Beef on the horizon

Now, we cannot say for sure what the forecast will be on the day of Eid ul Adha, and frankly that is not our forte. Here at Lifestyle, we are more interested in the forecast for the storm that is sure to rage inside your tummy during the holidays. And it will be one heck of a storm indeed. For the next 4-5 days, your diet will likely include meat almost all the time. However, it is worth noting that going overboard and getting sucked into this beef tornado will only lead to severe health problems, both now and in the future. Here are some of the problems you will face with an increase in beef consumption:

Food poisoning: The main cause can be found with the cleaning of raw beef. Beef is among one of the harder meats to clean, and they host bacteria such as Salmonella. Also, beef needs to be cooked at a very high temperature to be able to kill these bacteria.

Heart related issues: The amount of fats that reside in red meat is common knowledge. So it does not take a genius to figure that overconsumption of beef will lead to high levels of cholesterol which in turn leads to blocks in the arteries near the heart. We often hear about people in their twenties suffering from serious heart conditions, and overconsumption of red meat is one of the culprits for this mess.  

Type II Diabetes: That's right. Any pig out sessions now will automatically qualify you as a diabetic patient not too far away in the future.

Weight gain: "A moment on the lips, forever in the hips." It really is as simple as that. 

Quality of cows: The demise of local varieties and breeds of cows has given birth to quite a menace: mixed breed cows. Couple that with all the hormones and other whatnot growth enhancing drugs, and what you end up with is a heavily drugged behemoth, that's already a health hazard before it even hits the plates. 

Of course, by no means are we asking everyone to steer clear of this delectable delight. However, we do issue a strong warning against going overboard, and to ensure that you are eating in moderation. Do that and you can walk out of this storm unscathed with a belly full of happiness.

By Intisab Shahriyar