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Healthy Soup Ingredients:

• 1 whole organic Free Range Chicken
• 1 pkg. Shiitake mushrooms
• 8 organic carrots
• 8 organic celery sticks
• 1 organic fennel
• 1 organic leek
• 2 large yellow onions
• Fresh chopped Thyme
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. organic curry (to taste)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. peppercorns

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken into pieces. I suggest having this done for you at the meat department to save time and mess. Place chicken in large soup pot and cover with clean, filtered water. Make sure you use all of the chicken, including giblets, neck etc. Sprinkle sea salt into pot and add peppercorns to broth.
2. Cut up 4 carrots, 4 celery sticks and 1 large onion into large chunks. Add these vegetables to the pot to cook with the chicken. Chop and add fresh Thyme to pot. Add 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Add Tbsp. of curry. These will all cook down and season the broth nicely. Keep heat on high and bring contents to boil. Skim off foam. Then, reduce heat to a simmer. Add 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and cover. Let simmer for 6 to 12 hours. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor.
3. After soup has cooked for a long time (6-12 hours), separate broth from contents by pouring through a strainer into another large pot. Do this in the sink to avoid making a mess. Remove strainer with contents (cooked chicken and veggies. Place broth back on stove on low heat while you chop up fresh vegetables to place in broth to create final product.
4. Let contents in strainer cool (chicken and cooked veggies).
5. Chop up remaining raw carrots, fennel, celery, leek and onion into small pieces and add to broth on stove. Turn heat up to high and bring to boil. Reduce to medium or medium low and let vegetables cook for at least an hour or longer.
6. Once cooked chicken and veggies are cool enough (30 minutes or so), remove chicken pieces and discard cooked vegetables. Separate all chicken meat from bones and discard the bones. Pull chicken into small pieces and return to soup broth with cooking vegetables. At this time, I would add the Shiitake mushrooms as they don’t take long to cook at all. You can do this any time as chicken is already well cooked at this point.
7. Finally, after soup is ready, remove lid and taste. Add more sea salt, pepper, curry or spice to your liking.

The SuperFood Power Punch of Chicken Soup

Health Benefits of Chicken Broth*

Chicken stock provides a concentrated source of minerals and hydrophilic colloids that make your entire meal more digestible. Colloids that have been heated (i.e. in cooked foods) generally repel liquids, making cooked foods harder to digest. However, the gelatin in chicken and other meat broths has the unusual property of attracting liquids—it is hydrophilic—even after it has been heated. The same property by which gelatin attracts water to form desserts, like with Jello, allows it to attract digestive juices to the surface of cooked food particles. This is a primary reason why the broth in chicken soup is so good in aiding the digestive process. Good digestion usually means good health.

According to Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation,

“Chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives. . .and parasites. Chicken soup. . .heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength.”

What better natural remedy to have during times of sickness and for maintaining health and wellness during cold weather?

Health Benefits of Carrots:

Carrots are rich sources of carotenoids (particularly beta-carotene), B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium and all important iodine. The antioxidant nutrients in carrots are believed to explain many of the heart protective benefits provided by this root vegetable. The carotenoids in carrots are also known for their benefit for eye health. And, lab studies have shown the ability of carrots and their juice to inhibit the grown of colon cancer cells. Carrots are simply too rich in digestive tract-supporting fiber, antioxidants, and unique phytonutrients to not be eaten in support of the lower digestive tract and colon cancer protection.

Health Benefits of Fennel:

Fennel contains its own unique combination of phytonutrients—including the flavonoids rutin,quercitin, and various kaempferol glycosides, that give it strong antioxidant activity. In animal studies, the phytonutrient anethole in fennel has been shown to lower inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer. It is also a great source of vitamin C. The vitamin C (needed for a healthy immune system) found in the fennel bulb is also potently antimicrobial. It contains a very high fiber content, and in addition, is a very good source of folate, the B vitamin necessary for the conversion of a dangerous molecule called homocysteine (that can cause a host of heart and cardiovascular damage) into other, benign molecules. It is also a very good source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower high blood pressure, another risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

Health Benefits of Leek:

