I love steak. I still remember a conversation Ed and I had when we were dating. It went somewhat like this:
Ed asked, "What do you like to eat?"
I replied, "French fries, burgers, and steak... and oh, I love vanilla ice cream too."
"What are you... a man?" he said jokingly but in shock.
Ed asked, "What do you like to eat?"
I replied, "French fries, burgers, and steak... and oh, I love vanilla ice cream too."
"What are you... a man?" he said jokingly but in shock.
Yes, I ate like "a man", a man who didn't understand the importance of nutritional food. I still love french fries, burgers, steak, and ice cream but I switched out the french fries for baked sweet potato fries, I eat my burger with a side salad and no bun, I make my own vanilla ice cream, sometimes with coconut milk, and I am picky about what type of steak I buy. In other words, I am much more conscious of what I put into my body now compared to six years ago.
It's not only important to be mindful about what we eat but...
we should also be mindful about what the foods we eat, ate.
It's not only important to be mindful about what we eat but...
we should also be mindful about what the foods we eat, ate.
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Conventionally, cows are raised with grain-based feeds, made up of soy and/or corn, in order to fatten the cows up quickly. These conventionally raised cows are also given drugs and hormones so they can grow faster and survive the unsanitary living conditions. This way of feed leads to a severe drainage of natural nutrients.
Many studies have shown that the nutrients in beef can vary depending on what the cows eat. Click on this link to read one of the many studies I've read. (I chose to share this one with you because it was the shortest and most straight to the point). The takeaway message from this study, and from many similar studies that compared beef that come from grass-fed cows to beef that come from grain-fed cows, is that the beef from grass-fed cows contains higher levels of omega-3 and lower levels of saturated and monounsaturated fats compared to beef from grain-fed cows. Cows are naturally designed to feed on grass, not on cheap grain-based feeds.
Omega-3. I see this word a lot in the supermarket plastered across egg cartons and milk containers. I know that it's good for me but what exactly does omega-3 do? According to Harvard School of Public Health,
omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health. We need omega-3 fatty acids for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain, and since our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats, we must get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids are also associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke. New studies are identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Many studies have shown that the nutrients in beef can vary depending on what the cows eat. Click on this link to read one of the many studies I've read. (I chose to share this one with you because it was the shortest and most straight to the point). The takeaway message from this study, and from many similar studies that compared beef that come from grass-fed cows to beef that come from grain-fed cows, is that the beef from grass-fed cows contains higher levels of omega-3 and lower levels of saturated and monounsaturated fats compared to beef from grain-fed cows. Cows are naturally designed to feed on grass, not on cheap grain-based feeds.
Omega-3. I see this word a lot in the supermarket plastered across egg cartons and milk containers. I know that it's good for me but what exactly does omega-3 do? According to Harvard School of Public Health,
omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health. We need omega-3 fatty acids for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain, and since our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats, we must get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids are also associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke. New studies are identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Even though reading all these articles out there have throughly convinced me to switch over to grass-fed beef, I still have one large problem -- the cost. Grass-fed beef can be 50% - 80% more expensive than the conventional beef. The way I justify this cost is to understand that this large gap in the price tag is an investment. I am choosing to pay more for higher quality grass-fed beef as an investment to my health, to my husband's health, and to the health of our not yet conceived child (because a mother's diet before contraception can alter her child's genes).
Grilled Garlic Skirt Steak with Sautéed Peppers, Onions and Cabbage
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, grated
1.5 pounds skirt steak, grass-fed if possible
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cabbage, sliced
Preheat grill pan over two burners medium-high heat. Massage half the grated garlic onto one side of the steak and season liberally with salt and black pepper.
Place garlic rubbed side of steak on heated grill. Grill for 4 minutes per side. While waiting, rub the rest of the garlic on un-grilled side and season with salt and black pepper. Set the cooked steak aside to rest.
On same grill pan, heat coconut oil and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage to the onion and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the grill.
Slice the steak on a slight angle against the grain. Serve the steak with the vegetable mix.
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, grated
1.5 pounds skirt steak, grass-fed if possible
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cabbage, sliced
Preheat grill pan over two burners medium-high heat. Massage half the grated garlic onto one side of the steak and season liberally with salt and black pepper.
Place garlic rubbed side of steak on heated grill. Grill for 4 minutes per side. While waiting, rub the rest of the garlic on un-grilled side and season with salt and black pepper. Set the cooked steak aside to rest.
On same grill pan, heat coconut oil and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage to the onion and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the grill.
Slice the steak on a slight angle against the grain. Serve the steak with the vegetable mix.
