Red Meat or The Other White Meat

        I haven't had a single bite of red meat (or 'the other white meat') for 45 years. The average American eats 71 pounds of red meat a year. I saved six bulls or 3,200 lbs., due to my abstention,  over four and a half decades of consuming protein. It's due to a lack of trust, not...as you may have guessed...a reluctance to slaughter docile and unsuspecting animals.
         I was informed in 1971 that US meat producers had not one worry about the health effects or consequences of their product preparation. Steroids, growth hormones, antibiotics and various other chemical tools were used to maximize profits. Feed lots were already dominating the Central Valley agricultural landscape. Warnings of health dangers were shrugged off as speculative and burger restaurants under neon plastic signage dominated busy suburban corners. I remained suspicious and unwilling to partake.
        I realize that it is absolutely not possible to avoid every environmental, elemental and nutritional hazard/ hurdle placed in front of us. We can, however, set some limits to our consumptive behaviors and avoiding red meat was one that I found easy to practice. Friends have encouraged me to sample their wild/ or grass-fed animal tissue...no thank you, I might like it...who needs to risk prions in the brain from consuming animals suffering from "wasting disease" (look it up), resulting in dementia, mad cow, Alzheimers or Jacob-Crutzfeld .
         Yes, I do consume animal products in the form of cheese, ice creams and yogurts. I know, the rennets are unavoidable in the cheeses I like most. Technically I am not a Vegetarian...or a Lacto-Ova Vegetarian... but, I am not attached to any such labels. I occasionally consume fish and fowl and I am aware that both carry a chemical soup of undesirable elements. No apology...when you are young you set rules to live by and hopefully these keep you out of trouble and result in long life and happiness.