Recipe: Chicken Soup

I'm often asked, "So... what do you eat?" It's a good question. I do not eat grains, diary, pork, shell fish, sugar (not even fruit,) starch, fish with high mercury content, nightshades (such as tomato,) or moldy foods (like peanuts.) My diet is very low in carbohydrates, which means my diet is extremely limited compared to the average American diet.

I could just as easily say, "I eat beef, chicken, turkey, walnuts, green beans, spinach, etc...," but that would actually make my diet sound much more limiting than it really is. I decided that I'll share my recipes with you in order to show that it's not that difficult to eat such a restrictive diet.

Here's what you need to know about my cooking: unless I'm baking something, I don't use exact measurements. You can easily half, double, triple, or quarter these recipes because it's not about getting exact measurements.

Today's recipe:


Quick Chicken Soup

• 1 Chicken breast

• 1/2 can coconut milk fat OR 3-4 table spoons coconut oil (I prefer the milk fat for overall taste and texture)

• Chicken broth to taste OR coconut milk to taste (broth gives it a thin chicken flavor, milk makes it creamy and richer.)

• 2 dashes of cinnamon

• 3-4 dashes of poultry seasoning

• 3+ dashes of turmeric

• 3+ dashes of ground ginger

• Himalayan or sea salt salt to taste (if you use broth, pay attention to how much salt is already in it!)

• Optional: green peas, carrots, broccoli, and/ or asparagus

•  Optional: Omit other seasoning and use a curry seasoning mix instead. 

Chop the chicken breast into small bite sized pieces. Throw them in a stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic pot (avoid non-stick due to the hazardous toxins that leak out into the food.) If you want to include vegetables, throw them in. Add the coconut milk fat or coconut oil. Dump in your seasoning. Now fill the pot with the coconut milk or chicken broth (only pour as much in as you want to eat.) Put a lid on it. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes (or until it lightly boils,) then turn it down to low (2-3 on my stove.) Let it simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour it in your bowl and enjoy!

Note about coconut milk: Whole fat coconut milk in cans tends to separate, but not always. I don't always know if the milk will come in one creamy liquid or separated into fat and liquid!  The solid part in the can is the milk fat. That's what I add to my soup. If your can of coconut milk is not separated, I'd recommend using the whole can and then add in broth to finish filling out the soup.

Note about chicken broth: I have only found two brands on the market that fit my needs: it must be MSG/ Yeast Extract (they're the same thing) free. It must not contain any sugar or starch. It should not use "natural flavors." The two brands that fit my needs are Imagine and a certain line of Pacific stocks. (Click on each brand name to get taken to a page the shows the broth.) Please check the ingredients to make sure - both brands have lines of broth and stock that contain MSG/ Yeast Extract. These ones I linked to do not contain it.

A detailed retelling of my break down. What it was like to work while chronically sick.

Every time I go through a period where my gut is irritated and unhappy, I'm reminded of how horrible my health was just over a year ago. I didn't know it back then, but my gut health was one of my most significant problems, causing issues in the rest of my body. I haven't detailed just how terrible my health was on this blog because it's not a time in my life that I like to revisit. I've only said as much as I needed to in order to make my point in that post. I think I will revisit it, to some degree, in this post as a way of connecting with my readers who are currently suffering. The best time to write about this topic is when I'm not feeling my best, because I want to express the pain in some way. (I'm okay- don't worry. What I'm experiencing at the moment will pass in an hour or two. I knew something was wrong when I woke up this morning because my dreams were very hostile and angry, and sure enough, my gut isn't in good shape today.)

Most people would assume that when you're deeply suffering you have two options: you either fight to survive, or you break down in tears and give in. What if neither option works for you? That's where I was at for a few months in late 2013. I simply didn't have the energy, strength, or mental capacity to fight or cry. I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep living, because I couldn't see the point when I was a total vegetable. Crying wouldn't have helped because it would have taken up the tiny bit of energy I needed to stay alive. I was blank. My brain didn't work right: I couldn't think well, my memory wasn't working, I didn't feel time passing, and my dreams were so weak they couldn't even form a story. My body wouldn't respond to my will: I spent my days mostly in bed because I couldn't support myself, getting up and going to the bathroom felt like I was training to run a marathon, cooking and eating felt futile and unimportant because of how much energy it took, and everything hurt all the time.

