Fitness Link Blog

Due to low-fat crazes and fear of eating fat, people have shunned butter; some simply cut it out of their diet, while others switched to vegetable oils and margarine.  In fact I still hear people saying, “I thought butter was bad for you.”  This could not be further from the truth.

Butter is actually very healthy for you. Now, not all butter is created equal, and preparations of butter can differ, offering different nutrients.  It’s helpful to understand what’s in butter and why it’s so good for you.  It’s also important to know which fats to stay away from…

Grain-fed Vs grass-fed butter

First of all, the quality of butter is going to be limited to the quality of the diet that animal ate.  Grass-fed butter (or butter made from animals that fed on grass instead of grains) has been shown to be higher in many nutrients including Omega-3 and CLA.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

CLA is a type of fatty acid that is created in the bellies of grass-grazing livestock.  In their stomachs the grass ferments and CLA is one of the by-products of that.  CLA has many health benefits.  Here are a few things that CLA has been shown to help fight against:

• Cardiovascular disease
  
• Many types of cancers (it has been show to reduce tumors by 50%)
  
• High blood pressure and high triglycerides
  
• Osteoporosis
• Insulin resistance (CLA improves insulin action and reduces circulating glucose levels.  This can improve diabetic conditions)
• Inflammation
• Immune system invaders like viruses and bacteria

Research also shows that CLA is helpful in reducing body fat and preserving lean muscle tissue.  It also may increase your metabolic rate. A study published in the  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took 3.2 grams of CLA a day had a drop in fat mass of about 0.2 pounds a week (that’s about one pound a month) compared to those given a placebo.

Grass-fed meat and butter contains 3-5 times the levels of CLA than that of grain-fed.

Vitamin Content

Butter is rich with fat soluble vitamins.  It has high levels of vitamin A, D, E and K.  Many people in our society are deficient in these vitamins.

Color is an indication of nutrient density.  Think about blueberries and their antioxidant content.  Also think of the orange color in carrots, that’s beta-carotene.  Butter is the same way with its deep, rich yellow color.  It’s yellow because it has carotene and vitamin A.

Vitamin K2, in case you weren’t aware, appears to reduce, prevent, or even counteract arterial plaque, and it helps the body use calcium correctly and effectively.  It is what many refer to as the Activator X, or the active form of K1.  Vitamin K1 is found in leafy greens such as grass, lettuce, spinach and kale.  The active form, K2, is created in the fermenting stomachs of grass-feeding animals.

Fatty Acid Composition

All butter is about 2/3 saturated fat, just under 1/3 monounsaturated, and the rest is polyunsaturated fat.  Grass-fed butter will produce a balanced ratio (1:3) of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.  Grain-fed butter will be heavily tilted toward Omega-6.

The saturated content of butter makes it an excellent fat to cook with.  It’s very stable and does not oxidize easily.  So skip the vegetable oils that go rancid with heat, and cook with butter.

Terminology

What is cultured butter?

Cultured butter is traditionally made from fermented, or soured, cream.  It’s not actually the butterfat that ferments, but rather the trace amounts of lactose sugars present.  Nowadays, though, most commercial cultured butter is “cultured” by the incorporation of bacterial cultures.  The bacterial cultures feed on the lactose.  “European style” butter is cultured butter.

What is “sweet butter”?

Historically, sweet cream butter came from fresh cream, rather than soured or fermented cream.  Relative to cultured butter, it’s rather “sweet.”  These days, it’s often just another way to describe unsalted butter.  Sweet butter is better for cooking, as most recipes assume the use of unsalted butter.  Also, since salt is a preservative, sweet butter tends to be fresher (since it has to be, having no preservatives).

What is clarified butter?

Heat butter until it melts, let it cool and settle, then skim off the top layer of whey protein and pour off the butterfat, leaving the casein proteins on the bottom – you’ve got clarified butter.

What about ghee?

Ghee is basically pure butterfat, rendered down and stricken of all lactose and dairy proteins.  It’s ultra-clarified butter in that it reaches a temperature high enough to cook off the water and brown the milk solids, which imparts a nutty flavor to the finished product.  Properly made, ghee can stay on the counter for about a year without going bad.  It’s also convenient for use during traveling.

Grab yourself some good butter!

Here are some brands and places to buy high quality butter:

A popular brand is Kerrygold, an Irish dairy whose cows are all pasture raised.  You can find it at most health food stores.  I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s.

Anchor butter is another tasty one. It hails from New Zealand, land of reliably grass-fed lamb, and I’ve seen it at Whole Foods for a reasonable price. If you can’t find it there, you could always order online in bulk. Just freeze the extras.

