When you see the packages of meat marked “organic” next to the less expensive “regular” meat, do you wonder if there is any real difference? Why is organic so great? Is one or the other actually better for your family? You might be surprised at some of the facts about the difference in these meats.

Organic beef is raised without antibiotics, hormones, or other medication. The animals are allowed to graze in open pastures, provided a balanced diet of organic feed that contains no animal products, and clean housing to minimize disease.

Conventional beef is fed animal byproducts (totally against their vegetarian nature), kept in close quarters,  given growth hormones to increase size, administered antibiotics and other disease preventative medicine. The antibiotics are necessary because the cattle are kept so close together. They are fed animal byproducts as a cheap source of protein, which comes from the left-overs of beef, chicken, pork, and horse slaughter houses. They are also fed grain, usually laced with pesticides, which cause a change in the PH balance in their intestine (it becomes more acidic) which in turn encourages an increase in the numbers of E-coli.

A cow raised in a natural state on pasture land has room to move around decreasing the fat content of the animal. They eat a natural diet as nature intended. Mad Cow Disease does not develop because they are not supplemented with animal products in their feed.

A cow raised in a feed lot is packed in with up to 100 other cows. If one gets sick, they all get sick, which is why they are all routinely given antibiotics. The industry for general beef production wants the cattle as large as possible as quickly as possible, hence the growth hormones. These hormones and medications are passed through with the animals’ waste. As the waste is absorbed into the ground, the hormones and medications are taken with it eventually ending up in the area’s water table.

Organic Meat is Healthier

Organically raised beef is healthier. It contains less overall fat, and has more Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin E content. It doesn’t have to walk around in its own waste, which dramatically reduces your risk of eating E-coli contaminated meat. When you eat organic meat you are not consuming hormones or other medications, and their waste isn’t contaminating our water supply with hormones and antibiotics.

Packages are now displaying cooking instructions to kill any E-coli in the meat with high temperatures. But I’ve seen E-coli under a microscope, and I prefer not to eat those little worms living or dead.

When looking for Organic meat, the package should be clearly marked with a round organic seal. The National Organic Program has a regulation that requires all organic livestock to be traceable. This means that if you have a problem with the meat on your table, it can be traced back to the farm and even the individual animal.

The USDA Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards:

• Animals must have access to the outdoors, including access to pasture for ruminants.
• Meat animals and poultry may be vaccinated.
• Meat animals and poultry may not be given de-wormers for any period of production. Dams cannot be given de-wormer during the last third part of gestation or during lactation.
• Meat animals and poultry cannot be growth-implanted, given growth proponents, fed urea, or given antibiotics for any reason.
• These animals must be fed 100% USDA organic feed. The standards allow for certain vitamin and mineral supplements.
• Meat animals are raised under organic management from the last third of gestation, or no later than the second day of life for poultry.

Here’s some more information on organic beef from Dr. Greene.

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Would you believe that spicy food, especially chili peppers, have monumental physical and mental health benefits? It’s true. If used regularly as part of your diet you may experience better moods, be more alert, get sick less often and even increase your life expectancy.

Chili Peppers contain significant quantities of vitamin C; 91mg. per ¼ cup of fresh peppers. The red peppers (not the green) also have high concentrations of beta-carotene. The heat from any type of hot pepper triggers the pain receptors in your mouth, which turns on the feel-good endorphins in the brain. This decreases feeling of stress or depression, and is a great way to end or begin a day on the job. Splash some hot pepper sauce on your eggs.

People in countries that regularly eat hot and spicy foods have a much lower incidences of everything from cancer to thrombosis (blood clots).

The chemical in chili peppers that give them their heat is called Capsaicin. It is shown to:

• Lower ‘bad’ cholesterol
• Stop cancer cell growth in the laboratory
• Increase endorphins in the brain (endorphins are mood enhancers)
• Increase metabolic rate – thereby increasing weight loss
• Act as a blood thinner and breaks down clots
• Lower Triglycerides
• Aid in digestion
• Reduce nerve pain (arthritis, psoriasis, shingles)
• Some even saw improvement in their bad acne.

