Remember the Wendy's commercial back in 1984, where the older woman asked, "Where's the beef?"
Beef is a wonderful source of protein and can be a healthy choice when sourced from farms that focus on sustainable and natural growing practices.
I couldn't help but use that as my title for this month's subject.
It is National Cheeseburger Day on September 18th! In my household, we love a good burger and quite often enjoy the Ultimate Cheeseburger Bowl, this month's featured recipe.
Beef has gotten a bad rap for years, mistakenly, with poor research and reporting. Today, we have a better understanding that it is the importance of the quality of meat that matters most.
I'm going to point out the difference between grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef, and why it matters when it comes to our health.
First, let's talk about grain-fed beef. This is the one that I do not recommend.
Grain-fed beef is typically what we see in our local supermarkets. It has more fat and the cattle are fed a diet that contains grains like corn and soybean. Those GMO crops have been proven to be highly inflammatory and inflammation is the leading cause of most of the modern disease that we see today. A large part of what I teach is an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
The term "we are what we eat" should go a little further in that, "we are what we eat EATS." I also personally believe that "we are what our bodies can DO with WHAT we eat." Eating nutrient dense food provides not only nourishment but can also assist in healing our bodies in the form of what our cells can do with the nutrients provided, or lack thereof.
Grass-fed beef is just that. The cattle are allowed to roam freely in a pasture and eat grass and plants that are available to them.
Beef provides us with complete protein (containing all of the amino acids), which is a building block of life. In just one 4-ounce serving of lean ground beef, there are approximately 26 grams of protein.
Beef also contains essential fats and here is a breakdown of the difference in fats that are provided in grass-fed versus grain-fed beef:
Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fat: grass-fed and grain-fed beef contain very similar amounts of omega-6 fatty acids.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: this is where grass-fed makes a major difference since it contains up to five times as much omega 3's (omega 3's are known for reducing inflammation).
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): grass-fed beef contains about twice as much CLA as grain-fed beef. This fatty acid is associated with a few health benefits such as improved metabolic function.
So, those are the basics on the quality of grass-fed beef versus grain-fed beef.
Bonus points are awarded if you buy local grass-fed beef! A local farm that I personally use delivers to me for free when I place a 25 pound order.
I hope that you enjoy the recipe provided this month, and let us know if you tried it!