Some days were better than others. I was at my weakest after 13 days on Cymbalta. It made me so much worse! Before that horrible anti-depressant experiment, I was functioning on some level. I was still going to my 30 hour per week secretarial job, but I wasn't holding myself together. I couldn't remember the names of people who came into the office regularly, my eyes were crossing as if I hadn't slept in days, I took much longer to complete a basic task than I should have needed, and I just couldn't get excited about things happening in the office that I should have been excited about. During the year I was at that job I got worse and worse. When I first started the job in 2012 I did feel exhausted, but capable of working. Shortly after starting the job, I got a MRSA abscess on an area of my body with extremely delicate skin and tons of nerve endings. I took 2 weeks of sick time to recover from that (much of that time was spent in the doctor's office and in the ER screaming at the top of m lungs in sheer pain.) A few months after that I lost all motion in my right wrist and thumb, finding myself in a splint and brace for 4 weeks. I had to do my job with my left hand, which wore it out. I then found my left hand in a splint and brace for 4 weeks. By that point, my exhaustion had turned into physical pain, and after several months of seeing doctors, I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It's a wonder they ever put up with me - I'm shocked they didn't fire me for being too sick all the time. It was then that I was put on Cymbalta, which forced me to be bed ridden. I missed about 3 weeks of work because it was impossible to get out of bed, even after I quit the Cymbalta. That's when my parents brought me out to New Hampshire to see a naturopathic doctor who could help me, and he's been the greatest blessing for me (along with my husband and parents, who I love very very much!) I quit my job after I came home from seeing him, because I finally learned, in detail, just how poor my health was. I knew I needed to put all my energy into recovering, not working. And frankly, I no longer had the strength to work. It was no surprise to anyone that I quit my job.

What was it like in detail?
Oh my goodness. Try going to work every day with a foggy cloud wrapped around your head and your eyes. I was always a bit dizzy. My speech was mumbled and slurred, and I couldn't find the right words to say. I had a difficult time focusing my vision because everything I looked at was a little on the blurry side. My legs and arms had a constant dull ache which would turn into sharp jabbing pains when I moved them. I had to go to the bathroom every 5-20 minutes because my bladder muscles felt too weak. I was nearly constantly clenching so I wouldn't leak. My gut gurgled and churned on a regular basis. I could often feel it pulsing (the same type of feeling as when a nerve twitches under your skin.)  My skin was almost always icy cold and pale, and I hated touching my body because it felt achy and cold. My brain refused to work, even when I tried as hard as I could to focus it. Every thought I wanted to have turned into a blurry, floating, dreamy image that would linger for a second then fly away, leaving my brain blank. I found myself thinking out loud to people, because I really didn't have the ability to think about my response before responding to them. I'm sure I said a lot of things that made no sense to people. I caught myself not breathing fairly often, and when I was breathing it was very short and shallow breaths. I caught myself staring at my computer screen for minutes at a time, having no clue how much time had just passed while I was zoned out. My coworker/ office mate would often start talking to me and I would be so zoned out that I didn't even notice. I got scared very easily, and my adrenaline and heart rate would sky rocket when someone unexpectedly walked into my office. I was also growing more and more dyslexic, in that I was often typing the last letter of a word first, or writing a number different from the number someone told me to write down. I couldn't trust that I took accurate notes. Oh my goodness, then there were the times when I was teaching Faith Formation classes as a substitute or even leading the classes of 1-8th graders through the hallways or to the church - I found myself sweating and panting from all the stairs and long hallways through the church education building. It was embarrassing to look like I was working out at the YMCA every time I needed to physically work with the kids. 