Leeks can always be used in place of onions, although they have a slightly more pungent flavor than their cousins. Leeks are good sources of carotenoids, B complex and vitamin C and are considered nourishing for the liver. Leeks, not unlike their cousin garlic and fennel, also contain important amounts of the flavonoid kaempferol, which has repeatedly been shown to help protect our blood vessel linings from damage, including damage by overly reactive oxygen molecules. This appears to involve increased production of nitric oxide (NO), a naturally occurring gas that helps to dilate and relax the blood vessels. Leeks also contain a high content of antioxidant polyphenols, which play a direct role in protecting our blood vessels and blood cells from oxidative damage.

Health Benefits of Shiitake mushrooms:

Widely referred to as “medicinal mushrooms,” the Shiitake is a smoky flavored fungus, packed full of beneficial nutrition. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, shiitake mushrooms are used for cleansing and balance. They appear able to enhance immune function in both directions, giving it a boost when needed, and cutting back on its activity when needed. They are also known to contain a natural source of interferon, a protein which appears to induce an immune response against cancer and viruses. Like other mushrooms, they contain about 90 percent water and act as sponges, absorbing the flavors of other foods with which they are cooked. They contain protein, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and are a great source of iron and B complex vitamins, particularly biotin. They are also known to contain a substance called adenosine, that has potent blood thinning and anticoagulating properties.

Benefit of adding Apple Cider Vinegar to soup:

Acidic wine or vinegar added during the cooking process helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth.

The above health benefits of these vegetables are by no means exhaustive. There’s a lot more to be known about how they can bolster our health. Nevertheless, take what’s written here to heart (no pun intended) and serve yourself up this dish frequently. Not only will your taste buds love it, but your body will love you for its nutritional value all the more.

*NOTE: Much of the broth information above was obtained from the great book: Fallon, Sally (1999-10-01). Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. NewTrends Publishing, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions below.

Related posts:

1. Healthy Gold Beets and Brussel Sprouts Dish
2. Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health
3. 9 Tips for Eliminating Bad Breath

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Dish Ingredients:

• 4 medium or 8 small gold beets
• 20 Brussel sprouts
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (organic)
• 1 Tbsp. freshly chopped Thyme
• 1/4 cup blanched almond slivers (toasted)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. The beets take the longest to cook, so start them first. Peel them with a vegetable peeler. Boil them in water in a small saucepan for 40-45 minutes. When done, set aside to cool for a few minutes and cut into quarters. (Note: you can cut them in quarters before boiling which will reduce your boiling time.)
2. While beets are cooking, toast the blanched almond slivers. Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add the almonds. Stir frequently with a spatula, taking care not to let them burn. When the almonds begin to brown, remove from pan into a small bowl or plate. Let cool, set aside.
3. Clean up the Brussel sprouts by removing brown leaves and by cutting off the stalky bottom. Put in small sauce pan and cover with filter water. Boil for no more than 5 minutes. They should be just about cooked all the way through. Set aside for a few minutes to cool, and then cut each sprout in half.
4. In a decent sized skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil at medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallot pieces, lower to medium heat and cook until translucent – a few minutes. Add a little more olive oil and raise the heat to medium high. Add the Brussel sprouts and gold beets to the pan, along with the fresh thyme and mix up well. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes more, stirring. Remove from heat and serve. Tastes great warm, but also tastes great the next day cold.

Makes about 6 nice servings. If that’s too much, that’s a good thing. Believe me, you’ll want leftovers. They taste even better cold the next day!

The SuperFood Power Punch

Besides the awesome flavor of this creative combination of vegetables, Gold beets, Brussel sprouts, Thyme, Almonds and Olive Oil pack quite a superfood, nutritional powerhouse whallop for our health. The health benefits of eating a dish such as this are plentiful and thrilling. Look at how you will nourish your body:

Health Benefits of Gold Beets:

Gold beets are great to eat year round, as they tend to have a neutral thermal nature. Some foods are warming and some are cooling. Beets tend to be neutral. They have a sweet flavor like red beets. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they strengthen the heart, sedate the spirit, improve circulation, purify the blood, benefit the liver, moisten the intestines and promote menstruation. Furthermore, in TCM, they are used along with carrots to regulate hormones during menopause. Lastly, they are used to treat constipation and help nervousness.

