Beef without Grains

The first time I ate grass fed/grass finished beef, my taste buds had a celebration. I was told that my taste for things would change; that my body would let me know what I needed, and what it wanted. I was a little skeptical on that, but figured I'd test that theory out!
Similar to most Americans, I knew little about what my meat was eating while they were grazing in the fields....at least I hoped that was where they were hanging out prior to being on my plate....I had heard of grass fed meat before, and that seemed pretty self explanatory. However, I had not heard of grass finished meat before. What was the difference?! It is actually pretty basic.

Basically, grass fed cows eat grass MOST of their time on the farm. In the last 2-3 weeks before going to slaughter, they are fed grain to fatten them up. This wouldn't be a problem for most people, however, with the sensitive stomach that I have, I couldn't risk eating the grains the cows ate. 

Finding grass fed and grass finished meat is not an easy task. The health food stores in my area don't actually sell much meat. The meat they have is grass fed, but not grass finished. Luckily, Publix has a delicious brand called Strauss.

They make the first beef I have tasted in my life that had me craving it every day since! That first night we cooked the meat, I was a little nervous to see what it would taste like. I only had one hamburger on my plate, with loads of veggies. I took one bite of the meat, and my world stood still. It was the most amazing meat. I couldn't stop eating it! I ended up eating two burgers! That's a lot for me! It was a feeling of excitement that was new for me. A delicious food that is ok for me to eat?! I was in heaven! Not only was this meat grain free, but it also had no antibiotics or hormones added to those poor cows (more on my sensitivity to those things later). The meat was so much leaner. I could almost tell that the cows the meat came from were healthy and happy cows. Sounds crazy, I know, but it has changed the way I choose my meats! To read more about what could be in your meat, check out this link: http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/other-meat-concerns-antibiotics-hormones-and-toxins/

Taking control of what is going into my body is certainly paying off. I am feeling better, and noticing that I am also feeling stronger. This seemingly small step has turned out to be an enormous one for me in the bigger picture. One more step in the right direction towards my healing and my overall health!