Archive for the ‘Organic Food’ Category

Antibiotic Free Meat: True And Myth

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

The next time you are in the grocery store buying meat for dinner, you may want to take a close look at the label. Even though all of the packages may appear to be the same, some may harbor hidden dangers. These meats can make you sick and have the potential to lead to death.

If you have watched the news lately, chances are you have heard about one of the super bugs, bacterial infections that are resistant to common antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is one that frequently hits the news. Have you ever wondered why there are so many of these super bugs popping up everywhere?

The reason these bugs are resistant to antibiotics is they have been overexposed to them, which has allowed them to build up a tolerance to them. The over-prescribing of antibiotics for common illnesses is one culprit. The flu, for example, is a virus and therefore immune to antibiotics. However, many doctors persist in prescribing medicine for it.

A lesser known culprit is the antibiotics used in many of the meats found on supermarket shelves. This is a more serious one since most of us are not even aware that were are taking them in. When animals are farmed for the purpose of selling their meat, they may be given antibiotics to treat or prevent illness or even aid in growth.

Residue remains in the meat even after it is processed. In theory, the residue in meat is regulated by government guidelines which are designed to ensure it is not at an unsafe level. However, there are some companies that slip through the regulations.

Another cause for concern with meat that contains antibiotics is the potential for illness caused directly by the meat. Animal meat can contain any number of bacteria, not all of which is innocuous. This bacteria can also build a resistance to the antibiotics used on the animals. As a result, the bacteria may live on in the meat. When you eat the meat, it enters your body, where it can make you seriously ill.

Those with allergies to specific antibiotics should also pay close attention to food labels and choose antibiotic free meats. While government guidelines regulate the amount of residue left in meat, they don’t take into consideration those with allergies to these medications. Depending on the severity of your allergy, eating meat which contains this residue could very well set off an allergic reaction.

Antibiotic free meat is produced without the use of antibiotics. It is important to understand that while meat is regulated, the use of the antibiotic-free label is not. There is nothing to prevent a meat producer from falsely labeling their product as antibiotic free.

One of the best ways to make sure that you are buying meat that hasn’t been produced with antibiotics to buy organic meat. To be deemed organic, companies have to meet stringent guidelines; if they don’t, they can lose their organic labeling ability. If your store doesn’t carry certified organic products, you can search for local meat producers who follow organic standards, or you can also often purchase organic meats through online or mail-order merchants, safely.

If you interested about Antibiotc Free meat go to www.brookersmeat.com to get more information about it.

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Global Warming? Easy Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Experts often argue whether or not global warming exists. Some individuals believe that it is caused by greater forces that are out of humans’ control, while others firmly believe that we need to change our behaviors in order to reverse this process. While I certainly know where I stand, I believe that there are ways to behave in a more environmentally friendly manner, regardless of our viewpoint.

I think the focus on cleaning things up is a good, a positive. You could drive yourself crazy trying to have zero carbon footprint but there are some things we can do that are simple – and free of cost!

Much of our daily life is surrounded by technological advances that make aspects of life easier. Think about the napkin. A simple, mass produced paper product single-handedly made take-away food much, much easier. But now we realize how much wood is required to make our throw away face wiping products. At our home, we have gone back to tea towels. We throw them in with laundry the we would be doing anyway and we’re reusing towel. As a special bonus, cloth is so much nicer on my baby fresh face!

Buy and consume more local foods, of the natural and/or organic variety. I have seen some people recoil at this idea, who think that organic food is reserved for dreadlocked hippies with names like Sunflower and River Raven who walk around barefoot and boycott both razors and bathing. But here is the good news for anyone who may question this “local food” movement: Research has shown that natural and organic foods are better both for the environment and for your personal health. So even if you couldn’t care less about global warming, make the switch for selfish reasons. You will be supporting your local businesses, and enjoying this newfound concept called FLAVOR. So whether you are a leaf-eating vegetarian or a sworn carnivore, you will enjoy both the taste and the health benefits of natural and organic foods.

Ditch the plastic water bottles. I know – they’re SO convenient. But there are new studies on the adverse effects of BPAs (bad chemicals that leach out emitted from certain plastics). Nalgene is now making BPA free bottles. There are also metal bottles, often completely recyclable. Glass bottles are making a surge, too. You can check out at LoveBottleDOTnet. If you get a decent filtration system at home, Brita and PUR are two that are out there. You can use tap water with an added filter. In fact, new studies claim that tap water is often better for you than bottled water because municipal water districts are governed by the EPA ( and have to test many times daily) while water bottle companies are governed by the FDA ( and are only required to test once a week). So, the long and the short of it is that tap water is better! Crazy.

You can also exercise your environmental consciousness by purchasing recyclable packaging, or reducing your packaging needs altogether. While I love pouring that liquid laundry detergent into the machine (along with my tea towels), I’ve switched to powdered in order to use the recyclable cardboard box. It’s an easy change to make. And if I only purchase one or two things from the store, I’ll generally decline the bag. Do I really need the extra assistance to carry my stuff ten feet to the parking lot? And while this is personal preference, I don’t bag certain produce items, like potatoes and cucumbers.

