Beef...It's What's for Dinner!
5 Reasons to Eat Grassfed Beef for Building Lean Muscle
“We can't digest grass. So to take land that is not good enough for agriculture -- that's growing grass and nothing else, that's been doing that for 10,000 years since the buffalo -- and put a cow on it ... there's something beautiful about that, and it's just the way it was meant to be.” Michael Pollan.
As a Paleo dieter who throws around heavy weights, I can’t think of a more powerful food than grassfed beef. The news might tell you that red meat will lead to cancer and death but I’m here to show you how grassfed beef will actually fight cancer while building lean muscle!
As a Paleo dieter who throws around heavy weights, I can’t think of a more powerful food than grassfed beef. The news might tell you that red meat will lead to cancer and death but I’m here to show you how grassfed beef will actually fight cancer while building lean muscle!
Why Grass?
Known as ruminant animals, cows are naturally grass eating vegetarians. They have a special section in their stomach called the “rumen”that’s designed to digest grass and turn it into healthy protein for our consumption.
Unlike grass (which have an alkalizing effect on the ph of the cow), grain is extremely acidic (for us too!) and negatively affects the ph balance of the cow. This is known as acidosis causes bacteria to build up and ultimately leads into the antibiotics given to cows we have all heard about.
Unlike grass (which have an alkalizing effect on the ph of the cow), grain is extremely acidic (for us too!) and negatively affects the ph balance of the cow. This is known as acidosis causes bacteria to build up and ultimately leads into the antibiotics given to cows we have all heard about.
Grassfed Beef Benefit #1: Healthy Fat Profile
As Paleo dieters, we know a healthy diet should have an omega 6 to 3 fatty acid ratio of roughly 4-1 or better.
It's Less known that grain-fed cows have an omega 6 to 3 ratio around 20 to 1. You’re getting 20 times more omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3. The problem with this is that similar to vitamins, when one fatty acid (omega 6) greatly outnumbers the other (omega 3), the omega 6 fatty acid can interfere with the metabolism of the omega 3. With a healthy balance of fats, the cells will function correctly, partioning nutrients in a way that burns fat while fasted and builds building muscle when anabolic after a meal.
(Data for both graphs comes from G.J. Miller, "Lipids in Wild Ruminant Animals and Steers." J. of Food Quality, 9:331-343, 1986. Eatwild.com
The Truth About Trans-Fat
“But there’s trans-fat in beef”! I can hear it now. This is just misinformed people, I don’t blame them. The thing people need to understand is that it’s not the trans-fat from healthy beef that is killing them, it’s the
artificial trans-fat in the chips, crackers, and just about everything else that helps food manufacturers make more money by adding a longer shelf life and better flavor.
Ever heard of Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils? These are created when manufacturers blast “seed” oils with hydrogen which creates an artificial saturated fat (trans-fat). You’ll see “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil” on many products which suggests the false assumption that the product is healthy and provides vegetables. These are the trans-fats you need to stay away from.
The trans-fat in healthy grass fed beef is known as trans-vaccenic acid. The general health community lumps these two fats together but it is clear to see that they are different. A study shows here just how little we know about trans-vaccenic acid and this study shows that it might have greater health benefits than even CLA! Trans-vaccenic acid is even used to synthesize the antioxidant powerhouse CLA just mentioned. Imagine that…
artificial trans-fat in the chips, crackers, and just about everything else that helps food manufacturers make more money by adding a longer shelf life and better flavor.
Ever heard of Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils? These are created when manufacturers blast “seed” oils with hydrogen which creates an artificial saturated fat (trans-fat). You’ll see “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil” on many products which suggests the false assumption that the product is healthy and provides vegetables. These are the trans-fats you need to stay away from.
