The best red meat channels for health, longevity and a healthy weight - [MEMBER ZONE]

Red meat and health : what preferential channels and labels for optimum nutrition? Choose the best beef and lamb with this comprehensive guide.

In this guidethe result of work by of human nutrition and top keto-carnivore diet researcherswe're going to explore best sources of red meat to support longevity and vitality.

The first part of this large file is accessible to all, and the second part is reserved for members only. Blooness members.

The goal is to avoid mistakes with red meat and rediscover good eating habits, by identifying the right sectorsthe right farming methods, country by countrywhether in food ketogenic, lowcarb, Mediterranean or, more generally, omnivorous. Always with health and longevity in mind.

To do this, we will make the most of what is being said in the keto-carnivore sphere, in order to apply it to the different eating habits advocated in this guideranging from the ketogenic diet to the Mediterranean diet through diet Paleo and, more generally, the Blue Zones.

The idea being, as always in the Blooness guideto make the a synthesis of the best around the world to work towards a food ideal. Contrary to popular belief, it is still possible to eat red meat without damaging your health, the planet or your figure, provided you make the right choices. In fact, it's even recommended based on the precepts of the Blooness Guide, because meat, eggs and seafood products and possibly dairy products the intangible base for human consumption.

As meat is one of the most important foods in the diet, it makes sense to identify the healthiest sources in order to avoid consuming meat products that would be harmful to your health. It is in this sense that this content is of the utmost importance. fundamental importanceespecially since many mistakes are made to the purchase and consumption of meat, so we're going to take a closer look here at solve this problem once and for all.

Part 1 in podcast format - Free access

What you'll learn in this chapter of the Blooness Guide to the best red meat labels

🥩 The 5-point summary :

👉 Not all labels are created equal Some brand names conceal poor nutritional quality, even in organic.

👉 Visit beef is not the enemy Well-bred and well-fed, it is one of the most popular the best meats for longevity... contrary to popular belief.

👉 Fat is an ally when well chosen the origin and nature of lipids vary greatly depending on the breeding sector, and animal fat is a nutritional treasureThis is true for hormones, vitality, energy and the quality of our tissues.

👉 Every country has its nuggets France, USA, Japan, Iceland, Argentina... in this content, we'll be discovering inspiring farming and consumption methods.

👉 Ethics and health can coexist We can eat meat without compromising on ethics, based on the right criteria and at the right pace.

This dossier is devoted entirely to red meatHowever, for the sake of precision and synthesis, and to keep the content from becoming too dense, it is preferable to separate red meat from white meat. White meat will therefore be dealt with in the following section.

As usual, the first part of this chapter is accessible to all, while the second part is only accessible to Blooness members.

Introduction to the best sources of red meat

We live in a world saturated with contradictory nutritional messages, especially since the advent of social networks. But despite this context, no matter how many different opinions abound on all sides, one consensus stands out: the quality of our diet largely determines our vitality, longevity and ability to maintain a healthy weight.

Without wishing to lecture you on morality, this is the premise on which we've built our company. this great guide to the ideal dietso that everyone can do their bestwhile maintaining a balance between an ideal more or less theoretical and a daily life made of concessionsIt's a world of constraints, of unexpected moments, but also of pleasures outside the box, fully embraced.

It's not a question of imposing a rigid dietary discipline on yourself. but rather do your best in generalWe apply both the wisdom inherited from ancestral cultures and the ever-evolving teachings of scientific literature. All the while maintaining a certain flexibilityfor those who wish to do so.

And one of the pillars of this "ideal" diet is precisely the protein animalwhich plays an absolutely crucial for the tissue renewaland for the durability.

But it's the sources of proteins that there's a real challenge ahead. Not only because most people are deficient without knowing itbut also because animal protein sources are mainly derived from intensive livestock farmingprobably very bad for your health, and raise ethical questions.

Depending on farming methodsof the feed given to the animaland how we're going to distribute the consumption of different pieces of the animal, we can move from an optimal diet to a deficient or harmful one.

So while two people may theoretically eat the same diet, it's possible that, in fact, they do, they are diametrically opposed in terms of efficiencywith a overexposure to certain nutrients and a deficiency of other nutrientsThis can be due to a number of factors. For example:

• frequency of consumption of selected parts of the same animal influences the quality of the diet, because as you know, chicken breast does not have the same nutritional profile as beef heart, and the frequency of each of these foods has a direct influence on the effectiveness of the diet;
• the quality of the animals consumed between intensive and extensive farming;
• frequency of seafood consumptionThis is particularly true of meat, to the detriment of seafood and fish, which are rich in omega-3s, micronutrients and sodium... precious nutrients recommended in the keto-mediterranean diet. What's more, from the point of view of human evolution, human beings have often lived along the coast, and are very well adapted to it. Finally, from a chronobiological point of view, we recommend eating foods with a low molecular weight (i.e. fish) at the end of the day, to spare the digestive system.

