Hi all!
Just a reminder to book your appointments for the NorCal Fitness Wave visit coming up on Saturday September 17. Visit http://www.fitnesswavenorcal.com/ and find CFPH on the calendar tab. Spots are filling up so hurry! If you tried to make an appointment and nothing was available, comment on this post. We can add more time based on demand.
Thanks!!
Here’s a shortcut list to the various types of beef quality for your reading enjoyment.
Grass Fed- The animal must be raised completely on “forage” for the duration of its life and must have continuous access to pasture. No grains allowed. Meat from grass fed cows are noticeably leaner, and dry cooking methods can make some cuts tough. Marinating and cooking with fat, and using wet cooking methods (like stewing) can help combat this. Health benefits: less e-coli, more omega-3 fats, more Conjugated Linolenic Acid (CLA). Check out what MDA has to say about grass fed benefits.
Organic – no antibiotics or growth hormones ever given. No limitations of grain/corn fed except that the feed must also meet organic growing standards (ie free of “most” pesticides).
Natural – Means nothing. No standards, not regulated.
Grain finished – No specific standards that I have been able to find, but generally means most of the cow’s life is on pasture, happy and eating lovely grass. Then for the last few months they are fed some grain to fatten them up and make the meat more tender. Grains fatten animals up? That’s weird….
Regular old grain fed/ CAFO cows – ahhh the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. They can’t move, they’re standing in their own (and their neighbors!) feces. Because of the high risk of infection, they’re pumped with continuous antibiotics (bonus! This is the main contributor to our problem with antibiotic resistant superbugs like MRSA!). They’re given growth hormones to make them slaughter ready much faster, and grain fed to make em extra fatty. Yum.
Bottom line: Grass fed is best. Organic is second best. Grain finished isn’t ideal but ok on occasion. CAFO is gonna kill you. The more you eat of it, the more important it is to have the higher quality. Be cool like me and join a meat club.
Goes from Prime à Choice à Select à Standard à Commercial à Canner. References both amount of marbling (fat woven into the muscle meat, mainly in grain fed cows because they’re fatter, makes the meat more tender), and the maturity of the animal. So Prime will have the most marbling and the younger animals, Commercial and Canner will have the least marbling and be from the older, tougher animals. Doesn’t that sound delicious? See here for a breakdown.
Also, different retail beef cuts and how to cook ‘em.
Questions? Next post is going to be on poultry and eggs, so let me know if you have any burning questions in the comment section.
Go beef!
Fitness Wave is returning to CFPH on September 17! Book an appointment online for the hydrostatic body fat test…. aka dunk tank. Newbies, get your baseline body composition measured. Not-so-newbies and those who participated in the paleo challenge, track your progress and stay motivated. The tank will be returning in December and then quarterly.
Alison
Although the “summer” weather here in SF doesn’t always invoke images of backyard BBQs and pool parties, classic summer vegetables are still locally grown and readily available. Below is a list of some summer staples and their health benefits. Yum!
Cucumbers – Not only are cucumbers refreshing because of their high water content, but they are also good sources of magnesium, fiber, vitamins C & K and silica – a necessary component of bones and collagen. For maximum nutrients, leave the skin on and wash thoroughly to remove the waxy coating.
Tomatoes – Available year round but most delicious when local and in season. There’s more to the tomato than the typical beefsteak variety -heirlooms in particular come in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. High in vitamins C, A, and K, tomatoes are probably best known for their lycopene content which becomes more concentrated when the tomatoes are cooked.
Squash – Zucchini, crookneck or pattypan, summer squash offers an abundance of nutrients for very little calories. A great source of fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants and even anti-inflammatory properties, squash is brimming with health benefits. Most of these compounds are found in the skin and seeds, so make sure to consume in its entirety. Bonus: you can grate squash and hide it in a number of dishes, from meatloaf to brownies for a moist and delicious addition and no one will suspect. Paleo trickery at its finest…
Eggplant—Call it an Aubergine if you want to get fancy, the flavanoid anthocyanin gives eggplant its characteristic purple color and also its health benefits ranging from antioxidant activity to combating chronic inflammation. To reduce the sometimes tough, spongy texture, “sweat” cubed or sliced eggplant by generously sprinkling with salt and letting stand in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Thoroughly rinse before cooking to remove most of the sodium.
Avocados – With all of these extra vegetables, you’re going to need some fat to help you absorb your fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Considered to be an aphrodisiac in some cultures, avocados supply a good amount of potassium and magnesium (needed in especially high amounts for athletes due to primary roles in muscle contraction and relaxation), monounsaturated fats, B vitamins and even some protein. Oh, and ridiculous amounts of DELICIOUSNESS.
Basil – Spice it up! Typically considered a flavoring rather than a vegetable, basil actually brings a host of health benefits to the table. Basil’s essential oils have shown to have both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and can also prevent cooking oils from oxidizing. Animal studies have displayed positive effects of basil on blood pressure and blood sugar.
(Full disclosure: some of the above are botanically categorized as fruits, although used as veggies in cuisine and lower in sugar than most common fruits. Do you know which ones?)
Some links:
Can’t afford to eat all organic, all the time? While local, organic is the best choice, I realize it’s not always totally feasible. Check out this guide on how to avoid harmful pesticides without breaking the bank.
Too busy to sleep? Is not sleeping properly sabotaging your healthy weight efforts?
Some definitions:
Coconut milk is made by squeezing the liquid out of the meat of the coconut. The watery substance that rests in the middle of a coconut is different, and marketed as coconut water or coconut juice. The milk is mainly composed of dietary fat, but also boasts some protein and carbohydrates along with a good amount of magnesium, potassium and several other vitamins and minerals. Virgin coconut oil is just the fat of the coconut and consists mainly of the saturated fat Lauric Acid.
Why coconut is awesome:
It’s rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are special fats. Unlike long-chain and short-chain triglycerides, they bypass the more complicated absorptive route through the lymphatic system and head straight to the liver where it can be used as energy. MCTs are so efficient at providing energy while being easy on the digestion that they are used in standard infant formulas and hospital tube feedings. Although it is a fat, it acts similarly to a carbohydrate in that it provides energy with the benefit of keeping blood sugar stable. There even has been some evidence showing an increased fat burning effect of coconut oil, but studies have not been consistent. So for now, hold off on spoonfuls of the stuff, but feel free to use in place of olive oil in your cooking, especially when using high heat.
Coconut can boost your immunity. Certain components of coconut have been repeatedly shown to have the ability to kill specific fungi, yeast, bacteria and viruses.
Coconut may positively alter lipid profiles- creating a more ideal HDL:LDL ratio. Benefits are only seen with Virgin Coconut Oil, as opposed to trans fat filled hydrogenated coconut oil which is used in some animal studies and shows negative results. It is also of particular importance to note that several hunter gatherer societies around the world eat coconut as a staple in their diet, none of which have a significant incidence of cardiac disease (ie the Kitavans).
There have also been studies inferring a potential benefit of coconut in regards to thyroid health, cancer, AIDS therapy and even anti-aging. However, the data is still conflicting so further research is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
Perhaps the best benefit of all- it’s Paleo and delicious in all forms! So fuel up!
How to use it:
In other news- SAVE THE DATE for the next visit by FitnessWave Norcal—September 17. If you need motivation to keep up your amazing results from the Paleo Challenge, new to CFPH and want to have your baseline body comp measured, or for whatever reason didn’t join the spring challenge, make sure to set this date aside. I will post a link once it is up on Fitness Wave’s calendar.
(c) 2012 CrossFit | Potrero Hill