Many folks talk about this or that food being good or bad for you, and I certainly agree that ultra processed foods are bad for you and that we all need certain amounts of protein and I certainly need a basic amount of roughage. It’s also clear to me that too many carbs can be really bad for me, but I just can’t agree that something like red meat, one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, is bad for you as seems to be considered common knowledge. The studies done prior to 2020 on the topic were done solely using industrial foods and industrial red meat. Industrial farming and ranching destroys the soil which reaks havoc on ecosystem health which in turn destroys the health of all who partake of it. It’s really quite simple- want to be healthy? Eat from a local, healthy ecosystem with food that has not been industrially processed either. Think the food you get from the grocery store/ restaurant hasn’t been industrially processed? Think again. Our industrial food system has been corrupted on many levels. Organic foods get sprayed with organic approved poisons. Grass fed often means animals fed mono-cropped, sprayed grass hay in a feed lot. Calves from organic, grass fed dairies are separated from their mothers at birth. The list goes on and on. Plastics are everywhere including your food. The labels sound good, but are not very meaningful. Made in the USA only means packaged in the USA. Cage free hens are still over stuffed in hen houses with their beaks clipped so that they can’t hurt each other. Free range means at least 10 square feet of bare dirt per bird. USDA processing involves a chlorine dip for chicken carcasses. Many ingredients do not appear on labels as they have GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status meaning most have never been tested but the company who made them assumed they are safe and proclaimed them as such.
Some more recent studies have been done by groups like the Bionutrient Food Association that consistently show dramatic differences in the nutrient densities and fat profiles of different foods based on soil health and diversity of diet. Grass fed beef, when truly grass fed is considerably healthier than grain finished beef, but beef from a system with greater diversity and greater soil health is considerably healthier than grocery store grass finished or pastured beef. The nuance matters a lot. Labels do not tell complete stories. Organic certification generally involves one site visit per year and a lot of paperwork. Paperwork does not improve food quality and one visit per year does not ensure high quality management.
Of course obtaining great health isn’t as simple as getting your food from a healthy ecosystem- you need to live in a healthy ecosystem as well and genetics obviously play an important role. A healthy ecosystem for an animal/ human also involves a limited amount of stress, clean air and water, appropriate stimulation, love and support, a healthy family structure, play and social opportunities, etc.- things that are in short supply in the industrial system unfortunately. We need to sit down and enjoy our healthy food, we need to feel safe and cared for. And our food needs the same.
Please don’t just trust the label. Visit the farm, meet the farmers and ranchers, support local food and help build healthy ecosystems wherever you are. Do it for yourself- It’ll do you a world of good and it’ll create healthier soil too.