What meat is Superfood?

Grass Fed Red Meat is a Superfood!

Many have paid a high price in their health for avoiding red meat. As long as it’s raised naturally and is grass fed, red meat is one of the healthiest foods on earth. I will even go so far as to say it is a superfood!
Red meat is medicine. It’s one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, containing one of the most abundant dietary sources of vitamin B12, highly absorbable forms of iron and zinc, vitamin D, dozens of minerals and many other essential nutrients.(1)

If you don’t eat it, you may join many in the population who are B12, vitamin D and zinc deficient.

Iron

Red meat contains primarily heme iron, the form that is far more absorbable than the non-heme form of iron found in plant foods.(2) Non-heme iron is found in spinach and tofu, but little is absorbed because phytates in these foods bind to it and prevent its absorption. Surprisingly, even small amounts of red meat can aid in the absorption of non-heme iron.

B Vitamins

Red meat contains significant levels of B vitamins, including B12, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate, niacin, and vitamin B6. Eating red meat is one of the easiest ways to ensure adequate intake of your B vitamins.
Red meat is a rich source of vitamin B12, which is vital to proper functioning of nearly every system in your body, especially your nervous system. Tufts University reported that 39% of the population has a B12 deficiency low enough to cause neurological problems.(3) You need your red meat!

Zinc

Red meat is an especially important source of zinc. Many people are zinc deficient with an estimated global prevalence of zinc deficiency around 25%.(4)
Zinc is an essential mineral that is an imperative part of many functions in the body, including structure in many proteins and enzymes and regulation of gene expression. Zinc, ironically, is used to repair damage in our arteries. Without it, our arteries cannot be repaired properly, yet cardiovascular patients are told to avoid zinc-rich red meat.

Fats

Red meat gets a gold star for its fatty acid profile. Naturally reared grass fed meats contain approximately equal parts of saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only a small amount of polyunsaturated fat.(2) Contrary to popular belief, you must eat saturated fats to be healthy. In fact, you must ensure that 50% of your dietary fats are saturated to be able to absorb the minerals from your food.(5)

The reason red meat is such a celebrated superfood in the ancestral and paleo communities is because it’s exploding with highly absorbable nutrients. However, too much of any food is probably not a great idea and red meat, like any food, needs to be eaten in moderation and complemented with fresh vegetables and fruits. Great sources of grass fed, naturally reared meats are our local farmers markets at Brigg, Barton or the Humber Bridge and they’re not expensive as you’re buying the meat directly from the farmer. Try to avoid any meat from supermarkets as these are rarely grass fed or naturally reared.

Nature’s Most Potent Superfood

What “super hero food” takes giant leaps at offering amazing benefits for your health, the environment and your wallet?

I am talking about ORGAN MEATS!

Organ meat, also known as offal, is a “turn off” to many in today’s world. This was not always the case. Offal has been prized by cultures and tribes for centuries, considered as the most significant meat — saved exclusively for heads of family, hunters, elders, pregnant women, and upper echelons of society. Even in the wild, orcas will eat only a great white shark’s liver and the alpha wolf or lion will eat the liver and heart first, leaving the muscled meat for the rest of the pack.

What do these wild animals know that we humans are beginning to better understand?

Organ meats take home the gold for best execution in nutrient-rich density!

You might find it interesting here at The Maker’s Meadow, among the many organ meats we sell from beef kidney to lamb liver to chicken gizzards, we often see that chicken livers, beef hearts, and tongue are favorites among our customers.

Today, for those of you who may be on the fence, thinking offal sounds a whole lot like the word “awful,” I’d like to encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone. Organ meats should not be left for the adventurous at heart. (Pun intended) J

Allow me to share why you should challenge yourself to a new eating adventure and order yourself some chicken, beef or lamb hearts and more because your health and wellness means a great deal to us!

Please note information shared in this article only applies to pasture-raised, grass-fed, ethically raised, hormone free, GMO free organ meat.

Gut healing diets like the AutoImmune Protocol (AIP), GAPS, Whole 30, Keto, Paleo, Primal, Ancestral, and Carnivore Diet all include organ meats. Why? Organs offer a POWERHOUSE of nutrients and are shown to be an incredible aid in healing the gut. According to an article by Healthy Gut, “As far as nutrient density goes, organ meats are second to none. Gram for gram, they’re the most concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and essential amino acids.” The Healthy Gut article (referenced below) shares that organ meats are good for cardiovascular health, optimal joint health, a robust immune system, a source of energy, a proving aid in reducing arthritic pain, a contributor to radiant skin, and a healthy source for pregnant moms and babies.

