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Wild and Rustic Muntjac Deer Stew: A Hearty Meal with Rosemary and Thyme
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Succulent Muntjac Deer Loin infused with Aromatic Garlic and Herb Butter – A Culinary Delight for the Adventurous Foodie!
Recipe:
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
- 1 x boned and rolled loin of muntjac deer
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted grass-fed butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Muntjac Deer Loin Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Add the softened butter and mix until well combined.
- Rub the herb butter mixture all over the muntjac deer loins.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over high heat and add the olive oil.
- Sear the muntjac deer loins on all sides until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 60°C/140°F for medium-rare.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the muntjac deer loins to a cutting board.
- Cover the loins with foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Regenerative Agriculture
The hottest trend of 2023?
By Caroline Grindrod
Firstly, if you have been hiding under a rock and haven’t yet heard of regenerative agriculture, here’s a quick description and a great explainer video.
What is regenerative agriculture?
A different paradigm
Regenerative agriculture comes from a different paradigm to conventional agriculture and is a huge step change in how we produce our food. Think about how Airbnb revolutionised the hospitality industry or Uber changed how we get around, then 10X it to get a sense of how exciting and revolutionary regenerative agriculture is for the farming industry. And boy, do we need this revolution on food and farming if we are to survive in the volatile and uncertain decades to come!
The regenerative agriculture movement has been a slow and arduous building of decades of pioneering work in the face of ridicule and resistance from those with an invested interest in the status quo.
Pioneers such as Allan Savory, Gabe Brown and the understanding AG team, Vandana Shiva, the Regrarians, the Permaculture movement and many others (including Roots of nature, 3LM, Rob Havard, Wilderculture and others here in the UK) have done the excruciatingly hard work of rolling the boulder up the very steep hill to reach the tipping point that is about to crash down on us.
Collectively these pioneers have demonstrated success with practical examples on millions of acres and scientifically collected indisputable evidence that regenerative agriculture works.
Let’s also not forget the indigenous and traditional peoples who have applied ecological thinking to their highly sustainable methods of growing food in harmony with nature for longer than anyone. The wisdom and knowledge of these people has been overlooked and marginalised in the global race to the bottom, fueled by the companies and methods of the green revolution.
Regenerative agriculture – reaching a tipping point
This is a movement whose time has come.
During the turbulent last few years filled with rapidly rising costs, disrupted supply chains, biodiversity collapse and climate derangement, regenerative agriculture seems to be the only serious contender for a more resilient and healthy future for people and the planet – unless, of course, you have been seduced by George Monbiot’s depressing dystopian future of factory formed fake food!
So regardless of whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, omnivore or carnivore or flex between, regenerative agriculture is how our food should be grown. We need to unite behind this exciting movement if we stand a chance of out-competing the vast and powerful vested interests in chemical and industrial agriculture.
So buckle up over Christmas and January and get up to speed with what we think will be the hottest trend for 2023 by watching these fantastic movies, documentaries and TV series exploring the hopeful solutions regenerative agriculture offers.
Instead of the 12 days of Christmas, we give you the 12 days of regeneration!
And here’s an idea for a new year’s resolution. What about, in addition to your noble commitment to bike to work or reduce your plastic packaging, you do something that will not just reduce your impact but actively drive change for the better?
If you are a meat eater or know someone who eats meat, then you can join our stake club. It’s free with no obligation to buy. As part of this regenerative initiative, we actively train and support farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture. We offer them a simple, no-obligation, fair way to sell their amazing nutrient-dense produce.
Join – HERE and share the opportunity with family and friends by sending them this link. We launch at the end of January.
We have also created a free course for any interested citizen who wants to know more about regenerative agriculture on our social media platform dedicated to regeneration and primal living – Primal Web. Take the course HERE!
Let’s make 2023 the year that regenerative agriculture goes mainstream. We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a regenerative new year.
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart
Can grass fed produce restore our dental and cardiovascular health?
By Teri Clayton
It is now well established that our dental health has powerful effects on our overall well-being, especially on our cardiovascular system (1,2,3). Taking care of our teeth, gums and mouths is absolutely mission critical if we want to live long and – more importantly – healthy lives. Yet when it comes to dental health, many people just assume that cutting down on sugary food, twice daily brushing, once daily flossing and regular hygienist and dental check-ups are the only requirements.
Despite people following all the dentist’s orders many are still left struggling with deteriorating dental health (4). This includes a variety of issues such as gum disease, worsening enamel erosion, halitosis, cavity formation, jaw pain, impacted wisdom teeth, oral infections and painful sensitivity. People are not finding the healing answers they need. Despite all the knowledge, technical advances and expertise, poor dental health is still contributing to a lot of disease and suffering both in the developed and developing world.