My favorite is Pastureland.  It’s so rich and creamy.  You can also get that on the link above as well as on grasslandbeef.com – which is where I get mine.

Organic Valley is another good one.  It’s a pastured and cultured butter available at Whole Foods for a good price. (it’s has green foil)  You can get it salted or unsalted.

You can also check your local farmer’s market to see if there is butter sold there.  Be sure to talk to the producers about the cow’s diet.

There are many health benefits of eating good quality butter.  And even if it’s not grass-fed, it still is better than the harmful vegetable oils and margarine.  So seek out some good quality butter for yourself today and start using it!

Jonathan Martin

Everyone knows you’re supposed to eat your vegetables.  Vegetables contain valuable nutrients essential to your health such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, live enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

While eating raw and lightly cooked vegetables is great and should be part of your daily diet, there’s another fantastic way to use them.  Vegetable juicing!  Using a juicer, you can create a quick and tasty beverage that’s packed full of life-giving nutrients.  These fresh vegetable juices are often referred to as greens drinks.

The juicer will breakdown the vegetables and/or fruit and separate the juice from the pulp.  The juice, which contains the majority of the nutrients, is now in a form that’s very bio-available; meaning your body can easily absorb it.  So it’s one of the best ways for your body to get super nutrition quickly.  And it tastes good too!

Why should you juice?

Most people do not consume enough vegetables on a daily basis.  And so juicing your vegetables is a wonderful way to load up on them without having to chew your way through an entire bag of carrots or spinach.

In my experience, one of the main reasons people are over-weight, sick, lethargic and depressed is because they are extremely malnourished.  Every one of our trillions of cells needs nutrients in order to function properly.  If a cell does not receive enough nutrients, it becomes dysfunctional.  And when dysfunctional cells build dysfunctional blood, tissue, organs and glands, then your whole body suffers.

We are, quite literally, what we eat!  And if we want to build strong cells that make us feel alive and well, then we need to maximize our nutrition.  And a greens drink is one of the best ways to do that.

The Benefits of juicing

~ High levels of vitamins and minerals ~ These vitamins and minerals work in synergy to promote healing and function in your body.

~ Live enzymes ~ Enzymes promote digestion and metabolism.  Most cooked foods are severely lacking in enzymes and therefor many of us have a hard time assimilating and absorbing nutrients.  These enzymes will improve your digestion and ultimately boost the nutrients that your body actually receives.

~ An alkalizing effect ~ Many people are highly acidic due to the foods they eat and the stress that they are exposed to.  A greens drink helps balance your pH levels.

Drinking freshly juiced vegetables and fruit will also:

• Cleanse the liver, kidney and bowels – Detoxifying the body
• Boost your immune system
• Enhance your brain function
• Slow the aging process
• Cool, soothe and heal inflammation
• Give you lots of energy
• Help you lose weight
• Prevent and reverse chronic disease
• Make you feel alive and well
• And so much more…

In addition to these benefits, juicing allows you to try vegetables that you might otherwise not ever eat.   And therefore exposing yourself to a greater variety of nutrients.  You also might find that you really enjoy your new discoveries.

Juicing is fun and easy.  And the different juice combinations are endless.  I recommend starting off with a simple recipe for your first one.  Try juicing the following:

- Spinach, carrot and apple.

This one is simple, tasty and very healthy.  Try it yourself.

You can view my video on juicing to learn another recipe – one of my favorites.  Watch the video here: YouTube.com/tnfitnesslink-vegetable-juicing

If you have any questions, comment below or send me an e-mail: Jmartin@tnfitnesslink.com

If you already juice, then be sure to leave one of your favorite juicing recipes below!

Jonathan Martin

Eating more calories makes you fat..?  Why is it, when it comes to nutrition that we tend to think backwards?

Gary Taubes, a science researcher and journalist, and author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, stated in a recent interview that “causality always comes before the effect”.

We have been trained to think backwards about weight, and Taubes says that this is due to poorly done science.

For example, consider this statement made by early researchers studying calories and weight gain:  We’re fat because we eat too much.  This is based off the first law of thermodynamics called the law of energy conservation.  The law basically says that as a system becomes more massive, it must take in more energy than it expends – because energy can’t be created from nothing.

The problem is that medical researchers and nutritionists take this law and pervert it.  They say that as we get bigger (or fatter) we require more energy than we expend – according the law of energy conservation.  And as we take in more energy, we get bigger.  Therefore this intake of energy (or calories) is the reason we get fat.

This line of thinking is backwards.  The cause always comes before the effect.  Take a growing child, for example.  As a child grows his appetite increases and he begins to eat more food.  The child is not getting bigger because he’s eating more food; he’s eating more food because he’s getting bigger.  Growing is the cause – eating is the effect.