The most typical example? That of a keto-carnivore diet, i.e. a diet based mainly on meat and seafood, but with the added benefit of being more balanced. almost exclusively lean, muscular meatwhich in turn leads to a health catastrophe.

A contrario, a diversified carnivorous dietrich in animal fat and with a reasonable intake of offaland relatively frequent consumption of seafood products, could be more beneficial than certain omnivorous, high-calorie diets. carbohydratesand it will obviously be much better than the carnivorous diet based on almost exclusively muscular meat. As always, the devil is in the detail.

In any case, one thing is now certain: despite the media controversies surrounding meat consumption, approaches based on rigorous scientific data - notably those put forward in the world of therapeutic nutrition and the ketogenic diet - all converge on two following conclusions:

• the first is that consumption of well-sourced meat is a determining factor for optimized healthThis is particularly true when it comes to maximizing cerebral and physical performance, regardless of the type of food you choose;
• the second is that, as we briefly mentioned earlier, not all meats are created equal.

Leaving aside the perfectly respectable deontological choice of refusing to eat meat for ethical and existential reasons, the question is no longer "should I eat meat or not? how to choose it, how often to eat it, where it comes from, which cuts of meat to eat and in what proportions.

There's a world of difference between a piece of grass-fed beef with its own fat and an industrial ham from battery-farmed pigs, or a steak 5% of fat from the supermarket with no certainty of origin, from a nutritional, ethical and physiological point of view. Secondly, as we said earlier, the consumption of muscle meat alone may not be sufficient to meet human physiological and micronutritional needs, let alone the body's lipid requirements.

It's therefore vital to understand these issues and know how to respond to them, in order to give yourself the best possible chance of healthy longevity.

The aim of this dossier is to guide us in our choice of best red meats in terms of sourcingand the best white meat labels will be covered in the next section of the guide.

In this section, we'll focus on red meat in particular:

• the best channels and labels to choose,
• the quality criteria you need to know to avoid being ripped off, no matter what country you're in,
• and, secondly, the pieces to be chosen, which will be the subject of later content.

In terms of sectors and labels, we'll be focusing on France, where the Blooness guide originated, but for those of you in other parts of the world, the list of the best international labels will be included at the end of the dossier. So don't hesitate to go to the part that concerns you directly.

This major dossier is based on scientific studies, clinical feedback from leading doctors and authors specializing in nutrition (such as Dr. Westman, Dr. Phinney, Dr. Fung and Dr. Volek), and practical advice from leading figures in the world of nutrition. keto (Mark Sisson, Maria Emmerich, Leanne Vogel to name but a few...).

Ready to go? Let's get started!

Why quality meat is essential for health and longevity

Contrary to popular belief, meat and seafood could be the most nutritious foods available and most effective for longevity, cognition and overall vitality. The problem is that, as in the case of fatsAnimal-based foods have also suffered from a bad reputation. In fact, this reputation is biased for two reasons.

The first is that the scientific studies which concluded that meat consumption had a negative influence on health were based on correlations, without taking into account the quality of the meat consumed. Indeed, the subjects of the studies, who were heavy meat eaters, were also heavy consumers of "everything" in general (alcohol, carbohydrates, junk food and processed foods), unlike vegetarians or flexitarians who generally have a greater sensitivity to wellness and health issues.

There's a paradox here that it's important to take into account, and which shows just how non-binary things are. Scientific studies can conclude one thing and the opposite at the same time.

The second thing is that, in any case, the majority of meat produced in developed or developing countries is, on the whole, meat produced in developing countries. meat from intensively farmed animals. As we saw in the previous chapters on ruminants on the one handand poultryall the problems associated with intensive livestock farming, both in terms of animal welfare and the environment. in terms of human health for those who regularly consume this type of meat.

On the contrary, quality meatin the sense of nutritional quality, could be a treasure trove of human longevityAnd that's precisely what we're going to focus on in this chapter.

And when we talk about nutritional quality, we're not necessarily talking about taste quality, but nutritional quality. These two notions are certainly positively correlated in most cases, but not necessarily all the time, as can be seen, for example, with Kobe beef, which is very tasty, but nevertheless rich in omega-6, or duck foie gras, which we reserve for special occasions but not necessarily on a daily basis.