When I could no longer work and I quit my job, the time I spent my days laying in bed was miserable, but better. I didn't have to work, didn't have to impress anyone, didn't have to think straight, didn't have to be coherent to anyone... I was free of the burden of being a functioning member of society. The problem was that it allowed me to focus only on my pain all day long. I couldn't see anything other than my own misery. In a way I felt better because I wasn't spending my energy on things other than my health, but in a way I felt worse because I wasn't using my body anymore. It was a true "break down." I laid there with my whole stomach and gut churning and throbbing, my legs and arms aching and stabbing, my muscles building tension like they were violin strings getting tuned, my bones cracking and swelling with every motion, and my brain lost in the twilight zone.

I didn't know how to fight.
I didn't have the energy or care to cry.

A year a few months later, I'm writing this post while feeling about 50-60% better on average (though I have occasional periods of time where I feel 70% better.) I now have the knowledge and tools I need to fight, and so I'm spending every day fighting. The effort is paying off. I now have the energy and care to cry, but I haven't felt like it. The feeling of hope that has developed has me too happy and excited to want to return to how dark and painful those times were.

I sincerely hope that my story reaches your heart and helps build a sense of empathy within you. It's so easy to make assumptions about people who are sick. It's so easy to say, "Gee, maybe he'd feel a lot better if he didn't eat fast food all the time," when in reality that person is overweight and lethargic even though he's eating only whole foods and goes for daily walks. It's so easy to say, "Well you know that person just wants attention and isn't trying to do anything about their perceived pain; I mean, if you're in pain, go to a doctor and fix it," when in reality that person has spent $10,000 on doctors who haven't been able to help. It's so easy to say, "That person is useless to society, look at the way she brings everyone around her down with her depression and weak body," when in reality that person might be desperately trying to hold on to friendships and a social life so she feels like she does have meaning in her life, despite her constant pain. Please, avoid judgment. While many people do actually make themselves miserable by eating a stereotypical fast food diet and refuse to see doctors, many people are sick despite their best efforts to be well.

I ate mostly organic non-processed foods before I got that sick. I did get some regular exercise in (in that I wasn't a couch potato.) I did see doctors. I did try to get help. I still had a complete break down.

You should know that my memory was very bad during the time when I was my most sick. There's a lot that I simply cannot recall because my brain wasn't healthy enough to form memories. This post is probably lacking a lot of detail because of this. I sincerely hope that you cannot relate to this problem, but as I've been reaching out I've been meeting many people who, unfortunately, can relate. If you're one of the people who can relate, do not give up. Healing is possible. You probably won't find the help you need through western medicine, surgery, or drugs (as you probably have already learned,) but help is out there in other forms. That is what this blog is about. Don't give up.

High Fat? I'm thinking so!

I am completely exhausted, and only moderately interested in writing this blog post. The sinus infection wiped me out and I'm still attempting to recover from it. My husband's schedule has been chaotic and I've been trying to keep up with helping him out (and attending a performance he played piano for, which made me a little sick because I was surrounded by perfume and hairspray in the audience.) The weather has been jumping up and down too, and the barometric pressure is really messing with me today. I just can't win. I'm toast.

...Except for the energy I gained from what I just ate. It's not much, but I'm choosing to dedicate it to this post.

As many of you already know, I've been eating a high protein diet with very low carbs and no sugar. It's been working very well for me. I wasn't paying attention to one important thing, though: fat. All along I've been using whole fat coconut milk, coconut oil, avocados, walnuts, fatty steaks, and so on. I have not been avoiding fat by any means, but I have not been focusing on it. Since reading all the success stories that other people have had by being on a high fat diet (mainly based on Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis,) I decided to experiment.

Last night I mixed whole fat organic coconut milk fat in with organic unsweetened sunflower seed butter (I cannot tolerate almonds or peanuts, so sunbutter is my preference.) I did this because the cans of coconut milk I ordered came with the fat separated, and no amount of shaking or stirring would fix it, so I wanted a way to use the fat. This is the result:



Coconut milk fat whips the same way that heavy cream does: it turns into "whipped cream." I didn't blend the two ingredients quite long enough for it to become a thick whipped cream, I just blended until the ingredients were not separate. The result was a super rich, creamy, desert-like texture and taste. Yum! Next time I want to try adding raw organic coco powder in as well.

