Why Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised?

If you eat a strict vegetarian/vegan diet, this post may not be for you but do feel free to keep reading. For those of us who choose to eat a omnivore diet or find their health thrives best on an omnivore diet, as my health does, this is for you.

Picture was taken by my cell phone so not the best quality!

Do I eat meat every day? No. Does my meal consist of mainly meat when I do? Nope! I eat small portions of meat but having explored and played with my diet over the past 7 years, I have discovered my body definitely thrives much better consuming meat than it does consuming a vegetarian diet. I hope to eventually get further testing done to learn as to why - Do I need more of certain vitamins and minerals than others may need? Which ones? Are there foods I can try to incorporate more into my diet to better thrive? I will be interested to discover and learn more on that.

Now, If I can totally be honest with you all - I have discovered that my blood work, how healthy and good I feel really depends on WHAT kind of meat I am consuming too. I feel terrible eating pork, chicken is ok but what really makes me feel energetic and keeps my blood work in check is consuming grass fed, pasture raised beef! :O Crazy right? Seeing as we are always told "stay away from red meat" "don't consume too much red meat"... some books I have read actually has taught those same things too in my natural nutrition course but again, I'm also a firm believer that every one of us are biochemically distinct - we all thrive differently on different foods. Some of us may genetically need more fatty acids than others. Some may need way more Vitamin B12 than others. Some may need more Magnesium than others. etc.

I am not just talking any beef either. I am talking good quality, organic grass-fed, pasture-raised beef. But - did you know that any farmer can label their meat as grass-fed if the cattle have eaten grass at any point in their lives? Most cattle start out with eating grass but are switched to industrialized feedlots consuming grain, soy and corn to fatten them up faster before slaughtering. Every day that an animal spends in the feedlot, its supply of Omega-3s are diminished. But, how do grains affect their nutrient content?

Studies have revealed that the meat of 100% organic grass-fed, pasture raised animals(this goes for any animal) are far lower in fat, higher in antioxidants such as fat soluble Vitamin E and Beta carotene, contain 2-4x MORE Omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain-fed animals and contains more conjugated linoleic acid (or CLA).

How do these vitamins help us?

Evidence has shown that people who eat a diet higher in Omega-3 fatty acids do better in terms of cardiovascular and neurological disease and disorders.

CLA has shown to reduce heart disease and cancer risks.

Beta carotene benefits our immune system, skin and mucous membranes, promotes good eye health and vision.

Vitamin E is also key for strong immune system, skin and mucous membranes. These last two, Vitamin E and beta carotene are antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to help protect cells from damage caused by free radical formation.

So, where do I find this meat you're talking about?

I recommend researching and reading books to educate yourself and to find the actual farmers - word of mouth, books and Google so far has been my best friend to find the best quality of meat! Ask the farmer, email or call them if you can. Don't be shy! They are busy but keep trying. They will get back to you. I found the ones who have 100% grass-fed cattle were very open and willing to answer any questions. They showed a lot of passion and willing to share as much information with you as they could.

Today we visited Angus East Organics. Diane was incredibly educating. She was so patient with me while I asked a million questions to learn about their farming techniques and be sure it is what we want to feed our family. She very generously gave us a tour of their farm without even asking. She even let my city kids pee in her house LOL!

The kids loved it! She had horses, golden retrievers, kitties, and many, many cattle. She even helped me and allowed us to pick from her little no-spray apple orchard! WIN!

What I loved about them and why I chose this farm was that they fully disclosed so much information to me about their farm and techniques. They didn't get annoyed or agitated when I asked questions. They treat their animals so well. They told me all about the cow we decided to purchase. Health status, age, even down to their mothers diet during gestation, after birth, etc. She showed me the hay they feed them during the winter and what their hay consists of (grasses, clover, vetch). I felt really good about it.

We decided to purchase a 1/4 cow to fill our freezer

Do you know where your meat comes from?

*This information was inspired from: The Book: "The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Food Supply - And What You Can Do About It" Written By: Thomas F. Pawlick, with a little help from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=141, another study I used to help me with putting my information together: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/

**Disclaimer: I am still a Natural Nutrition student so I am still learning. This article was inspired by my latest course in Eco-Nutrition and my most recent visit to our new grass fed beef farmer. I would like to inspire you to research and question your daily decisions of what you put in the mouths of your family and yourself. *