Is beef bad for me? 
If you know me at all, you know that I rarely deal in absolutes, especially when it comes to nutrition. So, of course I’ll say that all beef is not bad for you.
There is a pretty big difference between beef that has been raised in one of those places you see in the movies, and grass-fed beef. Most commercially raised cows are just fattened up to provide as much meat as possible. They are fed foods like corn, given antibiotics to prevent diseases and possibly given fortified supplements in an attempt to make them more healthy. This doesn’t even begin to address the possible stress they endure living in cramped quarters. This ‘unnatural’ lifestyle, in cow terms, would have a huge detriment on the health of any animal.
Grass-fed cows are typically allowed to roam pastures, especially if you get them from a local farmer. In this environment, they eat what they would naturally eat…grass! When any animal eats what they are designed to eat, live the life they are designed to live and endure ‘natural’ stresses, you can only imagine how much healthier they are.
One of the reasons that ‘regular’ beef is so unhealthy is that it is pro-inflammatory. Inflammation is at the root of most diseases, so anything that encourages inflammation is definitely not good for your health. What makes beef inflammatory is the fact that it is very high in Omega-6 fatty acids. While our bodies do use Omega-6’s, you may know that it’s Omega-3’s that are the really good fats. Omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory, they are protective against heart disease and, for the most part, we don’t get enough of them, unless you live somewhere that salmon is a staple. When you look at grass-fed beef, it can actually have the same amount of those good Omega-3’s as a healthy piece of salmon. Now, that’s impressive!
So, if you look in my fridge and freezer, all you’ll find is grass-fed beef. It may be more expensive. Who am I trying to kid? It’s always more expensive. But when you compare it to the cost of salmon, it certainly doesn’t stress me out, especially when I know what it’s doing for my health.
