FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK:  THE FLESH & BONES OF THE MATTER

We’re a little late in getting Part II of our Nutrition Series out.  The renovations to expand our facility have kept us rather busy.  But now it’s time to get down to the flesh of the matter.  Get your mind out of the gutter though we’re talking about protein here.  Proteins are the building blocks of the human body; it assembles and utilizes thousands of different proteins to form organs, nerves, muscles and flesh.  All proteins are combinations of just 22 amino acids, eight of which are “essential” meaning that the human body cannot make them.  When we have the essential amino acids present in the diet we can usually build the other “nonessential” amino acids.  If just one essential is low or missing, the body is unable to make the other proteins it needs.

 We need protein for growth and repair, the formation of hormones, the clotting of blood and regulating the acid-alkaline balance of tissues and blood.  Animal protein is our only source of complete protein.  All of the essential and non essential amino acids are present in animal products.  2 sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom are legumes and cereal grains; each is lacking in certain aminos and should be eaten together with at least a small amount of animal protein.  However, please review Part I on the dangers of consuming improperly prepared or too many grains.

 Our primitive ancestors subsisted on a diet composed largely of meat and fat, augmented with vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts.  Studies of his remains reveal that they had excellent health.  Animal products supply fat soluble vitamins A and D, are rich in minerals and vitamins B6 and B12.  The amount of meat, fish or fowl you include depends on your genetic makeup and on hormonal factors.  Some people require lots while others do better with smaller amounts. The birth of agriculture allowed a more comfortable lifestyle but at a price.  When man began processing and refining foods things began to change.  When refined sugar and vegetable oils were not present, many diseases were not.

 Meat, milk and eggs in our supermarkets are highly contaminated and vastly inferior in nutritional quality to those available to our ancestors just a few decades ago.  Modern cattle-raising techniques include the use of steroids to make meat more tender and antibiotics that allow cattle to survive in crowded feedlots.  Chicken are raised in crowded pens, under artificial light and fed on substandard food.  Their eggs are inferior to the qualities of free range properly nourished hens.  Most of our food supply is cancerous and pathogenic. 

 What are we to eat?  Obtain organic beef, lamb and chicken that are pasture fed.  Buffalo, wild game as well as game birds like duck, geese, pheasant and wild turkey are rich in nutrients and add variety.  Eat organ meat in addition to muscle meat.  Avoid farm raised fish, which gets antibiotics, additives and inappropriate feed such as soy meal.  Eat wild fish as often as possible.

 Where can we get these protein sources?  For local sources I would recommend Nutrition Smart, Whole Foods and Nature’s Harvest, to name a few.  Some items can be found in the Publix Greenwise department.  Pasture raised meats are also available from local farmers and ranchers.  Contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, www.westonaprice.org.  Sources I have personally used and would recommend are www.peacefulpastures.com for beef, pork, fowl, lamb and goat, www.blackwing.com for beef, fowl, wild game, lamb and poultry, www.eatwild.com and www.vitalchoiceseafood.com for seafood to name a few.

 I often wonder what happens to the rest of the chicken when all you see anyone eating are boneless, skinless breasts—how dry and tasteless. The whole animal is good for you—the organs, the skin and the bones.  The bones make rich stocks full of nutrients used to heal and prevent diseases.  All of the marrow is in the bone and the closer to the bone the sweeter the meat.  Get creative and experiment with different sources.  The health benefits may surprise you as well as add variety and TASTE to your diet, no bones about it!