Lose Belly fat For Life

Welcome to my blog where you can learn how to lose that stubborn belly fat and get your six pack Abs on show.

An Educational Resource

Learn what foods will help you lose belly fat and foods that won't.

Exercise Right!

Learn what exercises will help you get those stubborn abs defined, and get the body you have always wanted.

Eat Right!

Learn what foods will help you get the healthy body you have always wanted.

Get Started Today!

Claim your FREE e-book & follow these simple tips and live the healthier lifestyle you deserve.

5 Tips
Showing posts with label meat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meat. Show all posts

Monday, 3 August 2015

The "Weird" Types of Meat with the Highest Nutrient Density



A "Super-Food" That's Actually Not a Plant-Based Food
by Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN & Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialistco-authors of  
The Fat Burning Kitchen Program

While it's true that most "Superfoods" we usually talk about are plant-based foods, this article will show you an often overlooked animal-based superfood.
Did you know that most predatory animals instinctively eat the organ meats from their kill before moving to the muscle meats?  What do the animals know instinctively?  They know THAT'S where the highest nutrient density meat is located, and is best for them!  We're talking liver, kidneys, brains, hearts, etc.
Before you say "YUCK" and stop reading, there ARE ways to incorporate these super nutrient dense types of meat into your diet that actually taste good, and I'll also show you how nutrition packed these are.
In fact, did you know that one of the main reasons that the traditional Inuit populations in the Arctic were able to maintain good health while eating very little plant material is that they were smart enough to get a large amount of their nutrition needs from organ meats.  Even vitamin C can be found in organ meats despite that fact that most people falsely believe that plants are the only source of Vitamin C.
Organ meats are not the most popular cuts of meat in the US, but with the growing popularity of grass fed beef, there is renewed interest lately in these power-packed nutrition superstars. However, organ meat is still very popular in many countries.

Many cultures use almost the entire animal for food, including the organs. The most often-used organs are the liver, tongue, kidneys, brains, heart, stomach, and intestines. If you take a look at our dietary history, it is obvious that organ meat was very common and eaten even more often than the muscle meat of animals.
What did our ancestors know that we've ignored in recent times?
They realized that the organs contained some of the most concentrated sources of nutrients and were the most important part of the animal to eat.
Compared to regular cuts of muscle meat, organ meats are more densely packed with just about every nutrient, including heavy doses of B vitamins such as: B1, B2, B6, folic acid and vitamin B12.
Organ meats are also loaded with minerals like phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium and iodine, and provide the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Key to remember here is that animals raised outside on grass contain even higher levels of these essential nutrients than their grain-fed counterparts.
One of the few natural sources of Vitamin D

You've probably heard how Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins (actually a hormone precursor) and regulates more functions in your body than you can even imagine.  It's also one of the nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially those that live at higher latitudes and receive less sun (since sun exposure is your best source of Vitamin D).
Well, organ meats are known to have some of the highest concentrations of naturally occuring vitamin D of any food source, and including a source of organ meats into your diet once or twice a week, can especially help people in the winter times that might otherwise get a vitamin D deficiency.
Organ meats also contain high amounts of the essential fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, and omega-3 fats, including EPA and DHA. Yep, despite popular belief, fish and fish oils are not the only source of the important EPA and DHA... organ meats are loaded with these important nutrients.
Even if you don’t eat large servings of organ meat, you can add smaller amounts of organ meats to your favorite ground meat dishes, and help your family supercharge their nutrition.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of organ meats, especially those of grass-fed cattle... perhaps liver, heart and kidneys, and you may find that organ meats might take on a new attraction.
What about safety?
People usually ask about the safety of liver in particular of all of the organ meats. It is the liver's job to neutralize toxins in our body (or an animals body) from drugs or other chemicals, so obviously the best choice for liver is the grass fed kind, without added antibiotics or hormones.

Liver is known to be one of the most concentrated sources of natural vitamin A of any foods.

Natural vitamin A works to aid digestion, keeps sex organs/reproductive organs healthy, and is a powerful antioxidant in the body. Vitamin A also works in conjunction with 'activator X' or vitamin K2 found in grass fed butter, cheese, and grass fed dairy, to promote bone and arterial health. It is a fat-soluble vitamin, so if you eat grass fed butter with your liver the vitamin A will be absorbed better.

