Good Protein Foods: Quit Being Politically Correct

Good protein foods abound in our food supply. But, are you confused by all the mixed messages you are receiving from the medical establishment, the media, and well meaning health educators?

These are some of the more common messages.

• Beef raises cholesterol.
• Turkey is a good alternative.
• Chickens raised in crowded conditions aren't healthy.
• Pregnant women shouldn't eat tuna.

So is the blame being placed on the wrong culprits, namely good protein sources in the form of beef,lamb,goat,etc.?

To look at this question in greater depth, we'll look at information from traditional, nonindustrialized societies that still consume these types of protein.

The scientific studies say these proteins are not healthy, isn't that enough? Not really, studies can be designed in such a way that the outcomes can be manipulated. This is done more often than you would think.

This is not to say that all studies are done this way but many are. This is especially true if money is at stake.

When I worked at a research facility, we were real careful about how we presented our data. After all, we wanted to continue receiving grant dollars so we wouldn't lose our jobs. This is the reality of research.

So, when a study suggests a negative outcome, I look for other evidence such as population studies.

Traditional societies, most if not all, eat red meat second only to poultry, followed by fish and seafood. These societies rarely suffer from the same health challenges found in industrialized countries such as the U.S.

Now, let's take it one step further. Is there something about how these good protein foods are being raised in these cultures that could make the difference?

Now, we are on to something. It's easy to see that since we live in an industrialized country, that food production is done by huge farms that rely on machinery, pharmaceuticals and food that they were not designed to eat. This is very different from nonindustrialized countries.

Antibiotics are necessary because many animals are housed in very small spaces giving rise to unsanitary conditions. Ironically, the use of these antibiotics has not stopped incidences of E. Coli food poisoning.

Hormones, are used to fatten up and speed up the growth cycle so animals can be harvested more quickly. In fact, the average life span of a cow is about 20 years. On an industrial farm they live a small fraction of this.

It appears that this could be the difference.

So the solution is to use good protein foods that are raised the way they were intended. That is - in open pastures with access to fresh air and roaming space, eating grass, grains and bugs.

You can buy pastured, grass beef and other good protein foods in specialty grocery stores. It is very costly compared to the other unhealthy meat.

So, your best bet is to find local farmers that will slaughter the beef for you. The price per pound will be a fraction of the cost and you will know how the beef was raised. A nice assurance that you are getting the healthiest food for your family.

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