you live near a farm that sells natural or organic meat, or order from
a ranch that can ship to you, you may wish to save money and buy a
large quantity of beef so that you always have some on hand. The
meat will keep well in a freezer until it’s time to make another order.
When cooking beef, keep it on the rare side. Studies show that
beef cooked medium, medium well, or well done is associated with
higher rates of stomach cancer. This is due to the production of car-
cinogens (certain nitrogen compounds) created during cooking. Heat-
sensitive nutrients, such as the amino acid glutamine, are also signif-
icantly reduced in meat cooked beyond rare. The less cooked the bet-
ter. Bacteria in beef is usually due to the food-handling process. While
bacteria can reside on the surface of meat, it won’t get inside unless
the meat is ground. Almost all cases of food poisoning involving meat
are from sources that have been ground ahead of time. For this rea-
son, ground meat should be thoroughly cooked unless it’s freshly
ground just before eating it.
The Poultry Flap
I rate eggs and beef as the best sources of protein but give poultry a
poor rating due to how most of these animals are raised and
processed. If you find an excellent source of chicken and turkey, and
you really enjoy eating it, these are great protein foods.
The poultry industry has done such a good job telling you on
paper how healthy chicken is over other meats, but this is untrue. In
fact, because of lower standards, chickens are generally raised in
more unhealthy environments than cattle and other animals. Today’s
chicken house is really an overpopulated filthy city, containing
100,000 birds or more, cooped up in tiny boxes or very crowded con-
ditions. Because of this, most chickens are given many chemicals and
drugs to counter common diseases and infections.
The best birds for the table are organically raised — they’ve not
been treated with or fed any chemicals or drugs; instead, they are
given certified-organic feeds and filtered water. This may be the safest
of all poultry. Many grocery stores and health-food stores carry
organic chickens and turkeys. In addition, you may be able to find
birds such as these from a local farm.
MAKING WISE PROTEIN CHOICES • 91