I am inspired by plants and promote a plant based lifestyle as you likely know. But that doesn’t mean that I am against meat completely. No matter what the base of your diet is. I have chosen to eat a mostly plant based diet because it works with my values and works for my body. That being said, I have always told my clients, class participants and guests at my talks that if you choose to eat meat, make sure it’s the best quality possible and less of the time. It’s about moderation, balance and making sure we are aware of where our food is coming from.
When it comes to sourcing your meat, you want to make sure it is not only organic, but sustainable grass fed and free range. The industry of factory farming has dominated our meat supply and completely affects the quality and accessibility of good meat. You may not be aware of this, as it’s so hard to know when you are just picking up a package of chicken or some steak at the meat counter – there is no connection to where it is coming from. Take things a bit further, ask questions, go to the farmers market or local stores in your area that focus on getting their meat right from the farmer. There is no question that this practice should be of utmost priority for you, if you consume farm animal meat.
Then there are the apparent health benefits of eating sustainable, pasture raised meat. Not only are you eating cleaner and more ethical food, you are likely to feel good about that but the nutrient profile of naturally and organically raised animals is far superior. Compared to factory farmed meat, sustainable meat has less fat, fewer calories, and higher levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, beta carotene, and other important nutrients. The other added benefit, sustainably raised meat is produced without the use of growth hormones, nontherapeutic antibiotics, or unsavory feed additives that undermine public health, these also contribute to oxidative stress causing inflammation and degeneration of tissues (ie. aging faster). And of course, unlike factory farms, sustainable farms don’t sicken workers and neighbors by spewing harmful pollutants into the environment. All of these things combined contribute to your health and you looking and feeling your best.
Just to tie this all together, what I am saying here is that if you do already consume meat or you are considering cutting back or even if you are vegan with meat eaters in your family, I encourage you to open your mind to appreciate and support the importance of choosing better quality food for that sake of your health and the sake of the animal. Eating clean food, both plants and animals keeps you youthful and vibrant because of the increased load of nutrients with sustainable food. This is an important factor we all need to consider and look deeper into, we can’t just pretend we don’t know where our food is coming from!
The Unspeakable Reasons to Avoid Factory Farming:
Is cruel to animals
Doesn’t promote diversity in foraging or feed for the animals
Animals become stagnant and sick
Living an unnatural life, given growth hormones
Damages our environment, land and ecosystems
The Reasons you must support Organic Sustainable Farming:
Promotes a healthy animal with better quality meat
They are grass fed
The land has diversity of crops and vegetation
Animals get to roam and enjoy their natural environment
They live a healthy longer life
I was Inspired to write this because of a recent interview on The Ultimate Health Podcast where I got the chance to interview Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. He is the real deal. When I was first exposed to him from the documentary Fresh, in addition to Food Inc, I was so touched by his commitment to better animals, better land and being a farmer that is truly ethical, moral and abiding by the laws of nature and not trying to defy them.
Listen here to the podcast we did with Joel Salatin
To get inspired with more plants at home join my HOME COOKED 4-WEEK COOKING SERIES. It’s my first ever time running this inspirational course to get more familiar with amazing plant based recipes on so many different topics like one pot meals, grains and plant-based proteins.
Sustainable Squash Boat
1 delicata squash
1/2 head of kale, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp avocado oil
4 oz of tempeh (marinated in maple orange glaze*)
*Maple Orange Glaze
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tamari or bragg’s aminos
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons onions, minced
1 clove of garlic minced
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Slice squash in half and place face down on a parchment lined pan.
3. Marinate tempeh in *Maple Orange glaze)
4. Warm a small skillet over low heat, add garlic and kale and saute for 5-10 minutes until tender but still GREEN!
5. Place Tempeh in the oven and bake for 20 minutes
6. Remove tempeh and squash from the oven. Scoop out seeds of the squash, pour in the sautéed kale, slice tempeh into strips and add 6 pieces on top of the kale. Drizzle with tahini and black sesame seeds.