Organ Meat packs the greatest punch of vitamins, minerals, and protein in one bite!

This chart created by Functional Medicine Doctor and Author Chris Kresser illustrates the incredible nutrition found in beef liver compared to a common fruit and vegetable!

There is a common misconception that by eating the liver of an animal, you are actually eating toxins
stored in the liver. One of the roles of the body’s liver is to help neutralize toxins but liver does not actually store toxins. Instead, liver contains one of the highest concentrations of nutrients designed to provide the body with tools to eradicate the toxins! When you eat liver, you are also consuming the very vitamins and minerals to help your body detoxify.

Feeling tired? Liver is a great energy booster. Dayton resident Leah McCullough, International Wellness Speaker and Author of “Eat to Energize: Strategies and Recipes for Using the #1 Super Food for Energy” found that eating liver daily helped her heal from Fibromyalgia. McCullough says, “Pasture-raised animal products, and liver in particular, are among the top nutrient-dense foods available for the human diet. If you want more energy, more vitality, and enjoy a better quality of life, eating these sacred foods is essential.”

McCullough recommends that if you’re not a fan of the taste of liver but want to reap the health benefits, you can actually cut up partially frozen RAW beef or lamb liver that has been frozen for a minimum of two weeks and chop into pill size form and keep in the freezer. She swallows four “liver pills” (one ounce) daily to maximize her energy levels.

Liver and beef kidney are good sources of Vitamin A, which plays an important role in our eyesight, tissue healing, bone growth, healthy skin, antioxidant effects, immune function, and cancer suppression. Vitamin D, a key player in immune health, calcium metabolism and bone growth, can be found in in pastured pork fat, beef kidney, and beef liver. B Vitamins are necessary for energy, metabolic functions, healthy skin and nerve functions and beef and lamb kidney, plus liver, offer some of the highest levels. Beef, lamb and chicken hearts along with liver are a great source of Vitamin B12, which is good for your entire nervous system, DNA production, healthy red blood cells, and overall energy booster.

Our bodies need Copper for hemoglobin production, collagen and enzyme formation, amino acid and thyroid hormone conversion, and nervous system function. Beef and lamb liver provide the highest source of copper while other good sources include beef and lamb heart, beef kidney, and chicken liver. Iron is also another important mineral that is part of our hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout our bodies. Iron, which is found in liver, heart and kidney organ meats, is also important for energy production, protein metabolism, bone formation and detoxification. Selenium protects our bodies from cellular degradation, acts as an anti-carcinogenic agent, aids in thyroid hormone conversion, and promotes fertility. Beef, lamb and pork kidney provide the highest source of selenium with chicken liver following second. Zinc is necessary for cellular functions like detoxification, energy production, bone and tooth structure, thyroid hormone conversion, fertility, digestion, immune function, taste, and blood sugar regulation. Good sources include liver and beef, chicken and lamb heart.

Organ meats are all an excellent protein source. What’s more, animal protein provides all nine essential amino acids that your body needs to function effectively.

Organ Meat honors our commitment to ethical practices

Have you heard the term eating “nose-to-tail?” This means that we are not wasting any part of the animal. It is honorable and ethical to consume as much of the animal as we can. Did you know that organ meats, also known as “viscera,” make up about 25% of the animal? Eating organ meats is a way to eliminate discarding up to a fourth of the animal.

Organ Meat offers the greatest bang for your buck

If your budget has taken a hit during these past few months or you want to save when ordering healthy meats, considering ordering offal. Not only are you purchasing more meat at lower costs, you are also guaranteeing a high return in nutrition. At The Maker’s Meadow you can order our organ meats at a really reasonable price!

-Our chicken gizzards are now being sold for only $2.50 a pound!

-Our beef kidney is on sale for $3.75 a pound! Beef Kidney is known to help reduce histamines.

-Our beef liver is $5.00 a pound and beef heart is only $5.75 a pound.

Cooking with Organ Meats

One of the best ways to start cooking with organ meat is to simply mix it with another meat to help you get used to the flavor. For instance, mix liver with ground beef or ground lamb. Also, soaking organ meats in lemon juice or milk before cooking with them can also help tenderize the meat and contribute to a milder flavor. If you cook with chicken gizzards, you will want to parboil them for 30 minutes before drenching in some flour, salt and pepper and then sautéing for a tasty treat. Carnivore Diet advocate Dr. Paul Saladino says most people like to start by trying beef heart because it closely resembles the muscle meats you’re used to eating.

