Winter eating, Part II

I've given some thought to yesterday's posting. As an acupuncturist, I get patients who are amazed that I eat meat. "But I thought you would eat healthy food!"

I do.

I want to clarify a few points here. First of all, when I say "meat", I mean either chicken, beef, pork or lamb. Some people seem to feel that chicken isn't meat. That's OK. If you view chicken as something other than meat, I have no issues with that. My use of that word is to differentiate it from fish, vegetables or a starch. So you may substitute any word you wish for "meat", if that helps you to understand my point.

The second point, and probably the more important one, is the question of whether or not meat is healthy for you. The answer, I think, is not a simple "yes" or "no". Both of my parents lived to age 90, and they ate meat at LEAST 4 times a week. My mom didn't buy organic meat, but she did buy high quality food. So perhaps in my case, there can be a genetic factor which allows me to eat meat without some of the harsher consequences? I can't say for sure. But when you think about the days when most people used to farm, they ate meat. What they called "work" was hard, physical labor. They ate hearty meals which contained meat and fat and they worked hard. Infections or accidents accounted for a large percentage of illnesses and deaths in those days.

So if you do not get much exercise, if you do not use your body, if you spend most of your time on the phone and at the computer, then perhaps you should go more lightly on the meat. If, on the other hand, you enjoy physical activities such as sports, hiking, running, swimming, etc., then I believe that your body can handle more meat.

Besides, in the winter time, when the weather is cold, meat will help warm you up!

Happy eating!

p.s. When I gave the amount of meat in yesterday's recipe, that was not meant to be written in stone, any more than anything else I write! If you've got more than that, use more! If you've got less, then add more veggies!

p.p.s. For those of you who live in Salem, Mass., my dear friend Jeanie Marie Kraft has been keeping people and their pets healthy for many years. If you're not familiar with her, visit one of her websites http://fourpawsacupuncture.com, for dogs or http://myacudoc.com. for humans. Jeanie has been working with dogs and their owners to increase the health and well-being of both through acupuncture, herbs, supplements and, of course, diet and nutrition!