Issue #114: The Rise & Fall of Fake Meat
Good morning. It’s Thursday, January 26th. The Great One is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. Just how great is Wayne Gretzky? Alexander Ovechkin (37) and Sydney Crosby (35) are the two closest active players to Gretzky's all-time points record of 2,857. If you combined their entire careers, they'd just barely be ahead of hockey's 🐐.
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”
From the Lab: The Rise & Fall of Fake Meat
Take Action: Pay Attention
Speed Read: The Six Million Dollar Man
Thursday Night In: Kung Pao Chicken
Moment of Fun: Game Night
Thinking twice about that omelette? Egg prices are up 79% since Jan 2020 due to avian flu - which has led to the culling of more than 40 million birds. (NBC News)
From the Lab
Just another sunny afternoon in LA, as I flipped on a few Beyond Meat burgers on the grill after a morning surf session (could that be more of a stereotype?).
That was in 2018. Beyond Meat was flying high - about to become one of the most successful IPO’s with a valuation of $14B. As of January 25th, 2023, the company was worth less than $1B and “fake meats” like Beyond and Impossible are nowhere to be found.
So what happened?
These meats hoped to capture the carnivores among us. It wasn’t a veggie patty - it was supposed to look and taste like a real burger (even using beet juice to make it “bleed”).
I, like 95% of all Americans (Gallup), eat meat. But I increasingly felt that pressure to reduce my own carbon footprint - these new “meats” seemed like the answer to getting my meat/protein fix and helping the environment.
So you see studies like this and you see you’re doing good, right:
But all of these studies are commissioned by the companies themselves (just like most FDA and NIH studies are financed by big food and pharma companies). Plus, some meat advocates also point out that grass-fed or meat raised using regenerative agriculture has a low carbon footprint. But if we’re honest that represents less than 2% of today’s farmed meat.
So are these brands better for climate change? Probably.
The real test though - is it actually good for us and does it taste good?
Judging by these products getting pulled from Dunkin', McDonalds, and Taco Bell would say no - we aren't fans.
Respected food critics (Mark Bittman) and doctors (David Katz) talked about these meats being “ultra processed” and then issues popped up around the farming of the seed oils (canola in Beyond Meat) or GMO soy (in Impossible).
At the end of the day - the products just don’t taste like meat. So rather than disrupting a trillion dollar industry, these brands are simply competing with traditional vegetarian products for the 5% of the population that don’t eat meat.
But don’t worry…next up on the hype train - lab-grown meat.
Take Action
If you eat fake meat, pay attention to how it affects your gut (sometimes the pea protein or soy can be tough to digest). 🤢
If you buy any meat “alternatives” - always try to go organic. Most of these alternatives are cash crops - the last thing you want to do is eat a bunch of chemical pesticides for your morning “veggie sausage”.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Nothing, Nada, Zilch: “There’s no health benefit. There’s nothing to the taste. But there’s a whole lot of money to be made by selling caramel colored sugar water.” Retired Chief Creative Officer, Pepsi. That goes for you too Coke. (Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? + FastCompany Lessons Learned)
Move Over Bionic Man: Bryan Johnson is a successful software entrepreneur who wants to be 18 again. The problem - he’s 45. But that hasn’t stopped him. Johnson employs a team of 30+ doctors and experts to monitor his body, spending $2M+ annually. He follows a rigid daily routine of supplements, nutrition, exercise, sleep - and goes through a series of procedures monthly, all with the goals of reducing the age of each organ. What’s next? Experimental gene therapy. Stay tuned. (Bloomberg or read free on Twitter app if you're out of free articles)
The Economics of Longevity: Our mission is to inspire all of us to achieve our best health leading to longer, healthier lives. But we’ll spend more money and use more resources with that added health and time. This will put a strain on the current economy, requiring novel solutions to ensure the platinum years are more green…more to come on this. (NYTimes)
Thursday Night In
Ready for a great dish that tastes just like the restaurant...or takeout. This Kung Pao recipe makes it to the dinner table at Max's house at least once a month throughout fall and winter.
What is arrowroot powder? A pretty solid substitute for corn starch - if you have a corn allergy or sensitivity, or want to avoid GMOs or harsher food processing (see Take Action).
Moment of Fun
Game Night
There’s nothing like a good old fashioned game night. Whether it's a guys poker night, trivia night (a few of Max's favorites), or old-fashioned board games - game nights are kinda awesome and we neglect them too often.
What are some of your favorites?
Need ideas…
Go have some fun this weekend, just don't take it too far...
Thanks for joining us today!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.