. 

Just make sure you are filling your plate with iron rich foods like:  

• Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses; 1 tsp. is a go to for me. 

• Raw and Sprouted Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds; My favorite!

• Lentils and Beans; soaked overnight is the key to better digestion.

• Swiss Chard

• Raw Baby Spinach

  
  

If you ever feel stuck, remember this quote: 

As promised, I’m blogging about my kidney journey and my life, to help guide you along yours.  Everybody is different and what is shared here has worked best for me. 

Before implementing anything into your journey, it’s always best to be monitored by a qualified provider. Whether you trust ND or MD, make sure you don’t go the journey alone.

I did in the beginning and it was hard! 😬

You’re always welcome to ask me any questions here 😊

Namaste and Lots of Love! 🤟🏻