Whilst many people could easily blame their lack of discipline with flossing, or eating too many sugary, or refined foods for their dental issues, it is becoming increasingly obvious that moderate lifestyles with occasional slip-ups cannot be solely to blame. Dental health is as much a product of the health of our inner physiology and nutritional status, as it is about outer hygiene practices. Since the introduction of processed foods, the warning bells have been sounding loud and clear when it comes to our dentition – but is anyone listening?
We are in the midst of an epidemic of dental health issues and these cannot be explained by a lack of good dental care and maintenance. Since the Industrial revolution began there has been a worrying trend towards poor dental development, at a basic developmental and structural level. Malocclusion, impacted wisdom teeth, misaligned jaws and issues with poor palate and maxillary and mandible bone development are now commonplace. The mouths of large numbers of children in the western world are unable to offer sufficient room for the healthy eruption of wisdom teeth and compromised brain oxygenation through mouth breathing, (due to pinched and congested nasal passages) is now becoming the norm.
Whilst dentists and dental surgeons are busily fitting braces, pulling teeth, lifting sinuses, adjusting jaw bone alignments, removing impacted teeth and drilling and filling cavity after cavity – who is trying to find and address the root causes?
Years ago in the 1930’s a very forward thinking Dentist – Dr Weston Price- noticed these worrying trends emerging. He set off on a mission to explore other cultures around the globe to discover what factors contributed to the development of healthy teeth and the degeneration into disease.
The book in which his field notes and findings have been published, complete with ample images of good and bad dental health in other cultures, is called ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’. This is a thought provoking and, for many, a life changing book that ought to be on every healthcare professionals reading lists, (in my not so humble opinion).
Dr Weston Price made discoveries that could have turned the tide on dental degradation by now and reduced the chronic suffering of millions (perhaps billions) of children and adults, (perhaps it will in time). It is disappointing that so far his findings have not been explored more formally, to allow them to be further developed and brought forward into mainstream research, nutrition, medical and dental training.
It is refreshing to see a change in this trend however as more ‘ahead of the curve’ nutritionists, doctors and dentists adopt a holistic approach to their own branch of healthcare. One such dentist is speaker and author Dr Steven Lin, he brings Weston A Price’s research into the spotlight in his industry leading book ‘The Dental Diet’. What a relief!
Another leader who has combined her own findings and experiences with Dr Weston Price’s work and that of other leading edge thinkers and do-ers is Dr Natasha Campbell-Mcbride. Her books Gut and Physiology Syndrome and its previous version ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome’, offer us a far more complete picture of how to improve our overall health. Her genius level work combines the benefits of a nutrient dense diet, with key understandings about the microbiome and the contributing factors that lead to gut dysbiosis. These people don’t just discuss lofty theories, or observe test tube phenomena in a lab, they practise what they preach and have seen the results for themselves, in real people, as did Dr Weston price. Following in their footsteps would see many people following a much more appropriate path for their wellbeing, but as with all discoveries that are ahead of their time, it takes courage and self responsibility to explore them.
Dr Weston Price discovered that although cavities began to affect the general population during the agricultural revolution, it was not until the industrial revolution that severe issues such as underdeveloped jaws and impacted wisdom teeth began. He noted that wherever a culture stopped using traditional foods and began to rely upon modern day processed foods, such as white flours, tinned goods and vegetable oils, the dental issues really began to take hold. He noticed that cultures which retained their traditional diet and consumed animal fat and rich sources of fat soluble vitamins (such as butter, milk, organ meats or cod liver oil), did not experience any issues with dental health. It is remarkable to note that these cultures not only retained impeccable dental structure, but some barely, (if ever) suffered with cavities and neither did they use toothbrushes. I’m willing to bet fluoride toothpaste and antiseptic mouthwashes were definitely not in their bathroom cabinets!
Though we cannot jump to the conclusion that introducing greater amounts of animal fats and fat soluble vitamins to everyone’s diets will rectify our issues – the possibility of this being the case, certainly warrants an urgent enquiry. Are widespread dental problems being caused by cutting down and reducing our consumption of animal fats and naturally occurring fat soluble vitamins? With the mainstream narrative still suggesting that we replace fatty red meats with lean white cuts or vegetarian options, to limit our egg consumption, to replace butter with synthetic margarine, to replace full fat milk with skimmed and to choose the ‘low fat’ options wherever possible – will the children of the future be left to endure a painful multi-generational legacy and watch their children endure the same? Could raising our children on diets rich in natural sources of fat soluble vitamins, offer us a way to solve our dental health epidemic?
Weston A Price’s observation of people who have exceptionally well formed and developed teeth, gums and jaw, alongside great overall health, gives us cause to question the validity of current mainstream dietary recommendations and dig deeper for answers and perhaps find better ways forward.