Let's go back to the reasons why why quality meat is good for your health and longevity.

A concentrate of essential nutrients

First and foremost, the best meats, from well-bred and well-fed animals, are among the best in the world. the densest and most complete foods available in nature.

Meat provides :

• from complete proteinsrich in all essential amino acidsand we remember the importance of benefiting from the full chain of amino acids for better tissue regenerationand the importance of consuming sufficient protein on an almost daily basis ;
• of the vitamin B12This vitamin is essential for the nervous system, the formation of red blood cells and, more generally, for all metabolic functions linked to energy production and DNA synthesis;
• from iron heminicIt is better absorbed than plant iron, and is crucial in the fight against anemia, i.e. a drop in hemoglobin levels in the blood;
• from zincwhich is a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes, enzymes being catalysts for chemical reactions in the body;
• of the creatinewhich is a key molecule derived from 3 amino acids and is essential for muscle strength, physical endurance and even cognitive performance;
• of the carnosineanother molecule composed of 2 amino acids, which is a a powerful antioxidant, and therefore a kind of "retardant" of cell ageing.

As you can see, meat has a nutritional profile that makes it a prime choice for supporting muscle mass, recovery, cognition and metabolism, especially as we age!

I refer you to the key contents published on the guide which relate to the importance of protein for human life:

• The ideal protein intake for the keto-mediterranean, paleo, carnivore and low-carb diets
• Protein intake: what are the risks of eating too much? - [MEMBER ZONE]
• Are you protein deficient? Find out the signs, risks and reasons for protein deficiency - [MEMBER ZONE]
• The various protein bioavailability indicators - [MEMBER ZONE]
• The ultimate list of the most bioavailable and healthiest protein foods for the body - [MEMBER ZONE]
• Weight maintenance, weight loss and vitality thanks to proteins in keto, low-carb and Mediterranean diets - [MEMBER ZONE]
• Optimal intakes of proteins, carbohydrates and fats for the best possible health and figure - [MEMBER ZONE]

So you understand why meat - quality meat - is the key to longevityproducts, along with seafood, dairy products and eggs, all of which come from the animal kingdom. the most protein-rich foods in terms of food portions.

Products from the animal kingdom, mainly meat and seafood, are also the products that have a generally ideal protein/fat ratio for humankind, while at the same time being virtually devoid of carbohydrates and other nutrients. Their protein concentration and ideal protein-to-fat ratio make these foods ideal for human consumption. typical of human survivalin this sense that they would be enough to keep us alive and healthyif that's all we had to consume.

That's why they're probably the most important food in the world, until research finds an alternative.

Industrial meat, a false friend

Industrial processed meat, on the other hand, from intensive livestock farmsAs we have seen in previous sections of this guide, the use of GMO feed, excessive confinement, the addition of high-dose antibiotics and chronic stress poses a number of problems:

• firstly, intensive livestock farming leads to an altered lipid profile in animals (too high in inflammatory omega-6s, low in health-promoting omega-3s),
• a higher toxic load (with antibiotic residues, pollutants and heavy metals present in the meat),
• and lower nutritional densityThis is especially true when the meat is ultra-processed and the manufacturers have artificially accelerated the animal's growth.

Industrial cured meats, nuggets, reconstituted meats and meats over-marinated with industrial products should be limited or eliminated for optimum health.

Red meat and hormonal health

Next, it is important to underline red meat's major contribution to hormonal health. As we've said, quality meat is densely packed with nutrients and proteins, and this concentration of micronutrients has extremely beneficial effects on the hormonal system. Yet this is a concept that is often misunderstood by the general public. And yet, in keto, carnivore or omnivore diets, meat is an excellent way of meeting these challenges, and moving towards greater hormonal vitality.

The positive effects of meat on hormonal health are due to its zinc, heme iron and vitamin B12 densitywhich directly support the production and balance of sex, thyroid and metabolic hormones. This is no longer a secret, these three issues (sexual health, thyroid health and metabolic health) are the major health challenges of our time.

To understand the importance of micronutrients in meat, let's quickly review the benefits of Zinc, B12 and Iron, to name but a few.

Zinc for testosterone

Zinc is highly concentrated in beef and lamb (around 4 mg per 100 g of food, representing 35 to 45 % of an adult's daily requirement), and is crucial for testosterone synthesis in the testicles.

Research shows that zinc supplementation (or via a zinc-rich diet, ideally) increases testosterone levels in deficient men, and improves libido and muscle mass.

