Do you know where your burgers, steaks and roasts are coming from? More importantly, what it contains? Things like ammonium hydroxide, aka “pink slime”, can be found in hamburger meat, among other questionable ingredients. Conventional meat also contains pesticides. These chemicals are widely used in conventional agriculture and residues remain on (and in) the food we eat. Pesticides accumulate in the fat cells of animals and are passed along to us when we consume animal products. Children and fetuses are most
vulnerable, since their brain and immune systems aren’t fully developed. Pregnant and lactating women should also be careful, as pesticides can pass through the placenta or the breast milk to the baby. The accumulation and burden that these chemicals put on our bodies can lead to health issues such as headaches, birth defects, weakened immune function and lead to serious diseases.
A word on the unethical treatment of farm animals:
· Animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy, windowless sheds and confined to wire cages, gestation crates, barren dirt lots, and other cruel confinement systems. Most won’t even breathe fresh air until the day they are loaded onto trucks bound for slaughter.
· Livestock raised in factory farms live in unsanitary conditions filled with feces and toxic gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and methane. The abundance of poop can lead to serious run off problems and groundwater pollution.
· Disease is widespread among conventionally raised animals and they are frequently treated with antibiotics and hormones. Public health authorities have linked low-level antibiotic use, in conventionally raised livestock, with a decrease in the ability to treat human infection with antibiotics.
· Fed drugs to fatten them faster and keep them alive in conditions that could otherwise kill them
· Genetically altered to grow faster or to produce much more milk or eggs than they naturally would (many animals become crippled under their own weight and die just inches away from water and food)
How to choose your meat wisely:
· Get to know your local butcher. These people are the specialists and they are happy to share their resources.
· Choose meat, dairy and eggs that are certified organic, free-run or grass-fed; this ensures the animal has lived a healthy life and had room to roam freely.
· Check out Farmer’s Markets, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Groups, Co-ops and Health Food Stores to purchase organic foods and to help support organic growers.
Eating a predominately plant based diet is the best way to help our bodies deal with the over exposure of pesticide residue build up. Consuming too much meat can lead to an acidic environment in our body and this is where disease thrives. Most fruits and vegetables are alkalizing and contain anti-oxidants which help us stay healthy.
