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In her book Pasture Perfect: The Far Reaching Benefits of Choosing Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products from Grass-Fed Animals, Jo Robinson explains how products from animals raised on pasture are great for our health. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my basis for choosing food to just be that it does not contain harmful substances such as hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. I want to go much farther than that, and choose food that is nutrient-dense.
Painting by Deb Hamby
Let me site just a few of the benefits that are mentioned in this book:
- Meat, dairy and eggs from grass-fed animals has more omega-3 fatty acids than products from grain-fed animals. That’s because omega-3 originates in green plants. People who are low in omega-3 fatty acids have a higher risk of cancer, depression, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and dementia. Grain is high in omega-6. Omega-3 and omega-6 have opposite effects on our body. For example, foods high in omega-6 promote blood clotting, while foods high in omega-3 slow it down. Both properties are essential, but if your diet contains too many clot-promoting omega-6s and too few clot-busting omega-3s, there is a risk of clots developing in your arteries increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Grass-fed animals have 2 to 5 times more conjugated linoleic acid than grain-fed animals. Studies have shown that linoleic acid may fight cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- Cattle raised on pasture has more vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene than grain-fed cattle.
- Milk from grass-fed cows has higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E. Cows get a set amount of vitamins from food and the more milk she produces, the fewer vitamins she has for each glass of milk. So, milk from high-producing grain-fed, hormone injected cows is a weaker version of milk.
- Chickens cannot survive on pasture alone and need grain, but the meat and eggs from pastured chickens have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and E, folic acid and carotenoids than grain-fed poultry.
Painting by Deb Hamby
Eating grass-fed products has so many benefits. It supports local farmers and it’s good for the animals and the environment, but I think the best reason of all is that it is good for us.
Are you interested in the paintings by Deb Hamby? They are for sale! Visit Deb’s facebook page and leave her a message there.
Do you want to learn more from farmers and other experts about pasture raised animals?
Here are just a few of the 35 speakers that were featured at the Healthy Life Summit:
FOLKS, THIS AIN’T NORMAL!
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SUSTAINABLE GRASS-BASED FARMS
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THE ATTACK ON AMERICAN FARMS
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WELCOME TO THE SAUSAGE PARTY:
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THE WAR ON MILK
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WHAT’S WRONG WITH OUR FOOD?
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FROM CAFOS TO SUSTAINABLE, GRASS-BASED AGRICULTURE
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Shared at Sunday School, Homestead Barn Hop, Clever Chicks, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, Down Home, Real Food Wednesday, Party Wave, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Homeacre Hop, Tasty Traditions, Thank Your Body,
Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Old Fashioned Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Healthy Tuesday
This looks like a great list of speakers! I just signed up to listen free, thanks for letting us know.
You are very welcome!
Wow! Whatta lineup! Signed up and shared. And YES to grass fed!! It tastes better!
I know; I can’t wait!
Joel Salatin is going to me in my area on Thursday evening, but as the story of moms of young children goes, I don’t think I’ll be able to be there! So bummed…
But, I can listen from a computer! Thanks for sharing!
Your children are more important! That’s the beauty of computers and you never know- you may get another chance.
Thanks for the information! I signed up to listen.
We lovingly refer to the local farmer that we buy our grass fed beef from as “Our Farmer”. He is pretty much family at this point
I totally get it!!
Great summary on the importance of eating grass-fed and pastured animals! Thanks for linking it up on Wellness Wednesdays.
WE are slooowly changing from “store bought” meats to clean grass fed meats (to add toour own “harvested” venison!) I’d love to have you share your post with us tomorrow at Eco-Kids Tuesday! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/search/label/Eco-Kids%20Tuesday Hope to see you there
Wow, I was unaware of those stats. Didn’t know that grass fed beef has so little fat. And that the grassfed meat has so much more vitamins. Thanks for sharing this at A Humble Bumble!
We just moved to our acreage this past fall and we should have enough to someday raise our own beef. I look forward to it ~ until then we are blessed to have a local and affordable source. Thank you again for linking up to the HomeAcre Hop!
http://blackfoxhomestead.com/the-homeacre-hop/
I can’t wait to hear Joel Salatin speak at the Healthy Living Summit!!
Thanks for sharing with Old-Fashioned Friday!