One of the last changes we made in our journey toward cleaner living was to begin buying grass-fed meats. We had been purchasing fresh, unprocessed milk for some time but the butter, meat, and cheeses were a bit more difficult to add to our diet.
Budgetary concerns were at the forefront, but finding good and reliable sources was a close second.
But as we went along, changing our diets and making more from scratch, I found that we were saving money by not buying processed foods. And as I met more and more people around town that had the same desires for natural living that I did, finding these products became easier and easier.
The problem with conventional meats is that the growth hormones given to beef cows acts as estrogen in our bodies. Give the cows hormones, we eat those hormones.
This is why some women find that when they eat a vegetarian diet that their hormones balance out. (not to say that you can’t eat meat – it’s nutrients are more easily absorbed than plant matter since conversions to usable vitamins aren’t needed) But it goes to show that when you stop consuming estrogen acting compounds from your diet, great things can happen.
Products from grass-fed animals also contain higher nutrients like CLA, vitamin D (they also get vitamin D from the sun), and plenty more minerals than their conventional counterparts.
There are also issues with additives and fillers, remember the recent “pink slime” debacle? Yea, I prefer to keep our animal products free from junk too.
We choose grass-fed animal products when possible, organic next (many organic farms run exactly like conventional farms and just use organic feed), and then conventional products only when I absolutely, positively have to and usually that’s just cheese. Other times we go without and use plant sources of protein.
Soli
This is why some women find that when they aet a vegetarian diet that their hormones balance out.
Well, so long as they’re not replacing that CAFO meat with “meat substitutes” made of soy. 🙂
donielle
@Soli, LOL – yes, exactly!!