On April 16, 1996 Howard Lyman, a former cattle rancher, openly confessed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that he had given up eating meat and become a vegetarian. ?He felt so strongly about the adverse impact raising cattle had on the animals and the land that he walked away from his family’s business and became an advocate for plant based diets.

You may remember Oprah excitedly encouraged everyone watching to give up beef. ?That statement cost her a ton of money when the cattle industry filed a suit against her.

Sixteen years later, we’re still talking about beef. ?The LA Times published an article in the Health section yesterday stating that beef increases mortality rates. ?”All red meat is bad for you, new study says.” ?(Click on the link to read the whole story.)

I’m a little skeptical when it comes to all or nothing statements. ?Especially when they’re delivered by a medical system that continually changes its mind. ?There’s a saying, “one person’s food is another person’s poison.” ?I’m more inclined to believe that. ?We’re all unique, and our dietary requirements should be individualized for each of us. ?The best you can do for yourself is to eat more whole foods, less processed foods, eliminate sugar and white flour wherever you can and any meat you eat should be free from growth hormone, antibiotics and chemicals. ?Personally I’d prefer to be a vegetarian, but I’ve tried that route a number of times and it never lasts – my body wants animal protein.

So even though the news says all red meat is bad for you, I’m pretty sure I’m not giving it up. ?I’ll have it in moderation as I always have. ?I suggest you decide what’s best for you.