Why you should be including game meat in your Paleo diet

The Paleo Diet has seen a boom in the consumption of protein, as more consumers are becoming health-conscious and opting out of carb heavy meals. Men and women have become more focused on healthy eating habits that contribute to a lean and toned body, and nutrient density of foods has become the forefront of nutrition in 2016. Consumers are no longer blindly consuming products. Instead, consumers are now reading labels and conducting their own online research regarding the health benefits of the food they consume.

THE PALEO DIET

Meat eaters will naturally find the Paleo Diet pleasing. However, overindulging in protein, especially meat with high caloric density, may not be the best solution to building the body of your dreams.

As someone whose goals are to achieve optimum health along with an enviable toned and strong body, eating too much red meat, such as beef and lamb may hinder your progress and be detrimental to your health. That is why we suggest eating game meat, such as impala, kudu, springbok, and warthog. We understand that many may not find the idea of eating game meat appetising, but if you haven’t tried it, you may never witness its fantastic benefits.

WHY GAME MEAT IS GOOD FOR YOU

Game meat contains more minerals than the red meat we purchase from shops, and is low in fat and high in protein. Eating game may also help lower cholesterol. What we love about eating game is that it’s free from hormones and antibiotics, unlike its domesticated counterparts. Anti-cruelty is also a deciding factor when faced with the decision to purchase game meat. Unlike cattle and sheep, which are restrained in unhealthy conditions, game is free to roam and graze, as animals should. An additional health benefit to eating game is that you’ll be consuming a lower percentage of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and more of the good fatty acids, such as anti-inflammatory omega-3. Furthermore, game meat is a reliable source of iron and zinc. Those who are concerned regarding consuming only organic produce can feel assured that game is of course, organic.

Below are four convincing reasons why you should be swapping beef, lamb and pork with game meat today.

NO ANTIBIOTICS AND HORMONES

As mentioned before, the red meat we purchase from grocery stores and even the local butcher contains antibiotics and hormones. Injecting hormones into livestock helps them gain weight faster resulting in more meat and therefore higher profit for the producer. Hormones also increase the production of milk by dairy cows. By consuming game meat, you can be certain that what you’re feeding your body is safe and free from chemicals.

GAME MEAT CONTAINS CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID (CLA)

Good news for mass muscle gainers or those aiming to whittle their waist, game meat contains an important acid for muscle growth – conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The benefits of including CLA-rich meat, include the following:

• Increased metabolic rate

• Enhanced muscle growth

• Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides

• Lowers insulin resistance

• Reduces food-induced allergies

• Boosts immune system

LOW FAT CONTENT

Wild game meat contains less fat because the animals receive regular exercise and have a natural plant-based diet. Animals kept in captivity are usually grain-fed, which increases the content of fat. Even if you eat pork and chicken breasts, which are considered lean meat, game meat still has fewer calories and more nutrients. A further consequence of consuming grain-fed animals is a higher concentration of omega-6 fatty acids, which increase inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can result in health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.