Something that should be of great interest to all those who want to improve their dental and therefore overall health, are the fat soluble vitamins, specifically vitamins A,D & K. Dr Price noticed during periods of rapid grass growth during spring and autumn, the dairy from cows consuming this grass produce milk that is richer in fat soluble vitamins. See one of Dr Price’s observations below pertaining to vitamin content in dairy, he was referring to the fat soluble vitamins that he regarded as critical missing puzzle pieces in the modern diet.
Quote:
Dr Price, describes case after case of the remediation of dental, skeletal and other issues in patients that transitioned over to nutrient dense foods containing the crucial fat soluble vitamins. His main recommendations were high vitamin butter oil, fermented cod liver oils, full fat raw grass fed dairy (with the vitamins intact), organ meats, eggs, plentiful seafood and others. Of all the recommendations Dr Price suggests, the most important nutrients to be included in the diet are sources of the fat soluble vitamins – which he compares to the battery of an automobile. Without these essential fat soluble vitamins the tank can be full of gas, but the car will never start without the igniting spark, he says.
Dr Price talked about a fat soluble vitamin/activator that he called factor X, it was this particular nutrient that Dr Price recognised as being absolutely crucial in maintaining dental health and the levels of it in dairy fluctuated according to the quality of the ruminants diet.
This activator factor X is highly likely to be what has been identified today as Vitamin K and we are now beginning to understand the role pasture fed livestock play in ensuring we obtain sufficient levels of the vital K2 form of this vitamin.
Vitamin K
For decades now when people present with brittle bones or osteoporosis they have been prescribed vitamin D and calcium supplements. This was considered to be the magic combination that would lead to stronger, less brittle bones. Yet what we are now beginning to learn is that calcium and vitamin D work alongside other key vitamins and minerals that are just as important when it comes to maintaining bone health. Vitamin K is one such vitamin and its effects within the body go far beyond the commonly recognised influence of Vitamin K1 in blood clotting. There are a whole set of forms of vitamin K. When it comes to bone and dental health, vitamin K2 forms (such as mk-7 and mk-4) are essential. These forms of vitamin K work in tandem with vitamin D and calcium to support the body in knowing where to deposit calcium, through their ability to activate osteocalcin (7). Where vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and also the dissolution of calcium into the bloodstream, vitamin K tells the body where to transport and deposit this calcium – via activated osteocalcin and Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) into the bones.
Where we once thought that bones could not grow or alter once someone had finished growing – now we understand that bones shift in density and form under the influence of re-modelling processes that involve these fat soluble vitamins identified by Dr Weston Price. If one bone is not undergoing any weight bearing exercise – the body will remodel the bone to match the form to the required function. Thus, those who regularly participate in weight bearing exercise will benefit from greater bone density, as the body builds the bone via the activity of osteoblasts to support the weight bearing activity required. Likewise if someone lives a sedentary lifestyle, not moving much and not exposing their bodies to regular everyday knocks and shocks – given enough time – their bones will become weak and brittle, unable to withstand the force endured during running or falls. This is due to the resorption of the bone through the action of osteoclasts. This re-modelling of bone to suit bodily demands, occurs under the influence of various physiological processes. Of course these processes are complex and involve many pathways and compounds such as proteins, fats, minerals, hormones, enzymes, cells and more, but it appears that Dr Weston Price was barking up the right tree when he called the fat soluble vitamins/activators the battery of the engine. It seems that healthy bones and teeth rely upon us consuming or producing adequate quantities of these fat soluble vitamins.
Quote from Dennis Goodman MD
Most people are familiar with the challenges of obtaining sufficient vitamin D with modern lifestyles. With the lack of sun exposure and difficulty obtaining sufficient levels in the western diet, many people now rely upon supplementation of vitamin D to achieve optimal levels. Yet our needs for vitamin K and how to obtain sufficient amounts through our diet receives very little attention.
Dietary vitamin K2 comes largely from:
- Dairy produce from grass fed ruminants
- Offal from grass fed animals
- Eggs from poultry with access to pasture
- Natto (a Japanese dish made with fermented beans)
- Sauerkraut
It is clear to see that once the shift happened in the modern world – moving animals off pasture into enclosures and barns – would have dramatically affected our intake of this vital vitamin. Animals that are moved indoors and taken off pasture are fed carefully designed specialist feed rations – but who is considering whether this has affected the vitamin K2 levels in our daily diets? Isn’t it crucial – given vitamin K2’s ability to protect our hearts and arteries from the hardening effects of calcification – that we urgently consider how we can raise our dietary intake of this vitamin once more?
