Thursday, June 10, 2010

Is grass fed beef really better than conventional meat?

We've all heard that grass fed beef is healthier, but do you know why?
Let me first start by giving you an idea of how a cow's digestive system works. Cows have five stomachs, this allows them to fully process grass, food they're designed to eat. They also have a type of good bacteria in their gut that allows them to break grass down into vital nutrients. If a cow eats grains, they will not be able to assimilate it properly, therefore inhibiting their ability to produce good bacteria in the gut and to absorb vital nutrients. The bad bacteria (like e coli) in the gut then begin to take over, and because cows are not designed to eat grains they get sick. This is why conventional farmers have to pump their cows full of antibiotics. Not to mention the fact that conventional feed lot cows are not able to roam so they end up standing close together in their own poop.
Now I ask, what kind of a life is that for any living creature?
Or a better question to ask yourself, do you want to eat sick, unhappy animals?
Eating conventional meat can lead to fungal infections, parasites and yeast overgrowth in the human body. If the cow eats grains that have been exposed to mold then you are eating the moldy grains too. Eating animals with such a low vitality will make you less vital too, fungus and parasites thrive in environments like this.
There are many wonderful benefits to eating grass fed beef.
Grass fed beef provides some vital nutrients such as CLAs, omega -3 fatty acids, and other healthy fats. Vitamins A, D, K and E are fat soluble, which means that they can only be transported by fat. The healthy fat in grass fed beef provides this vehicle. Vitamins A, D and K also occur in the fat of grass fed animals, support endocrine function and protect against inflammation. Your body needs healthy saturated fats to rebuild tissue in the body and provide a high quality source of protein containing amino acids that fuel the brain. Not to mention grass fed beef tastes far better than conventional grain fed beef.
There are many sources for grass fed beef around the country and local to Georgia.
They include farms like White Oak Pastures, which supplies Whole Foods, and Yeah! Burger here in Atlanta. Riverview Farms also has grass fed beef and supplies many of the in-town Atlanta restaurants. You can also find Riverview Farms at the Morningside Farmers Market as well as many pick up sites for their CSAs. These just a few, you can find many more at www.georgiaorganics.org or www.eatwild.com.
Here's a great chili recipe from BWell to help get you started
http://www.bwell4life.com/bwell4life/B%E2%80%A2Chill_Chili.html
I always tell my clients we're so lucky to have so many organic farms around us in Georgia, you would be amazed at how many there are. Let's start supporting them.

Resources:
"The Vegetarian Myth", by Lierre Keith
www.westonaprice.org