While they are very good for you, one thing to remember is that they do contain oxalic acid which can inhibit calcium metabolism and has been known to promote kidney stones. So, you may not want to eat them every day.

Health Benefits of Brussel Sprouts:

Brussel Sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable variety and contain a good bit of Omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants and other natural chemicals that help fight inflammation, as well as have a rich content of Vitamin K. Also, they are known to contain important detoxifying phytonutrients like glucosinolates and isothiocyanates which are known cancer fighters, particularly bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate and ovarian.

Health Benefits of Thyme

Contains “thymol,” the main volatile oil in the herb, which is known for its ability to protect and increase the amounts of healthy fats in and around our cells. It also contains a number of flavonoids, including apigenin, naringenin, luteolin and thymonin – all of which, combined with its high content of manganese, increase its antioxidant capacity.

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are high in mono-unsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats found in olive oil (also used in this recipe). These types of fats are known to help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) thereby reducing the likelihood of heart and cardiovascular disease. In addition to the mono-unsaturated oil content, they also contain the heart healthy antioxidant Vitamin E. Furthermore, almonds contain the all important minerals magnesium and potassium, which help to keep the heart and cardiovascular system healthy.

The above health benefits of these vegetables are by no means exhaustive. There’s a lot more to be known about how they can bolster our health. Nevertheless, take what’s written here to heart (no pun intended) and serve yourself up this dish frequently. Not only will your taste buds love it, but your body will love you for its nutritional value all the more.

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions below.

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1. Coconut Chocolate Brownies – Gluten Free
2. Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health
3. Weight Gain, Belly Fat & Insulin Resistance

There are certain foods and herbs that we can eat on a daily basis that will help us maintain a lean and healthy body. Unfortunately there are also certain foods or ingredients in foods that have the opposite effect – making us fat and sick. Many may think they know what these bad foods are – high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, saturated fats, etc. But one ingredient that most aren’t aware of is SOY.

Did you know that many soy products can actually cause weight gain, PMS, bloating, stubborn fat, contribute to prostate enlargement, cancer and other disorders?

Many view soy as the new dairy. It may be used as such, but what most people don’t realize is that soy actually has a metabolic estrogenic effect in the body. If you’re male, you may want to think twice before consuming processed or unfermented soy products, as these types of soy can be feminizing. Do you want to be increasing the estrogen content in your body when excess estrogen is a known cause for gynecomastia (fatty breasts in men), prostate enlargement and cancer? Or, if you’re female, do you really want excess estrogens circulating throughout your body when estrogen dominance is a known cause for bad PMS, breast cancer and other female disorders? It’s important that we all understand the consequences of consuming soy based foods. I’ve spoken to numerous people who think they are eating “healthy” by replacing all dairy with soy. Some may initially lose weight due to diet change, but at what cost? Furthermore, many can’t figure out why their stubborn fat and metabolic disorders increase or persist. The problem very likely lies in the processed soy. Whether it’s soy milk, soy ice cream, veggie burgers,certain brands tofu or other processed soy based products, all overwhelmingly contribute to an excess of estrogen in the body.

Why soy causes estrogen dominance or excess estrogen

Briefly, soy actually contains phytoestrogens. Although natural, phytoestrogens have an estrogenic effect on the body. In a world already overwhelmed by estrogenic chemicals, the last thing needed is to mistakingly consume a food or ingredients that contribute to the problem. One of the most obvious signs of excess estrogen in the body is the formation of stubborn fat, particularly in the belly in men, and more commonly in the hips and thighs of women.

In addition, here’s what the Weston A. Price Foundation lists as some of the dangers of eating soy:

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

But soy is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other particular estrogenic chemicals that we are ingesting on a regular basis that are causing us problems. I’ll write more on these later.

