One of the most controversial subjects in IBS and the nutrition world is the consumption of red meat.
It is easy to fall prey to popular marketing and copious articles about avoiding meat. I have personally read about how red meat can be a triggering food for IBS.
Yet, eating red meat was part of my healing program and worked beautifully to bring my body and digestive system back into balance.
In fact, cutting out red meat and animal products can actually cause digestive issues by throwing off mineral balance in the body.
Before I started eating red meat again I was a vegan who ate a lot of raw food. I figured this had to be the healthiest diet for my gut. Yet I found that I was feeling worse and worse.
The bloating and nausea worsened with this diet. But I couldn’t believe that such a healthy, anti inflammatory, plant based diet could be the cause.
When I started eating meat again I was barely able to digest lettuce. However, taking hydrochloric acid (HCL) and enzymes for the first two weeks helped me digest red meat without a problem, which for me was nothing short of a miracle. (Warning HCL can be dangerous if you take too much, so it’s important to work with a professional while taking it).
After two weeks I no longer needed HCL and I felt a lot better after incorporating meat into my diet and cutting out nuts, which was my previous protein source.
The healing power of red meat
The purpose of this article is NOT to tout red meat as a cure all. Healing diets are extremely individualized. My aim is to point out that your own experience should dictate what’s healthy for you NOT popular opinion or the latest health trend.
I believed the healing hype of a vegan, raw food diet, despite the fact that my experience told me that it was the wrong approach for me.
It was a classic case of listening to others and ignoring the signals of my body.
Why meat is demonized?
The high fat content in meat can be a problem for some IBS sufferers.
This is because the liver is not producing enough bile to digest fats. Eating foods that support the liver and encourage bile production can help the body to digest foods and fats it couldn’t previously handle. Read about increasing bile production here and here.
The anti-meat media campaign started in the 1970s when saturated fat came under fire for being the source of health problems like inflammation, constipation, cancer, weight gain, high cholesterol, and heart attacks.
In response to this, food companies started taking fat out of food and replacing it with sugar to make up for the lost flavor. But despite eating low-fat foods, Americans still have rampant problems with diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease.
I believe that the real nutritional cause of digestive (and other) health problems is the consumption of sugar and grains. These foods destabilize blood sugar, are hard to digest, tax the liver by spiking insulin and are the primary food source for bad bacteria and yeast.
Grains also contain proteins like lectins and gluten that can compromise gut lining, cause inflammation and antagonize the immune system.
People tend to overeat sugar and grains and become addicted to them. Taking them out is often hard.
But replacing grains with red meat and animal protein can help with symptoms of hunger, blood sugar fluctuations and withdrawl.
And eating red meat greatly reduced my constipation symptoms, despite popular belief.
The health benefits of meat
Lack of animal protein can create a deficiency of vitamin B12 and zinc, which can cause digestive issues. Iron deficiency can cause other health problems.
Anne Louise Gittleman writes about the dangers of a vegan diet in her book “Why Am I Always So Tired?”
Meat consumption can help rebuild organ lining, repair body tissue and the adrenals and balance blood sugar. It helps produce antibodies that will protect the body from infections by strengthening the immune system.
Avoid this type of meat
Commercial meat that’s been raised in cruel, factory-farmed conditions, fed GMO grains and shot up with hormones and antibiotics should be avoided. Processed meat like deli meat is also much less healthy.
Grass fed, organic and pasture-raised meat can be expensive but if food is your medicine, it’s worth the price. This type of meat is full of healing omegas as well as A and B vitamins.
It is important to properly combine protein, which is best eaten with no grains and non starchy veggies.
Moderation is key
A healing diet that incorporates meat should also include plenty of greens and veggies. Eating nothing but steak, eggs and bacon is not balanced. A little bit of high quality protein can be a great compliment to a salad or veggie dish.
For some vegans, meat can be the missing piece in their recovery.
They may argue that eating meat is cruel, but I argue that it is cruel to make yourself sick with nutritional deficiencies.
When choosing a healing diet, it is most important to be your own health authority. Your experience is your best teacher.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.