Our wallets can be another great form of motivation for reducing our carbon footprint. I recently switched my lightbulbs from traditional ones to the little twisting CFLs, which burn much cooler. I use 13-watt bulbs, and get 60 watts of light! Another great tactic is to use power strips for all electronic home appliances. Most electronics, including cell phone chargers, continue to draw in electricity even when they are technically not being used. This allows them to start up faster. I made the switch to power strips, and subsequently cut my electric bill in half!

Even Facebook is jumping on the Green bandwagon. If you do not already have an account, you can set one up for free, and install the “lil Green Patch” application. This creates an online garden and allows you to send cute little virtual plants to your friends, which they can add to their online gardens. For every ten friends you send a virtual plant to, you save one square foot of real, non-virtual rain forest. The setup is easy and what can I say, the plants are cute!

And for those of you who balk at the idea of a space-age electric car, rest assured: according to the ACEEE, the greenest car in the United States, for the 6th straight year in a row, is the Honda Civic.

For all of you Hollywood fans out there, take a look at Green is Sexy DOT org, which is full of advice and commentary on living green. Check it out, and find out which actress founded this great site.

And if all other motivation fails, remember that doing good for the sake of doing good is rewarding. I hope you will find these tips helpful and easy.

At Natures-Classroom, we pride ourselves in offering complete environmental education curriculum, right on the American River! Learn not only how to reduce your carbon footprint, but how your actions affect the larger environment. Check out our environmental education website to learn more!

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The Benefits of Free Range Chicken

Monday, May 10th, 2010

The more time that has passed, the more people are looking at making healthier life choices, such as healthy eating. Keep in mind that healthy eating can mean a number of different things, it can mean that you are no longer eating animal products or that you are only going to eat a raw food diet and everything in between. Another term that has also become popular in the healthy eating arena is free range. Today you can find free range chickens, eggs and meats. Currently free range chicken is very popular. How did free range get its start? What is free range exactly? Are there really any benefits to eating free range? To help answer these questions as well as others you may have, here is unbiased information to help you make an informed decision.

The way free range is defined will depend greatly on where you live. In the United States then free range only applies to poultry. This would include free range turkey, ducks and chicken; they are animals that have access to the outside. In the US the amount of time these animals can be outside is not specified nor is the size of the outside area. Meaning that is a free range chicken wants to sit in the coup all day or in a small cage, it will. For those that live outside the United States, free range animals are animals that are allowed to roam anywhere and they are never caged. Chickens then have easy access to the green grass and sun.

Free range farming used to be the way farmers raised their animals until they started using chicken wire or barbed wire. Prior to the 20th century, all farmers knew about raising animals was to make sure they had a varied diet and plenty of sunshine. Ranchers that raised cattle found it difficult to keep the cattle in one place and provide feed to them, so they kept them on their ranch. Chickens were all free range chickens until 1920. When Vitamin D and Vitamin A were discovered in 1920, farmers realized that they could market their chickens commercially if they were confined. It was the confining of the chickens that lead to confinement of most other farm animals.

The debate if free range is better for us continues on. It seems as if everyone has an opinion for or against. Those who think free range chicken and free range meats are better for us have many valid points. One of them is that when we consume confined animals we have a higher chance of contracting disease. This is because free range animals have a lower chance of contracting illnesses and disease than those who are in such close quarters with each other. Another valid point is that the free range animals get a large amount of vitamins from the bugs and green grass they consume. These particular animals are then very good for us. Animals that are confined do not have access to these things thus making then void of nutrients. Chickens and other animals that are confined are given just enough food to survive. Included in this regime is a steady stream of antibiotics. They give them the antibiotics to attempt to keep them free of disease when living in these kinds of close quarters. We then consume antibiotic ridden animals. These are extremely detrimental to our health. Free range chickens and other free range animals are not given antibiotics, only the things they need to keep them healthy and thriving. This of course is another great reason why free range is so much better for us.

When deciding whether or not to take a certain avenue when it involves your health it should be researched thoroughly first. Just in the way this provides information on free range chickens and other free range animals, you can find pertinent information on almost every health subject. If you are well informed about something you can put it into effect easily and it is more than likely to be successful.

If you want to know more about Range Free Chicken go to www.brookersmeat.com to get more information and Great Recipes

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The Positives Of Grass Fed And Organic Beef

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

The increase in the popularity of natural organic food stores has definitely shown that most people are taking their health a lot more serious these days than they have in the past. This is because most people are looking for alternatives to the processed and unnatural items that are proliferating on store shelves. Rather than ingesting processed ingredients, people are looking for healthier alternatives and these alternatives do exist. Among the many healthy choices out there is beef which many come as a major surprise to many. There are two major choices when it comes to healthier beef and they are grass fed beef and organic beef. There are major benefits to both of these types of beef even though they may be different from one another. But, they are definitely a healthier option than having to eat the chemical laden beef most commonly sold in stores.