How to Use Soy

For now, make sure to minimize your soy consumption. Check the ingredients labels of the foods that you buy and make sure that their are no hidden soy ingredients. These types of processed soy ingredients tend to cause the most harm. If you want to consume soy, make sure you do so in small amounts and make sure that the types of soy that you ingest are fermented soy, such as organic tempeh, miso, natto, shoyu (real soy sauce) and the like. Like all real foods, soy can have a place and function in the diet, but care needs to be taken NOT to overconsume it. Also, remember that when consuming soy, organic fermented varieties are the most nourishing and beneficial to the body. Forget any of the processed kinds, as they appear to do nothing but cause harm.

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Here’s a life rule that we’d all do well to master –

Choose your food (and eat) as though your wellness depended on it, BECAUSE IT DOES!

Tip #3 – Eat for Wellness

It’s interesting. People often seek me out for help and guidance to resolve a host of problems that they encounter in life, other than for nutrition purposes. Some of these other reasons are: relationship issues, emotional issues, depression, anxiety, work/life balance, budgeting, spiritual insight, etc. All of these, at first glance, are seemingly unrelated to eating, diet or nutrition – at least that’s what most people with these types of problems seem to think. And it’s true, these types of issues don’t necessarily stem from poor nutrition. However, it is my belief that WHAT WE EAT directly influences how we cope or deal with our problems. Let me explain.

How Poor Nutrition can complicate life problems and crisis

Essentially it has to do with balance, but that’s much broader a topic than I wish to cover here. What we need to focus on (for the purposes of this topic) is the fact that many of us use food as a coping mechanism for our tough issues and problems. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that emotional eating is not good, particularly due to the fact that emotional eating usually involves making very poor nutritional choices. Now I don’t claim to be an authority on emotional eating, but I do know, from personal experience and from working with my clients who want to lose weight, that many times humans use food (and other substances) as a quick fix when feeling bad, depressed, angry, or upset. The interesting thing is that emotional eating does work, but only temporarily. The downside to this type of eating is that it sets off an addictive cycle that only compounds our true problems.

Think about it – not only does this type of person have a difficult issue (unrelated to eating) to deal with, but also he/she is setting himself up for a host of health problems as well. Here’s an example.

John is under pressure at work from his boss to meet his sale’s quota by year’s end. To make matters worse, John has been underperforming over the last several months due to relationship issues at home with his wife. He finds himself feeling stressed out, tired, overwhelmed and sick most of the time. Instead of coping in a healthy way (to balance out his stress), he skips breakfast, drinks too much coffee, eats fast food for lunch, snacks from a vending machine during office hours, and eats popcorn, cookies and Coke every night on the sofa before a long night of trouble sleeping.

In the above example, John just wants to feel better now, but gives no thought as to the “food” and substances that he’s putting into his system. Not only does he have serious work and relational issues to deal with, but his poor dietary choices are compounding the issue by setting up a chemical imbalance in his body. Unchecked, this will cause him poor health and more suffering in the future. Here’s why. John’s unconscious coping strategy will most immediately lead to mental fogginess, weight gain, depression, mood swings, anxiety, high blood sugar, fatigue, insomnia, etc. Do you think that any of these will help him solve his problems? Furthermore, if he continues down this road (over a prolonged period of time), he will face even more serious issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or even worse. Talk about a life of regret.

Can you see how a bad diet will only complicate life’s difficulties? I could give tons of other examples, but I think my point is clear.

Being slack about our diet will lead to regret later in life

Here’s one point about eating well that many of us seem to overlook –

We are what we eat.

Profound, huh? I know. We hear it all the time. Many of us even say it a lot, but never take its truth to heart, so let me try to elaborate a bit more to make it more clear -

Every single thing you put in your mouth and swallow today BECOMES YOU tomorrow.

That’s right. All of the junk food, candy, cookies, sodas, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc. that you put in your mouth today will become part of your heart tissue, blood, brain cells, lungs, bone, kidneys, liver, skin, hair, etc. tomorrow. Eating a prolonged or permanent bad diet is like building a house with cheap or bad materials. It may look good at first, but it will not stand the test of time. The same holds true of your body when filling it with crap. Today it tastes great and seems to do the job. Tomorrow it may very well turn against you and cause you a world of sickness and regret.

