Why I choose organic meat…

I came to that point in my health journey a few years ago where my gut health improvement plateaued and I couldn’t work out why. At that time I had also recently had a trip to Gwinganna and one of the most apparent differences between my lifestyle at that point in time and the choices promoted there was that I wasn’t eating purely organic. So as always I started to do a little more research and found that I hadn’t really taken the whole “organic” thing seriously… I had dabbled in it a little previously but didn’t really have enough education about the idea to really prioritise it as well as the price tag that came with it. I don’t mean with just fruit and vegetables either I mean across the board… meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts, skin care, hair care, tooth paste, deodorant, washing detergent, dishwashing detergent.

Why just think about what we are putting in our bodies why not prioritise what we are also putting on our bodies? Our skin is the largest organ in/on our bodies and is highly absorbent. Lets break this segment down into a couple of sections, today we will focus on organic meat and later we will talk about skin care, hair care and more.

I think one of the best ways to look at it is how are we meant to get healthy from animals that aren’t healthy? Cooped up in concrete compounds eating all manner of crap that these animals were never designed to eat, not to mention the chemical laden feed, injections of antibiotics as well as hormones.

We have really screwed with the commodity of food in society these days, unfortunately. We have fucked around with it so much that it is going to take a lot of work on our behalf to bring it back to where it needs to be … simple choices of spending that extra dollar on local, organic and REAL store bought milk to support the local farmers, investing into sustainably sourced fish, choose grass fed, organic meat from butchers who are local and try their best. Buy toiletries from companies who are giving back to society.

We certainly need to shop wiser with our dollar and realise it actually is powerful.

Since I am no expert in meat I had Karra from the Australian Natural Food Co write a little spiel about how their meat differs from the usual store bought meat.. you can read that below.

What is the importance of consuming certified organic meat?

Many people are skeptical when it comes to organic meat. Organic is known to have a price tag associated with it, so I think it’s really important for people to know why they should prioritize purchasing organic meat over conventional grain or grass-fed product.

Here’s a bit more information about grain fed, grass fed and organic meat.

I look it at that cows were designed with four stomachs to eat and digest grass. How is their body supposed to break down grains when this is completely against what their body is designed to do? Doesn’t it seem mean? The main reason for feeding an animal grain is to fatten them up and get nice marbling throughout the meat (and more money for the producer). However, people are unaware that when cattle are fed grain, they become very acidic which can cause serious health issues for the animal. Cattle who consume grain, have been seen to blow up and get puffy tummy’s as they are full of gas, sometimes getting so irritated that they are constantly trying to scratch their stomachs.

Their stomach lining breaks down due to the grain and can result in the animal’s hooves completely deteriorating and can even end in their death, as they become so unhealthy. To then go on and consume the meat of an animal which is in a stressed and acidic state, is absolutely crazy! Its not just about making sure the meat is good for us, but also about knowing the animal has lived a happy and free life, not suffered being uncomfortable or in pain.

Grass fed meat is huge at the moment, and at least its better then consuming completely grain fed meat. However, grass fed is a term which is very loosely used. Grass fed meat can still be fed grain, but they don’t need to declare it. Grass fed cattle is still heavily exposed to chemicals and toxins. All of their feed is covered with sprays and pesticides to kill off any weeds, they are injected with hormones and antibiotics to increase their size (more money for the producer) and fight off disease and can still have supplements added to their food and water. All of these synthetic hormones and chemicals which the animal is exposed to, are then stored in their fat, cartridge and bones, which we then go onto consume. These chemicals can cause havoc in our body as they are synthetic, and our bodies don’t know how to process them. They can affect our hormones and intricate processes of our body without us knowing.

Organic meat is pure meat with nothing added. It is a completely natural process. All of our produce roam free on their farms, eating a natural diet and having full access to open space. They are never exposed to any synthetic hormones or chemicals and drink from clean watering holes. Our beef comes from OBE organics which is a group of family owned farms based in the channel country of Australia. The land is known for its pristine condition, as it is not tainted with any chemicals or pesticides and perfect for organic farming. The cattle get to feed on over 250 species of native grasses and herbaceous plants, you can actually taste the flavor and difference in the meat. There is 1 head of cattle to 100 hectares so they have plenty of space to roam. Our lamb comes directly from Longreach, as we work independently with Longreach Organic Lamb.

They are a small family run farm and produce a beautiful quality product. Our poultry is produced by Bendele Farms at Kilkivan QLD. They hand raise their chickens and put so much care and work into raising their chickens, even putting them all to bed at night ensuring they don’t get taken by the foxes.

By eating organic meat, your reducing the number of synthetic hormones and chemicals your putting into your body. You’re also ensuring the ethical treatment of the animal, along with knowing that it has been sustainably produced. If swapping to organic meat seems like an expensive option for you, then I really recommend looking for some cheaper cuts to cook with and get creative. It is actually the less popular cuts, which can have the best health benefits! Try an old school cut like oxtail or osso buco, which is a more cost-effective option, and so easy to make! Simply put in the slow cooker, and you have a nice easy dinner, plus you get the added health benefits of cooking with the bone (hello collagen).

If you have any little health issue or your just not feeling right, than I would highly recommend to start making small changes to swap your foods to spray free or organic where you can, your body will love you for it!

Karra - co owner, Australian Natural Food Co.

You can check out their website and use my discount code “sofandshan” also through their online ordering to retrieve 15% off discount on your order.