I totally agree with this! It’s so important to listen to your body, especially when it comes to such contentious issues as eating meat. Personally, I have had trouble with digesting a lot of animal fat or red meat (I’m going to go read those articles about bile!), but meat – fish, poultry, liver, and when I can handle it pork/ham has always been a necessary staple in my diet. As much as I may be ethically drawn to veganism or vegetarianism, it’s just not possible for me.
Because I can’t eat beans/legumes, dairy, or much egg, and too much soy or fibre really irritates my system, cutting out meat (on top of already eating very minimal grains) removes an all important source of protein, fat and nutrients from my diet. I know my body, and if I tried to eat a veg*an diet, I would be extremely ill in no time.
The protein I get from meat also helps keep my energy levels more stable, as I work on recovering from adrenal fatigue – if I skimp on protein, I get low blood sugar and low blood pressure, and feel all woozy! As always, you’re the voice of reason. 🙂
ps. love the finished redesign of the site – it looks great now!
I find fatty grass fed beef and especially pork feel good to me and give me sustained energy, reduce sugar cravings and keep me clear headed. Raw vegan did not work for me, I was always hungry, gassy, undigested and wanted more carbs, coffee ( I no longer drink coffee ) and I felt foggy. I do include raw food as PART of my diet as well as cooked and cultured.
Look into perpetual bone broth soup sometime! It's the cornerstone of my daily diet along with greens, some raw and all organic! ~G<3
Great article Angela, I loved it! Such a controversial issue like you said, but it's silly if we all can't agree on the fact that each person's body is a little different and we all need to listen more to what OUR body's need and less to what other people tell us our body's need. 🙂 I loved your article and the great content! Thanks for sharing!
As a health coach for student coaches for IIN I noticed a lot of problems with the students who chose to be vegan and didn't have enough protein in their diet – for those who incorporated some eggs or fish in their diet they vastly improved. I didn't have red meat in my diet for over 20 years but still ate chicken, fish, turkey and eggs. Now a buffalo burger every not and again does the trick. The main thing is to choose what works for you and for some – meat it too good NOT to have – just the right amounts and the right kinds. For others – they need to find healthy alternatives for healthy protein and make SURE they incorporate it into their diet. Thanks for this thought provoking article.
I totally had IBS. It was unpleasant and painful. I appreciate you putting this out there. Great article. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Hayley, how did you overcome IBS? Sharing your story can help so many others who are struggling right now.
As a Yoga teacher and Health Coach I get a lot of questions about red meat. I believe that when we start to look at our food as medicine and nourishment, then we have begun to make a shift towards optimal health. I was diagnosed with IBS in my 20's, looking back…I was into being edgy then and not so healthy with serious eating disorder of bulimia. It wasn't until I became pregnant with my daughter that I noticed a need for red meat…my body literally called for it. I'm so glad I listened, I was able to carry my daughter to full term and she is a healthy, brilliant, loving and beautiful young woman.
I was vegan for 2 years…I have a hard time without the b12…meat still grosses me out. I am a very firm believer in bio individual nutrition theory. Everyone is different and what is good for one person may be poison for another. I have the added problem of being minus a gall bladder, the only fat I can digest is coconut oil…interesting fact. I also notice that meat eaters look healthier. I would like to argue with you, but see your point. I don't like B12 shots either.
As a healthy eater and health coach I too steer clear of excessive animal products. We have eliminated all the habitual dairy and meat we used to cook with in every meal. However after about 7-14 days I crave red meat. If I give in to that craving I find that I can go back to fruits, veggies and grains with no problems or major cravings. Listening to your body is so key. I also find that meat cravings fluctuate with seasons, weather, and stress. Finding your personal balance and believing its okay to "give in" needs to be promoted more. Thanks for this article.
Great Article! I am so glad I came across to this because right now I am suffering with IBS and just started adding red meat (grass fed) into my diet again. I was also a vegan for 2 months and I was very low in energy most of the time. Thank you for easing my mind with worries about eating red meat again since alot of people don't recommend it for peopel with IBS.