If you are new to the Clean Eating Lifestyle or even if you have been around for a while it is always good to review why we choose to eat certain foods even though they will cost a little more at time of purchase.
Beef is one food that Americans consume a lot of. It is perhaps their favorite protein, slightly above chicken and definitely, more than fish. Actually, for health reasons it should be the other way around.
Because we eat so much beef it is very important that we buy beef that is as close to being 100% grass-fed as possible. Most cattle are kept in confinement for the last 6 months of their lives and at least half of their diet is corn. Corn is the least expensive of the foods available to feed cattle and it fattens them up fast.
Cattle feedlots do not have a good reputation for the way they treat the cattle because they are often cramped so tight the cattle have nowhere to relieve themselves except where they stand and will continue to stand. It is often reported that the cattle are implanted with hormones and subjected to injections of antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to make it to the meat processing plant to be prepared for food for the public.
One of the concerns for those of us living a clean eating lifestyle is the antibiotics that are fed to the cattle. If the antibiotics are injected into the cattle near time to go to the processing plant, they will still be in the meat when it arrives at the market place and we will end up consuming the antibiotics along with the beef.
There is concern that we need to keep our bodies as free of antibiotics as possible so that if, and when we need them for our health we will not have built up an immunity to them. Eating grass-fed open range beef would appear to be one way to help avoid the antibiotics in feed-lot cattle.
Some of the beef that reaches that market is also processed beyond the clean eating standards that we live by. Many premade hamburgers, both the patties bought in the grocery store and those purchased in some fast food operations are mixed with other ingredients to make them cheaper and add flavors because they use the cheapest cuts of meats and then process them to the point they will be tender enough to eat. The grocery story patties are often loaded with excessive fat that will cook off and leave you with a much smaller burger that you had in mind. The answer would appear to be that if you want to eat of feed your family a hamburger, you are much better off to make your patties at home with meat that has no more than 20 percent fat. A 15 percent fat, 85 percent lean is a much better choice.
If you are enjoying a clean eating lifestyle, then you also do not want to buy any canned beef products such as stews and soups. The product is usually very over processed, over cooked and filled with chemicals and seasoning so what little flavor that there is will be in the added “gravy.”
The first step is to look around where you live and perhaps you will be able to find a butcher that handles grass-fed open range beef. It will be a little costlier however it is your body and your life, of which there is only one issue. You are worth the extra cost. Feed yourself and your family the highest quality foods that you can afford.
Secondly, if you do not find a butcher in your area, there are a few certified meat producers on line that ship directly to you the cuts of beef of your choice. It takes a few minutes of research to find one you like but it is worth it to get the product you want.
One other consideration is to use much less beef, and more free-range chicken and wild caught fish and to return to Meatless Mondays where you enjoy a day free of animal products.
Plan your menu in advance for the week and it will be much easier to make these adjustments.
William Chaney is an Executive Chef and and Natural Health Practitioner, and has traveled the World and collected recipes and healthy lifestyle information which he shares with you.
He splits his time between his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and his home in Wisconsin. He writes about living a Whole Foods Healthy lifestyle while enjoying Great food,and a Healthy outlook on life. Visit his website at https://YourWholeFoodsChef.com for clean eating recipes and Healthy Lifestyle Information.
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