I ate a little bit before I went to bed last night. I normally eat a little protein before sleeping to keep my blood sugar level stable throughout the night (hypoglycemic issue.) This did not work as well as pure protein before bed. I struggled to fall asleep because I actually gained some energy, and woke up much hungrier than normal. (My blood sugar felt okay, thankfully, because hunger usually means I'm totally zoned out, and I had the ability to focus - my stomach was actually growling, which is a sound I haven't heard in over a year.)

I ate the rest of this as my afternoon snack. Within 20 minutes of eating it, I went from dragging so hard that I could barely focus on my computer screen to feeling a current of energy beneath my tired eyes and head. I have felt very satisfied for the last hour. I didn't feel like I ate much food (so I didn't feel "full" when I was done,) but I've had no desire to eat more and I'm still feeling satisfied.

This was not my first experiment with focusing on high fat foods in my diet. Over the past 2 weeks I've stopped cutting the fat off my meat. I hate the texture of animal fat, but I've been eating it anyway. I've had whole avocados as snacks (I can't have them too often because they're starchy, so I limit to 3 a week.) I've been adding coconut oil into my tea and I've been choosing to cook with it instead of olive oil. I've felt less hungry than normal these past two weeks, and the bloating in my gut went away. I haven't lost more weight yet, but my inflammation is down, so I look slimmer.

In other words, eating high fat is complimenting my high protein diet very well. Food is more filling, satisfies for longer, gives me more energy, and has been very gentle on my delicate gut. It sure beats eating extra vegetables to feel more satisfied, which in turn bloat me and give me a bit of a sugar high because vegetables are so high in carbs! I don't know why I keep eating so many vegetables. They don't do me any favors. I just like the taste of them. Sigh.

There's a lot to know about what fat does for the body. Rather than explaining it myself, since I'm a little too tired to care to get into the details, watch this testimony. She has done some serious research (and is a nutrition major in college,) and explains why our bodies need fat in an easy-to-understand way:

MCS - Sinus Infection!

Oh. My. Goodness. I never want to go through another sinus infection ever again!

At first, I was really upset. I haven't had any type of cold, hay fever, or flu in well over a year. 2014 was the only year in my whole life that I didn't get sick with some bug. I'm very proud of that, because I as a kid and teenager I got sick all the time. And then I ended up with a sinus infection. No!! Thankfully, this sinus infection may not technically count as a bug. It made me sick, but it isn't a virus or bacterial. It was (and still is) an MCS reaction.

Last Monday (3 days ago) I thought I would be able to handle taking care of a couple important errands. First, I went into Staples to have something printed, but their machine was down. I bought a couple other things I needed, but I started to feel sick pretty quickly. I could smell cleaners though out the aisles, and then my cashier reeked heavily of cigarette smoke. Then I ran across the street to a grocery store I normally never shop at. I didn't notice getting worse in the store, but I wasn't feeling good. I grabbed a few things and got out quickly. My print job wasn't done, so I was forced to go to another store. I went to Office Depot. They took forever, and it was moderately fumey. I felt my anger start to rise, which is a typical allergic reaction for me. I went back to my car, did some breathing exercises to try to calm down, and then made one final very stupid decision. I was right next to Big Lots, and I really needed an extension cord so that I could plug my car in (to keep the engine warm - North Dakota problem.) I should have known better, because Big Lots has always given me problems (so many scented things in their store!) I wrapped my scarf around my face as a filter, ran into the store, grabbed the cord, bought it, and bolted out. I was in there for no more than 3-4 minutes. The scarf didn't work. I could taste a film of chemicals on my tongue. My eyes were burning red and a bit swollen. My heart was palpitating.  I felt completely exhausted. I also felt like the Hulk. My anger was totally out of control, and I had to take time to sit in my car for a while before I drove home because my rage was too strong to be safe to drive. If you knew me when I was a kid, did you ever see me when I had an allergic reaction to something I ate? I didn't just break out. I got angry. Intensely angry. This is not a new issue for me.

