I eat hardly any red meat because it is too darn expensive. I can't believe what red meat costs these days. I go weeks without eating it, but that is mostly because I prefer fish and poultry, but the cost of beef stops me, too. Now that summer is here, I'll eat hamburgers on the grill more often than I should.

I am more concerned about chemicals in my food. It is nearly impossible to avoid them, but a good way to start is to cut out rtificial sweeteners. Giving up diet coke was hard for me, but it is basically a bottle of chemical stew.

My kids don't eat red meat. I do like it. :( I would like to cut it out completely. I don't think my husband ever will.

I have been doing a juice fast to try to reset my eating habits. I am sure that is controversial too! :) I am still on it so I can't say if it has worked yet. I can say I am happy to be off Caffeine and Sugar for two weeks. My Rosacea has vastly improved, I am sure due to what has been cut out in large part, but I would like to think also due to what I am putting in.

Eating less meat is a good thing, eating BETTER meat is also a good thing. Our family recently made the decision to eat grass fed organic meat whenever possible. We're also trying to greatly reduce our consumption of processed products buying organic, sustainably produced non-gmo foods whenever possible. Yes our food bills have increased dramatically. Its a personal decision to spend more on that and less elsewhere.

I have all but given up red meat, and don't really miss it. DH is another story...

I haven't eaten red meat in 27 years. If I'm going to be out, I'll leave something like a roast or a beef stew for DH and the boys. Otherwise, they get their fix when we eat out.

I have been cutting back on red meat for years-primarily because it is just so flavorless any more. DH and I like rib eye steaks, but can't seem to find any that taste any good, so we went back to sirloin that we'd marinate.

Now I'm finishing up the last of the red meat in the freezer-I think there is one roast left, and tonight we'll have some fajitas but once it's all gone-I'm not replacing it. Mostly due to health issues, but also the cost to the environment! I feel like a newly reborn food convert-once I set out on the Weight Watchers route I moved to eating more veggies-now gluten free-and now more organic.

I am hoping to find more locally raised, antibiotic/hormone free chicken-I like chicken, its so versatile. So far not a lot of luck, there are pork farmers around our local growers markets, but DH hates pork.

Eating has certainly become a dangerous activity - so much to avoid. Red meat, GMOs, gluten, everything processed, everything that's not organic, mercury laden seafood, etc. Seems like it could be a full-time job figuring out what's "safe" to eat - if anything. And even then we may be doomed by what's in our water supply and the air we breathe.

I eat very little meat of any kind but do thoroughly enjoy about a 3 oz piece of grilled steak a couple times over the course of the summer - a doubly bad thing because high heat grilling is supposedly bad for you too.

Ehh, I have decided to eat whatever I want, so be it. I keep my weight at a good place and that's about it. I take/need no medicines, either, btw.

I'd love to know how many of the problems with eating meat are from all the adulterations made to it. Is cancer from eating meat or from the hormones and other things used to make more $$ by agribusiness? I buy only local organic meat and luckily have friends who grow chickens, lambs and turkeys. Our Farmer's Market sells local, organically grown beef and pork. If you read or watch anything about the way our food is produced and processed in this country (and other parts of the world) I think most people would avoid it like the plague in favor of food that has had minimum adulteration.

I somewhat follow Bumble's way although we rarely eat fried foods, we don't do fast-foods and we eat less meat than we used to. We do not eat red meat very often. This past weekend, I had the first steak I have had in many months. We did grill burgers over the holiday. We've also cut down on cheese, much as I love it. When I had my last bloodwork my doctor said my good cholesterol had risen and the only thing I had done different was cutting back on the cheese. ??

There have been many studies on red meat affecting our health, and it's the cancer studies that concern me. So, we do eat it occasionally. We also limit (try) the "white stuff" and do not eat much processed food at all.

Bumble, I thought you were doing Paleo or some other plan? I remember reading your post about it on the cooking forum some time ago.

Somewhat Tina. I still try to eat less carbs. I need to get back to that. I have let refined carbs slip back in and I can tell the difference in my body.

i try not to be obsessive about my diet-- i eat pretty much everything in moderation... but, i have never been a big meat eater... a steak really has never been a treat for me... my husb is a much bigger meat eater than i am.
and it would really not occur to me to eat meat at breakfast or lunch---i would make tuna salad or deli turkey or something when i used to make my kids' lunches, but i don't think of it for myself unless i'm eating lunch out and get a salad with chicken or shrimp or something...

i liked the convenience of ground meat-- hamburgers on the grill, chili, tacos, meatloaf or meatballs--easy kid friendly food, but the guys have broadened their tastes so i don't have to cater to young tastebuds anymore! (when they're home!)

the business about carnitine, which is very compelling, has nothing to do with whether the meat is organic or not...it has to do with how the bacteria in our gut break down the carnitine which exists in many foods but especially red meat, creates chemicals which are important elements of the artery clogging process, so going organic or grass fed may be good for many reasons, but it won't help with heart disease....

Well, apparently there isn't agreement among experts about what you are saying about carnitine and heart disease. Everything in moderation and I'll take mine organically grown.

Here is a link that might be useful: Carnitine and heart health.

Interesting reference, olychick. I do wish science would make it simple for us, but it never seems to...it takes so much time and study to reach more solid conclusions.

However, when I looked at the studies Dr. Gaby referred to supporting carnitine supplements, one was done on 12 people and another on 50....very small sample sizes compared to the work done at the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard. Further, Dr. Gaby is referring to people who have serious heart ailments already as those who may benefit from carnitine supplementation.

So, to be on the safe side, if you are otherwise healthy, you won't benefit and may be harmed by carnitine supplementation. As Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic says, "Your body can make all the carnitine it needs, even if you're a vegan or never eat any red meat."

I know what you mean Bumble. I am a sweet lover and I can really tell a difference in my energy level, etc. when I let my "addiction" get out of hand.

tina