Fortunately, we do have free will and the ability to make wise choices that will hopefully reward us with good health, happiness and promote longevity. Of course, there are no guarantees, but there IS a lot of science and research to back up the fact that HEALTHY EATING PROMOTES WELLNESS.

Clean, Healthy Organic Eating Promotes Longevity and Peace of Mind

Choosing to eat healthy is a standard we all should adopt for our lives. I chose to do this years ago, more out of necessity than pure choice. I spent many days racked with the fear and agony of anxiety, headaches, weight fluctuation and fatigue. I sought advice from doctors only to be prescribed addictive medications that I refused to take, once I discovered the harm they could do to me, in addition to “relieving” my symptoms. Through lots of trial and error, research and study, I discovered a foundational key to wellness that has revolutionized my life –

Clean, Organic Eating.

That’s not to say that choosing to eat organic whenever possible will solve all of my problems. But, at least I have added peace of mind – knowing that I’m eating the best way to nourish my body and have optimum health. I take comfort in this fact. And, in addition to this, eating a healthy, well-balanced, clean and organic diet promotes longevity, a healthy body, a healthy mind, stamina, clear thinking, less stress, and simply a better physical and mental disposition overall. What better way could there be to balance out or counter the problems that we face on a daily basis?

One of the last things I want is to bring bad health or sickness upon myself, due to dietary neglect. In other words, I don’t ever want to be guilty of making myself sick or overweight because of poor dietary choices. No, I have chosen to practice wellness now through proper nutrition to avoid bringing sickness upon myself.

What about you?

Have you made the conscious decision to practice wellness by eating in such a way that promotes good health and longevity? What kind of food are you putting into your body? How many meals a week do you eat fast food? Do you feel bad a lot? Are you overweight? Maybe it’s time to wise up before you regret this practice of bad eating.

Quick Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

If you’re like most people, you may not know a whole lot about eating well. That’s okay, there’s no time like the present. Here are some things you can do now to start cleaning things up and improve your nutrition:

• Learn to read the ingredients label of what you’re eating. If you don’t know what something is on the label, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.
• A long shelf-life means a short life for you. The faster a food spoils, the better it is for you. Good, real food spoils fast.
• Fermented foods are your friends. They contain lots of healthy bacteria that will boost your immune system and digestion.
• Stay away from white foods. Processed foods, no matter how pretty the package, will not help you in any way.
• Drink lots of clean, filtered water. It’s the elixir of life.
• If you eat meat, buy grass-fed as much as possible. It contains CLA, a known cancer killing compound.
• Eat as though you were living in the 1800s or earlier. They ate real food back then, not all of this fake stuff that we have today.
• Check out your local farmer’s market. Rest assured, what you’ll find there is much better quality than anything you’ll find at the grocery store.
• Eat organic whenever possible. Doing so will minimize the amount of environmental chemicals, pesticides and preservatives that you intake on a daily basis.
• Avoid as much sugar as possible. If you have a sweet tooth, then stick to things like honey, real maple or brown rice syrup, stevia, organic succanat or the like.

If you put the above tips into practice in your own life, you’ll increase you wellness exponentially. This is not something to procrastinate. Not eating well for life will most assuredly lead to regret.

As always, feel free to leave comments. And if you need a coach to help you avoid regret by eating for wellness, feel free to contact me here.

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If you love beef as much as I do (prime rib, ribeye, tenderloin, pot roast, sirloin, etc), there’s always the question of where to find the best quality meat for our health. Furthermore, there’s the question as to whether or not beef is really even good for us at all. So, should we be eating beef and if so, what kind?

Conventional Beef from the Supermarket

Typically, while the taste is pretty good (particularly if you know how to cook it), conventional supermarket meat is severely lacking in the quality category. In fact, if most of us really knew the way these cows were raised, fed, processed and killed, we wouldn’t dare touch the meat. Unfortunately, most of us don’t take the time to try to understand where and how the food we eat is produced. If you would like to know more about conventional supermarket meat, you can read more HERE.