In women, zinc also plays a major role, and rest assured, it won't falsely cause excess testosterone. On the contrary, in women, zinc helps :

• ovarian health and regulation of the menstrual cycle;
• the synthesis of female sex hormones, including estrogen and progesterone;
• immune function and healing, as well as healthy skin and hair.

In practice, replenishing your zinc intake by eating red meat and offal is a good idea. beneficial for both sexesAs long as intake remains roughly within the recommended nutritional norms (around 8 mg/d for adult women, 11 mg/d for men), or slightly above, bearing in mind that recommended nutritional intakes are often minimum recommended intakes.

With a flexible carnivorous ketogenic diet, including meat, offal, seafood and some low-carbohydrate vegetablesZinc intake is generally between 12 and 20 mg per day.

These levels are consistent with physiological needs and well below the upper tolerance threshold (40 mg/day). What's more, these intakes are naturally balanced with those of copper, thanks in particular to organ meats and seafood (very important in the keto-mediterranean diet, and we'll come back to the crucial subject of seafood later). And this balance between copper and zinc contributes to preserve the harmony between these two essential trace elements.

Vitamin B12 for hormonal energy

Secondly, in addition to zinc, meat contains a significant amount of vitamin B12, which is essential for the development of the immune system. thyroid hormone production and for the regulation of homocysteine, an amino acid produced when the body processes methionine, methionine being another amino acid found in animal proteins. Homocysteine is therefore normally eliminated through the vitamins B6B9 and B12, but it can accumulate in the event of vitamin B12 deficiency and thus become counter-productive: it can disrupt hormonal balance, particularly that of estrogen, and increase cardiovascular risk.

B12 represents up to 2 to 3 micrograms per 100 g in beef, which is almost the recommended daily intake for an adult, and it prevents imbalances such as hypothyroidism.

Functional hypothyroidism is a disorder that is becoming increasingly common today, and it results in a slower metabolismIn many cases, this can lead to weight gain. Eating quality red meat with fat, and in particular regular, controlled consumption of offal, is an effective way of tackling this problem. The aim is to stimulates basal metabolism, in simple terms, to reactivate the body's main metabolic processes.

Finally, the B12 supports adrenal gland functionThese small glands above the kidneys orchestrate the production of cortisol, adrenalin and other stress-related hormones. A good supply of B12 therefore helps to better manage stress responseThis, too, is one of the ills of today's society, with an explosion in psychological illnesses, increasingly complicated stress management and a loss of meaning and motivation.

Heme iron for overall balance

Secondly, red meat provides iron (2 to 3 mg per 100 g), and this heme iron is better absorbed than iron from plants.

In particular, iron is known to combat anaemia, a condition that can, once again, lead to anaemia. disrupt reproductive and thyroid hormones. For women, adequate intake helps regulate menstrual cycles.

From a practical point of view, eating 100 to 150 g of red meat from a grass-fed animal 2 to 4 times a week helps maintain zinc, B12 and heme iron levels. And as you can see, we're a long, long way from the commonly held beliefs about red meat.

It's important to remember that it's important to monitor hormones through tests (TSH, testosterone), and more generally to carry out overall health checks, independently of public recommendations or the suggestions provided in this guide, in order to provide a response adapted to each case, and for each context.

So to sum up, red meat is a micronutritional bomband it is important to remember this, in order to get away from prejudice and preconceived ideas which are sometimes spread dishonestly or simply out of ignorance.

And there's another misconception that persists: that animal fat is bad for cardiovascular health, or that it dangerously raises blood cholesterol levels.

The role of fat in meat: friend or foe?

Indeed, fat in meat has long been demonized. However, new studies and biochemical analyses confirm that saturated fat is not inherently bad, especially when it comes from grass-fed animals. On the contrary, it has a number of benefits, which we're going to describe briefly and try to popularize as best we can.

Stearic acid (non-atherogenic, metabolically neutral)

First of all, animal fat contains stearic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid that predominates in bovine fat. Contrary to what you may have heard, this fatty acid does not raise atherogenic cholesterol levels which is responsible for the deposition of plaque in artery walls.

On the contrary, it converts to oleic acid (as in olive oil) and helps regulate lipid metabolism. Studies show that it is metabolically neutral, and even protective against heart disease.

Monounsaturated fatty acids (as in olive oil)

Secondly, contrary to the popular belief that meat is primarily a source of fats saturated, it actually contains a majority of monounsaturated fatty acidswhich is a fatty acid also found in olive oil. This is a type of fat we've already covered in detail in this guide, which is very well metabolized by the body, and which in any case is supposed to make up the majority of fats consumed by human beings.

