22 Apr What’s The Rage About Grass-Fed Beef?
Have you ever looked at meat packaging and read grass-fed beef? There are two food categories that I always recommend to my clients that you can’t skip on the quality of it – meat & dairy. Conventional animals are treated down right WRONG. One – I hate supporting farmers that treat animals that way. Two – If you eat a sick animal, guess what you’ll become? Three – These foods are very delicious and great for us when they are coming from animals that are treated right, fed right, and are in the most natural environment they can be in. While dairy is a whole other topic I will cover another time, I’m focusing on the meat we eat.
All About These Grass-Fed Cows
Have you heard of ‘we are what we eat’, well it’s true for animals as well. What they are fed also goes into our diet. So what they eat does matter to us. Cows are meant to eat grass, bugs, and whatever else is in the ground & forage on the land. Cows are NOT meant to eat grain. This is what conventional cows eat. Not only do they eat grain, they eat genetically modified grains. The worst grains possible – corn & soy. It makes them inflamed and sick. Side Note: Make sure when you buy beef it says 100% grass-fed because sometimes cows are fed some grain before slaughter. Beef labeled 100% grass-fed is not fed grain, at all.
Grass-fed beef is naturally leaner. When there are fatty pieces in grass-fed beef, it’s great to eat. The same can’t be said for conventional cows though. Since the lifestyle & dietary habits of a conventional cow is bad all around, they have much more toxins in their body. Guess where toxins are held? In the fat. Avoid fat in conventional beef – run the other way!
Nutritional Differences
There are significant nutritional differences in grass-fed beef and conventional. Grass-fed beef holds much more omega-3 fatty acids, which is needed for the Standard American Diet (SAD). The SAD currently intakes A LOT of omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3 fatty acids. This leads to chronic inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential and vital to our body. People that intake lots omega-3’s are less likely to have heart disease, alzheimer’s, depression, schizophrenia, etc. It’s a powerful fatty acid to have in our diets. Grass-fed beef also has lots of CLA, which is conjugated linoleic acid. CLA helps your body burn fat. This study showed that mice that were supplemented with CLA had 57-60% less body fat and 5-14% increase of lean body mass compared to the controls. CLA has also been studied to prevent heart disease by reducing plasma lipoproteins and early aortic atherosclerosis. Another study with rabbits, showed that CLA reduced atherosclerosis. CLA also has anti-carcinogenic properties as well. Grass-fed beef also has three-four times higher vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects against heart disease and cancer. Unfortunately, most Americans are deficient in this vitamin – along with others because the SAD is full of processed junk.
How To Cook Grass-Fed Beef
When you cook with grass-fed beef, it really is different. Since cows get tons of exercise and are out on the field all day, the meat is tougher because their muscles are stronger from their lifestyle. It’s best when you cook grass-fed beef slow and low. This way you get tender beef. Another trick to making the beef tender is putting Himalayan Pink Salt generously on it a couple hours before you cook it. The salt will lessen how tough it is.
So, is it worth it? Yes, yes it is. When you eat grass-fed beef you are intaking more vital nutrients compared to eating beef from conventional cows where you aren’t intaking the same amount of nutrients and you are adding genetically modified crap into your diet. Plus, you are supporting those cows that get to graze on the fields, soak up the sun, eat what they are meant to eat. Conventional cows are hooked up to machines all day, fed a bad diet, don’t get any exercise, and are treated badly. It’s worth the extra money – your body will thank you!
Blessings,
Lahana