Prior to World War II, German and Austrian researches also looked into what made us fat.  But instead of focusing on calories, they directed their studies to the systems that regulated fat tissue.  Being the ones who pioneered such fields as endocrinology and genetics, their research led them to examine the hormonal pathways including sex hormones, growth hormones and insulin.

We’re not fat because we eat too much; we eat too much because we’re fat.

Since 1965 it has been well known that insulin is the hormone that, among many other functions, stores fat.  Insulin is secreted in response to carbohydrates you eat.  The more carbs you eat (especially refined carbs such as bread and pasta), the more insulin your body will secrete.  If insulin levels are consistently high due to constant high carb intake, then your body will slowly become insulin-resistant.  This means that your body will have to secrete even more insulin just to do its normal job.  It’s like trying to fill up a pool with water that has a leak – you’ll need to pour more water in than is flowing out.

When you have insulin resistance not only will you be storing more fat tissue, you’ll also feel tired as the energy can’t get into your cells because insulin stores it as fat so fast.  This will leave you tired and hungry.  You’ll crave foods, especially junk foods.

At this point the law of thermodynamics will take over and you will have to consume more energy (food) just to sustain you because you’re bigger from so much fat storing.

Most people will try to go on a low calorie diet by this time in an attempt to lose weight.  What they don’t realize is that their approach is already backwards.  They are fat and overweight NOT because they’re eating too much; it’s because their bodies are starving.  When a body goes into starvation mode, it rapidly stores fat in an attempt to survive.  The thyroid will slow down metabolism to conserve energy.  And hormonal levels will drop discouraging you from any form of activity.

How to reverse fat gain – be a fat burner not a sugar burner

Many people, through low calorie dieting and lots of cardio exercise, have become very efficient sugar burners.  But unfortunately, fat burning is what their goal is.  So they they harder to restrict calories, yet their body keeps storing fat.  Then when they are fed up with their lack of results, they come to me just to hear that what they were told to do was wrong.

Here are several steps on how to teach your body to be a fat burning machine:

1)  Lower your insulin levels. Avoid any foods that spike your insulin levels such as sugar, pasteurized milk  and refined grains or flours.  These foods are the most detrimental to your fat loss goals.  They convert to sugar in your body very quickly.  And although they give you energy, they will also store fat as well as leave you feeling sluggish and tired.

2)  Eat lots of high quality foods. Load up your diet with vegetables, whole fruits, raw nuts and seeds, as well as grass-fed meats, pastured eggs and limited whole grains such as rice and quinoa.  Also be sure to include plenty of healthy fats such as Omega-3s, CLA, pastured butter, coconut oil and avocados etc…  You gotta eat fat to burn fat!

3)  NO LOW CALORIE DIETS! Remember we’re not talking about simply watching your portions here.  Obviously, you don’t need to keep eating if your full.  But do not restrict your daily caloric intake in an attempt to lose weight.  Even if it works temporarily, the weight will most likely come back.

Instead, focus on high quality foods.  Listen to your body when it is hungry, and feed it the fuel that it needs to function.  A healthy body will give your the lean look you want.  So focus on getting healthy, and let the body shed the weight – it’s much better at doing it than we are.

4) Exercise! This is another fantastic way to lower your insulin levels.  If fat loss is your goal, skip the cardio and focus on strength training and interval training.  These forms of exercises promote greater fat loss.  They also stimulate hormonal responses in the body – telling it to repair and build muscle tissue.  Exercise also helps to stimulate the thyroid and adrenal glands which helps to balance your metabolism.

Are you struggling with weight loss and overall health?  Have you tried exercising and eating right, but nothing seems to work?  I want to encourage you to change your perspective.

Don’t get caught up in conventional thinking – it’s all backwards.  If everything were true, we would be a much healthier nation.  Instead, ignore the flashy marketing and  listen to your body.  It will tell you what it needs to be healthy.

Need help?  We are here to give you the tools to be successful.  It first starts with knowledge.  Education is key!  We also offer in-home personal training, nutrition consulting, Metabolic Typing services and Wellness Coaching.

To get started or for more information contact Jonathan Martin:  Jmartin@tnfitnesslink.com  Or call (615) 477-6502  Or visit the website at http://tnfitnesslink.com/

Jonathan Martin

It’s summer time… and it’s time to hit the grill!

Have fun when making kabobs.  Get the family involved – picking ingredients, chopping, putting on skewers, grilling etc…  You’ll find that with a little creativity, you can make some delicious combinations that everyone will enjoy!

