I ate raw meat (beef) for the first time and now I have a stomach ache - what went wrong?

[MyLilPwny]

I ate probably about 2 to 3 ounces of completely raw skirt steak, which I got from U.S. Wellness meats, so its grass-fed and today I decided to try eating it for lunch. I liked it, but soon after I noticed that I started to get a stomach ache and its now a few hours later and I still have that stomach ache and I looked in the mirror and my stomach is noticeably bloated. I haven't had a stomach ache in years, so this is rare for me to have this stomach ache. For breakfast, I had Applegate Farm bacon, fried eggs, some avocado and Rejuvenative food brand raw salsa. Those were the only other things I ate today. After eating the raw steak today, a couple hours later I had some peppered bison jerkey and some mozarella cheese. Thats it. Any idea why my stomach hurts and its bloated? I used the "Nourishing Traditions" recipe for raw beef, Korean style, btw.

[JamieCatheryn]

Probably not used to digesting the raw red meat proteins, that takes some getting used to. Stuff like that you might need to start with small amounts and increase gradually.

[MyLilPwny]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

Probably not used to digesting the raw red meat proteins, that takes some getting used to. Stuff like that you might need to start with small amounts and increase gradually.

Oh ok, interesting. I had thought that it would be easier to digest since it was raw, but I guess if my body isn't used to digesting completely raw red meat, that could be it what you're saying, I hope thats it actually. Oh and finally my stomach is feeling better now, not fully recovered but better.

[FairyRae]

Did you freeze it prior to eating? I've read that freezing for around 2 weeks kills any pathogens in raw meat...I am really not knowledgeable about this topic though.

Glad to hear you're feeling better!!

[MyLilPwny]

I did not freeze it for 2 weeks...Its only been frozen for about 1 week. The Nourishing Traditions raw meat recipes do say to freeze it for 2 weeks though. I ignored it because I thought it would be ok with the U.S. Wellness Meats. Uh oh.

[bagare]

I often 'snick' bites of raw beef when i prep for, say chili, stew and the like, and i have for years. I think i have built up a tolerance for raw meats. I think it is a matter of time and going slowly. Glad you are feeling better!

[MyLilPwny]

I need some reassurance here that I don't have parasites How important is it to freeze the meat for 2 weeks? Now that I think about it, that meat I ate only spent about 4 or 5 days in the freezer and then a couple of days defrosting in the refrigerator. I wasn't concerned about parasites before because I thought that as long as I'm having regular bowel movements every day, the parasites don't have enough time to set up shop. And I was also thinking about Aajonus Vonderplanitz and him not being afraid of parasites. But last night with my stomach being 3 times the size its supposed to be from being really bloated, my husband was like OMG and told my parents what happened and then my parents freaked out and said are you stupid, blah blah and then told me horror stories about how a couple ate some raw live snails and within 2 weeks they were dead because the snails had parasites, which ended up eating the peoples' brains, and then about how there was a lady who was having really bad headaches, and a surgeon removed this huge parasite worm from her brain, which they said was from eating meat.

My stomach is pretty much back down to its normal size now and I had a heck of a lot of gas this morning (and didn't have any gas yesterday), so I guess that helped, lol, and I'd say that my stomach feels mostly back to normal. I crushed up some raw garlic this morning and took that down with water, because garlic "kills everything" right?

[JamieCatheryn]

Yeah garlic is recommended as a de-wormer for animals a lot so it should be good just in case. Also food grade diatomiculous earth maybe.

[ccohenou]

You probably didn't get worms within hours of eating the meat (it takes longer for them to be fruitful and multiply). Bacterial food poisoning is a possibility. Also your food list seems to be 90% meat and cheese, so constipation also a possibility.

[Octagonian]

Originally Posted by ThereseReich

I need some reassurance here that I don't have parasites How important is it to freeze the meat for 2 weeks? Now that I think about it, that meat I ate only spent about 4 or 5 days in the freezer and then a couple of days defrosting in the refrigerator. I wasn't concerned about parasites before because I thought that as long as I'm having regular bowel movements every day, the parasites don't have enough time to set up shop. And I was also thinking about Aajonus Vonderplanitz and him not being afraid of parasites. But last night with my stomach being 3 times the size its supposed to be from being really bloated, my husband was like OMG and told my parents what happened and then my parents freaked out and said are you stupid, blah blah and then told me horror stories about how a couple ate some raw live snails and within 2 weeks they were dead because the snails had parasites, which ended up eating the peoples' brains, and then about how there was a lady who was having really bad headaches, and a surgeon removed this huge parasite worm from her brain, which they said was from eating meat.