Monounsaturates account for up to 50 % of the fat in grass-fed red meat. However, in the chapter on optimal protein, carbohydrate and lipid intakes, we saw that omega-9s - which make up the bulk of monounsaturates - could ideally account for 45% of human lipid intake. A happy coincidence, then, which could well be explained by human adaptation to the lipid profile of meat.

Monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g. oleic acid) are highly beneficial to the body: they reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity and support cardiovascular health.

And even though meat - and especially butter - are major sources of saturated fats on a low-carb and ketogenic diet, saturated fat is in fact one of the body's favorite energy substratesIt's from this saturated fat that the body produces ATP, the fundamental energy molecule that powers our cells' vital processes and keeps us alive.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acids), with potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects

Secondly, animal fat also contains CLAs, and these CLAs are what we call conjugated linoleic acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is abundant in meat from grass-fed animals (2 to 3 times more than meat from animals fed corn and soybeans). cereals).

And this fatty acid has potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, as well as promoting body fat loss. To top it all off, meta-analyses confirm its role in preventing diabetes and cancer.

And if these CLAs are found mainly in ruminant fats (beef, lamb, or milk, butter and cheeses from these ruminants), it's because they are produced by ruminal flora during plant fermentation. Obviously, if ruminants are not fed grass, CLA content is likely to be sacrificed.

The omega-3 / omega-6 ratio, provided the animal has been raised in good conditions.

Finally, with grass-fed breeding, the omega-3 / omega-6 ratio is optimal (up to 1 omega-3 for 2 omega-6, vs. 1:20 with grain-fed breeding).

This ideal ratio helps reduce chronic inflammation. Omega-3s (EPA, DHA via conversion) support the brain, heart and immunity, as shown by most scientific studies on the subject.

In practice, it is very interesting to choose marbled cuts (rib steak, rib) to maximize benefits, and vary with fatty offal (liver, marrow) for optimal nutritional density.

But be careful: in intensive livestock farming, fat becomes pro-inflammatory (in particular due to the presence of too much omega-6). It is therefore always preferable to choose grass-fed beef to transform this "fat" into a health ally ! And that goes for chicken too.

There are also other benefits associated with animal fats, and these examples show that, in the final analysis, animal fats are the best choice for your health. fats from healthy animals are an effective fuelparticularly in the context of metabolism low-carb or keto-adapted. Animal fat is a fuel very well metabolized by the body to provide energywith the least organic "waste".

We could even oversimplify things by saying that in human evolution, animal fats have been the natural and ancestral fuel of human beingsCarbohydrates, mainly provided by starch, have been a substitute fuel relatively recently, since they became abundantly available thanks to agriculture in the first instance, and industrialization in the second.

However, we tend to say that carbohydrates are the body's "preferred fuel", whereas in reality, carbohydrates are more of an energy substrate burned in the short term, and burned as a priority in order to regulate the body's metabolism. blood glucose, which does not mean that fats are a "second-best fuel" or a "default energy substrate".but rather the need to regulate blood sugar levels means that carbohydrates must be burned as a priority.

The semantics used are important, and in the collective imagination, when we say that the body's "preferred fuel" is sugar, we imply that sugar is imperative for performance and good health, or at the very least that the body prefers sugar, which is not necessarily true. In fact, the history of human evolution and the explosion of civilization-related diseases seem to suggest otherwise.

Animal fat, often misunderstood, is far from an enemy: it provides stable energy, supports hormones and protects against inflammation, provided you choose quality animal sources.

Now that we've seen why meat is a food with an unfairly tarnished reputation, let's take a quick look at what determines quality meat, and what differentiates it from meat that's less good for human health.

If we want to understand the difference between meat that is beneficial and meat that is inflammatory and less beneficial to healthyou have to go back to the source: what the animal eats. As in the case of human beings, the feed given to the animal, as well as the method of rearing, determine the animal's health, the composition of its tissues, and therefore the nutritional quality of the meat we eat. That's what we're going to find out right now.

After that, we'll finally get to the heart of the matter and discover what breeds, labels, chains and the best suppliers and breeders of red meat are out there, and how to identify them, both in France and around the world.

The first part, accessible to all, of this major dossier on red meat ends here, and the second part begins now. Blooness members only. To access it, you can join the Member Zone or log in if you're already a member, and view the rest of this content directly, in addition to having access to all the other private content on the site.

Part 2 in podcast format - Content reserved for Blooness members