subject: Why Prefer Free Range Products? [print this page] Grass fed animals provide a completely different range of products in comparison to factory raised livestock. Although the difference we perceive when we buy them is minimal, there is a huge gap between the two. The healthy diet free range animals are used to and their active lifestyle make them be lean and healthy. The types and quantities of fats we find in such animals have nothing to do with factory meat. It's like we are looking to products coming from different species really!
Also, CLA is a type of fat which recent research has proved to turn on fat burning genes, greatly assisting to weight loss regimes. CLA is also found in unprocessed raw milk, which is milk which has not been homogenized or pasteurized. Pasteurization and homogenization are the procedures used to supposedly make milk safe for mass consumption. These very same procedures destroy most of its magnificent nutrients and vitamins, transforming it to an unhealthy product. It is important to understand that grass fed animals are raised in natural conditions, as opposed to factory raised ones. The introduction of mass production and the advent of these huge unhealthy farms, where animals are restricted to a cage, being fed grains, hormones, antibiotics and meat products, imposed the introduction of procedures such as pasteurization so that the products from these dirty and unhealthy farms are safe for the public. The fact that in this way the nutritional value of the produce is minimized is certainly of lower importance in comparison to the profits being made. Of course this does not happen when the animals eat grass while being raised in the fields. It is necessary to distinguish between what is best for our health versus to what is better for big companies. In grass fed animals, the quantity and quality of fats along with the rest of the nutrients which co-exist make up a nutritious and healthy combo. Obviously, wild game is an excellent option when available and affordable. These animals have been 100% naturally raised, fed and lived, so you can only get high quality protein along with small percentages of healthy fat.
Obviously, this is the case for fish too. Wild fish are considered to be of superior quality in comparison to the farm raised ones. The former exhibit a balanced ratio of omega 3 / omega 6 fats, which is beneficial to human metabolism, in contrast to the latter, which have a greater amount of omega 6 fats. Eating healthy fats in controlled quantities can boost your metabolism and health levels. Consuming healthy fats will help you lose weight and lower the GI of your meal (see next section).Omega 3 fats interact directly with the DNA, turn on the fat burning genes and turn off genes responsible for inflammation and disease. Fats are also necessary for proper brain function and hormonal balance. Excluding them from your diet can compromise your athletic performance, cognitive abilities and efforts to lose weight. They are absolutely necessary in order for humans to maintain a balanced healthy body, mind and spirit. The only point to be careful with fats is that they are very calorie dense, they carry double the calories per gram, in comparison to protein and carbs (9 cal per gram for fats versus 4 cal per gram for protein and carbs). That means that, yes, we must eat the right fats, but in small quantities. 20-40% of total calories only should be coming from fats per day.