The mainstream solution will likely go no further than offering supplements of Vitamin K2 as a quick fix – but there are many different forms of vitamin K2 and we don’t yet know which of these forms our bodies truly need, or how much. Data suggests that Vitamin K2 in its MK-7 form is most bioavailable and longest lasting (7), but then there are many anecdotal reports of the efficacy of Vitamin K2 in its MK-4 form. MK-4 is found in pasture raised dairy, offal and eggs and people have reported vast improvements in dental health when adopting a more traditional diet, where they reintroduce these nutrient dense foods.
Whilst some vitamin K2 is produced by a healthy microbiome from plant based precursors – we have yet to fathom how best to restore, protect and support a truly diverse and healthy microbiome. We live in a world that could easily compromise our microbiome with everything we do and breathe, drink and eat – so is it not sensible to assume that animal based vitamin K2 is an essential requirement for the healthy development of our children’s teeth and bones and for our health overall?
Perhaps it is time for us to reconsider if removing animals from pasture and eating meat, dairy and eggs grown in intensive systems is costing us far more than we realise. Could this one shift be a leading cause in the cardiovascular, dental and bone issues we are witnessing an explosion of today? In my opinion and boots on the ground experience – it is. I truly hope that we begin to take this concern more seriously very soon – before our children and those to come continue to be sold down the river on quick fixes, supplements and synthetic systems, that may lead only to more degeneration of planetary and human health and wellbeing.
This is one of the reasons I left my healthcare career and stepped into supporting regenerative agriculture. There’s only so long you can watch more and more people suffer – whilst the simplest, least profitable solutions are ignored and ridiculed. I believe that our food needs to grow in healthy soil and that our precious livestock, upon which we rely for optimal ecosystem health and nutrient dense foods, need to eat what nature designed them to eat with plentiful fresh air, sunlight and water. How can anyone think that health can be achieved otherwise?
References:
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(21)00142-2/fulltext
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8361186
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/heart-disease-prevention/faq-20057986
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022034517693566
- Pg 12. Lin, Dr Steven. The Dental Diet: The Surprising Link Between Your Teeth, Real Food, and Life-Changing Natural Health. Hay House UK Limited, 2019.
- Pg 377. Price, Dr Weston. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects. Benediction Classics, Oxford, 2010
- Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health. AuthorHouse, 2015.
Fermented Foods
By Teri Clayton
Uncovering how to make fermented foods is frequently the beginning of a whole new world of food. The journey often begins with super simple ‘can’t go wrong’ fermentations involving salt, water and white cabbage – to make sauerkraut – but it soon turns into the excitement of fermented lemons, chilli’s, fizzy on the tongue salsa’s and onwards!
Fermented foods were a way of life for our ancestors – who would preserve food over winter, sometimes for many winters – through the power of salt and lactic acid. Not only was this practical and lifesaving, it also enhanced the nutritional profile of the foods, as well as rendering them more digestible. Pre-fermented foods offer our gut a head start in breaking down and digesting nutrients – in effect offering us some of the benefits that animals with multiple stomachs or longer intestines benefit from. The more our food is pre-digested, the more our bodies get a head start in processing it.
In many ways learning how to ferment food could lead to an evolutionary leap in human health and longevity, given the diverse range of foods we now have access to 24/7.
Moving humanity forward
Human beings have possibly reached the top of the food chain, because of our evolutionary capacity to use tools and fire. Our ability to start fires and the physical capacity to grip, with precision, between our thumbs and fingers, has made modern feats of engineering possible. When we combine this with our connection to inspiration and our mental capacity to problem solve, along with our desire and will to refine tools, we see where we have gained significant leverage upon the Earth. Where birds need wings to fly – we make flying machines, where fish need fins and gills to swim – we make flippers, diving equipment and submarines. Human ingenuity knows no bounds, yet in our excitement to create a life full of invention and exploration – we have lost connection with the ground beneath our feet. We have spent so long using tools to expand our reach as fast and as far as possible, that we have forgotten the art of using tools in the simplest and most life enhancing way.
Much of the overwhelming and unnecessary level of complication we are now experiencing in our human systems, would never have become such an entangled web, if we had focused on ‘needs’ before ‘wants’. Humans now need to discover and refine the most appropriate and simplest use of tools in order to live in greater harmony with Nature. In regenerative agriculture, for example, farmers can work with a range of tools to restore soil health, from equipment to facilitate the restoration of nature’s mob grazing patterns, to soil monitoring technologies that help us build a wealth of knowledge and fine tune our techniques and tools further.
When it comes to everyday healthy living we now need to consider how we can meet the urgent need for greater balance, harmony and diversity within our bodies, naturally and with the simplest tools available.
Given that practically all foods can be pre-digested through some kind of fermentation process – could widespread adoption of using fermented foods offer us a leap in evolution towards greater health and wellbeing? Could harnessing and mastering fermentation processes offer us a way to evolve into greater harmony and balance with nature and wellbeing? Could this pre-digestion unlock and support us to absorb far more nourishment from our food? I think it could.