Liver is a great source of folic Acid, B vitamins and especially vitamin B12, which help with fatigue, mental ability, nerve health, and depression, as well as preventing anemia.

Liver also contains one of the best, most usable sources for the body, of iron. Iron is necessary for many functions in the body including formation of hemoglobin, brain development and function, regulation of body temperature, muscle activity and catecholamine metabolism, to name just a few. A lack of iron will have a direct effect on the immune system; it diminishes the number of T- cells and the production of antibodies.
Iron is essential to oxygen to the blood cells. The primary function of iron is oxygen transport and cell respiration. For an anemic person, fatigue is one of the most noticeable symptoms. The iron in liver is one of most easily absorbable and usable sources of iron for our bodies.

Did you know that liver contains an anti-fatigue factor, which is probably why endurance athletes have always liked liver to maintain stamina and energy? The improvement in endurance is likely to do with improving the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood cells; increasing endurance and strength in athletes.

Liver contains many nitrogen-containing compounds that are building blocks for DNA & RNA. In combination with the B vitamins, this makes it extremely helpful to people with Alzheimers or other types of dementia.

While liver is highly nutritious, its precious nutrients are very much affected by heat, so never cook it more than rare or medium rare to preserve the digestive enzymes and nutrients. When cooked too long, liver will be rubbery, chewy and have a strong liver taste. Soaking liver in lemon juice helps to cut down on the strong taste that some people don’t like.

liverwurst - a nutrient packed meatGet liver in your regular diet at least once a week if possible for maximum benefit of its high levels of nutrients. One of the best ways to enjoy liver, especially for those who are not fans of cooked liver, is grass fed liverwurst and braunsweiger.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the taste of liver, but I particularly enjoy liverwurst, especially when it's from healthy grass-fed animals.
Note: the ONLY healthy source of liverwurst or braunsweiger is from a healthy grass fed source that doesn't use nitrates and nitrites in the processing.  The brand above is one of the only brands I've found that is actually healthy and isn't loaded with nitrates and preservatives.
Braunsweiger contains liver and beef with a delicious spicy seasoning—great for sandwiches. Liverwurst contains power-packed beef liver, kidneys and heart.
The liverwurst and braunsweiger in the links above are unique in that they come from healthy grass-fed animals (unlike the unhealthy sources they will come from at your typical grocery store), and also contain some high-antioxidant spices and sea salt.

Beef heart — because it is a muscle-- beef heart is somewhat similar to other cuts of meat like steak, ground beef, roasts, etc. although it is a heavier, more dense muscle than others though. But heart meat carries a bigger punch of protein and unique nutrients.

The heart is a very concentrated source of the supernutrient, CoQ10.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells, as well as optimizing the heart’s rhythm. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be lower in some patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV / AIDS.

CoQ10 has been shown to be very effective for improving cardiac function. Scientists have also found that CoQ10 provides benefits to other organs whose cells require this high-level energy metabolism such as the brain and kidneys, as well. In addition, prescription drugs such as statins deplete the body of CoQ10, so replacing this vital nutrient is extremely important for these people.

Beef heart also contains Selenium, Phosphorus & Zinc, along with essential amino acids that help build muscle, store energy and boost stamina and endurance. A meal of organ meats will charge you with extra energy, noticeable right after you eat it. The heart also contains twice as much collagen and elastin than regular meat, which is good for the skin and connective tissue, and actually helps prevent wrinkling and aging.

Because heart is such a dense muscle meat, it is a little bit tougher than other meats,  but marinating the meat in an acidic-based marinade really helps to tenderize it and add delicious flavor as well.
Heart can easily be added to your favorite ground beef recipes for added nutrition with little change in taste. Get brave and try some great tasting grass fed headcheese for your next lean energy snack. Headcheese contains beef tongue and beef heart.

Now you know that there IS such a thing as a non plant-based Superfood!
So, while you may need to get up your nerve to try organ meats, you may be pleasantly surprised! Braunsweiger, liverwurst, and headcheese are all delicious ways to enjoy organ meats if you are the slightest bit squeamish.
For the more adventuresome ones, cook up some grass fed liver or heart for your next dinner, and feel the power boost you get from that high-powered nutrition!