“Eat to Energize” Author Leah McCullough kindly shared with us her favorite chili recipe that calls for “hidden” chicken liver that we would like to pass on to you to try. Click here for recipe!

We also recommend Maria’s Chili Seasoning. It’s an all natural seasoning that gives your chilly an amazing smoky flavor.

Resources

Superfoods For Complete Nutrition: Liver And Other Organ Meats

Leader Of The Pack

Imagine you are a wolf, a higher ranking wolf in the pack. If this is you you will be lucky enough to eat the vital organs of the packs fresh kill. The heart, liver and kidneys provide multiple advantages to your placement in the pack. Not only do they give you a distinct scent to let everyone else know your rank but the vital nutrients in these organs will actually alter the coloration of your wolf face and fur. An alphas face will have darker, more distinct markings while lower ranking wolves will have softer colors. Do you want to be the alpha wolf of the pack?

Liver And Onions

I’m sure you have heard or even tasted the famous dish of generations past, liver and onions. Most reactions to eating liver result is that of disgust or disapproval, even taboo to some. Did you know that grass fed liver actually provides natures most nutrient dense superfood? Here is a breakdown according to this website:

Here are some nutrients found in a 3.5-ounce serving of beef liver:

• Vitamin B-12: 3,460% of the RDI. Vitamin B12 helps the formation of red blood cells and DNA. It is also involved in healthy brain function.
• Vitamin A: 860: 1,100% of the RDI. Vitamin A is important for normal vision, immune function and reproduction. It also helps organs like the heart and kidneys function properly.
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2): 210–260% of the RDI. Riboflavin is important for cellular development and function. It also helps turn food into energy.
• Folate (Vitamin B-9): 65% of the RDI. Folate is an essential nutrient that plays a role in cell growth and the formation of DNA.
• Iron: 80% of the RDI, or 35% for women of menstruating age. Iron is another essential nutrient that helps carry oxygen around the body. The iron in liver is heme iron, the kind most easily absorbed by the body.
• Copper: 1,620% of the RDI. Copper acts like a key to activate a number of enzymes, which then help regulate energy production, iron metabolism and brain function. The body also cannot maintain normal magnesium levels in the blood if copper is low
• Choline: Liver provides all of the Adequate Intake (AI) for women and nearly all of it for men. Choline is important for brain development and liver function.

Liver In A Pill And Other Organ Meats

According to this website: “Liver is one of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. As provided above you can see It contains significant amounts of folate, iron, vitamin B, vitamin A, and copper. Eating a single serving of liver can help you meet your daily recommended amount of all of these vitamins and minerals, reducing your risk of nutrient deficiency.”

Here at Well balanced Center For Integrative Health we recommend Vital Proteins desiccated 100% grass fed beef liver. One of the reasons we stand behind this product is because it is third party tested for purity and quality and additionally tested for BSE . Liver also really does provide an energy boost without the crash like you get from caffeine. The recommended dose is 4-6 pills in the first part of the day to give you that extra edge. Many prefer this food based nutrient to a multivitamin for the simple fact that the inherent vitamins are more bioavailable in food form.

Kidney, Heart and Spleen Oh My!

Have you ever heard of Offal? Some would say offal is awful because it refers to all of the organs meats that are typically byproducts from commonly consumed animal products. Interestingly in the past few years not only is liver making a come back but so are other organ meats such as kidney, heart and spleen.

According to Organuary’s website, offal deserves more attention due to organs’ nutritional profiles. Heart muscle, as far as we know, is rich in the powerful antioxidant CoQ10. Kidneys deliver selenium, a mineral that is vital for immune function and hormone health. And spleen rich in iron , B vitamins and vitamin C. Nose to tail eating, as it has been deemed is rising in popularity. This is because organ meats can typically be found cheaper than most cuts of beef, lamb or duck and they pack more of a nutritional punch. These organs can be deliciously prepared on their own, put into sausages or even morning smoothies. But for the tender stomached individuals, are sold in capsules so that there is no taste at all, only benefit.

Where To Find And What

Without a doubt, when sourcing organ meats, always go for 100% grass fed and grass finished animals. This is because grass fed animal and organ meats from ruminant animals provide high quality omega 3’s, are richer in antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin B, C & E vitamins than corn and grain fed animals. Moreover, the nutritional value of beef finished on corn and grains is reduced substantially. Pasture raised animals also have less of an impact on the environment than factory farmed meats.

Brands we recommend are as mentioned above, Vital Proteins, Heart & Soil Supplements, Ancestral Supplements and your local butcher shop or farm for grass fed organs. If you want to be an alpha in your wolf pack try organ meats today and everyday!

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