Where ruminants have several stomachs – we can use tools in the form of several fermentation jars!
The benefits of fermented foods go way beyond preservation, enhanced digestibility and added value nutrition and flavour – they also support the beneficial microbes in the gut microbiome, which is good for our overall well being, mental health (1) and evolution too.
According to anthropologist Claude Levi-Straus it is possible that humanity moved from nature to culture after discovering the fermentation art of mead making. Where honey in a bee hive is natural, once it is gathered in a suitable receptacle and fermented into mead – it is then known as cultured. Human culture is so tied to ‘cultured’ foods that we simply could not maintain human civilisations without them. From bread, wine, cheese and yoghurt to coffee and chocolate – fermentation plays an enormous role in human lives.
Let’s first explore the simplest and most humble fermented food, that we can all make at home, to create our own cultures with – Sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is simply white cabbage left to ferment over a period of weeks (sometimes months or years in some cultures) in brine solution, until it develops into a tangy, lactic acid rich and utterly delicious preserved, living, vitamin rich food.
Teeming with beneficial lactobacilli, this living culture is a dietary staple in Germany and much of Central Europe. Sauerkraut is a great source of vitamin C and was often used by sailors taking very long trips, in order to prevent scurvy. Its tart but zesty flavour and satisfying crunch means that most people find it pleasant to eat and in fact more-ish. I know I find myself craving it, as does my daughter who will eat it straight from the jar, as an enjoyable snack.
The fermentation begins with bacteria known as Coliform and as these produce acids, they culture then moves over to being populated by Leuconostoc bacteria, with the continued reduction in pH towards greater acidity the culture eventually after a week or more begins to move towards a lactobacilli predominant culture. Anyone that has tasted a coliform or leuconostoc predominant culture will be familiar with the not quite ready ‘trump’ like smell and taste! Yet when the culture arrives at its maximal sweet spot, the smell and flavour becomes crisp, refreshing and zesty!
To learn how to make your own sauerkraut at home I suggest taking a short course if anyone offers them locally or buying a fermentation ‘how to’ book. I recommend Pascal Baudar or Sandor Ellix Katz. The processes are simple, but there is a broad variation in styles and methodologies used
Though it is really really easy to make sauerkraut, getting started confidently and with a good basic understanding will support you to thoroughly enjoy learning (and eating) the art of fermentation.
Those who love fermentation may well never leave behind their Sauerkraut appreciation, but there is a whole world of fermentation to explore from beers and wines, fermented grains, yoghurts and cheeses through to fermented meats and fish.
One of my favourite foods is a fermented salmon known as gravadlax, but then there’s the smelly, but amazing specialist sausages, timeless corned beef and beautifully simple – melt in the mouth delicious – salted beef.
For those who are confident in fermentation and are ready to progress to fermented meats, find yourself a reputable on-line or in-person course in fermented meats (there are a great variety of courses available) and get started. Corned beef is ultra simple and the homemade stuff is nothing like shop brought – which is truly an absolute delicacy.
For making your own corned beef you will need a nice piece of brisket – check out our flavourful, rich brisket offerings here!
References;
Nutrition Beyond Measurables
A more holistic consideration of Grass fed beef.
By Teri Clayton
In this article, I will be trying to share a broader perspective of the benefits of grass fed beef. This is by no means a full consideration, but aims to at least point towards a broader view of the benefits of grass fed beef.
From the beginning
Once upon a time we viewed nutrition through the fractured lens of basic units – namely carbohydrates, fats and proteins, this developed alongside a deeper understanding of the need for a variety of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) were quantified based on the minimal dosage required to prevent symptoms of deficiency. It is already obvious from this, that sticking to RDA’s, for example, is in no way intended to reveal the optimal levels of nutrition required to achieve peak health.
This old story of nutrition guides us in how to ensure we are getting the nutrients required for survival, without developing overt symptoms of disease.
Thankfully, our nutritional story is evolving, as we have developed a good working knowledge of bioavailable nutrition. For example, we now understand that not all forms of vitamins and minerals are equal. Different mineral and vitamin salts, or protein complexes have different affinities for absorption in the human gut, as well as physiological activity.
Those seeking to supplement with magnesium, for example, will find themselves faced with an overwhelming amount of choice between magnesium complexes – ranging from the cheap and popular magnesium oxide salts, through to the pricey but more bioavailable magnesium bisglycinate(1), or neuro-targeted threonate complexes.
Current science is now heading deeper down the nutritional rabbit hole into the stories of nano-particle packages and genetic messaging with micro and messenger RNA, as well as the microbiome and evolutionary adaptation. We are, for example, beginning to understand that the microbiome of each individual is totally unique, therefore each individual will have changeable and different requirements for nutrients to others.
Viewed from the current nutritional ‘basics’ story, it is now well known and accepted that grass fed beef and dairy products are different (and superior) in their nutrient profiles compared to grain fed (2,3,4). Yet there is far more to uncover about the benefits of grass fed beef than basic nutrition, as you will discover!
We will move through this article expanding our understanding of nutrition WAY beyond measurables, so let’s begin on a solid rooted foundation that will allow us to rise up and above the limits of the current ‘nutritional benefits’ paradigm.
So what do we currently know (and can measure) regarding the benefits of grass fed beef?
Nutritional benefits of grass fed beef
- High in bioavailable immune boosting zinc
- Contains brain and eye health supporting omega 3 fatty acids
- Highly bioavailable source of haem iron
- Source of conjugated linolenic acid
- “Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is the only fatty acid shown unequivocally to inhibit carcinogenesis in experimental animals (5)
- High in precursors for vitamin A and E
- Source of cancer fighting antioxidants glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase
- Contains Vitamin B12, B3, B6
- Complete essential amino acid profile
- Enhanced micronutrients absorption through the ‘Meat Factor’ (6)
‘Research spanning three decades suggests that grass-based diets can significantly improve the fatty acid (FA) composition and antioxidant content of beef’ (5)
Several studies suggest that grass-based diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries (5)
Viewed through the lens of scientifically verifiable nutrients, the picture is still anything but straightforward. Previously unexplored benefits from animal sourced foods,for example, are still being discovered, including the presence of phytonutrients and something known as ‘The Meat Factor’. The meat factor is described as the ability of muscle meat to enhance the absorption of micronutrients and minerals such as zinc and iron from plant foods. Beef for example can enhance iron absorption from plant based foods through the presence of something called L-α-glycerophosphocholine(6). Muscle meats contain compounds such as phospholipids that are thought to enhance the bioavailability of certain nutrients through the creation of nano-particles.
The more we explore this realm of nutrition scientifically – the more we are led back to the conclusion that nature’s intelligent design leads not towards definitive knowledge, but only towards greater wonder and awe. When it comes to nutrition, it’s a case of the more we learn, the more we realise how much more there is still to know. Every answer we discover yields even more questions. Will we ever know enough in order to unlock and understand a replicable code for perfect nutrition? No, not whilst we are continually adapting, living on an evolving planet in an ever changing and expanding universe!
In natural systems made up of living forms, life is ever evolving and adapting and what works one year, may not work the next, what works for one person will not always work for another and what creates health in one situation could very easily create imbalance and disease in another. Nature doesn’t just move and grow randomly, it is made up of balancing relationships that develop in a unique way, depending upon the environment in which they develop..
Nature truly does know best and we would do well to spend more time learning for no other reason but to live in greater awe and wonder at the miracle of life, instead of ignorantly attempting to control it.
Environmental benefits:
It goes without saying that grass fed, agro-ecologically farmed meat is a huge boon to the health of the environment. Our work is centred around supporting regenerative grazing as a key step in restoring the health of our ecosystems that necessarily involve humans and our nutrient requirements.
Here is a highly oversimplified view of the benefits:
(We discuss in other articles and on-line courses how holistically managed grazing animals contribute to the benefits listed below)
- Improved soil health
- Improved biodiversity
- Increased worm counts
- Increased beetles
- Increased spiders
- etc
- Reduced flood risk
- Increased carbon sequestration
- Improved hydrology cycles
- Improved ecosystem services
- Cleaner water
You can also find out more through listening to regenerative agriculture consultant Caroline Grindrod in the following podcast.
Many will also already be aware of the work of Allan Savory and it’s well worth listening to his tragic story of how he came to understand the importance of grazing animals in preventing and reversing the desertification of landscapes.
Socio-economic perspectives:
There are a plethora of socio-economic benefits to grass fed beef, here again are just a few examples:
- Greater food security
- Nutrient density, reduces risk of malnutrition
- Improved Farmer quality of life
- Increased social resilience
- Support for localised supply chains
- Less reliance on inputs ensures many small scale local producers are able to supply fresh wholefoods nationwide.
What is now also coming to light alongside our evolving nutritional story, is the need to reconsider the role of nutrient dense animal sourced foods in our regular diets. We need to address the issues we are facing with malnutrition, especially in areas with a poorer socio-economic status, whilst also transitioning over to agro-ecologically produced food, (including meat). It is not acceptable to withdraw nutrient dense animal sourced foods from the tables of families and schools, where concerns over stunted children’s growth are growing at an alarming rate (7). This is especially worrying when you consider that most of our systematic decision making is still working from the outdated model that separates nutrition into very basic parts.
In our opinion, there urgently needs to be an effective public effort to increase the availability of nutrient dense animal sourced foods from systems that restore biodiversity and environmental health AND nourish the future generation. If the public doesn’t demand it, it isn’t going to happen.
