Friday, April 18, 2008

Seven Good Reasons to Eat Only Grass-Fed Beef

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Ever since I wrote Living the Low Carb Life in 2004, I've been asked to defend my statement that meat is a healthy food. Truth be told, it's a hard statement to defend these days -- but not because meat is inherently unhealthy.

It's because the kind of meat most people eat is poisoned with antibiotics, steroids, and hormones -- and just as bad -- comes from feedlot farms where the animals are treated horrendously. They're also fed an unnatural diet of grain and have a high level of inflammation-causing omega-6 fats in their meat that is passed on to consumers.

But there's a solution: buy (and eat) only grass-fed meat. Yes, it's more expensive (just eat less!) -- but grass-fed cattle produce a whole different kind of meat -- and it's actually good for you!

Here are my top seven reasons to eat only grass (pasture) raised beef.

1. No antiobiotics added. Antibiotics are routinely given to cattle in factory farms to help manage the problems brought on by their highly concentrated grain diets and living conditions.
2. No steroids or growth hormones. Steroids or bovine growth hormone are routinely given to commercial beef to speed up growth and weight gain for faster "finishing" times. These hormones actually make it into your body and have been implicated in a number of health problems including acne.
3. Healthy omega-3 fats. When cattle are fed their normal diet of pasture grass, their fat is different from that of their grain-fed factory farmed bretheren -- and it contains way more healthy omega-3 fats.
4. Healthy, cancer-fighting CLA (conjugated linolenic acid). This cancer-fighting fat is normally made in the chambers of the bovine stomach. Grass-fed animals are a great source of CLA; grainfed factory-farmed animals have next to none due to the high acidity of their stomachs.
5. Animals treated as humanely as possible to minimize stress and trauma. Organic farms, like US Wellness Meats for example, care deeply about the quality of lives of their animals.
6. Fed no contaminated animal by-product feed. Serious, organic farmers raising cows on pasture simply don't feed their cattle animal by-products. This reduces or eliminates the risk of contamination and Mad Cow Disease.
7. Minimal risk of E. coli. E. coli thrive in an acid environment and grain-fed beef have a much higher level of acidity in their stomachs. Pasture-fed beef do not have an internal environment that's hospitable to E. coli.

Meat can be a perfectly healthy food, especially so when it's combined with high vegetable intake. The key to the health of the animals we eat is their diet (and living conditions). Grass and pasture make for healthy cows which in turn makes for healthy meat. Anything else doesn't even come close.

It's worth noting that buffalo is almost always grass-fed, and is a good alternative to regular old supermarket beef.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology and the author of five books including The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. His latest book is The Most Effective Cures on Earth.For more information, click here. ]

Are you one of over 100 million American adults with herpes? Surprisingly, you may be, and not even know it. That's because as many as 70% of herpes cases are spread when there are no signs of infection.

There are two types of herpes simplex viruses: type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). The viruses are spread through physical contact and released from the sores that the virus causes -- although it can also be released between outbreaks from normal-appearing skin.

Type 1 is usually found above the waist as cold sores on the lip and mouth area. Type 2, known as genital herpes, is usually found below the waist. Another surprising fact about herpes is that there are no absolute rules. Type 1 can present as genital herpes and type 2 as sores on the oral cavity.

The conventional approach to controlling the herpes virus is through oral medications like Zovirax, Valtrex, and Famvir. While these medications can be effective in symptom management by suppressing the viral activity, they do not eradicate the virus from the system.

That's partly because herpes is a lipid-coated virus. This means that there is a shield around the virus to protect it from destruction. But fortunately, there are natural therapies that can be effective in breaking through its protective shield and inhibiting the virus from replicating.

Here is a combination therapy we recommend at our compounding pharmacy:

1. Unrefined, organic coconut oil: Coconut oil is rich in a substance called lauric acid. It has the ability to strip off the protective lipid coating on several viruses including herpes and HIV.^1,2 We usually recommend our clients take one tablespoonful daily.
2. Olive leaf extract is a natural product that has been shown to support the immune system while at the same time interrupting the replication of the virus.³ Olive leaf renders the virus unable to reproduce and may eradicate it from the system. Because it is not an immediate kill, results do not happen over night; nonetheless, it is still effective. An average dose of olive leaf extract is 500 mg three times daily.

We often implement these two therapies together since the coconut oil will expose the virus to the actions of the olive leaf.

It is also important to mention that the amino acid L-lysine is commonly used in both the prevention and treatment of the herpes virus. L-lysine is an amino acid that has been shown to prevent genital herpes outbreaks when taken regularly.⁴ A dosage of 500 mg daily is recommended for prevention of an outbreak. Dosages as high as 1000 to 6000 mg have been taken for an active outbreak.

Foods high in the amino acid L-arginine should not be eaten with L-lysine as they can inhibit its beneficial action. These include peanuts, soybeans, red wine, processed cheeses, nuts, popcorn, corn, coconut and chocolate.

Don't forget that lifestyle changes can help avoid the outbreak and spread of the herpes virus.

1. Avoid stress-related outbreaks by boosting your immune system. You can do this by getting ample rest and eating a nutritious diet.
2. Always wear a sunscreen if you will be out doors for a prolonged period of time. Over-exposure to sunlight can trigger a flare-up in some people.
3. Do not touch a herpes blister and then other parts of your body -- this may allow the virus to spread. Always wash your hands.
4. Use a condom to protect yourself and your partner from infection.

References

1. Reprowatch. 1999 Feb 1-28;6,11.
2. AIDA Patient Care STDS. 1999 Sep; 13(9):572.
3. Micol V, et al. Antiviral Res. 2005 Jun;66(2-3):129-36. Epub 2005 Apr 18.
4. Beauman, J.G. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Oct 15;72(8):1572-34.

[Ed. Note: Robert Kress, RPh, CCN, is a Compounding and Consultant Pharmacist, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, and Quantum Reflex Analysis Specialist. Robert is co-owner of an integrative pharmacy and clinical nutrition practice where he empowers his clients to unlock their health blockages through what he calls the Royal Pyramid of Health. To learn more, click here.]

These tangy tacos are loaded with flavor and are an excellent source of 6 key nutrients and a good source of 5 more. To reduce the carbs in this recipe, opt for Ezekiel organic, sprouting grain tortillas.

Time To Table: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Healing Nutrient Spotlight

• Excellent source of protein, folate, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, selenium
• Good source of fiber, niacin, magnesium, potassium, zinc
• Low in sugar

Ingredients
16 ounces organic pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 tsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped organic plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 cup chopped organic onion
2.5 tbsp organic lime juice
1 whole organic jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 medium (6-in.) organic, whole-grain tortillas

Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and black pepper. Add oil to pan. Add pork, and sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan; place in a bowl. Add onion and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in tomato; simmer 2 minutes. Return pork and accumulated juices to pan. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until pork is done. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup pork mixture into each tortilla; roll up.

Nutrition Information: 391 calories, 14 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 7 g monounsaturated fats, 2 g polyunsaturated fats, 74 mg cholesterol, 594 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 30 g protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information, click here.]

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