Animals raised in a natural environment and on their natural diet are likely be healthier, and in turn, be a source of higher quality meat. Based on this premise, choosing meat from pasture raised animals makes a lot of sense and is supported by research that has identified a number of ways in which this type of meat is superior. However, a recent study done by researchers from Texas A&M is being used to claim the opposite, that beef from grain fed cattle is healthier than beef from pasture fed cattle.

Although there are many great reasons to choose meat from pasture raised livestock, eating conventionally produced meat is not necessarily a guarantee for poor health. Someone who primarily eats whole foods, is active, and manages stress well will still be likely to enjoy good health despite the concerns associated with conventionally produced meat. However, to insinuate in a general sense that beef from grain fed cattle is healthier than that from pasture fed beef is quite a stretch in my opinion.

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We’ve been told for years that skim milk and low fat milk are healthier choices than whole milk, but is this really the case? While this advice is mostly based on avoiding saturated fat, there are other important factors to consider as well.

Milk is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they’re able to eat and digest other types of food. It’s an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are critical to proper development. This applies to the fat content of milk as well. When the fat is removed, so is a portion of its nutritional quality and its ability to support healthy development. The recommendation to avoid milk fat is not only based on questionable science, but is also influenced by the profit based motives of the dairy industry.

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With the ridiculous and misleading claims that are made on the packaging of many foods, it can be difficult to differentiate the truth from devious marketing. This is important because the failure to make this distinction can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing.

To help you recognize the deceiving marketing that’s commonly found on food labels, I went grocery shopping and came home with a number of great examples. Aside from the obvious reason of it being unhealthy, I ordinarily don’t buy this type of food because it supports industrial agriculture, and in turn, supports irresponsible and inhumane farming practices. However, if I’m able to help steer you away from these foods, then it will be for a good cause.

The following are some of the most ridiculous and misleading food labels that quickly drew my attention in the grocery store.

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The food industry claims to be doing us a favor by implementing a new food labeling system that will help us make better choices at the grocery store. However, a closer look reveals that it’s probably nothing more than a marketing campaign.

This labeling system is known as the Smart Choices Program and the foods that it endorses bear a badge with a green check mark. Despite the name of the program, some of the foods that proudly display the green check mark aren’t smart choices at all.

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General Mills has successfully marketed their Cheerios brand of cereal to the point of it becoming widely recognized as a healthy breakfast food that helps to prevent heart disease. Are their claims for real, or are they nothing more than marketing hype?

One thing we can be sure of is that General Mills is pushing Cheerios as a “heart healthy” food very aggressively. The Cheerios box proudly boasts it’s cholesterol lowering capabilities and prominently displays the very expensive American Heart Association seal of approval, and just in case you overlook them, there are plenty of Cheerios commercials to make sure that you get the message.

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The low fat diet has been extremely popular for decades and is still strongly promoted by doctors and even the American government. As shown by the Fat Head documentary, it’s a load of bologna and many of us are suffering the serious consequences of our unhealthy fear of fat.

A Misconception About Fast Food

Fast food is undoubtedly an unhealthy and arguably unethical food choice, but not for the reasons you may think. Conventional wisdom tells us that fast food is high in saturated fat and is a major cause of today’s obesity epidemic. However, saturated fat is far from the nutritional villain that it’s made out to be and fast food is no more to blame for obesity than any other type of restaurant food. In fact, many people are overweight as a result of the food that they buy in the grocery store and eat at home.

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Despite the fact that humans have evolved on red meat, it’s been unduly regarded as an unhealthy food. While some of this is based on misconception, the health benefits of red meat truly depend on the livestock it comes from and how they’re raised.

As the most popular and widely available type of red meat, beef has been targeted with much of the criticism. While the beef from conventionally raised cattle deserves some of this criticism, grass fed beef is an excellent source of nutrition that promotes good health.

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Although there are many different forms of heart disease, atherosclerosis is the one that typically inspires most concern. It’s characterized by hardened arteries that restrict the flow of blood to the heart and is caused by the scar tissue created through the repair of cellular damage within the arterial lining. The scar tissue associated with atherosclerosis is susceptible to rupturing and can cause a blood clot that may further restrict, or even completely block, the flow of blood to the heart.

The materials that accumulate in the artery wall in response to cell damage are collectively referred to as plaque. As one of these materials, cholesterol earned it’s bad reputation simply by being at the scene of the crime.

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Do you know that dehydration can be promoting disease within your body at this very moment?

Most people realize that dehydration is a problem, but few understand that it can actually cause disease. In his book, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Fereydoon Batmanghelidj MD explains the significant role that water plays in the following conditions and how dehydration can cause them.

Gastritis and Ulcers

The stomach contains a mucosal layer that protects it’s lining from the highly corrosive hydrochloric acid used to digest food. While it’s the sodium bicarbonate in this mucosal layer that neutralizes hydrochloric acid and protects the stomach lining from it, 98% of this layer is water.

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I’m looking for some healthy energy shakes. I’ve got flax oil, organic frozen berries and organic whole milk. What could I use (besides bananas) to give the shakes some texture? Is there any other ingredient you would recommend always including?

Also, any links to recipes for healthy, organic shakes would be much appreciated! Shakes are convenient for after work-outs and for quick breakfasts when on the go.

With our fast paced culture and a trendy fitness industry, protein shakes have become quite popular. They go by many names and are also referred to as smoothies, energy shakes, workout shakes or recovery shakes. They’ve become so popular that there are even shops and franchises dedicated to selling them.

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