A broader and deeper perspective
The world as we currently know it relies heavily upon neatly packaged data fed into predictive models, in order to define aims and objectives and devise official guidelines. This approach, whilst being a useful tool, is inevitably based on faulty assumptions, (what we currently consider to be true). This, of course, will be amended and adjusted as human knowledge increases. It also entirely dismisses as yet unmeasured factors and cannot account for known unknowns (what we know that we don’t know), or unknown unknowns (what we don’t know that we don’t know).
When it comes to dealing with the need for dramatic change – as we are – we cannot afford to be working with maps that are full of faulty assumptions, dead ends and blind spots. We need to collect together as complete a picture as possible, that includes quantitative, as well as qualitative considerations. A picture that offers us a glimpse into possibilities that would otherwise not be recognised. This is why we support the use of holistic frameworks that allows the use of a range of tools, (that includes predictive models), within the context of complex, interdependent and evolving systems.
We know that the more we can zoom out and look at the bigger picture the more likely we are to discover, as yet unseen solutions and reveal potential outcomes previously unconsidered.
Thinking of the bigger picture when it comes to human civilisation, it is abundantly clear to us that grass fed beef is vitally important when it comes to creating a better future. We have co-evolved alongside livestock and diverse grasslands are an essential part of ecology. With the little amount we do truly know about how to live in harmony with nature and how to achieve better health, we need to preserve the relationships that nature has evolved into.
It is time to stop making decisions based largely upon data and consider a more complete and humane perspective, with the humility to allow room for what we do not yet know.
Evolution of life
Discoveries in science are now emerging to reveal the extent to which everything upon our planet is interconnected. From the terpenes released from tree leaves that boost the human immune system (8) and the plant messages distributed at superspeeds along underground highways of fungal mycelium, to the sharing of evolutionary codes between microbial organisms within different species (9), a new paradigm in biology is about to go mainstream.
When one truly begins to understand the impact of HOW we grow our food on the capacity for the harmonious evolution of life, it becomes immediately obvious why we must learn how to produce our food in greater harmony with nature.
The optimal habitat for ruminants are glades that open out on the edges of wooded areas, enabling these rich habitats to support a myriad of creatures and apex predators and their co-evolution into cycles that create ever greater homeostasis and balance.
These glades can be created by humans, but also, (according to Paul Stamets), the great invisible fungal architects (such as the honey fungus) that bring down trees, converting wood into water and rich deposits that will fuel the growth of rapidly growing meadow species upon which ruminants rely. This process of glade formation, leads to nutrient rich deposits being laid down into the soil before the whole system heads into another cycle of succession that can grow and sustain climax species once more.
Long term effects on animal and environmental health
Farming grass fed beef leads to a genetic lineage that has to work in harmony with nature and is well adapted to specific environments to promote disease resistance, nutrient utilisation and adaptation to climate conditions.
Systems that rely upon supplementary feeding of cattle and selecting cattle for rapid growth – leads to a weakening of the connection between livestock genes and their environment.
Through allowing animals to genetically adapt to naturally present conditions instead of synthetically created ones, we support animals to move towards greater resilience and health.
Effects of Choice and Human Free Will
People make decisions using an array of tools, sometimes leaning entirely on a type of feeling, or reason and at other times seeking a balanced choice that draws from a complex set of considerations. These tools include researching statistical information, ‘gut’ feeling, previous experience and learning, opinions, objective and reasonable thought, advice/guidance from others, social conditioning, emotions/feelings, a sixth/intuitive sense, conscience, and many others.
Even if someone is making a choice whilst relying solely on quantitative, factual information, predictive models, or fixed algorithms to inform them – the final decision willdecision, will inevitably be coloured by the unique considerations of an individual. The computer may say ‘NO’, but a human being will have their own responses, thoughts and feelings about this, even if they go along with the decision of the computer. All decisions made by a human being are coloured by the human capacity to make a free will choice.
When someone selects a meal or snack from a cafe, shop or even vending machine, there will be many factors, (conscious or otherwise), that govern which food is finally selected.
Can you recognise some of the factors that may have coloured your choices in a cafe/restaurant, such as:
- Looking for the most value for money?
- Looking for the most filling option?
- Looking for the food that is most convenient to eat?
- Anticipation of a feel-good rush when eating the food?
- Feeling shame when looking at unhealthy options?
- Catchy marketing phrases/slogans repeating in your mind?
- A sense of pride/achievement in choosing a healthier option?
- Logical assessment based purely on number crunching, i.e. price or calories?