Here are 3 tips on how to make a kabob that’s not only sizzling with flavor but is also rich in healthy nutrients:

1)  Choose high quality meat.

• The most important factor when choosing meat is whether it’s grass-fed or grain-fed.  Grass-fed meat is vastly superior in nutrients and does not harm our health as factory-produced, grain-fed meat can.
• Since meat is such a center piece in the creation of a kabob, choosing good quality meat should be the first step.
• Follow the above link to read more about choosing meat.
• You can select beef, pork, poultry, shrimp or other meat.

2)  Marinating

This is what makes a good kabob, great!  Not only do seasonings and marinades (when done right) add wonderful flavors, but with the right ingredients, valuable nutrients are provided as well.

Just to give you an idea, seasonings and marinades can be made with the following:

• Oils (butter, coconut and grape-seed oils are the best to use, because they don’t go rancid at high heats like vegetable or olive oils do.)
• Something acidic (such as citrus, vinegar, mustard, whey etc…)
• Herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley etc…)
• Spices (peppercorn, garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon etc…)
• Other (broth, cream, honey, crushed fruit, berries or seeds etc…)

There are endless options for marinades.  Start out with choosing a few combinations that you like.  Keep it simple at first, and then experiment to see what you can create.

3)  Include lots of vegetables

Grilling brings out extraordinary flavor in vegetables.  Even those that don’t typically eat vegetables can enjoy them grilled.  Nearly all vegetables will grill nicely, here are a few common ones to get you started:

• onions, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, cucumber, cellery etc…

Also, as a side dish, opt for fresh veggies or a salad instead of grains.  This will boost the nutrition and cut back on fat-storing grains.  Start with something simple like:

• Shredded carrot and zucchini with raisins
• Cucumber and tomato salad
• Or maybe some fresh guacamole

Here are some tasty Kabob recipes for you to try!

I made this one last week:  Sweet Herb Pork Tenderloin Kabobs

> Pork tenderloin, cut and marinated in mustard, honey and tarragon.

> Sweet potatoes, sliced and steamed a little

> Green bell pepper, cut into chunks

> Yellow onion, cut into chunks

> Peaches, cut into chunks

>>> Marinate the pork, steam the sweet potato, cut your veggies and peach and then put them all on the skewers.  Cook for roughly 12 minutes on the grill – turning them every 2-3 minutes.

I’m making these ones tonight! Chili and Lime Chicken Kabobs

> Cut chicken and marinate in the following:

• 3 T grapeseed oil
• 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 lime squeezed
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 t paprika, onion and garlic
• Cayenne pepper, black pepper and sea salt to taste

> Onion, cut into chunks

> Summer squash, cut into chunks

> Snap peas, folded and skewered (lightly steamed – optional)

>>> Cut and Marinate chicken, skew chicken and veggies and grill for roughly 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Squeeze lime over the kabobs as they are grilling.

Enjoy!

Jonathan Martin

Berries!

Most people like berries, but in addition to taste, berries have extreme health benefits.  Here are some of the highlights:

~ Berries reduce the risk of cancer due to their high levels of anti-oxidants.  Research also shows that blueberries can protect the brain from damage due to age or stroke.

~ Berries such as pomegranate also protect against cancers and help prevent cardiovascular disease.  Pomegranate seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties.

~ Cranberries can help prevent bacterial infections, particularly in the bladder.  This is due to powerful phytochemicals that prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.  These phytochemicals are also what give berries their bright colors.

~ Many berries help regulate blood glucose levels.  They do not spike blood sugar levels the same way other fruits can, and for this reason are very helpful for diabetics.  This also proves helpful for those trying to slim down or prevent energy crashes.

~ Berries contain vitamins and minerals! For example, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all high in vitamin C.

Strawberries and raspberries have potassium.

All berries contain fiber.

Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein which is important for healthy vision.

~ Berries are extremely high in anti-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants protect our body from free radical damage and the many other diseases caused by inflammation or free radicals.

Berries are also delicious!  They are great in smoothies, mixed in salads, used in desserts and eaten raw.  It is important to note that if berries are cooked at high temperatures such as pasteurization used in making juices, then most of the nutrients are lost.  The further man takes berries from their original form, the further depleted of nutrients they will become.

So instead of a tsp of blackberry jam, use fresh, whole blackberries.

Enjoy the nutrition berries offer.  Incorporate them into your diet today.

What is your favorite berry?  And what’s your favorite way to use/eat them?

Jonathan Martin

Inflammation is at the root of many of the common diseases that plague our society.  It is linked to Asthma, Allergies, Crohn’s  disease, Colitis, Arthritis and other severe conditions.  It also affects high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  It can even cause Edema and prevent weight loss.

