Happy Wednesday Friends! I like starting the morning with a little recap of yesterday. To get more NASM studying done I’ve been changing up my routine a bit. Instead of rushing off to the gym, I’m staying home and hitting the books early morning (plus a little blog time.) Breakfast was the same as Monday, Chicken Chorizo Skillet with Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes. The rest of the morning included PT exercises followed by an EXTREMELY busy day at work. Busy is good though so I’m not complaining! (Dinner picture removed, trust me, it’s better that way.)
Lunch was another fabulous version of the healthy adult Lunchable (<— learn to build your own!). On today’s menu was grass fed bison deli meat, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas and a yogurt. Delish!
I snacked on a KIND bar around 6 pm and hit the Stairmaster at 8 pm for 30 minutes! Whoo, longest cardio session in a good long while! It felt Oooooh good! Dinner was also more leftovers from Monday night, Turkey Skillet, and Roasted Delicata Squash.
Benefits of Grassfed
So you may have noticed that I’ve been really into purchasing grass fed products recently like this yogurt I had yesterday.
There was a time that I used to eat no red meat at all. However, recently (within the last six months) I’ve been incorporating Grassfed Bison and high-quality red meats back into my diet. I’ve also been moving more and more towards using only Grassfed dairy products in the house.
Here are a few reasons why:
- Naturally leaner profile (mostly for meats) overall.
- Increased content of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) a natural trans fat produced by that bacteria that live in the stomach of the cow. CLA is often consumed on its own as a weight loss supplement. It promotes fat loss and is a potent antioxidant that plays a significant role in fighting cancer.
- Compared to conventional sources, grass fed has an increased content of Omega 3‘s which fight inflammation in the body, and slightly decreased the content of Omega 6’s which promote inflammation.
- Higher concentrations of Vitamin A and E, as well as a potent antioxidant glutathione.
- Contains a higher percentage of its saturated fat as stearic acid which does not elevate blood cholesterol. It also may play a role in converting dangerous small dense LDL (bad cholesterol) to larger less harmful particles sizes, reducing risk of heart disease.(Read how to read your blood lipid panel.)
- Grassfed butter may also be higher in Vitamin K2 which functions in preventing calcium build up in the cardiovascular system.
Interestingly enough, all beef is grass fed up to a certain point in life and then finished with “grain/corn, /etc” for a given period of time. This finishing process ensures they get nice and plum and develop that delicate taste that we love. I encourage my clients to think about it this way, the taste of meat that we have become accustomed to craving is not what meat is suppose to taste like. That taste is because we have artificially fed animals a diet they were never intended to eat and gave them drugs to plump them up. In truth, meat is supposed to be leaner and have a “gamey” taste to it. So far I have seen no real huge differences in taste of grassfed dairy products, that seems to be an easy transition. However, most grassfed milk or yogurt products come with the cream on top because they are not homogenized. For some people that is a difficult adjustment but I kind of think it’s neat.
The downside? Grassfed animals cost more to feed, so the products cost more to produce. That means we pay a much higher price for just about anything grass-fed. When I’m trying to stick to a stricter budget, I buy the leanest cut of meat possible. Most of the benefits of grass-fed are found in the fat and most of the toxins of conventional are also found in the fat. So while you won’t be getting the benefits you will be getting the protein, vitamins and minerals found in the meat or dairy product.
Related Articles:
5 Reason’s to Choose Grassfed Beef
Interesting! I normally am not able to get grass-fed products due to budgetary constraints, but I just picked up some grass-fed beef at Aldi for $5.99 a pound! At only a couple dollars more it is definitely worth it to me!
Absolutely and the one thing i would add is i tend to treat it like somethig special so i savor it more than i would have
Wow, I had no idea that grass fed beef could be so much healthier for the body. That is cool that just by feeding a cow healthier options, you will get more out of your diet. Having those extra omega 3’s would be great for those who suffer with heart problems.
Really good for anyone!