Not quite ready to turn vegetarian? Grass-fed beef may be another alternative...

How to Feel Better About Eating Beef

by Marlie Parsons

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One of the best arguments for switching to a vegetarian diet is the long list of problems related to eating beef. It's full of artificial chemicals, hormones, residual pesticides and antibiotics. Furthermore, the way most beef cattle are raised is bad for the planet. They're herded into crowded feedlots and fattened up on grain. Fortunately -- for beef lovers and for Mother Earth -- there is an alternative. It is still possible to find natural, drug-free, grass-fed beef.

There are several reasons why grass-fed beef is better than conventional beef. For starters, it's healthier to eat grass-fed beef because it's lower in fat and has fewer calories. Beef from cattle that graze on grass instead of being fed grain contains a much higher level of beta-carotine -- about twice as much. And beta-carotine is recognized as helpful in lowering the risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease. Want more proof? Beef from grass-fed cattle tends to have more Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for keeping the heart healthy, and in lowering the risks for arthritis, allergies, autoimmune diseases, obesity and resistance to insulin.

Of course the reason why so many cattle are fattened up in feed lots is just that -- so they will gain weight. Beef cattle are sold by the pound, and stuffing them with grain makes cattle fatter and heavier. The trouble is, cattle are not meant to eat grain. Their natural food is grass. Grain is hard for them to digest. To compensate for their unnatural diet and cramped conditions, feedlot cattle are given grain that's laced with antibiotics, steroids and hormones to make them fatter.

Once a person has made up her mind that it would be better to switch to grass-fed beef, the problem then arises of where to find this specialty item. The author of this report recently did an internet search for "grass-fed beef" plus the name of her city. She found one butcher shop that carries grass-fed beef. Of course, it was located on the other side of her city, and she lives in an urban metropolis of about two million population.

It has been reported that beef from grass-fed cattle can be every bit as delicious and, as previously stated, even more nutritious than what has become known as conventional beef.

One unexpected source for grass-fed beef is a ranch in Dillon, Montana where Black Angus cattle graze in open pastures, the way cattle used to be raised for hundreds of years. They have been raising cattle there since 1869 without the use of any pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. In 2002, the 88,000 acre ranch became known as La Cense Beef, and they very recently started making their steaks, roasts, ground beef and other cuts of grass-fed beef available through an online store. For more information visit www.lacensebeef.com.

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Marlie Parsons is a freelance journalist who writes about alternative health, nutrition and sustainable living.