Avoiding Red Meat
Written on May 19, 2026
According to my new healthcare provider in the United States, I should avoid red meat among a list of other things. Apparently, red meat causes higher cholesterol and triglycerides, which can contribute to hypertension.
Red meat includes beef and veal, pork, lamb and mutton, goat meat, venison, and horse meat. Beef is the most consumed red meat in the world. Due to marketing, I always thought pork was "the other white meat".
Non-Red Meats
Based on research, it looks like the only non-red meats I should be consuming are fish, shellfish, and poultry. Fish is the most widely consumed meat in the Philippines, with chicken coming in second. Poultry is either number one or number two in the United States.
I like fish, but it has to be boneless. The only shellfish I actually like is shrimp. I don't care for any other sea creatures even if I eat them on rare occasions. I've had squid, lobster, clams, and oysters in the past, but I don't miss eating them.
That leaves me with poultry most of the time, which is mostly chicken. I like turkey, but I don't like duck or goose. Most Americans and Filipinos probably agree with me. There are more places to eat chicken in both countries than I can name.
Red Meats
The only red meats I've consumed with any regularity are beef and pork. I've never eaten anything from goats or sheep. I've never had horse meat, and I've only had venison once. I usually have some kind of red meat at least once a day. That has to change.
I lost the reference to a source that said I should limit consumption of red meat to three times a week, but that has nothing to do with my situation. I'm taking medication to control my lipids, so I should probably avoid red meat even more than that.
I'll be taking this medication for at least the next nine months, but I won't be seeing my doctor for a follow-up until I return to the United States next year. I don't know exactly when that will take place, but it may be after 13 months.
I shouldn't have a problem with eating fish and chicken for at least the next year. Chicken tacos taste good, but the reason isn't the chicken. I like spicy food. I like extra-hot buffalo wings, called "hot wings" by normal people.
Image by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons