With all the news about WHO saying processed meat is a group 1 and red meat is a group 2 carcinogen it has meat eaters a little nervous.

Well, I’m no scientist or doctor, but I’m a 3rd generation cattle farmer who has ate meat as her main meal for years. Not only me, but my entire family. I have yet to have a family member die of cancer and we have all ate meat 3 times a day. I am even encouraged to do so by health professionals.

Let me remind you why meat is a GOOD thing:

• It provides you with 9 essential nutrients, great source of protein to build muscle, and has 12 cuts that are leaner than a skinless chicken breast. It keeps you feeling fuller for longer and gives you ZIP (Zinc, Iron, and Protein). I’m borderline anemic so meat is very important for me to eat. I need that iron to stay healthy and feeling well.
• Meat has been a part of the food pyramid for thousands of years. It’s been a key element in ‘survival of the fittest’. Our forefathers didn’t know about cancer. They knew about starvation and they knew that could kill them a lot faster than anything else. I’m choosing to eat and not starve to death. There isn’t enough lettuce in the world to feed us all.

Meat may be on the carcinogen list, but it’s joined by wood dust, leather dust, alcohol, air pollution, occupation as a painter, engine exhaust, and birth control pills. I’ve been around almost everything on this list my entire life. What’s one more item?

One day I will eventually die, but I’m going to enjoy eating meat until that time comes.

In the words of Channing Tatum: “Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things like a double cheeseburger.”