The trans-fat in healthy grass fed beef is known as trans-vaccenic acid. The general health community lumps these two fats together but it is clear to see that they are different. A study shows here just how little we know about trans-vaccenic acid and this study shows that it might have greater health benefits than even CLA! Trans-vaccenic acid is even used to synthesize the antioxidant powerhouse CLA just mentioned. Imagine that…
Grassfed Benefit #2: CLA for Weight Loss
CLA is an antioxidant and another benefit I enjoy when I eat grass fed beef. CLA has gotten a lot of attention lately because studies show that consumption leads to weight loss and also fights against diseases such as
cancer and chronic inflammation! Research is suggesting that even a .5% increase in CLA can reduce tumors by 50%!
CLA is also known for its abilities to reduce body fat deposits and preserve muscle mass. This is prime time for somebody concerned about building a muscular physique.
Grassfed Beef Benefit #3: Vitamin E for Homeostasis
It might seem strange associating red meat with vitamins and minerals, however grassfed beef is packed with them (up to four times more Vitamin E than grainfed beef). Vitamin E fat soluble vitamin that plays a huge role within the anti-oxidant system. Not only does vitamin E play a huge role fighting against cancer, it also helps with CVD, respiratory health, supports healthy blood circulation and is also great for the brain.
Even more interesting, Dr. Graham Burton suggests that natural vitamin E (from grass fed beef) is used and kept up to 5 times longer in the brain when compared to synthetic vitamin E. It’s thought that the body recycles natural vitamin E in the liver while it disposes of the synthetic. Again, our bodies are the greatest machines on Earth, we must give it what it wants!
Data from: Smith, G.C. "Dietary supplementation of vitamin E to cattle to improve shelf life and case life of beef for domestic and international markets." Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1171.Eatwild.com
Grassfed Beef Benefit #4: Creatine for Better Workouts
Rather than wasting money on artificial creatine from the store, along with all of the other benefits grassfed beef is a great natural source of creatine. Those unfamiliar, more creatine means more ATP (energy) for our
muscles. This is important for somebody who working hard in the weight room. This is the difference between performing 80% and 90%; the difference between mediocre and exceeding.
muscles. This is important for somebody who working hard in the weight room. This is the difference between performing 80% and 90%; the difference between mediocre and exceeding.
Grassfed Beef Benefit #5: Carnitine for Fat Loss
The great thing about eating Paleo is how the body shifts to using body fat stores for energy rather than the constant stream of sugar. Carnitine helps with this process. It helps burns natural triglycerides for energy rather than glycogen, allowing for a longer and more efficient workout. Naturally this will also lead to a better physique by burning the fat around the muscles giving the “ripped” look.
Carnitine also acts as an antioxidant in that it fights against free radicals, limiting our exposure to out of control cells that cause disease.
Carnitine also acts as an antioxidant in that it fights against free radicals, limiting our exposure to out of control cells that cause disease.
Thoughts
It’s easy to see how people can get confused when talking about red meat and saturated fats. It’s hard to accept eating something “health officials” advise to steer clear of. The Paleo diet goes against the grain and encourages what makes sense.
When we go back to our evolutionary roots, the recently termed “unhealthy” red meat becomes not only acceptable, but even something that we need that goes beyond building muscle mass.
In a mixed up world, it’s easy to get fooled into believing diet myths. The good thing is that the truth is out there, you just have to look and think about what makes sense.
Lean protein and healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids are the reason we evolved to have such a large and efficient brain. It wouldn’t make sense to limit these healthy fats due to health concerns. That is absurd. I plan
on reaching my fitness potential and I’m not going to limit that by restricting the very foods that got me here today!
When we go back to our evolutionary roots, the recently termed “unhealthy” red meat becomes not only acceptable, but even something that we need that goes beyond building muscle mass.
In a mixed up world, it’s easy to get fooled into believing diet myths. The good thing is that the truth is out there, you just have to look and think about what makes sense.
Lean protein and healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids are the reason we evolved to have such a large and efficient brain. It wouldn’t make sense to limit these healthy fats due to health concerns. That is absurd. I plan
on reaching my fitness potential and I’m not going to limit that by restricting the very foods that got me here today!
