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FEATURED ARTICLE:
Do you think about where your meat comes from, how it grew, or what it ate? There has been a lot of talk lately about farms, animals, and sustainability.
With the advent of both global warming and diseases such as mad cow and E coli, people are becoming more and more conscious of the meat they eat. Large factory farms are contributing to great amounts of pollution and turning out meat that just doesn't have the same flavor, texture, and health benefits as it once did. But small family farms are on the rise. They raise animals that have room to move around outdoors and are fed their natural diets. Smaller scale farming also has a much lighter impact on the earth and waterways. Meat raised on pasture tends to be leaner, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and have better flavor and texture.
When shopping for beef, lamb, or goat, look for meat that is grass-fed. This means that the animals are fed grass only and allowed to roam on pasture for their entire lives. During winter the animals are kept indoors but should be fed hay and stored pasture grasses. Since grass-fed meat tends to be leaner, some companies age their beef which helps the breakdown of collagen and contributes to more tender meat.
With poultry, the term free-range means only that the birds have access to the outdoors at some point during their lives. A better choice for poultry is pasture-raised, which means that they are actually raised in an outdoor environment.
The term organic means that the animals ate feed that was grown without pesticides or chemicals throughout their lives, and not fed any hormones or antibiotics.
In contrast, large factory farms keep animals indoors in close quarters to each other and their own feces. Not only does this make for a fairly miserable existence for the animal, but also puts them in poor physical shape as well. The animals are given antibiotics to keep them from getting sick in these conditions, and also pumped with extra hormones to accelerate their growth or milk production. This means that their meat also contains these antibiotics, hormones, and other possible bacteria. Animal feed has also become an issue, especially with the rising cost of grain. Feed often consists of garbage, fillers, or even parts of the animals themselves. Cows have one of the worst feed problems, as most factory-farmed cattle are fed grain because it causes them to gain weight and grow faster. However, cows are ruminants and are not meant to eat grain. Ruminant animals have two stomachs, built to break down cellulose in grass and other plant matter. When cows are fed grain, they develop horrible digestive problems and quickly become sick. This increases their need for antibiotics, thus contributing to the vicious cycle of unhealthy, overmedicated animals.
So how can we find meat from small farms that have been raised healthfully and humanely? Well, there are several options: you can find some natural meats in the regular supermarkets, at health food stores such as Whole Foods or Wild By Nature, or from local food co-ops. There are also many companies that will ship meats frozen direct to your door. A good option for this is a company called U.S. Wellness Meats that features grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, goat, free-range chicken, and rabbit.
Visit U.S. Wellness Meats website for more information -- be sure to mention South Shore Pilates as referral when you order.
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