Sat, Apr-27-02, 07:22
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Forum Founder
Posts: 37,417
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Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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hi Mary,
The caution against red meat isn't against the meat itself, it's because the FAT in red meat and in egg yolks contains arachidonic acid (AA), which can trigger inflammations in susceptible people. From the Protein Power FAQ's:
Quote:
Can I really eat all the red meat and egg yolks I want?
Most people can. However, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. First, you can’t do the Protein Power Plan halfway. You can’t increase your protein foods haphazardly and continue to eat carbohydrates as you do now and expect to see results. In fact, you’ll be worsening your problems if you do so.
Second, there are some people who may have problems with large amounts of red meat and large quantities of egg yolks. These people: have elevated blood pressure and/or cholesterol, retain abnormally high amounts of fluid, and/or suffer from inflammatory conditions such as skin rashes, asthma, allergies, bursitis, or arthritis.
It’s not the cholesterol in red meat and egg yolks that is the problem. It’s the fact that they are high in arachidonic acid, which can promote or worsen the above conditions.
Here is the strategy for these folks to follow: Eliminate red meat and egg yolks from your diet completely for three weeks. At the end of the three week period, take stock of your health. Has it improved? Eat a large portion of red meat and eggs for a couple of meals and observe what happens. If your problems reappear of get worse, you are sensitive to arachidonic acid and should have these foods only once in a while. When you do have them, make sure to remove as much of the fat from the beef as possible. Grill the beef. This will reduce the arachidonic acid by as much as 35%. Another option is to marinate the meat in a combination of red wine and olive oil or light sesame oil for 24 hours before grilling.
As far as eggs are concerned, have no more than one or two whole eggs at a sitting, and eat egg whites the rest of the time. Also, you should avoid margarine altogether (as everyone should).
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Besides doing the recommended 3-week elimination test to see if this may or may not be a problem for you, the Eades also suggest that you could choose very lean cuts of red meat, with little or no marbling. Trim off all visible fat. Lamb could be a good choice because the fat is generally on the outside of the meat, and therefore easily trimmed away. Ground meat obviously is out of the question. Grill on a rack, so the fat drips away, then use melted butter or olive oil to dress the meat for serving. They also suggest that you marinate red meat in red wine and olive oil for 24 hrs before cooking. Discard the marinade .. this can reduce the arachidonic acid content by 30%.
hth,
Doreen
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