Grass-fed Beef

Fortunately, after much research, I discovered a great source for beef (grass-fed), not just for its amazing taste, but more importantly, for the unbelievable health benefits. I personally have used Grassland Beef now for a couple of years and absolutely love it. If you eat meat on a regular basis, you owe it to yourself to make sure that you’re eating a good quality, clean, grass-fed beef. Take a read below at the excerpt from Grassland Beef’s website on how grass fed beef can benefit our health.

It’s Beef and It’s Good for Me?

Forget everything you think you know about beef. That it’s high in saturated fat. That the best cuts are marbleized with fat. That it’s a splurge food. That it increases your risk for certain diseases.

It turns out that a lot of these issues are triggered by an unnatural pH in a cow’s first stomach. The fermentation chamber that initiates what will ultimately be the critical balance of fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and enzymes that are essential for human nutrition, the first stomach must be healthy in order for an animal to produce healthy meat.

Forage-grazing animals have a healthy, highly-functioning pH of 7, which allows for an abundance of the essential fermentation bacteria that create high levels of CLA, omega-3s, branch-chain amino acids, vitamins and digestive enzymes. But even a small amount of grain can throw all this off: just 30 days on a grain diet can offset 200 days of grazing chemistry.

Unfortunately, when an animal lives on a heavy-starch grain diet, that healthy pH 7 suddenly plummets to a highly acidic pH 4. With this increase in acidity comes a different kind of fermentation bacteria: one that impedes the production of healthy fats like omega-3s and CLA and increases the level of omega-6s.

Another troubling side effect? Animals require daily doses of low-level, feed-grade antibiotics to allow their livers to cope with abnormal acidity.

And as if all that weren’t bad enough, this less-than-perfect management system demands that grain-fed animals be given growth hormones to quickly fatten them in the race to harvest. But all this new weight doesn’t come in the form of healthy, lean muscle. With less exercise than their pasture-raised, forage-fed counterparts, grain-fed animals develop the heavier, marbled muscle mass that is the hallmark of a high-carbohydrate, low-fiber diet.

It’s no wonder most beef isn’t good for you: the ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 approach 20 to1, CLA and vitamin levels are minimal, and it’s full of antibiotics and hormones. No wonder we’ve all been told for years to eat chicken and fish to offset our beef consumption.

Not U.S. Wellness Meats beef. With a natural diet of high-protein, low-starch lush forages combined with daily exercise and clean water, our pasture-raised, grass-fed cattle are some of the healthiest animals around. Though it may take a little longer for them to develop, we ban the use of any hormones. And since our animals have a healthy pH of 7, there’s no need for antibiotics. Our cattle are hearty and content thriving on the best of the environment.

Even better, they pass the wealth of nutrients they consume in their daily diet on to you. Grass-fed beef is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fat found in salmon, in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a proven cancer fighter, as well as vitamins A and E, branch-chain amino acids, digestive enzymes and essential nutrients that are known for their antioxidant properties.

When it comes to nutrition, grass-fed beef truly is a completely different animal.

Grass-fed lamb, goat, bison and dairy animals all have the same digestive properties as discussed in the beef animal.

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The Truth About Supermarket Meat

For almost all of human history, there was only one way to raise animals: off the surrounding land. Cattle spent their lives years grazing on the indigenous goodness of local grasses to grow into strong, fully developed adults. Other grazing animals like goats, sheep and bison lived the same way—known as ruminants, these animals are designed to eat the grasses, plants and shrubs that grow naturally. Ranchers knew this and nurtured soil, water and plants for pastures that were alive with the high-quality grasses and legumes essential for healthy animal growth. Free to roam these lush, green pastures, animals were healthy and their resulting meat was lean, nutritious and rich in flavor.

Today the reality is far different.

After World War II, big business found its way into our nation’s family farms, and the best practices developed over millennia all but disappeared. In the 1960s, the work of producing American meat shifted quickly to larger family farms and commercial feedlots thanks to new strategies for confining cattle and feeding them with high-starch grain diets. The largest of these commercial operations learned to efficiently crank out in excess of 100,000 head of cattle a year. Vast surpluses of corn, milo, wheat and soybean meal—produced in mass quantities thanks to petroleum-based fertilizers and subsidized by the government—further fueled the expansion of the cattle-feeding industry.