My stomach is pretty much back down to its normal size now and I had a heck of a lot of gas this morning (and didn't have any gas yesterday), so I guess that helped, lol, and I'd say that my stomach feels mostly back to normal. I crushed up some raw garlic this morning and took that down with water, because garlic "kills everything" right?

You most likely are experiencing a detox reaction.

But unfortunately, you went about eating raw meat in the wrong way:
- You should NEVER eat previously frozen meat: freezing kills BENEFICIAL bacteria and allows some less beneficial bacteria to survive; Freezing severely damages proteins, creating waste in the meat you are eating; Freezing can also damage the fat in meat.

- Always eat ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC, or fresh wild meat ONLY -- factory beef or other commercial meats are LOADED with pathogenic bacteria, bad fats, and countless chemicals... any or all of which may have contributed to your reaction.

- When eating meat, make sure to combine your meal properly, i.e., no carbs (raw or cooked), no alkaline veggies, etc.

- Do NOT fear bacteria; they are beneficial. Any bacteria/parasites can only eat pathogenic matter, i.e., material that does not belong in your gut anyway. Bacteria clean you up, they are nature's janitors.

I went thru the same ignorance and panics as you did when eating meat raw in the beginning. I have been eating fresh (never frozen), raw, organic meat of all kinds for 7 years with NOT ONE bad reaction. The health benefits have been immense.

Don't let your mind victimize you: eat only FRESH ORGANIC and you can't go wrong.

If you are still timid, you can marinate your meat VERY lightly in high quality olive oil, a LITTLE onion (about a tblspn per lb) or garlic (1/2 tblspn per lb), a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or organic red wine.

Eventually you won't want marinade, but many people enjoy them.

[tuppence]

Originally Posted by ThereseReich

I need some reassurance here that I don't have parasites How important is it to freeze the meat for 2 weeks? Now that I think about it, that meat I ate only spent about 4 or 5 days in the freezer and then a couple of days defrosting in the refrigerator. I wasn't concerned about parasites before because I thought that as long as I'm having regular bowel movements every day, the parasites don't have enough time to set up shop.

Aigh!! Run away, run away! If you're going to eat raw beef, it should be really really fresh. No matter what kind it is. It shouldn't be frozen and it shouldn't sit in the fridge for days defrosting or anything else! That is a bacteria's dream.

And bowel movements are unrelated to parasites or germs...you can be regular and still get all kinds of nastiness if you're not careful.

[MyLilPwny]

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I think the problem was basically that I let the meat sit in the refrigerator for too long. Thinking back now, it was sitting there for 3 or 4 days. So, I ate a bunch of bacteria (all bad bacteria?) I guess, and it bloated my stomach. My husband was touching my stomach and calling me "pregnant" it was so big.

"Nourishing Traditions" says to freeze all meat for at least 2 weeks before eating it raw...so, what they are saying is conflicting with what a couple of people are saying here about freezing. If I remember correctly, I think they say to freeze it for 2 weeks because it is supposed to kill all parasites, and they say to do that for the raw liver that goes into homemade baby formula too.

I don't have access to any fresh meat, as far as I'm aware. Its all frozen

[outlier]

OP, please be assured that you are most likely just fine. In this country, it's pretty rare to get a parasite from uncooked meat that could then survive in you. Not impossible, but rare, and most of them are easily treated.

Originally Posted by Octagonian

- Always eat ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC, or fresh wild meat ONLY -- factory beef or other commercial meats are LOADED with pathogenic bacteria, bad fats, and countless chemicals... any or all of which may have contributed to your reaction.
....
- Do NOT fear bacteria; they are beneficial. Any bacteria/parasites can only eat pathogenic matter, i.e., material that does not belong in your gut anyway. Bacteria clean you up, they are nature's janitors.

To the above poster, I'm not sure where you got this information, but eating "fresh wild meat" is actually a great way to get parasites. And they do not consume only pathogenic matter (I'm not sure what you're referring to here...); depending on the parasite, they will eat your blood (e.g. hookworms), mucous in your digestive system (e.g. certain trematodes), your partially digested food (tapeworms), etc. The really problematic ones are those that find themselves in the wrong host (e.g. pork tapeworms in humans), and wind up migrating throughout your body, looking for--but never finding--the proper location to complete their life cycle. These are the ones that can become encysted in your brain, your eye, etc. and really do damage.