Each condition will manifest itself in the area where the inflammation is.  Heart disease is inflammation of the arteries.  Arthritis is inflammation of the joints.  Asthma is an inflammatory response in the lungs.  Crohn’s and Colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases.

Since inflammation plays such a big part in our health, it’s important to not only understand its role but to know what you can do to control it.

What is inflammation? 

Inflammation is our body’s 2nd line of defense against bacteria, viruses and pathogens.  It’s made up of powerful defense cells and chemicals designed to fight off the ugliest of invaders.  It also plays a big part in the response phase of an injury such as a cut.  Normal levels of inflammation are absolutely necessary for our own protection.  Problems occur when inflammation rises to unsafe levels, or when the body fails to clear out the excess.

Signs of inflammation in the body

Here are a few symptoms you can check for to see if you have inflammation:

• Redness
• Warmth
• Pain
• Swelling
• Loss of function

If you have these symptoms, especially for an extended period of time, it’s likely you have inflammation and need to take action.

What causes inflammation

An overactive immune system is what floods the body with this volatile chemical concoction.  The immune system could be responding to harmful bacteria.  But many times it is due to dietary and/or environmental toxins building up and triggering an immune response.

Here are common foods that promote inflammation:

• Corn, soy and canola oils
• Conventional meats
• Pasteurized dairy
• Refined grains and sugars
• Trans fats
• Gluten
• Food allergy or intolerance

Other contributing factors also include:

• Smoking
• High levels of stress
• Inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle
• Internal or external injuries (long-term)

Problems with conventional treatments

Various drugs are prescribed in an attempt to reduce inflammation.    Aspirin, corticosteroid prednisone and Statin drugs are a few. However, drugs never come without their side effects – Vioxx ended up killing more than 60,000 people from strokes and heart attacks.

The truth is, our bodies are not deficient in drugs.  They are deficient in nutrients.  Although certain medications may at times be beneficial in emergency situations, they never fix the root cause of the issue.  And they may leave you with side effects you have to live with for a long time.

Steps to naturally reduce inflammation

The best idea is to prevent emergency situations by reducing and controlling your levels of inflammation.  Here are some steps on how to do this:

1)  Stop Smoking.  This one might be obvious.  But smoking directly inflames the lungs and glands.  And nicotine can also trigger inflammation in other parts of the body as it travels.

2)  Avoid inflammatory foods. Reduce or eliminaterefine d grains and sugars as these are highly inflammatory.  Avoid Conventional meats from animals fed grains, as their levels of Omega-6 are dangerously high.  Instead, choose grass-fed animal sources that have normal levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and that don’t trigger inflammation.  Also, opt for raw dairy products instead of pasteurized.  Or try coconut milk or almond milk instead.  Be sure to eliminate all trans fats and refined vegetable oils.

3)  Increase your Omega-3’s. Clean, healthy sources of animal meats, fish in particular, contain Omega-3’s.  Land based animals will only contain sufficient levels of Omega-3 if they are grass-fed.  You can also supplement with Cod Liver oil or Krill oil.  Other sources include nuts and seeds such as walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

4)  Eat more vegetables. Vegetables are proven to help reduce inflammation.  They are a fantastic weapon for you to use when fighting inflammation or any other disease.   Set a goal to eat a vegetable with every meal.

5)  Identify and eliminate any food intolerance you may have. This can be tricky, and you may need someone experienced to help you.  But here are the top culprits:   Gluten, dairy, wheat, soy and corn.

6)  Exercise! Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce inflammation without any of the side effects caused by medication.

7)  Reduce stress levels. Elevated stress levels can trigger chronic inflammation as your body is tricked into thinking it is under attack.  Find ways you can release stress from your life.  Try exercise, yoga, deep breathing, reading, journaling, praying or other stress reduction techniques that work for you.

8)  Use these anti-inflammatory foods, supplements or herbs. Dr. Nicholas Perricone is one of the leading proponents of the anti-inflammatory diet and has authored several books.  He lists the following foods as anti-inflammatory:

• Acai fruit
• Allium vegetables (chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions and shallots)
• Beans and lentils
• Green foods
• Hot peppers
• Nuts and seeds
• Sprouts

Also many of the herbs are anti-inflammatory such as ginger, basil, rosemary, turmeric, boswellia, tulsi, cinnimon and more.

Co-Enzyme Q10 and Selenium are helpful supplements.  And also the enzyme Bromelain, found in pineapples has natural anti-inflammatory properties.

In conclusion

Inflammation is a necessary defense system for our bodies, and can easily be controlled through diet and lifestyle as mentioned above.  Drugs and surgery are harsh treatments reserved for critical emergency situations, and they don’t even fix the root cause of the problem.