The Fat Burning Kitchen programDo you have a copy of our brand-new Fat-Burning Kitchen Program?  If not, what are you waiting for?!? 
Grab your copy today and turn your kitchen and your body into a fat-burning machine
Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to copy this link and email it to your friends, family, and coworkers.
Sincerely,

Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN
Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - The Truth About Six Pack Abs

Saturday, 18 July 2015

Are Soy Milk, Soy Protein, Tofu, and other Soybean-Based Foods Good For You? Or are They Just Making You Fat and Un-healthy?

A look into some of the possible dangers and negative effects on your health of eating too much soy -- Can soy even increase belly fat?

soy drinks and soy foods are NOT healthyI wanted to include this article because every day I see so many people that don't realize that soy is NOT A HEALTH FOOD!  Most people have been deceived and mislead by billions of dollars of advertising that soy protein, soy milk, soybean oil, and processed soy foods are "healthy"... when the truth is that soy has many anti-nutrients and negative factors on the body that we should be concerned about.
In fact, there is evidence that soy foods could possibly even INCREASE YOUR STOMACH FAT if you eat too much soy or too often.
Take a read below, and discover some unsettling facts about soy.
-Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author -- The Truth about Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging



The Dark Side of Soy
by Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN
co-author - The Fat Burning Kitchen 
& The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging


Only a few decades ago, unfermented soybean foods were considered unfit to eat - even in Asia.  These days, people all over the world have been fooled into thinking that unfermented soy foods like soymilk and soy protein are somehow "health foods".  If they only knew the real truth!
The soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, some time during the Chou Dynasty. The first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and soy sauce.
At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century BC, Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth, pale curd - tofu or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably Japan and Indonesia.
Growth-depressant compounds are deactivated during the process of fermentation, so once the Chinese discovered how to ferment the soybean, they began to incorporate soy foods into their diets.
The Chinese NEVER ate large amounts of unfermented soy foods or soymilk
The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes such as lentils because the soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or "antinutrients". First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes vital for protein digestion.
These inhibitors are large, tightly folded proteins that are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking. They can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer.
Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinin are growth inhibitors. Weaned rats fed soy containing these antinutrients fail to grow normally.
Soy also contains goitrogens - substances that depress thyroid function.
Although soy has been known to suppress thyroid function for over 60 years, and although scientists have identified the goitrogenic component of soy as the so-called "beneficial isoflavones", the industry insists that soy depresses thyroid function only in the absence of iodine.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham reports a case in which consumption of a soy protein dietary supplement decreased the absorption of thyroxine. The patient had undergone thyroid surgery and needed to take thyroid hormone. Higher oral doses of thyroid hormone were needed when she consumed soy -- she presumably used iodized salt so iodine intake did not prevent the goitrogenic effects of soy.
A very large percentage of soy is genetically modified and it also has one of the highest percentages of contamination by pesticides of any of our foods.
Soybeans are high in phytic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds. Phytic acid is a substance that can block the uptake of essential minerals - calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc - in the intestinal tract.
The soybean has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume that has been studied, and the phytates in soy are highly resistant to normal phytate-reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans.
When precipitated soy products like tofu are consumed with meat, the mineral-blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The Japanese traditionally eat a small amount of tofu or miso as part of a mineral-rich fish broth, followed by a serving of meat or fish.
People who substitute tofu or bean curd for meat can get severe mineral deficiencies
Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known; those of zinc are less well known, but equally as bad. Far far more healthy is to eat pure grass fed meats, cheese, and butter, all high in nutrients and protein rich.
Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation; it is involved in the blood-sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system. Grass fed beef is very high in this necessary nutrient, in contrast to soy.
Soy processors have worked hard to get these anti-nutrients out of the finished soy product, particularly soy protein isolate (SPI) which is the key ingredient in most soy foods that imitate meat and dairy products, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk.
Soy Protein Isolate is an Industrially Produced Food -- Far from Natural or Healthy!
SPI is not something you can make in your own kitchen. Production takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and, finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution.
Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. The resultant curds are spray - dried at high temperatures to produce a high-protein powder. A final indignity to the original soybean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein (TVP).
Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray-drying, and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing.
In feeding experiments, the use of SPI increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12 and created deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid remaining in these soy products greatly inhibits zinc and iron absorption; test animals fed SPI develop enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.
Yet soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein (TVP) are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods, diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many food give-away programs.
Soy Protein Isolate was once considered a waste product (before they discovered they could make money promoting it as health food!)
Advances in technology make it possible to produce isolated soy protein from what was once considered a waste product - the defatted, high-protein soy chips - and then transform something that looks and smells terrible into products that can be consumed by human beings. Flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and synthetic nutrients have turned soy protein isolate, the food processors' ugly duckling, into a new age swan.
"The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said an industry spokesman, "is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society." So soy is now sold to the upscale consumer, not as a cheap, poverty food but as a miracle substance that will prevent heart disease and cancer, whisk away hot flushes, build strong bones and keep us forever young.  Or so they want you to believe!
The competition - meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs - have been duly demonized by the appropriate government bodies. Soy serves as meat and milk for a new generation of virtuous vegetarians.
The soy industry hired Norman Robert Associates, a public relations firm, to get more soy products onto school menus. The USDA responded with a proposal to scrap the 30 per cent limit for soy in school lunches.
The 'NuMenu' program would allow unlimited use of soy in student meals. With soy added to hamburgers, tacos and lasagna, dieticians can get the total fat content below 30 per cent of calories, thereby conforming to government dictates. With the soy-enhanced food items, students are receiving better servings of nutrients and less cholesterol and fat, so says the soy industry.  We now know this to be a negative, rather than positive addition to their food supply.
You've been deceived into thinking Soy Milk is healthy
Soy milk has posted the biggest gains, soaring from $2 million in 1980 to $300 million in the US last year.  Recent advances in processing have transformed the gray, thin, bitter, beany-tasting Asian beverage into a product that Western consumers will accept - one that tastes like a milkshake, but without the "guilt"... they claim.
The long and demanding road to FDA approval actually took a few unexpected turns. The original petition, submitted by Protein Technology International, requested a health claim for isoflavones, the estrogen-like compounds found plentifully in soybeans, based on assertions that only soy protein that has been processed in a manner in which isoflavones are retained will result in cholesterol lowering.
In 1998, the FDA made the unprecedented move of rewriting PTI's petition, removing any reference to the phytoestrogens and substituting a claim for soy protein - a move that was in direct contradiction to the agency's regulations. The FDA is authorized to make rulings only on substances presented by petition.
Are soy isoflavones actually toxic?
The abrupt change in direction was no doubt due to the fact that a number of researchers, including scientists employed by the US Government, submitted documents indicating that isoflavones are toxic.
The FDA had also received, early in 1998, the final British Government report on phyto-estrogens, which failed to find much evidence of benefit and warned against potential adverse effects.
Even with the change to soy protein isolate, FDA bureaucrats engaged in the rigorous approval process were forced to deal nimbly with concerns about mineral blocking effects, enzyme inhibitors, goitrogenicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive problems and increased allergic reactions from consumption of soy products.
One of the strongest letters of protest came from Dr Dan Sheehan and Dr Daniel Doerge, government researchers at the National Center for Toxicological Research. Their pleas for warning labels were dismissed as unwarranted.
Research that ties soy to positive effects on cholesterol levels is incredibly immature, said Ronald M. Krauss, MD, head of the Molecular Medical Research Program and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He might have added that studies in which cholesterol levels were lowered through either diet or drugs have consistently resulted in a greater number of deaths in the treatment groups than in controls - deaths from stroke, cancer, intestinal disorders, accident and suicide.
Cholesterol-lowering measures in the US have fueled a $60 billion per year cholesterol-lowering industry, but have not saved us from the ravages of heart disease.
The health risks of soy are finally becoming known in the media
The media have not only questioned the health benefits of soy but begun reporting on the risks. In July, the Israeli Health Ministry warned that babies should not receive soy formula, that children should eat soy no more than once per day to a maximum of three times per week and that adults should exercise caution because of increased risk of breast cancer and adverse effects on fertility.
The Ministry based its advice upon the conclusions reached by a 13-member committee of nutritionists, oncologists, pediatricians and other specialists who spent more than year examining the evidence. They concluded that the estrogen-like plant hormones in soy can cause adverse effects on the human body and strongly urged consumers to minimize their consumption of soy foods until absolute safety has been proven.
Soy has the potential to disrupt the digestive, immune and neuroendocrine systems of the human body and its role in rising rates of infertility, hypothyroidism and some types of cancer including thyroid and pancreatic cancers.
Soy is also highly allergenic. Most experts now place soy protein among the top eight allergens of all foods, and some rate it in the top six or even top four. Allergic reactions to soy are increasingly common, ranging from mild to life threatening, and some fatalities have been reported.
People are finally starting to learn that soy is NOT a miracle health food, and more and more expert scientists are issuing warnings about soy.
I hope this article has convinced you to consider reducing or eliminating your consumption of soy foods, soy milk, or soy protein. Fermented soy such as tempeh, natto, and miso are ok on occasion and in moderation.

-Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN
co-author - The Fat-Burning Kitchen Program & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

Sunday, 12 April 2015

The Top 3 Foods to AVOID at Restaurants (they can make you fat and kill you)

These ingredients not only make you fat, but can be deadly when eaten too often
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of the best-sellers: 
The Top 101-Foods that FIGHT Aging & The Fat Burning Kitchen


I've been traveling a lot for business in the last year, and I've noticed that most people totally fall off their fitness routines while traveling...
In fact, eating out at restaurants frequently is one of the biggest reasons why so many people fatten up while traveling.  It's almost damn near impossible to eat healthy when you dine out, UNLESS you follow a couple simple tricks that I use to make every restaurant meal healthier, reduce calories, and not lose control.
Here's a few tricks you can use to eat healthier and stay lean even while traveling on business or eating out any time for that matter...
The 3 most important things to avoid that are EVERYWHERE at restaurants are:
  • the deep fried foods
  • the refined starchy foods
  • and any sodas, juices, or other sugary foods (except whole fruits, which are great)
This eliminates the major food sources that do the worst damage in our food supply - the evil trans fats, the inflammatory refined vegetable oils, refined starches, and processed sugars.
This means trying to skip the table bread, skipping the french fries (that come with every single sandwich on every menu known to man), and reducing or eliminating all of the heaping portions of rice and pasta that are often loaded on the plates as well.
How to do it healthier, but still satisfying...
Instead, try to order just meat, side vegetables, and a salad, asking for the vegetables or salad as a substitute for the typical fries, rice, or pasta that the meal probably comes with.
Almost every restaurant I've ever been to will always allow me to substitute veggies or a side salad for the fries or chips that almost always come with sandwiches or burgers.
Side note:  It always amazes me how many people scrutinize me because I substitute veggies for fries by telling me that I'm "not living" because I won't eat fries...
Yet they are always the first to complain that they are overweight and have "tried everything", yet can't lose weight.  I'm not sure why so many people think eating french fries equals "living it up"... I'm all for moderation with many things, but if there's 2 things that should be almost totally removed from everyone's diet because these foods are simply that evil... it's fries and sodas!
​Example Substitutions:
Take a look at the typical difference this simple substitution makes between choosing smart and doing what most people do...
Most people will eat a meal out such as this:
  • Sandwich or burger -- the bread is usually the unhealthiest part of this
  • fries or chips -- source of deadly trans fats
  • soda or other sweetened drink -- mostly deadly high fructose corn syrup
A MUCH smarter alternative for a leaner, healthier body is very simply this:
  • A steak, chicken breast, or fish piece (this avoids the refined wheat of a sandwich)
  • veggies or salad (much better choice than fries or chips)
  • unsweetened iced tea or water with lemon (and no diet drinks -- unless you enjoy drinking carcinogenic poisonous artificial sweetener chemicals).
These 2 simple substitutions save at least 400 - 900 calories EACH time you dine out (depending on drink refills and fries portion sizes)... AND you're cutting out the most harmful foods to your body as well by avoiding the trannies and high fructose corn syrup.
Also, it may be rare to find this in most restaurants, but if you can find some that offer much healthier grass-fed beef burgers, it's a much smarter decision compared to grain fattened beef.
Side note:  a little-known way to eat full portions of rice or potatoes and actually get away with it without packing on the body fat is to make sure to schedule a high intensity full body resistance training workout before your scheduled meal time.
Sometimes it may be hard to fit the workout into your schedule right before the meal event, but if you can, the meal can be your "post-workout meal", in which case, your body can handle a higher amount of carbs than normal to help replenish the muscle glycogen depletion you had during the intense workout.
A cardio workout WON'T cut it for this... it must be high intensity resistance training to deplete enough muscle glycogen to handle restaurant portions of carbohydrates.
I hope these dining tips help you choose smarter and healthier next time you eat out.
Here's what you should do next...
Another side effect of these weight gaining foods is that not only are they terrible for your health, but they also make you age FASTER - not only causing a quicker breakdown of your skin, but also making your joints to become creaky and fragile, your blood pressure to skyrocket, your "bad" cholesterol goes through the roof, and your brain health breaks down.
The good news is there are plenty of ways to counter-act the negative effects these foods have on your body, in addition to simple swaps that are not only healthier for you, but also taste delicious!
We'll show you how to find plenty of delicious foods, spices, herbs, and nutrients that 
PROTECT your body from aging on the next page!
You will also discover over a dozen surprising tricks you can use daily to FIGHT aging, helping you to look 5-10 years YOUNGER... click the button below to go to the next page to discover unique and delicious anti-aging foods, spices, herbs, teas, and other potent youth-enhancing nutrients:

