SECTION 8

Meat, Lamb, and Pork

Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.

—JOHN WOODEN

Brain Warriors often ask us how much meat, if any, belongs in a brain-healthy diet. We work with serious, meat-eating “cavemen” and completely meat-free vegans and the answer is always the same: Your body doesn’t care about your food philosophy and neither do we. We want to help you optimize your important health numbers and feel amazing. Some people do very well without any form of animal protein, as long as they focus on getting all the appropriate nutrients. Other people show up to our clinics feeling and looking miserable on a vegan diet, and their important lab numbers reflect that, which we discuss thoroughly in The Brain Warrior’s Way. There are many reasons that the exact same program doesn’t work for everyone.

Our recommendation is to eat red meat no more than once or twice a week. Choose lamb or bison when you have the option. Make sure it’s grass fed, hormone free, and antibiotic free as much as you can. And eat small portions—no larger than the palm of your hand at one meal. Studies have shown that too much protein at once can burden the body and create oxidative stress, like the way rust forms on a car. So think of protein like medicine and take it in small doses throughout the day.