Get your body healthy!  And teach it to control inflammation naturally.

If you have any questions or need help implementing any of the above recommendations, e-mail me at Jmartin@TnFitnessLink.com

Jonathan Martin

Do you know how that steak or hamburger got to your plate?  How can you be sure that its quality meets your standards?  Most people just pick up a package of meat with the assumption that it must be healthy if they are selling it.  And if it ‘looks good’ and not expired, then it must be good.  However, you may be unaware of the origin and/or processing of that particular meat, and it’s these factors that ultimately decide its quality and safety.

When selecting meat, there are many concerns.  Personal convictions or preferences may cause some people to value certain issues over others.  However, I would like to address the most important factor when selecting your meat.

Grain-fed beef

Feeding grain to cattle has got to be one of the dumbest ideas in the history of western civilization.

Cows, sheep, and other grazing animals are endowed with the ability to convert grasses, which those of us who possess only one stomach cannot digest, into food that they can digest.  They can do this because they are ruminants, which is to say that they possess a rumen, a 45 or so gallon (in the case of cows) fermentation tank in which resident bacteria convert cellulose into protein and fats.

Traditionally, all beef was grass-fed beef, but in the United States today what is commercially available is almost all feedlot beef.  The reason? It’s faster, and so more profitable.  Seventy-five years ago, steers were 4 or 5 years old at slaughter. Today, they are 14 or 16 months.  You can’t take a beef calf from a birth weight of 80 pounds to 1,200 pounds in a little more than a year on grass.  It takes enormous quantities of corn, protein supplements, antibiotics and other drugs, including growth hormones.

Switching a cow from grass to grain is so disturbing to the animal’s digestive system that it can kill the animal if not done gradually and if the animal is not continually fed antibiotics. These animals are designed to forage, but we make them eat grain, primarily corn, in order to make them as fat as possible as fast as possible.

E.coli grows in grain-fed cattle

E. coli 0157:H7 has only recently appeared on the scene. First isolated in the 1980s, this pathogen is now found in the intestines of most U.S. feedlot cattle. The practice of feeding corn and other grains to cattle has created the perfect conditions for microbes to come into being that can harm and kill us. As author and cattleman Michael Pollan explains:

“Most of the microbes that reside in the gut of a cow and find their way into our food get killed off by the acids in our stomachs, since they originally adapted to live in a neutral-pH environment. But the digestive tract of the modern feedlot cow is closer in acidity to our own, and in this new, manmade environment acid-resistant strains of E. coli have developed that can survive our stomach acids – and go on to kill us. By acidifying a cow’s gut with corn, we have broken down one of our food chain’s barriers to infections.”

Grass-fed beef

Cows were designed to eat GRASS!  Not only does their body anatomy and chemistry prove this, but even when given the option to feed from a lot of corn and one of grass, farmers report the cows choosing the grass every time.

Here are a few reasons why grass-fed beef is far superior:

• The Omega Ratio
  • Omega-6 and Omega-3 are essential fatty acids, meaning your body can’t manufacture them – you must obtain them via diet.
  • Ideally, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 should be between 1:1 and 4:1.    Too much Omega-6 vs Omega-3 is linked with serious health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, arthritis or other degenerative diseases.
  • Grain-fed beef typically has an extreme ratio of 20:1.
  • Grass-fed has a more natural level of about 3:1.
• CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
  • Grass-fed cattle have 3 to 5 times more CLA than grain-fed.
  • CLA has been shown to:
    • Promote weight loss
    • Fight cancer and diabetes
    • Promote Thyroid function
    • Regulate cholesterol and triglyceride levels
    • Improve the immune system
• Higher levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes
  • Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.
  • Vitamin B12.
  • Minerals such as Zinc, Iron and Selenium.
  • Co-enzyme  Q10
• Grass-fed cattle has none of the following
  • Injected hormones
  • Antibiotics
  • Feed that’s genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides
  • Chemical treatment during processing
  • Added preservatives
• Grass-fed cattle gets
  
  • Fresh grass
  • Sunlight
  • Exercise (free roaming)
  • A natural lifespan

There are other factors to consider such as the impact conventional cattle farming has on the environment as well as the humane treatment of the animals.  These issues are not addressed here.  However, it is important to note that pasture-raised, grass-fed cattle are an exception to these concerns.

Resources for you and your family

Switching from conventional grain-fed meats to that of grass-fed is one of the best dietary health changes you can make.  Cows are not the only animal that are designed to eat grass and be allowed to roam around.  Lamb, bison, chicken and pork all should be allowed to eat and live as they were designed.  Healthy animals = healthy food = healthy you.