Though people’s final choices often appear simple – human decision making is complex, nuanced, contextual and most importantly entirely unique. It is therefore not appropriate for anyone to define what is the right, or the wrong way to make decisions – because everyone has to work with what works well for them. Many people for example would not feel comfortable letting a computer make a decision for them – because they may sense that this approach itself is inhumane and wrong.
Free will choice and the life learning that comes from decisions we each make, is a key part of human development and maturation. When a child decides to touch a hot oven, they soon realise that was a bad idea, learning not to do it again and also (the more powerful lesson) that making a good decision is important – because the consequences of bad decisions can be painful.
Many young adults often learn that drinking too much alcohol is a bad idea and will vow (and often fail) to never drink again. The learning is two-fold –
- They learn that drinking too much alcohol causes uncomfortable effects
- They realise that the choices they make are important to their wellbeing (and the wellbeing of others).They therefore take greater care in the future when making decisions.
If humans did not have the capacity to make choices, or experience the effects of those choices – they would learn very little and their lives would feel pretty meaningless. It’s in the realisation that we can make good or bad decisions that we are driven to contemplate our choices, develop greater self-awareness and better our lives – which is good for everyone. Humans thrive in a meaningful life, when they discover, through learning, how they can make things better.
Underlying intentions and factors that influence decisions can lead to a totally different outcome – even when making the exact same choice! Let’s try to understand this with some imaginary examples:
Let’s compare two people who make the same choice but experience a totally different outcome due to having different intentions.
- Person 1 – Choses to eat a processed sugary food, because that was all that was available in their price range and they needed to eat something.
- Person 2 – Chooses to eat the same processed sugary food because they just want to eat something ‘nice’ as a snack, even though they have already eaten.
Here both people make the same choice – but follow an entirely different decision-making process. Perhaps Person 1 would feel fine about their choice, but Person 2 may feel guilty and subsequently feel rubbish.
How do you imagine each person felt after eating their choice of food in the examples above?
It is possible to see how the same choice can lead to different outcomes in individuals.
If we feel bad about our intentions, even though we made a ‘good’ choice, – then the outcome is still likely to unfold badly.
So what the heck does this all have to do with the benefits of grass fed beef?
A personal story
I spent years buying organic produce from supermarkets because I wanted to reduce my family’s exposure to unnecessary chemicals, not because I wanted to support the creation of/transition towards a better farming system.
Of course I understood that buying organic would have an effect on what supermarkets sold, but for me it was not my primary intention. I began to realise however that my food choices were not contributing to a better way forward – from a more holistic perspective.
I had absolutely no idea who was growing my food, how it was being grown and how that impacted communities or small scale producers. At that time it was also becoming increasingly apparent to me that small scale food producers were struggling, unable to sell to supermarkets,disconnected from supply chains and undervalued, or not even on the radar of their local communities. What had I been thinking – buying organic food in supermarkets all those years?
So with that, I set a new intention to obtain healthful food from farmers and outlets that were truly geared towards creating a better food system. It was through this intention that I could see how I may contribute towards a better future, not just for my family – but for farmers and others too.
The happy ending to my story was that through creating a more holistic, improved intention, I discovered regenerative agriculture and the availability of grass fed beef from small scale loving stewards of the land. I remember the feeling of ‘rightness’ as I cooked up my first oxtail soup made from regeneratively grazed beef, raised by farmers who loved farming and the land. As I ate that bowl of soup, with every spoonful I felt relaxed, contented, at peace with my food choices. I was now able to find ways to feed my family more nutrient dense, chemical free food AND I also now knew that my choices were contributing in some way to a better future. A better future for my own children, for nature, whole communities and all future generations.
If we eat when we are feeling stressed due to our sympathetic nervous system being active, then the blood flow to the gut will be reduced and we won’t digest the food properly. Feeling content and happy about our food choices supports the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system, allowing blood to flow towards and support improved digestion and regenerative processes.
Because I now felt good about my choices, my intention and the way my food was grown I could now really relax and enjoy meals with my family. My own ease and enjoyment surely impacts the mood and digestion of my family as they eat too. Everything is so interconnected!
The benefits of regeneratively produced food go way beyond nutrients, they are interwoven with the very fabric of what it is to be human.
If you want to make good decisions when it comes to your food – think, feel, research, contemplate, observe and learn. Only you know what food works for you – we are all unique, evolving and ever changing – the only way to create a better way forward is to learn how to become more balanced and aware.
All of this matters. It matters more than you think it does, because the heart is intelligent too and how we each feel about what we are eating needs to be taken into consideration. We cannot measure our way to a better future, because some things simply cannot be measured.
References:
- https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0148607194018005430
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814608012612
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22060866/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20219103/
- https://academic.oup.com/advances/advance-article/doi/10.1093/advances/nmac089/6687799
- https://www.bapen.org.uk/bapen-statements/child-malnutrition-in-england-doubles
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793341/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4536854/
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