Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why? - PaleoHacks.com

Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-15T23:07:39Z

I've been on paleo for a couple of months now.

I try to only eat meat when I know that it's well raised, well treated meat. In effect, this means I don't eat very much meat at all.

In the past few weeks I've eaten some nice big steaks twice. On both occasions I noticed the next day I felt better - mentally sharper and physically had more energy.

It's possible that this was coincidence, perhaps related to a better night's sleep, but I'd like to check in with some knowledgeable people on if I might be missing something that the red meat gave me.

My diet is reasonably stable. I eat 2-3 eggs for breakfast, fish a few times a week (baked cod/haddock, not very much oily fish), and lots of vegetables, carrots, broccoli, kale, zucchini/courgette, sweet potato. I eat lots of apples and bananas, dried figs and nuts as snacks throughout the day. (I average 50-100g of nuts/day). I buy a whole chicken maybe once a month. That's it, I haven't varied much from this for 4-6 weeks and in this period meat wise only had the two steaks and 1 whole chicken, meat wise.

Any input on the red meat question appreciated,

Thanks :)

Answer by Poop Master MC for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-15T23:27:58Z

The flesh of the cow you are eating knows that you are concerned with the welfare of its brethren and is grateful to you for it, so it fills your veins with a rush of good karma that leaves you peppy and full of energy.

Answer by Jeff for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-15T23:30:24Z

Probably from the B12 and iron you may generally be lacking in.

Answer by Daibreak for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-15T23:45:08Z

I don't mean to be a smart alec or anything, but you get a boost from eating meat because your body has evolved to eat meat - all kinds of meat, lots and lots of meat. Eating meat is a cornerstone of the Paleo diet. It's essential for many reasons, including the saturated fats in the meat, which your body uses for fuel (these fats are more efficient for your body and easier on it than carbohydrates). I would suggest you invest in a large freezer and find several local farms which raise meat the way you prefer it and then once or twice a year buy a 1/4 cow or 1/2 pig or whatever your preference, store and use that way. It will be nearly the same cost of grocery meat when done this way.

Answer by Catherine Knight for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-15T23:57:59Z

your diet seems to be very very low in fat. That fat from the steak is probably what is doing it.

Answer by Stabby for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-16T00:10:55Z

We just have to rule out the deficiencies:

Choline? No you eat eggs.

B12: You eat eggs and fish.

Creatine? Fish.

Cholesterol? Eggs and fish.

The two that are left that aren't found in appreciable amounts in as large amounts in other foods are carnitine and carnosine. I think that carnitine is the most likely candidate because it's important for fatty acid metabolism.

Answer by Tamara for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-16T00:35:39Z

Men don't usually have iron deficiency. How about essential fatty acids? You get these from grass-fed beef in much higher quantities than from factory-farmed beef. They are a key to keeping your mental focus sharp and your mood positive. It's the omega-3 that most people usually lack in their diet. A good liquid fish-oil is an excellent supplement to get your omega-3s.

Answer by MusclesGlasses for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-09-16T01:04:42Z

You may want to get a CBC w/diff and CMP done

Answer by Stevie for Occasional red meat gives me a boost, why?

2012-10-02T22:33:51Z

Oh my goodness this happens to me too! And then I wake up the next day feeling stronger, my skin is prettier, and after eating red meat I feel sharper- my vision is just better, I feel like I can hunt or something. It's so weird, but it's really cool at the same time. It may be due to anemia, as it runs in my family, so perhaps you're lacking iron. Previous answers state the lack of essential vitamins, so that could be it too. How exactly do you feel when you eat red meat?