Now animals, many of which have never seen a blade of grass after weaning, are fattened on unnatural diets, with added hormones and antibiotics and churned out for slaughter in little more than a year. This efficient industrial process guarantees that there will always be plenty of meat at your local supermarket—and that it will consistently be inexpensive.

But we are paying in other ways. And one need only look to our beef-loving neighbors in Argentina to understand how. Though Argentina leads the world in per-capita red meat consumption, the country enjoys lower numbers in deaths-per-1000 of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. And, yes, Argentina has specialized in grass-fed beef production for centuries.

The above article was written by Grassland Beef

As a Nutrition Coach, I Recommend Grass-Fed U.S. Wellness Meats:

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I have learned over the years, by research and experience, that there are many, many health benefits of Omega-3s for the body. The benefits of Omega-3s for your cardiovascular health, not to mention for your mood, memory and brain function, make getting a daily dose of this essential fatty acid of the utmost importance. Don’t sell your body or your mind short of superb health function by denying the facts. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for your health and longevity. Unfortunately, nowadays, most people are deficient of this essential substance.

Below is an excerpt from a white paper, written by Vital Choice, discussing the scientific evidence proving the importance of Omega 3 fatty acids for the body. Please take the time to read it, as well as to download the whole White Paper to read about it in it’s entirety. Take it to heart, put it into practice and it will change your life and your health!

Excerpt from Vital Choice White Paper on Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

The overwhelming majority of scientific evidence indicates that people whose diets contain ample amounts of long-chain “marine” omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) – whether obtained from fish or fish oil capsules – enjoy reduced risks of heart disease, sudden cardiac death, stroke, depression, anxiety, and macular degeneration.

However, omega-3s of all kinds (fish-derived and plant-derived) have become very scarce in the diets consumed in America and many other countries.

In addition, the proportion of omega-3s to omega-6 fatty acids in modern diets is radically lower than it was over millions of years of evolutionary history.

This White Paper presents a summary of the scientific evidence concerning the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and the omega-3/omega-6 intake ratio on heart health, mental health, child development, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and other health concerns.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) in brief

To survive and thrive, humans need to consume two kinds of nutritionally essential fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6.

While these fatty acids constitute essential structural and functional components of our cells, and regulate many critical aspects of metabolism and immunity, they cannot be synthesized in our bodies and must be obtained from our diets.

Omega-3 EFAs

Omega-3 EFAs are found in two places:

• Leafy green vegetables and certain seeds and oils.
• Fish, shellfish, zooplankton, and aquatic plants (algae, plankton, seaweed).

Only fish, shellfish, zooplankton, and aquatic plants contain the long-chain or “marine” omega-3 fatty acids the human body actually uses:

• Omega-3 DHA is an essential component of all cell membranes. DHA is also the dominant fatty acid in human brains, and is essential to proper brain and eye functioning and to regulation of metabolic rate. (DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid.)
• Omega-3 EPA is found in all cell membranes, and is needed to make critical inflammation-moderating messenger chemicals called eicosanoids. (EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic acid.)

Plant foods contain a “short-chain” omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), whose primary purpose in the body is to provide the raw material with which to make the long-chain, “marine” omega-3s essential to good health.

When you see reports about the benefits of omega-3s, these almost invariably refer to the results of studies using one or both of the long-chain marine omega-3s (DHA and EPA).

Researchers employ the long-chain “marine” omega-3s in biomedical studies because these omega-3s yield much stronger effects in much smaller amounts, compared with plant-derived omega-3s (i.e., ALA).

The very small amount of omega-3 ALA found in most Americans’ diets comes from seed oils like soy and canola, which contain far higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids.

The best common food sources of dietary ALA are green leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale, lettuces). Flaxseed, flax oil, hemp seeds, and hemp oil are the richest food sources of ALA, and therefore constitute the best supplemental sources of ALA.

The human body converts from two to 15 percent of dietary ALA into DHA and EPA. Nonetheless, people can survive and thrive if they consume enough plant-derived ALA.

