If you’re like me, and you eat meat once in a while, then you want to make sure it’s humanely raised and the highest quality meat around, and that it doesn’t have any antibiotics or hormones. Similarly, the type of fish you eat is just as important, and should only be wild-caught. Here’s why:
Grass fed meat and wild-caught fish is higher in antioxidants, lower in calories, has about 50% more OMEGA 3, and has added immunity and anti-inflammatory benefits.
In fact, the difference between wild-caught and farm raised fish is a completely different nutritional value altogether. Wild-caught salmon has almost half the calories, half the fat, and about 1/6th the Omega 6 (that’s the bad one). Farmed fish have lower Omega 3 which throws off the Omega 3- Omega 6 balance resulting in inflammation.
Farmed fish also contain antibiotics, which we end up consuming with dangerous results. Overuse of antibiotics is causing diseases to become resistant to antibiotics, resulting in 2 million people in the U.S. being infected with drug-resistant superbugs, which kill at least 23,000 people a year. Farm-raised fish is also treated with pesticides, which are killing up to 95% of migrating juvenile wild salmon! And the list goes on!
We face some of the same issues using antibiotics on farm raised animals, yes, even chicken! Then there’s all the hormones, which is routinely injected into young livestock to make them gain weight faster. Synthetic estrogen and testosterone are the most common, which is implanted as a pellet in a cow’s ear at an early age and it releases these hormones throughout the animals’ lives. Initial concerns of these hormones range from hormonal imbalances and weight gain, to increased risks of vaginal and breast cancer. Unfortunately, most studies on these risks are industry-funded and conveniently show “no risk.” However, independent studies suggest a potential cancer risk from these hormones.
My wife used to get frustrated trying to consistently find high-quality meat in the store, and when she did, boy did we have to pay a lot for it. So, I understand that if you’re on a budget it makes it even more difficult to get the most nutritious meat available. However, I urge you, if it’s not in your budget, then you’re better off not eating it at all.
The good news is that my wife finally found the absolute best online source of meat and fish at super low prices, so now we never have to guess about the meat we’re eating again. Though we eat very small quantities of meat, and tons of fresh organic veggies, I still need to know that the meat I am eating isn’t wreaking havoc on my body or the environment.
