Pork. the "other white meat".

This is common debate amongst my family members with the holidays near. (Oh how I love when people tell me what I CAN and CANNOT eat.. thanks food police) Debate is a ham or turkey for the marvelous Christmas dinner that my mom makes every year. Well this year I cut out red meat since my surgery, and have noticed my bleeding all most completely gone, so rather or not it is classified as red meat, I have cut it out, and it has been working, so I stay. Plus I fele like it is a slippery slope. If I add pork back into my diet, than what else is next?!? French frys? Ooooooooooo wait not, I ate those on Sunday in a moment of drunken Sunday Funday weakness. Paid for it ALL DAY yesterday and today I finally am feeling a little better... NO NO NO NO frys.. BAD! So back to the debate on pork being a red meat. Here is some interesting info that I found.

Its myoglobin content is lower than beef, but much higher than chicken white meat. The USDA treats pork as a red meat. Pork is very high in thiamine.

In 1987 the U.S. National Pork Board began an advertising campaign to position pork as "the other white meat", due to a public perception of chicken and turkey (white meat) as more healthy than red meat. The campaign was highly successful and resulted in 87% of consumers identifying pork with the slogan. As of 2005, the slogan is still used in marketing pork, with some variations.

Its myoglobin content is lower than beef, but much higher than chicken white meat. The USDA treats pork as a red meat. Pork is very high in thiamine.

In 1987 the U.S. National Pork Board began an advertising campaign to position pork as "the other white meat", due to a public perception of chicken and turkey (white meat) as more healthy than red meat. The campaign was highly successful and resulted in 87% of consumers identifying pork with the slogan. As of 2005, the slogan is still used in marketing pork, with some variations.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_pork_red_meat_or_white_meat#ixzz18ljHRuiF

So if the USDA treats pork as a red meat, than why isnt the rest of America?!? Well in the late 80's, the campaign for pork went as follows: pork commerical and recently the Pork Board dropped the campaign. 

 

So what is it about Pork that people say is as bad as beef? Growth hormones are routinely used for beef and dairy cows to get them to grow quicker and faster. Faster growth = faster time to market and more meat/milk per head = higher profits. Chicken and pork in the US at least do not have any "approved" growth hormones, although how strictly this is policed I am not sure. In any case, powerful antibiotics that allow chicken and pork to survive and grow even in insanitary "factory farms" may have just as much residual harmful effect on our bodies as growth hormone. http://www.ournakedfood.com . For a good article on the controversy over the growth hormone,  see here.

 

I think with inflammation problems, and chronic illness, it is important for anyone to take a look at what they are eating. The BIGGEST change in all my health aliments has been my eating habits and also my exercise. It is important for people to be informed about what they are putting into their mouths.

 

Side note. Tested my urine for the acidic level, which normally is SO LOW on the PH scale, that it doesn't even register above 6.00. Anything 6.6 and below is acidic, 6.7 is normal. Today mine was about 6.5. I all most fell off the toilet seat!!! That's a good sign.

 

I have been feeling sort of blah this last week. Sunday night I took my weekly chemo meds, and than I slept. I slept from 6:00 on through the morning. I was just so exhausted. Yesterday they continued to kick my ass (on top of the fryes I eat) and I was just so exhausted. I told my hubbie I wasn't sure I wanted to go to my yoga class, he looked at me like I was crazy!!! So I awoke this morning to a smile, and me feeling like I wanted to go to yoga. I am still mildly exhausted, but I have the drive, and as long as I have the drive, I want to go!!!! So I am planning on going. Sleep has just been something my body craves lately. I am sleeping like 9-11 hours a night. Hubie asked if I was ok, I just said my body feels like resting, so I am letting it :D