When I got home, I felt really congested. 2 hours later my garbage bin was filled with used tissues. I haven't had a congestion problem in over a year! I brushed my teeth and tongue a few times to get that film of chemicals off. I changed my clothes, showered, and drank some calming tea. I didn't calm down until the evening, but my sinuses hurt more and more. The next morning I woke up with a sinus infection. It totally wiped me out. I was completely useless all day Tuesday. I'm still fighting it, but I'm past the fever and have energy back.

Yep, MCS induced sinus infection. No fun! It's scary - I did not know I would get that bad. I never would have imagined I would ever get this type of reaction! I'm even more scared of all the toxins in our world now. This is a really serious problem.

Looking back, I remember all the sinus infections and ear infections I had as a kid. I was always put on antibiotics for them, and they didn't always seem to help. I'm wondering how many of those were reactions to chemical exposures now. I think about all the scented markers, crayons (which are highly toxic,) and various craft supplies (like glue) that we used on a regular basis in my grade school class room. I think about how the janitor would have to come into the classroom during lessons to clean up someone's vomit and he used the "stinky" cleaner (this happened often enough that our class named the cleaner he used because it reeked worse than the vomit did.) I was also in many sports, girl scouts, and summer programs. I was out of the house in public environments very often. I wouldn't be at all surprised if many of those sinus infections were a reaction.

So, where do I go from here? I think step one is to get a mask and/or a nasal filter that I can wear when I need to be in public. I wasn't convinced that I was "bad enough" to need to wear a mask before, but now I am. I'm still researching the best one to buy that fits my lifestyle and needs. I'm leaning towards getting an I Can Breathe mask along with a nasal filter.

How am I treating my sinus infection?

Well, I was short on supplies when it struck. I do not own a netti pot. I was out of saline spray. I cannot tolerate medications (this is nothing new - most cold meds have always given me nasty bloodynoses or anger issues.) I didn't have any menthol rub. But I've been managing.

The first day of the infection my throat was way too swollen up to swallow any pills, but yesterday it opened enough where I was able to take some of my regular supplements. Glutathione works! I doubled the amount I normally take and it reduced the severity of the infection quickly. In the past I've had problems with all the mucus and gunk getting stuck in my sinuses, making it very hard to get out. I haven't had that problem with this infection - it's all pouring out of me (or getting coughed out.) I'm pretty sure the glutathione is helping with that. What also has been helping has been lots of very hot salt baths. I would had added eucalyptus if I had any, but my bottle was dry. Hot showers feel good, but they're not as effective. I've also been putting my face over boiling water and breathing in the steam. This is very helpful at opening up the inflammation and letting loose all the mucus. Finally, I've been making a lemon turmeric ginger tea (half a lemon's juice, a teaspoon of turmeric, and teaspoon of ground ginger mixed into hot water.) It's very soothing!


Allow me to end with a cartoon that isn't exactly related to this post (processed foods are loaded with toxic chemicals though,) but made me laugh pretty hard:

Perfume and wheat is a painful combonation!

I'm treating this post more as a record for myself, but this experience is worth sharing.

Let me begin with this statement by Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly:

As a Roman Catholic, one of my biggest contentions with my religion is the use of modern wheat to make the hosts used as the Eucharist. My issue isn't with the transubstantiation itself, it's very simply with the use of modern wheat, which isn't even the same type of wheat that was in the bread that Jesus broke at the Last Supper. I think the Vatican needs to hire a nutritionist to compare the type of wheat the Jews ate in 32 AD to the new strain of wheat we're served today.  (If you read Wheat Belly by Dr. Davis, you'll learn that the wheat in Jesus's time only had something like 24 chromosomes while wheat today, which is an intentionally dwarfed modified version, has 48 chromosomes - lots of differences - but I have not verified these numbers to make sure they're correct, so don't quote me.) Since the theology of the wheat is so paramount to the Mass, shouldn't the church explore what the correct wheat to use is?