Here are a few resources to learn more about grass-fed meats and where to locate them:

• Food Inc.
  • An eye-opening documentary that explores and exposes the truths about conventional animal farming.  I highly recommend watching it.  Here is a link to view the Trailer:  Food Inc. Trailer
• Farmer’s Markets
  • The best place you can find local meats for the best prices.  Be sure to inquire if the animals were grass-fed.  You can locate markets in your area by going to http://www.localharvest.org/
• US Wellness Meats
  • A great website where you can order high quality, grass-fed meats and other products that will be delivered to your door frozen.  I use this service often.  Their website is www.Grasslandbeef.com

If you have any questions about meats e-mail me at Jmartin@Tnfitnesslink.com or leave a comment below.

When crops are not grown organically, they most often are heavily sprayed with various pesticides.  The amount of chemical residue on the food when we eat it is of the greatest concern.  And some foods contain far more residue than others.

It’s important to note also that the analysis was conducted AFTER the fruit or vegetable was peeled and washed.  Topping the list as the worst is peaches!  Here is the list:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
   
5. Nectarines
   
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (imported)
    
11. Carrots
12. Pears

If you and your family enjoy these fruits and vegetables, consider choosing organic for these particular ones or grow them yourself.

At the bottom of the EWG’s list are the fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide residue.  These are called the “Clean 15″.

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Egg plant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet potatoes

The full list can be found at www.Foodnews.org

Pesticides have been shown to be highly toxic to the human body (after all, they are designed to kill).  Many of these chemicals are toxic to the nervous system, they disrupt hormonal pathways, as well as cause cancers and other chronic diseases.  We should all take steps to avoid pesticides whenever we can.

Choosing organically grown produce is the best way to do this.  Utilizing the list above, you can avoid the ones that are shown to be the worst.  One way is to buy organic any of the Dirty Dozen.  And if they are not available, then simply reduce consumption or avoid until you can find organic sources.

Washing your produce is still a good idea to help avoid not only chemical residue but also dirt or bacteria.  And always try to eat your produce as fresh as possible.  This way they will contain the maximum amount of nutrients.

The absolute BEST produce you can get is: Fresh,  seasonal, organic and locally grown.  Your farmer’s market is the the best place to find high quality produce.  Locate one near you today, and experience the benefits of eating clean fresh food.

Jonathan

Re-train Your Taste Buds

For so many people, taste and texture are huge  factors in choosing what to eat.  People choose to eat a certain food with an expectation of how it is going to taste and therefore, whether or not they will like it.  However, what many forget is the simple fact that your taste buds can be programmed and re-programmed at your will.  You have control.

I was asked a simple question,  “are organic eggs better for you than conventional eggs? My husband isn’t on board with making the switch.  He doesn’t see the difference.”   I thought, oh, this will be an easy question to answer.  I’ll gather facts about organic and conventional eggs and the answer will be obvious.

When sifting through the politics, economics and mass production processes of our food chain, validating claims proved to be nearly impossible.   I recognized the challenges of being a truly informed consumer.

Survival Point #1:  Question everything you read! Opinions written and spoken are made without consideration of proven facts.   

• What does “many” studies mean?
• How was the study funded?
• What was the sampling size?
• What were the assumptions, constants and variables?
• Is the point backed up by the paper or a small fact taken away from the whole picture?
• How do you determine trust with a source?
• Is this finding applicable to other foods?

My first approach was to question the nutrient density of each type of egg? Please set aside all other arguments (Feed, environment, sanitation, medication, chicken well-being, pesticides or other toxins etc…) at the moment. This report is strictly concerning nutrient density.  There are very few studies on eggs.  Data is inconclusive.

From a 2008 report called “Organic produce and production system conformity assessments” three studies covered housing methods of chickens as well as organic practices (in one particularly), the conclusion was that

“there is no data on eggs readily available and methods on egg authentication using isotope analysis have not been scientifically peer-reviewed, for future work on the analytical authentication of eggs originating from conventional and organic production systems, a survey is recommended on products from selected farms with different forms of cultivation for which the production conditions are known.” ¹

Survival Point #2:  Food labeling is deceptive, be a savvy shopper!

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has multiple programs in place to regulate agricultural practices.  How companies and farmers interpret and comply with the definitions is where the consumer must make informed decisions by researching and knowing what the programs are and how they are enforced.

What a term implies does not reflect how the practice materializes:

Conventional (i.e., no special label) –Strict standards are in place for those participating in the USDA voluntary regulator program.  Animals are in very close proximity in individual cages .  This article shows what is expected of the egg process,   Focus on Shell Eggs.

