A Cow’s Life

I am not one to get caught up in hype or believe a lot of propaganda or even support a cause (unless it has to do with dogs) or political movement, but I am damn fired up about something that I need to express right now.

The issue is Factory Farming. Do you know what Factory Farming is? I’ll keep this G Rated so if you are interested in the really reallys about it and the meat you eat, click here.

This is my calling. It’s my new purpose.

You may be wondering where all this came from. I’ll tell you. I attend the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to advance my Health Coaching skills and credentials. Last week’s lessons were around the topic of the meat we eat, how animals are treated on the farm, what that means to your health and the world around you. Turns out, I had a lot to learn. I never knew the horrendous nature of Factory Farming, and I doubt you really know either so I am hoping this blog opens your eyes to something very awful that you can be part of the change.

Now I am not suggesting we all go vegan, but if you want to, go for it as there are loads of benefits to it. I like eating meat and I suspect many of you do, too, so here’s what I suggest as it is not only healthier for you, it is better for the environment. First, you can cut back your meat intake as I did. I also found a local butcher who raises all their animals in a pastured environment, eating grass and roaming free without antibiotics. The benefits of grass-fed beef are hard to deny. From the nutrient content to the fatty acid composition to the ethical issue of treating animals without cruelty, meat from grass-fed, free-range cows win every time.

In fact and according to the Huffington Post, Sound science has emerged to demonstrate that eating meat, milk and eggs from grass-fed and pastured animals will provide your body with more health-enhancing, disease fighting materials than industrial-grade CAFO (Confided Animal Feeding Opersations)-raised protein.

The chemicals going into these meats can cause various diseases like cancer.  The statement you are what you eat holds true. Do you even know what you are putting in your body? I beg you to investigate everything you eat. Where did it come from and how was it treated? The negative effects on your health could be very dangerous.

I may not single handedly stop Factory Farming, but I will make sure I do my part to tell people about it and stop eating Factory Farmed animals.

I now go to a butcher in Ocean Isle Beach, NC, The Butcher of Brunswick. All the meat is raised on a farm, no hormones, grass fed and free range. It takes me thirty minutes to get there and some of the prices are higher than a grocery story, but the benefits outweigh any of that. After all, if I am going to eat meat, I am going to eat meat that has lived a good life. It’s worth every penny to know I am doing what I can to make the world a better place while helping myself be that much healthier.

What will you do? For yourself? For world? 

Why not start by learning more about Factory Farming so you can make informed and better choices?