by Stephen Foxman R.O.H.P., is a nutritionist/ naturopath
The first time my wife and I tasted grass-fed, grass finished beef we both immediately reacted, “Wow!”. It was like tasting meat for the first time. Terrific mouth feel, delicious flavor and texture. We also noticed that because it was so nutrient-rich, we were satisfied with almost half the quantity of meat we usually have as a serving…. and this continues to be our experience. Once tried, you’ll be hooked and will find it difficult to go back to regular grain fed meat.
Here are Some of the Many Benefits of Grass-Fed, Grass Finished Meat:
· Taste – great flavor- unlike regular meat which has little flavor outside of the fat, grass-fed beef has less fat but more beefy flavor from the meat itself.
….and a variety of tastes – taste depends on many factors such as soil, grass, different plants eaten by the animal and the season. This creates a rich palette of tastes for the consumer.
· Free! – grass-fed meat is usually free of hormones, antibiotics and growth promoters – no pesticides or growth hormones to worry about gives one peace of mind.
· Economical – Yes, even though more than double the price of regular meat, grass-fed meat is so nutrient-rich and satisfying that one needs almost half portions of the equivalent in regular meat. Besides the fact that overdoing protein quantity is an unhealthy practice as one only needs small portions of animal protein in the diet in order to obtain the health benefits –too much meat can be toxic to the body. Even if it costs a little more in the end, there are so many healing properties to grass-fed meat that you’ll save on hospital, doctor, and pharmacy costs. With a stronger immune system, less sick days too!
· Less Shrinkage – unlike regular grain-fed meat which is full of water, grass-fed meat will shrink much less in cooking. This means you’ll have more to eat, another way it is more economical.
· Healthy Fats – fat from grass-fed meat contains CLA * and omega 3’s . The healthiest long lived cultures had diets high in omega 3’s, usually from wild fish consumption or wild game meat. Regular grain-fed meat is the opposite. Animals are fed corn and soybeans which are high in omega 6’s. Unlike omega 3’s which lessen inflammation and are cancer protective, meat high in omega 6’s contribute to inflammation, obesity, cancer and heart disease.
*CLA (CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID)HEALTH BENEFITS
· Increases muscle mass while reducing fat
· Increases metabolism
· Normalizes thyroid function
· Strengthens immune system
· Reduces risk of cancer, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes
To sum up, the natural way is always the best and the natural diet for animals is to graze on grass or pasture. When we eat these animal foods with respect, appreciation and in the proper quantity we are getting optimum nutrition in an easily assimilable form.
Stephen Foxman R.O.H.P., is a nutritionist/ naturopath and has been working with and teaching healing diets for over 40 years. He is available for consultations at: sfoxman@gmail.com