I guarantee you that most organic grass-fed beef cattle out there will have intestinal parasites. They're generally not much of a problem for the cattle, and if the meat should become contaminated during slaughter, they probably wouldn't be a problem for you. However, to a certain extent, you are playing with fire. Some people may be more resistant to parasites than others, and if that's you, that's great, but I would really proceed with caution before recommending that others should eat raw meat, particularly meat from wild animals.

[Octagonian]

Originally Posted by ThereseReich

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I think the problem was basically that I let the meat sit in the refrigerator for too long. Thinking back now, it was sitting there for 3 or 4 days. So, I ate a bunch of bacteria (all bad bacteria?) I guess, and it bloated my stomach. My husband was touching my stomach and calling me "pregnant" it was so big.

"Nourishing Traditions" says to freeze all meat for at least 2 weeks before eating it raw...so, what they are saying is conflicting with what a couple of people are saying here about freezing. If I remember correctly, I think they say to freeze it for 2 weeks because it is supposed to kill all parasites, and they say to do that for the raw liver that goes into homemade baby formula too.

I don't have access to any fresh meat, as far as I'm aware. Its all frozen

Leaving meat too long in the fridge is NOT the problem. Remember, most quality beef is AGED. Why? To INCREASE the bacteria count, using it to tenderize the meat. I eat meat that has been dry aged 4 weeks. I don't worry if it gains bacteria in the fridge -- it is just aging, and beneficial bacteria are at work.

I SCOFFED at all this pro bacteria stuff in the beginning, too. But the theories of Vonderplanitz and others got me past it -- along with my own real experience.

BACTERIA is what will ENSURE healthy bowel movements. Unless you are willing to cook that meat in your freezer for an occasional treat, or can give it away, I would THROW IT OUT.

Do not eat non organic meat that has been frozen, period... full stop. You will regret it.

[WuWei]

Do you have a corn allergy?
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...fed-meats.html
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...ess-meats.html



Pat

[BedHead]

Originally Posted by outlier

To the above poster, I'm not sure where you got this information, but eating "fresh wild meat" is actually a great way to get parasites. And they do not consume only pathogenic matter (I'm not sure what you're referring to here...); depending on the parasite, they will eat your blood (e.g. hookworms), mucous in your digestive system (e.g. certain trematodes), your partially digested food (tapeworms), etc. The really problematic ones are those that find themselves in the wrong host (e.g. pork tapeworms in humans), and wind up migrating throughout your body, looking for--but never finding--the proper location to complete their life cycle. These are the ones that can become encysted in your brain, your eye, etc. and really do damage.

I guarantee you that most organic grass-fed beef cattle out there will have intestinal parasites. They're generally not much of a problem for the cattle, and if the meat should become contaminated during slaughter, they probably wouldn't be a problem for you. However, to a certain extent, you are playing with fire. Some people may be more resistant to parasites than others, and if that's you, that's great, but I would really proceed with caution before recommending that others should eat raw meat, particularly meat from wild animals.

[Juvysen]

FWIW, I read that having a parasite reduces allergies

sorry, had to throw that in there... I love that one.

[mbravebird]

You can look into FoodGrade Diatomaceous Earth if you're really worried about parasites.

So glad you're feeling better! Eat some fermented veggies/drinks today if you can, would be my suggestion.

[outlier]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

FWIW, I read that having a parasite reduces allergies

Giving people eggs from parasitic worms has shown promise in treating inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10973934). I'm sure there are other cases where they can do some good! After all, humans have had parasites for as long as there have been humans. It makes sense that if we suddenly take them away by living in modern, hygienic communities, our bodies may not get that message right away and our immune systems can run amok attacking other things.

FWIW, my horrible seasonal allergies disappeared completely after an exceptionally bad mosquito- and biting fly-filled spring. Coincidence? Probably, but I'll always wonder.

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by outlier

Giving people eggs from parasitic worms has shown promise in treating inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10973934). I'm sure there are other cases where they can do some good! After all, humans have had parasites for as long as there have been humans. It makes sense that if we suddenly take them away by living in modern, hygienic communities, our bodies may not get that message right away and our immune systems can run amok attacking other things.

FWIW, my horrible seasonal allergies disappeared completely after an exceptionally bad mosquito- and biting fly-filled spring. Coincidence? Probably, but I'll always wonder.

I know! it's fascinating, to me. My MIL was not impressed when I mentioned what I read about it. She has horrible allergies