Monday, 30 March 2015

The "Land Meat" That Rivals Wild Salmon in Omega-3 Content -- Grass Fed Beef & Other Grass Fed Meats


Improve your health, lose body fat, and build muscle with one of the healthiest protein sources available

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-selling program: 
The Truth about 6-Pack Abs



healthy grass fed steaksI know you've heard all of the buzz over the last few years about the health benefits of wild salmon and other fish that have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
However, did you know that there's a "land meat" that has similar omega-3/omega-6 ratios as wild salmon?  In fact, this "land meat" not only contains as much, or even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but without the possible negatives such as heavy metals (mercury, etc) and PCBs that can be found in fish frequently.
I've talked about this type of meat before and how it's one of the healthiest forms of meat you can possibly eat... It's grass-fed beef and other grass-fed ruminant meats such as bison, buffalo, lamb, and venison.
Now I know that a lot of people will try to convince you that meat is not good for you... and to be honest I partially agree with them when it comes to your typical factory farm-raised meat where the animals are fattened up with huge quantities of grains & soy that are not their natural diet & given unhealthy doses of hormones, antibiotics, etc.
However, when animals are healthy and eat the diet they were meant to eat naturally, the meat is actually healthy for us.  Not only are grass-fed meats a super-high quality source of muscle-building proteins, but they are also a great source of healthy fats (surprisingly to most people).
Let's take beef for example... When cattle eat mostly grain and soy, the fat composition of their meat becomes higher in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (which most of us already consume too much omega-6's) and lower in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (which are typically lacking in modern diets). 
On the other hand, when cattle eat mostly grass instead of grains & soy, their meat becomes higher in omega-3s and lower in omega-6 fatty acids, achieving a more natural balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats.  In addition, grass-fed beef also contains much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has shown some promising benefits in studies for losing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass.
Note - only the natural form of CLA from grass-fed meats and dairy has shown the fat loss and muscle building benefits in studies... beware of the supplement pill forms of CLA, which are artificially created.
A similar comparison can be made between wild salmon and farm raised salmon. Wild salmon is a healthier option than farm raised salmon and has higher levels of omega-3's because the wild salmon eat what they're supposed to eat naturally. On the other hand, farm raised salmon are fattened up unnaturally with grain/soy based food pellets which detrimentally changes the salmon's fat ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
The problem is that it is VERY hard to find healthy grass fed meats in typical grocery stores. In fact, even at health food stores, you might find some "organic" meats (which is at least a little better than standard), but it is often hard to find any real grass-fed meats.
Well, recently I did some searching and found a great website that sells all kinds of varieties of grass-fed beef and other healthy grass fed meats...
http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com
They have everything you could ever want... grass-fed burgers, ribeye steaks, filet mignon & any other quality beef cuts, grass-fed buffalo, grass-fed cheeses, and even free-range chicken and turkey! 
And better yet, they deliver it right to your house with no shipping costs either... and I actually found that the prices were pretty comparable to what I usually pay at the grocery store anyway.
I'll tell ya... I was like a kid in a candy store when I found this site. I placed my order for all kinds of goodies on a friday, I got a shipping notification email that Monday, and my delivery came right to my door the very next day in a sealed cooler... I couldn't believe the service I got from this company.
Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to know that you and your family are eating meat that is actually good for you instead of the mass produced junk at most grocery stores? I know I'm getting most of my meat from them from now on.
Everything in my order ended up being awesome... here's my recommendations:
  • the grass-fed filet mignons (delicious and tender!)
  • grass-fed burgers and bison burgers when I need a quick but healthy 5-minute meal (use some grass-fed cheese and sprouted grain roll for the ultimate balanced meal)
  • the free-range chicken and turkey sausages (makes great italian dishes or healthier breakfast sausage)
  • grass-fed cheese and butter (higher in CLA and omega-3 than normal butter or cheese) 
  • they even have free-range turkeys available for big family meals (you won't find free-range turkeys in stores)
Plus, besides getting much healthier meat than you'd ever find in the store, another benefit to this site was that it was like doing my grocery shopping from my living room, instead of fighting the crowds at the store.
Well, they've got me hooked, and thought I'd pass on this little discovery to you. Here's the site again...
http://www.grasslandbeef.com
(FYI - from looking at the site, I believe you can only order the meats if you're in the US and Canada)
Enjoy!
If you liked today's article, feel free to email this page on to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it, or share below:

