Why is What Your Food Eats So Important?
We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” but the real truth is, YOU ARE WHAT YOUR FOOD EATS. When it comes to the nutrition in the meat you consume, the diet of the animals it comes from is one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle. Most of us, however, don’t stop to think about this when we grab that package from the grocery store shelf or order a meal from a fast food restaurant.
At the grocery store, you will see the macronutrients like protein, calories, sugar, carbs, etc listed on a package. Left out are the micronutrients, things like phytonutrients, antioxidants, minerals, and fat-soluble vitamins. These are the items greatly affected by what that animal is eating and most important to our health as consumers.
Nutrient-Depleted Meat From Factory Farms
Let's be honest—have you ever eaten meat from the grocery store and found it lacking in flavor? Or maybe you notice that it leaves you feeling less satisfied. There’s a reason for this, and it goes deeper than taste - Your body is trying to tell you something. Animals raised in factory farms are fed monotonous, grain-heavy diets. This diet is unnatural and nutritionally void for the animals, which means the meat that ends up on your plate is missing something too.
Chronic Inflammatory = Disease
One of the most important things you need to note is the hidden danger of inflammation. Chronic inflammation in our body is the root of disease. It hijacks, distorts and stops your body's natural disease fighting immune system. What is the main culprit that creates chronic inflammation in our bodies? Omega 6 fatty acids. When consumed in over abundance (almost every American's typical diet), Omega 6's cause disease inducing inflammation in your body. Where do the majority of Omega 6 fatty acids come from? Grains and seed oils. Nearly every processed food in the world contains seed oils and contains excessive amounts of Omega 6 fatty acids.
In fact, animals raised on grains and oils have meat that is ridiculously high in Omega 6 fatty acids. This also includes animals that are grain finished. REMEMBER, YOU ARE WHAT YOUR FOOD EATS.
The sad truth is that factory-farmed meat—what most people are eating—doesn’t come close to providing the nutrients you need and it's slowly killing you... one bite at a time.
The Hidden Costs of a Poor Animal Diet
There’s another invisible cost to eating meat from animals raised in confinement, on grain-heavy diets. When animals are removed from their natural environment—pastures filled with a diversity of plants—they lose access to nature’s pharmacy. Pasture-raised and grass fed animals graze on a wide variety of plants that contain phytonutrients—natural compounds found in plants that have health-promoting properties for both animals and humans. These phytonutrients carry over into the meat, delivering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting benefits.
And then there’s the vitamins and minerals. Animals grazing in healthy soils consume nutrient-dense plants rich in essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron and provide vitamins like B12, D, C, and folate in their meat. These vitamins and minerals will never be in the correct ratios nor absorbed as effectively or completely as those from synthetics supplements and plant based foods.
There's no denying it: Why Grassfed and Pasture-Raised Meat is Superior
Now, imagine eating meat that actually nourishes you. At Rebel Pastures, our animals live on rotating pastures and eat what nature intended—a diverse range of plants that grow on healthy soil. This varied, natural diet doesn’t just mean better taste—it means nutrient-packed meat that fuels your body with a wealth of micronutrients. Each bite from a different plant provides the animal with diversified nutrition. This makes their immune system stronger. Fights off disease, parasites, infection. The point I'm really trying to get across...
THE ANIMAL'S HEALTH IMPACTS YOUR HEALTH.
This is the truth that's been ignored (or hidden) for far too long. It's been covered up with antibiotics and vaccines. By gag laws and settlements. By pharmaceuticals and sick care. The more we continue to buy meat from unhealthy animals, the more we will see increase disease in our country.
Know your food. Know your farmer. Know where your food comes from.