In contrast people can survive and thrive entirely without ALA if they consume fish or fish oil supplements, which are naturally rich in DHA and EPA…

To read and download the Vital Choice White Paper on Omega 3s and your health in its entirety, Click HERE.

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Recently, I picked up a copy of Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, “The UltraMind Solution”(which by the way, I highly recommend), with the intent of researching two important aspects of balance for healthy individuals – a healthy body & a healthy mind. I’ll most likely be writing more about that issue in future blogs. Here though, my reasoning for mentioning Hyman’s book is that one of his chapters reminded me of a point that I think many of us overlook, especially in today’s tough economic times. Also, keep in mind that what I write here isn’t strictly my opinion or just the opinion of others in the fitness, nutrition and health related fields. Rather, it’s a point that is overwhelmingly supported by many health specialists, scientists and practitioners – and one that Dr. Hyman himself, a medical doctor, reiterates strongly about vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins & Minerals – a Metabolic Tune-Up or Just Expensive Urine?

Catchy title for a chapter! Well,here’s how he begins this chapter on the topic:

“I don’t think people need vitamins and they are a waste of money . . .”

Are you shocked at his opinion? I was, at least until I read further. Below is Mark Hyman’s follow up to that statement, in context.

Point taken – We all need vitamins (this is a link to some good sources). If you want to know more about why, get his book – it’s a great read!

The Cost of Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation

Quite honestly, I can tell you that there are times when I forget to take my vitamins and minerals. Usually it’s due to laziness, a lack of convenience or a disregard for their metabolic importance. Lately, though, I suspect that many are neglecting vitamin and mineral supplementation due to their expense. The question is, what is it really costing us NOT to take vitamins and minerals? Not only is it costing us money, but it may very well be robbing our bodies of desperately needed nutrition – nutrition that we’re not getting from the severely deficient and convenient foods that we’re eating – especially during the current economic down-turn.

My point here is simple – quick, easy and cheap are not always best. Cutting corners nowadays may seem to be the only solution, but we need to keep in mind our health for the future. If in the present we continue to rob our bodies of required nutrition by eating bad, dirty or cheap foods, while NOT supplementing with the much needed vitamins and minerals, eventually we will pay a much larger price than what is currently apparent.

Dr. Hyman’s premise is well stated – in order for our minds to function properly – as God intended – our bodies must first have all the proper nutrients for optimum function and balance. His focus is on mental health – in that, if the bodily processes are not being properly nourished, the mind will not function properly either, hence depression, mood swings, anxiety and ultimately Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease – just to name a few.

The Organic Transformation 2 Step Weight Loss Program

I agree with Hyman’s book. Recently, Barry Bragg, Barry Seneri and I wrote a comprehensive eating program called the Organic Transformation 2 Step Weight Loss & Wellness Program. Our point is very similar to Dr. Hyman’s, except that our focus is more specifically on the body and how eating right, along with the right supplementation promotes weight loss and overall body wellness. We believe that great health, weight loss, fitness and well-being are largely a product of a balanced, healthy lifestyle – as detailed in our program – some of which include:

• Good Sleep
• Clean, Alkaline Water
• Chemical-Free, Unprocessed, Natural Foods
• Regular Detoxification
• 80% Alkaline / 20% Acidic Foods Daily
• Regular Vigorous Exercise
• Rotation of Foods for Balanced Nutrition

Dr. Hyman, in his book, takes it to another level by describing how proper metabolic balance (due to proper diet) promotes healthy mental function. In essence – a truly healthy body equals a healthy mind.

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Have you ever gone for Chinese food, eaten until you were about to pop, only to find yourself ravenously hungry an hour later? Well, if you don’t know already, the culprit is most likely MSG (Monosodium glutamate). But what most people (even the health-conscious) don’t know is that many of the foods we eat every day are laced with some form of MSG.

Food manufacturers are very sly about this – carefully masking the term “MSG” – calling it something, even as innocent as “natural flavoring”. Read what my friend, Barry Bragg, a nutritionist and fitness trainer for Transformation LLC in Raleigh, NC has to say about this and how it could be negatively affecting your health.

Click to read the full article!

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For all of the details, click the graphic link below:

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