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Never grill meat, unless you do THIS

The problem with grilled meats and HCA formation -
how to counteract carcinogens and make meat healthier

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of the best seller: The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

Most people aren't aware that when you cook meat (whether it's
grilled, broiled, or seared) there are carcinogenic compounds
that can form called HCA's (heterocyclic amines).
Now don't panic...you ingest various carcinogens all the time,
even with some vegetables. You can always protect yourself with
more antioxidants.

Please Note:  When you cook meat in a water base as opposed to
grilling, broiling, or searing, you eliminate the HCAs. So for
example, meats cooked in a soup, or meats cooked in a crock pot
will not have the problem of the carcinogenic HCAs and is a
healthier way to cook meat.

But let's face it... grilled meat tastes awesome and there's no
way I'm giving up my grass-fed steak from the grill, or my
grass-fed burgers!

That's why it's important to know that there's a way you can use
spices to both counteract, and also drastically reduce the
carcinogens formed when you grill meat...

If you're going to grill meats, marinating meats for hours beforehand
in liquid mixtures that contain rosemary and other herbs/spices can
dramatically help to reduce HCA's (heterocyclic amines), which are
carcinogenic compounds that can form when meats are grilled.
So using rosemary, thyme, garlic, oregano and other spices in a meat
marinade before grilling meats can drastically reduce any carcinogens
that normally would form on grilled meat.

The antioxidants in rosemary and thyme from a marinade were
specifically cited in studies at being powerful inhibitors of HCA
formation when grilling meats.  But it was also noted that other
spices such as garlic, oregano, and others can help to prevent HCA
formation as well, so I suggest using a variety, which tastes
great anyway!

One more important point about grilling meat:

Remember that the more well-done a meat is cooked, the higher
concentration of carcinogenic HCA's can form, so rare, medium-rare,
or medium are healthier choices than well-done.
I've never understood why anybody would want to ruin a good steak
by burning it to oblivion anyway.  But hey, if you're one of those
folks that likes your steaks well-done, just remember that you're
eating a lot more carcinogens than a steak that's cooked less, so
make sure to load up on your antioxidants (spices, teas, berries,
etc) to help combat those extra carcinogens.

Washing down your barbequed meal with a glass of unsweetened iced tea
(rich in antioxidants) and also a good salad with lots of raw veggies
can provide the antioxidants needed to counteract the effect of HCAs
in your body from grilled meat.

By the way, even charring vegetables on the grill creates different
carcinogens such as acrylamides, so don't think that the negative
effect of charring only applies to meats.

Hey, we all love a great barbeque, so no need to give that up just
because of HCAs or acrylamides, but at least now you know how to
counteract the effects of these in your body to protect yourself,
and also how to use spices to drastically reduce the formation of
HCAs on grilled meat!

Lastly, remember that you can use superfoods such as spices, herbs,
fruits, veggies, and even some animal-based superfoods to fight
against cancer development, reduce high blood pressure, prevent
diabetes, prevent heart disease, and even BOOST your metabolism
for a flatter stomach.