Free Range or Free Roaming– Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.² Without any regulatory standards, the concept is open to the interpretation of the company or farmer.

Cage Free – There is no regulation on what this term means by the USDA.  Therefore, the assumption is that animals have more room.  In practice, the “humane” picture of healthy hens not encased in a cage is not quite what most people envision.

Pastured—Not defined by USDA and is a term typically used by smaller farmers.  Speaking with the farmer or visit the farm will validate the claim.

Organic – As defined and regulated by USDA for all animals and products.  Most organically fed packages are also vegetarian mixes. As a side note, chickens are not vegetarians, so by feeding them organic materials does not mean their natural diet is being replicated.

Natural: A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural. The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as – no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed).²

No hormones (pork or poultry): Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the claim “no hormones added” cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.”²

A term may sound “good or healthy,” but be prepared to dig a little deeper.   If animal treatment and conditions are important to you, then research the company you buy eggs from to validate the claim.  An excellent analysis of commonly used terms on egg cartons can be found in this article, Egg Labels and Certifications detailed anaylsis.

What egg is nutritionally superior?

I found strong evidence that pastured eggs are more nutritional than all “other” eggs.   Through Fitness Spotlight,  the following list of nutrient values was derived from one specific study, Tests Reveal Healthier Eggs.   The “Mounting Evidence” section contained  6 additional sources to validate the claims, a numerical chart was even included, Egg Chart.

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
• 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D

Survival Tip #3:  Decide what is important in making your food choices.

People are motivated for multiple reasons in making their food choices beyond nutrition.

• Experiences: “I’m healthy and doing just fine.”
• Cost: A conventional dozen of egg averages about a $1.28.  An organic/cage free/free range dozen averages $4.00.  Local farms anywhere from 2.50 to 5.00 a dozen (in quick comparison of the local Nashville Market).
• Humanitarian treatment of chickens
• Guilt: What am I doing to my family? Are we eating right?  Is this healthy?  Re-frame your thoughts around your overall health goals:  Are you providing real foods with substance?  If the choice is a pop tart or processed, salty, sugary food, then what is the scale of difference in eating an egg from a conventional, organic, or pastured environment?
• Personal Health: Due to the synergistic affect of diet, activity level, stress, genetics and more, it is extremely difficult to try to make a connection between the egg’s current nutrient content being a direct result of bad health.
• Group Think: “Everyone else in my circle of friends is switching from conventional (or eating conventional) eggs, so it must be the thing to do.”

What do you do?

1. Evaluate your priorities and what is most important to you?
2. Educate yourself with a cynical and detached mindset.  It is easy to find answers that support your assumptions (take the coffee drinking and nondrinking crowds for example).  But are the answers upheld by a truth test – not emotion and what “sounds” right?
3. What are you not willing to sacrifice?
4. Own your decision—move on and enjoy eating.

What are your options in purchasing eggs?

• Local farmer’s market, farms, Co-Ops or CSAs
  • Start asking around and speak with the farmers.
  • Localharvest.org.  Plug in your zip code and start exploring!
  • Local Table magazine (for Nashville area).  Pick up around town for free.
• Research the companies in your local grocery market including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods (do not assume ALL the items in these stores are “real” foods or good for you.)

Summary:

Based on nutritional value, organic eggs are not ‘better’ than conventional eggs, but pastured are nutritionally superior.  The rest of your decision depends on personal convictions, budget, toxicity levels, animal treatment and external pressures.  The reasons for your decision are yours to make.  I’ve presented the facts with nuggets of arguments from both sides.  The tools are a spring board to help you make a more informed decision and not accept claims at face value.

Education is Key!

Cindy

P.S.  Do you have a question about a current trend, food choice or advice that prevents you for making a lifestyle change?  I will be your detective and present the material in a non-judgmental, factual manner.  The answer will not come quickly.  It took me close to four months to compile the evidence for this article, but I promise to paint the most comprehensive picture to frame your decisions.

*     *     *     *     *

1. Lambing (1992) reported a comparative study on genetically identical but differently kept hens. The eggs showed differences in the contents of protein, lecithin and total carotenoid contents.
2. Schlatterer and Breithaupt (2006) evaluated commercial eggs which were divided in groups according to the in the EU used classification to rearing method: ecological, free range, barn, cage…Concentrations of the compounds in ecological eggs were significantly different from those determined in the eggs of the other classes.
3. A third study reported in literature dealt with quality characteristics of eggs from different housing systems and included organic eggs (Hidalgo et al., 2008). The authors concluded that in their study, which included 41 physical and chemical parameters on 28 eggs, organic eggs had the highest whipping capacity and foam consistency but the lowest albumen quality. 2