Actually, you have two choices: organic beef and grass fed beef. Both have their value but they are somewhat different from one another. Either way, they represent a healthy choice on the menu.

Yes, there has been a lot of ‘propaganda’ out there regarding how bad beef can be for you. But, is it really as bad as some people say it is? Well, if you purchase traditional store bought beef then this may very well be the case. However, if you opt to purchase grass fed beef or organic, you may not only be circumventing some of the negative aspects of beef but you may be ingesting an incredibly helpful food choice. Yes, grass fed beef and organic beef a number of benefits over the common red meat you may have been purchasing over the years.

Let’s explore the main differences between the two….

Cattle, like all animals, needs to eat in order to survive. The cattle that is raised for food is only going to be as good at the diet it is fed. Over the years, ranchers cut costs by feeding the cattle with items that really were not all that beneficial or healthy to the cow. Cows, for example, do not eat grains in their natural environment but this is what they are commonly fed when raised for food. Such feed is not all that good for the cattle and it undermines the quality of the meat. This leads to a decidedly non-nutritious serving of red meat on your dinner table. Rather than deal with that problem, it would be a lot better to look towards grass fed beef as a viable alternative. The meat is far more nutritious because it absorbs all the nutrients from natural grass. Clearly, that would be much better for the cow’s growth that the unnatural feed it is commonly served. Serving 90+% of the cattle’s diet in the form of grass helps achieve this goal nicely.

Then, there is the other side of the proverbial coin – you also want to avoid eating something that is not natural to your diet. Certainly, chemicals and other processed ingredients would fall into this category. As such, it is advised to purchase organic beef since this is a much healthier cut of meet than what would be found in most store bought meat. To be certified organic, the beef has to go through a number of additional criteria that weighs the environment in which the cow was raised, its ability to move freely on the range, and, most importantly, the ability to keep hormones or antibiotics out of the diet of the cow. Keep in mind the fact that any unnatural substances given to the cow finds its way into your system when you eat the cow. That alone should make you want to stick with pure organic beef.

So, you need not completely eliminate beef from your diet if you want to improve your health. Rather, you just need to make more effective food choices since their will serve you much better in the long run and improve your overall health and wellness.

If you interested about Organic grass fed beef go to www.brookersmeat.com to get more information about it.

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Organic Products: Grass Fed Cattle

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Those purchasing tender, delicious beef may not realize that odds are high that the cattle were fed with grass. The advantages of using natural foods like grass are far superior to cattle which eat a variety of foods which are often heavily laced with chemicals. Believe it or not, there is research going back hundreds of years which indicate that grass fed cattle are a far healthier choice than buying beef made from cattle who ate diets which were often high in chemicals.

Even so, consumers have to be careful when selecting meat. Unless they go out of their way to make sure that they are buying meat from producers of grass fed cattle, they could be in for a shock. If one thinks the differences between the two feeding methods have tiny effects on consumers – think again. Research in nutrition journals has shown that cattle who eat solely grass result in beef which have less fat. This is an important factor in having a healthy heart. This isn’t a minor health issue but directly tied to premature heart attacks and early heart disease.

Those who are keeping track of their cholesterol can have the peace of mind, knowing that grass fed cattle will be better for them. But it isn’t only the heart that is affected by choosing one type of beef over another. Vitamins A and E and other nutrients may be higher in the grass fed beef.

Taste is another major factor in the foods we choose to eat. To that end, grass fed beef also rallies. Those who eat grass fed beef often report that it tastes better than the alternatives. Not only is the taste improved, but the amount of unhealthy chemicals is drastically reduced. While research in these areas is still ongoing, a growing body of evidence suggests that the extra hormones given to beef cattle may be responsible for the earlier onset of puberty in children, and other hormonal changes in young adults.

Of course, use of chemicals and grains results in a higher fat content beef product that consumers are trained to regard as better. However, this move was not made with consumer health in mind, but rather as a cost-saving measure. As such, it is essential to be proactive in making healthy food choices, as many producers are generally focused on the bottom line rather than health.

The grass fed to cattle is typically healthy and organic. This results in less stressful lives which, in turn, translates to a healthier beef product. Furthermore, grass fed cattle don’t generally get hormones and antibiotics in excess of those mandated by law. Many consumers rightfully don’t wish to consume these, as they often do far more harm than good. While it is impossible to avoid all antibiotics in the beef we purchase, those given to grass fed cattle are generally less than the quantities given to other varieties.

One major concern with antibiotics is that of acquired resistance to the medications. When the cattle given these excess antibiotics acquire resistance, diseases will spread far more rapidly, and some of these diseased cattle may be made into beef. This will result in higher beef recalls and greater risk to customers. This is far less likely to occur with grass fed cattle, and the meat tastes better besides, making it a win win situation for consumers.

If you interested about Grass Fed Beef go to www.brookersmeat.com to get more information and Great Recipes

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