Capsaicin is measured in parts/million. This is translated into Scoville units. For perspective on how this works; A Sweet Green Pepper has 0 Scoville units, the hottest known chili pepper, the habanero, averages 250,000 Scoville units.

The health benefits are can be enjoyed in fresh, dried, ground or pickled chili peppers, as well as in the powdered version or in a hot pepper sauce.

Turmeric, a relative of Capsaicin, is found in Curry Powder. Curry’s name comes from the chemical Curcuma which is found in the Turmeric and gives the bright yellow color. Curcuma has shown importance in several areas:

• Removes plaque deposits in the brain which may help with Alzheimer’s disease
• Reduce inflammation
• Aids in muscle repair

According to the University of South Carolina researchers, athletes should eat foods containing curry for a few days before a game.

Adding spice to food makes whatever dish you are preparing more satisfying for a longer period of time, which makes it a great all natural and healthy diet aid.

As people age they lose some of their ability to taste, just like hearing or eyesight loss. That’s why many times they use more and more salt which, of course, carries its own health risks. Using strong spices and peppers in their food preparation may help increase their enjoyment of food and lead to less salt use.

If you are unfamiliar with the different types of peppers and their heat indexes, try some Anaheim Peppers from California first. These are the most popular pepper sold in the U.S. Their Scoville units range from 100 to 10,000 units. Ones grown in California tend to be milder than the ones found in New Mexico.

There are many ways to eat them and lots of recipes can be found on the internet to give you new ideas for spicing up your healthy meals.

Every wonder why that certain person always manages to stay so skinny no matter what they eat? Chances are their metabolism is on overdrive. Whatever they eat is burned up before their body stores it as fat. Jealous? You shouldn’t be.

Most people don’t realize that your metabolic rate is not fixed. Your activity levels and the foods you eat have a direct impact on the rate that your body uses the energy stored in the foods you consume. You can increase your metabolism. In fact one of the easiest ways to do this is by eating. There are actually foods that speed up your metabolism.

Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

Add a few of these to your list next time you run to the grocery store:

• Apples
• Celery
• Garlic
• Lemons
• Mango
• Onions
• Papaya
• Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Berries
• Oranges
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Nut milks
• Seed milks
• Asparagus
• Cucumbers
• Pineapple
• Grapefruit
• Cauliflower
• Raw Nuts & Seeds
• Green, Leafy Veggies
• Rolled Oats
• Whey Protein
• Almonds
• Natural Yogurt
• Green Tea
• Beans
• Spinach
• Eggs
• Turkey
• Chicken Breast
• Peanut Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Canola Oil
• Whole grains
• Berries
• Cayenne Pepper
• Coffee
• Water
• Steak
• Salmon

How Do They Work?

Metabolism boosting foods work for 5 general reasons.

1. Foods containing fiber and complex carbs keep insulin levels low while you eat. Why is this good? Spike in insulin send a signal to your body that tells it to start storing fat. So your metabolic rate slows, fewer calories are burned and more fat is stored.
2. Foods that are spicy or contain caffeine increase your heart rate. This increased heart rate can have a significant effect on the number of calories your body burns in a day.
3. Foods containing a chemical called EGCG (usually found in tea) cause your brain and nervous system to operate more quickly. This equates to more calories burned in a day.
4. Foods high in protein take longer to digest. You body has to work harder to break down proteins that it does for fat or carbohydrates. Thus more calories are burned in the digestion process
5. Foods packed with Omega-3 fatty acids effect the levels of the hormone leptin. Current research shows that the levels of leptin in your body has a direct relation to your metabolic rate. More leptin means more calories burned.

A Few More Tips

Start early with a smart breakfast that includes some of the items above. Why? When you sleep at night your body goes into fasting mode and you burn fewer calories. Starting the day with a good breakfast kicks your body out of that mode and starts you burning more calories earlier in the day.

Eat smaller meals throughout the day. When eating more often, you tend to eat less at one time, which reduces the strain on your digestive system allowing it to work more efficiently.

When snacking, stick to foods high in lean protein – nuts and seeds are great. These foods also contain a high amount of amino acids which take more work to break down. This means more calories are burned to digest them.

Put these into practice with the list of foods above and you’ll be well on your way to a speedy metabolism.