The reason for my theological thoughts are due to my choice last night (though this is an issue I've been struggling with since my doctor had me go grain-free.) Since going grain-free over a year ago, I have rarely taken the Eucharist, knowing any wheat at all would mess with my body's ability to heal. Every time I ate the Eucharist, I did notice a reaction of mild heart palpitations. Last night I took the Eucharist again, hoping a mild allergic reaction (because I am actually allergic to wheat) would be the worst of it. This time, the effect was much worse.

Let me back up a bit first. I was already feeling a bit ill when I went up to receive the Eucharist.  As you know, I'm intolerant of perfumes and other chemicals. A heavily perfumed woman sat next to me at Mass. I was very frustrated, because I waited right before Mass started to take a seat so that I could carefully choose a seat away from people wearing perfume at the end of the pew. I found a great spot, and then about 5 minutes into the Mass this woman, without asking, suddenly stood next to me and gave me the "make room for me" look. She assumed I would slide over so she could sit next to me at the end of the pew. The problem is that it's normal to slide over to make room for people, so her expectation that I would move over for her was normal. I didn't know what to do - I slid over and let her in. I didn't want to be rude, it was difficult to talk to her because the Mass had started, and I didn't realize at first that she was heavily scented. A few minutes later I started to notice the smell of bananas (yes - she smelled like banana ice cream, of all weird scents) radiating from her, and about 15 minutes later I was feeling pretty ill. There were several points where I wanted to get up and find a new seat, but looking around, I didn't see any better options. The sanctuary was packed. It's also very difficult to walk around discreetly in that church - everyone would notice if I got up and walked around. So I decided, for the sake of an experiment, I would sit next to this lady all of Mass and see just how bad my reaction to her perfume would get. My eyes were burning, my brain shut down, I was really fatigued, my eye was twitching, and I had mild heart palpitations. I made it through Mass, though, and I didn't get to the point where I "couldn't take it anymore." I wasn't feeling well, but I was functioning well enough to make it through Mass (though I had zero focus for the homily.) I think this means that my chemical sensitives may be improving - I am, after all, on a remedy that should help lessen the reactions. (Have I ever mentioned how helpful my doctor is? :) )

Keeping the fact that I was already reacting in mind, the Eucharist made me feel more ill. I quickly had worsened heart palpitations. After getting home from Mass, I noticed my gut was starting to ache. I soon had painful, sharp gut cramps and started to bloat. My bowel was irritated in several ways, and I couldn't seem to reduce the pain. I drank plenty of lemon ginger tea, took some enzymes, took some anti-inflammatory supplements, and even took extra probiotics. Nothing helped. I went to bed hoping I would feel better in the morning. I did sleep fairly well for 9 hours, thankfully. My gut, however, wasn't feeling much better this morning. Several trips to the bathroom revealed just how irritated my gut actually was. I also have been in a horrible mood all morning. I've been angry, aggressive, frustrated, unhappy, and cynical. My skin has been itchy, and my muscles are aching and pulsing. This post is partly the result of trying to get my agitation out - I needed a venue to complain.

I don't doubt that the MCS perfume reaction made the wheat reaction worse. MCS reactions have triggered digestive issues, such as heartburn, for me before. I do know, however, that many people report having similar reactions to any grain, especially wheat, after being grain-free for a year or more (like I have.) Wheat is known to be very harsh on the gut, causing IBS, leaky gut, small bacterial overgrowth, candida, and more gut problems. I had many of these issues before going grain-free, so it's no surprise to me that consuming wheat can make this problems return.

As for the problem of receiving the Eucharist, I have already spoken about this with priests and friends who have a solid theological understanding of the Eucharist. If you are reading this and want to discuss this dilemma with me, please contact me and I'll let you know what I learned. As much as I love to discuss theology (it is, after all, what my degree is in,) this blog isn't meant to be about theology.

Questions you should really be asking about your food.

