Grass Fed Bullshit

No doubt you have heard somewhere that grass fed beef is better (or at least less bad) for you than than beef from cattle raised on grains. Well, its true. If you are going to eat beef (you are far better off limiting your consumption of beef, including grass fed) then grass fed beef has many health benefits over grain fed.

Compared to grain fed, grass fed beef has higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants and many other nutrients. It has significantly higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acid (anti-inflammatory) and lower levels of Omega-6 fatty acid (pro-inflammatory), less pesticide residue and less antibiotics.

So what's the problem?

There are no federally mandated standards for what constitutes "grass fed" or for the using the term "grass fed" in labeling. Like "Natural" or "Supports", anyone can label beef "grass fed" if the cattle had ANY grass in their diet ever. It is common to graze cattle early in their lives and then switch them to a grain diet to add weight before slaughter.

What to do?

Look for labeling indicating that the beef has been certified by the American Grassfed Association (AmericanGrassfed.org) or the Food Alliance (FoodAlliance.org). These are both reliable, independent organizations. To be certified, animals must have lived on pasture and eaten a grass diet their entire lives.

Another good option is to buy beef from a local farm. You can often find this at larger farmer's markets.

The bottom line here is the same as it always is. Food labeling is designed to mislead you, if not outright lie to you. It will skirt the law in every way. So be skeptical.

Want to Live Years Longer?

Researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK have concluded that your activity level is a far better indicator of your overall health than the commonly used Body Mass Indicator (BMI). Their study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, looked at health and longevity data from 475,000 people.

They found that woman who walked at a brisk pace - not just while exercising but in general - lived about 15 YEARS longer than slow walkers, to an average age of 87. For men the difference was even more striking. They lived nearly 20 years longer than the slow walkers, to age 86.

This was true regardless of weight, waist size or BMI.

So if you want to add years to your life, pick up the pace.

It Turns Out that Old People Are Right

Did you ever wonder why old people eat dinner at 4:00pm? Why you can hardly get into a Golden Coral or a Country Buffet between 4 and 6? It turns out they may be on to something.

In a study of 112 women looking at factors that influence heart health conducted at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgery, participants kept detailed food diaries. When the data was analyzed, a surprising finding emerged. For every 1% increase in the days total calories consumed after 6pm there was an increased risk of higher blood pressure, higher BMI and poorer long-term control of blood sugar, all risk factors for heart disease.

So the next time grandma's stomach starts rumbling around 3:30, maybe you should head out to Golden Coral with her.

From "Diet the Verb" to "Diet the Noun"

On my post on March 2nd I reported having been successful in losing 11 pounds during the month of February and asking if my "diet" was over or just beginning. It turns out it was only beginning.

In March and April, just continuing the habits I had begin to form the month before, I lost another 12 pounds to end April at 182#. This was down from 205# at the start of February and essentially right at the ideal weight for my 6' frame. So as far as losing weight, I'd had an unqualified success. You can check back to my earlier posts for the details of what I did and how I did it.

12FEB20     https://bit.ly/3cQcfIQ
17FEB20     https://bit.ly/3cQVdu7
02MAR20    https://bit.ly/37pR5QL

I discovered two things in April. First, its nearly impossible to maintain an exact target weight. After obsessing over it for a week or so I realized that it is perfectly fine to fluctuate a bit. Even over the course of a day one's weight will vary, so to expect to be able to adjust your calorie intake and output to maintain an exact weight (185# in my case) is pointless and probably neither healthy nor possible. So I content myself with remaining in a range from 180# to 185#, which I have been able to do with ease. I still have to count calories (the Cronometer app makes it almost embarrassingly easy) and I still have to exercise every day but that has become almost a habit now.

The second discovery I made was (again because of the detailed reporting that the app provides by default) was that even though I was staying right at my goal weight, my diet still needed some work. Yes, I had the calorie balance right. But a look at the nutritional composition of my diet clearly showed the need for some adjustment in what I was eating and not just how much.

I was regularly consuming too much fat, sodium, sugar, iron and several B-vitamins. I was also coming up surprising short on protein, water, potassium (important for regulating my blood pressure), and several exotic vitamins and minerals. This despite taking Reliv supplements every day.

Awareness is the first step toward action, so now that I know where I can improve I can set about rebalancing what I eat to achieve a better nutrition profile.

This is all a whole let less work than it seems. And the payoff was a "perfect" visit with my doctor for my annual checkup. Time now to change from "diet the verb" to "diet the noun".

Cut Back on Wasted Food

In a world, even a country, where people do not have enough to eat, Americans routinely throw away about 1/3 of the food that they buy. Sadly, those as the upper end of the economic scale, eating the best diets, also waste the most food. That is 150,000 tons of food every day, roughly 1 pound for every man, woman and child in America. Aside from the hit to your family budget, all this waste exacts an environmental toll as well.

Here are some suggestions from the USDA for reducing your personal food waste.

Never shop without a grocery list. And make your list based on what you plan to eat before your next shopping trip. That, of course, suggest that you have a plan. Unless it is something that will not spoil, do not buy it if its not on your list, even if its a great price or special deal. Most special deals really aren't if you throw most of it away.

Try using frozen fruits and vegetables whenever possible. They are every bit as nutritious as fresh, you can use just the amount you need and they will not spoil. As a bonus, they are usually frozen washed and pre-cut.

Buy smaller quantities, especially fruits, vegetables, potatoes and bread that tend to spoil quickly. When possible, buy individually wrapped portions.

Move leftovers and older items to the front in your refrigerator so you don't forget about them. And "shop your fridge" before you head out to the store. You may already have some of the things you were about to buy more of.

Make more frequent trips to the store and buy less each trip. This sounds like a real PITA, but I find that it is really almost no effort to make a quick stop at the grocery while I am out doing other things anyway.

We can't fix this problem without the cooperation of government, producers, sellers and consumers. But we can each do what we can do right away.