03/26/2024
LET'S TALK PROTEIN!!!!!!
Day 1 of......?
Over the next few days, I'll address the following and maybe more:
QUALITY
QUANTITY
ABSORPTION RATES
TIMING
PROTEIN POWDERS VS. WHOLE FOOD PROTEIN
ANIMAL PROTEIN VS. PLANT PROTEIN
BRANCH CHAIN AMINO ACIDS VS. ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
*WARNING - this is a long, information filled post but if you want to make some simple healthier choices, I believe it's worth the 2-minute read.
As with almost any discussion, there is SOOOO much we could talk about, but I am going to simplify each topic as much as possible.
Let's start the discussion with QUALITY. This is what I feel to be the most overlooked part of the protein discussion in the general public and in my opinion, the most important.
QUALITY:
"YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT BUT YOU ARE ALSO WHAT YOU EAT, ATE"
If given the choice between eating store bought, commercially raised GMO grain-fed, antibiotic injected animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) or being a vegetarian, I would ABSOLUTELY choose to be a vegetarian. Thank God I don't have to make that choice and neither do you. There are countless better and GREAT options out there for protein that is high quality.
If given the choice of only 1 food for the rest of my life, what would it be?
Organic, 100% Grass-Fed Red Meat!!!
Here are some simple rules to follow for improving the quality of your protein starting with best case scenario to worst. (I'm saving dairy details for a different discussion)
BEST*
Local, organic, 100% grass-fed beef or another red meat & dairy
Local, organic free-range chickens, turkeys and other birds and eggs.
Wild Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (the only 100% legit store-bought fish) or a local trusted source of wild-caught Alaskan fish like Together Farms where you can find an AMAZING selection of trusted wild-caught Alaskan fish as well as many other great protein and other choices, including the only pork products that my family will consume.
*Save money by purchasing in bulk, directly from your trusted local farmer.
BETTER (*sometimes as good as best)
Local, 100% grass-fed beef or another red meat & dairy
Local, free-range chickens, turkeys and other birds and eggs.
*If you know and trust the farmer you are purchasing from this can be just as good as the organic protein sources because they might be doing all of the same things but have just chosen not to pay for the organic labeling requirements.
GOOD (*maybe?)
Store bought commercially raised, organic, 100% grass-fed beef or another red meat & dairy.
Local, organic free-range chickens, turkeys and other birds and eggs.
*The reason this is a maybe is because we know the big commercial food industry cuts corners and lies as often as possible to the consumer. This is why I choose non-organic local over organic store-bought commercial animal products 100% of the time.
WORST
Commercial protein, filled full of GMO grains, pumped full of anti-biotics, growth hormones and other disease-causing toxic crap.
DO NOT TRUST THE LABELS!!!!!
A couple of VERY key factors to be aware of.
1. Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed. These are SOOOOO different in nutrient content and quality fat content that they shouldn't even be considered the same food.
Grass-fed = healing to the body
Grain-fed = disease causing (this is where red meat gets a bad rap because they are feeding the animal something it isn't designed to eat. As a result, the animal products become inflammatory to the human body instead of healing) This of course is how they trick you with science when you watch a documentary or read something about meat being bad for you. IT ABSOLUTELY IS when it's commercial crap. DON'T FALL FOR THE PROPAGANDA
*100% grass-fed is KEY - when farmers "finish" even with 1 month of grain feeding it can completely undo all of the grass-fed benefits. Always ask if the animal is 100% grass-fed or if its grain "finished".
What about hunting and fishing?????
Great question!
This is for sure always going to be better than commercial crap but what often gets overlooked is, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, ATE"
For example - if you shoot a deer that is feeding on GMO corn and soy all day long, that meat has a very different nutrient profile than shooting an elk in the mountains of Colorado.
When it comes to fish, how toxic is the body of water you are fishing? (I'll still take this any day over farmed fish fed GMO corn and soy and chemical food colorings)
Here are some great options in the Chippewa Valley area.
Together Farms
Farm Sweet Farm LLC
NorthStar Bison
Blaeser Farms
Larry Schultz Organic Farm
Againstthegrainpastures.com