The more I learn about food, the more interested I am about it. Where most people couldn't care less about seeing the cow they're planning to eat (or that even grosses them out,) I find it really fascinating and satisfying. Have you seen the Portlandia skit about the couple in a restaurant who won't order the chicken until they meet it?

No, I'm not that extreme! Ha! I don't need to know the animal's name or if it was the type to put its wing around it's buddy's shoulder. I am, however, very interested in knowing most of the other questions this couple asked. Is it local? Is it organic? How was it fed? What was it fed? Who is the farmer? These questions are very important. Most consumers just want to enjoy their food. They don't care what the meat's history is. I used to be that way too. I ate for enjoyment and comfort, not for health and nourishment. The more I became aware of how food affects the body in either a positive or negative way, and the more I learned about how food is medicinal, the more I found out just how important these questions actually are. I now eat to maintain my heath, not for taste. Real food actually tastes better, makes me feel better, and makes me less sick. Naturally, I don't want to get sick again, so these questions remain very important to me.

Is it local / Who is the farmer? That's a great starting question. When it's local you save money because you're not paying for this shipping costs. You also support the local economy, helping small businesses in your area succeed. Furthermore, when it's local you can go and meet the farmer, even make special requests! You can rest easy knowing exactly how your food is raised. You no longer have to wonder things such as, "Did the company spray glyphosate on this?" When you understand that many common farming practices makes food very toxic, you really want to know if those toxins are in your food. You want control over your body and your health, don't you?


Is it organic? The certification will help answer a lot of questions right away. It means the food is not GMO, does not have glyphosate (Monsanto's patented pesticide made specifically for their GMO crops) intentionally sprayed on it, and has a good nutritional content. If something is certified organic it isn't necessarily the healthiest option, but it's always a better option than non-organic. When it comes to meat, we can't be sure that "organic" means well-raised, though, which is why the next questions are more important.

How was it fed? The way animals are raised substantially impacts the quality of the meat. When animals are caged and don't get to move around, they don't develop properly, and this ends up meaning the meat is not only less nutritious, but unhealthy for us. The meat is fattier, more acidic, more toxic (because the toxic were not exercised out,) and less flavorful. Just look at what exercise does for the human body. It's the same in animals! Would you want to eat an animal that has been so sedentary its whole life that its brittle nutrient deficient bones break from the sheer weigh of the body? Well, that type of chicken meat is most common. Mother Earth News did a fairly indepth study on free-range vs caged chickens and eggs. I think the photos in this news story do a good job of showing why cows are healthier to eat when they've been pasture-raised.

What was it fed? This question couldn't be more important. It is more important than whether the meat is organic or not. Let's look at humans first: if a human spends their life eating only sugar and wheat flour, how healthy do you think he'll be? Probably very obese with multiple health issues, such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, severe psychological damage, and more. Would you want to eat an animal that also had all these heath problems because of the way it ate its entire life? Well, if you're a meat eater, you already do on a regular basis. If you want a good introduction to how sick feedlot cows are, I highly recommend either watching or reading Food Inc. Another very insightful documentary is King Corn. What you'll learn is that cows are not actually capable of digesting grain, but feedlots feed cows grain because it's cheaper and it fattens the cow faster. Farmers are actually trained to surgically remove stomach ulcers from cows that formed from trying to digest corn. There's another major consideration about what the animal was fed. We eat what the animal ate. If the cow was fed corn, candy bars, and garbage its whole life (and yes, that does happen more often than you want to know,) the meat is going to made of nutrients from corn, candy bars, and garbage. If the cow was fed grass its whole life, which is what cows are naturally designed to eat, we eat the nutrients from the grass. Grass is loaded with nutrients, because it pulls nutrition directly from the soil that the cows personally cultivate by walking on it and pooping on it (sustainability!) Humans cannot digest grass, so we get the nutrients from it by eating the animal that ate the grass. Important stuff - there's great reading material out there.




I typed this while I enjoyed a wild-caught sustainable salmon steak with an organic lemon, after just picking up the half grass-fed cow we just bought from a local farmer for half the price per pound of the grass-fed meat from the local grocery store. Good times.