Alex Rodriguez lost 32 pounds last year. He says one of the biggest changes to his diet is eating way less meat.

• Alex Rodriguez said the biggest change he'd made to his diet recently is eating less meat.

• He told People he now eats meat one or two days out of 10, rather than eight days out of 10.

• Research suggests that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of cancer than heavy meat eaters.

Alex Rodriguez is cutting back on how much meat he eats.

"The biggest thing I've done for my diet is I used to eat meat like steak probably eight out of 10 days, and now I've cut it to one or two days out of 10," the former New York Yankees star told People.

Rodriguez, 48, said he went to the gym "six or seven days a week, just to break a sweat every day."

His workout routine includes yoga, meditation, and a 40-minute walk before bed, he said.

In September, Rodriguez told Us Weekly that he'd lost 32 pounds by changing his daily routine with help from his girlfriend, the fitness instructor Jaclyn Cordeiro.

Following the publication of the Us Weekly interview, he posted on Instagram about steps he'd taken to change his lifestyle.

"It all came down to me making some key changes in my habits: 1. More plants, less red meat 2. Intermittent fasting 3. Night walks," Rodriguez wrote in the caption. "Small changes led to big results, and I'm feeling better than ever."

Rodriguez retired in August 2016. In October 2023, he told Men's Health that he used to eat steak, potatoes, rice, and beans across six or seven meals a day when he was in season.

Research suggests that people who eat less meat have a lower risk of cancer than people who eat meat often. A 2022 study of 472,377 adults in the UK between 40 and 70 found that those who were vegetarian or vegan had a 14% lower overall cancer risk than those who ate meat more than five times a week on average.

Dan Buettner, a journalist and longevity researcher, told Business Insider in 2022 that people who live in so-called blue zones rarely eat red meat or processed foods — their diets consist of whole foods, plants, and complex carbohydrates like beans.

Blue zones are regions in the world where people tend to live longer and healthier lives. The original five blue zones are Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria ,Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.

While eating too much meat — and specifically red meat — has been linked to health problems such as heart disease and cancer, it isn't all bad, since it contains iron, protein, and vitamin B12.

The American Heart Association recommends eating lean cuts of meat and limiting portion sizes. One portion of cooked meat is 3 ounces.

A representative for Rodriguez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider