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Dear John,
Happy New Year! We hope everyone is enjoying a nice winter break during this holiday season. We enjoyed a cold, snowy Christmas here in Northeast Missouri and are looking forward to ringing in the New Year this week!
We have been enjoying some cold-weather favorites this week, spicy chili and hot BBQ Beef have kept our kitchens warm. For a new soup, be sure to check out the recipe section below for a Bacon Butternut Squash Soup, featuring our very popular Sugar-Free Pork Bacon. This will quickly become a winter favorite you will want to cook all year long!
Do you know how to be happy? What factors play into our happiness level? This short quiz has some really good information to boost your mood, which may be especially important during winter months. With winter in full swing, the days are shorter and nights are colder, and with limited sunlight it is important that we are getting enough Vitamin D this time of year. Does diet play a part in your happiness level? It can - after overindulging, which is easy to do over the holidays, and eating too many sweets and sugars, it is amazing what a clean, home-cooked meal can do! If you are looking for better snack food to kick off your New Year, some of our favorites are on sale. The Snack Sticks and Beef Bologna are popular with both kids and adults alike, and are always a huge hit at trade shows!
One of our most popular products is the hard-to-find grass-fed Beef Tallow. This is also a product we get the most questions about! We have a new blog post this week that answers some of the most commonly asked questions about our tallow. Head over to the blog for the most current information about tallow, and leave a comment for your chance to win a free 5-gallon bucket of tallow!
We appreciate your patience as we have worked with limited shipping days over the holiday season. FedEx will be closed this Tuesday, January 1 so we will only be able to ship on Wednesday this week. If you have any special shipping arrangements, please let us know as soon as possible. We will return to our normal shipping schedule next week.
 As 2012 comes to a close, we are once again thankful for our servicemen and women bravely guarding our borders and ensuring our safety both at home and overseas. During the holidays especially, we want to encourage you to keep them and their loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. We are so lucky for the freedoms our forefathers ensured for us and don't want to ever take those for granted.
Holiday Regards,
John, Lee Ann, Tressa, Jennifer, Amanda and Laura on behalf of the farm families of U.S. Wellness Meats
   
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| Inventory Updates |
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 Recent Health News
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Muscle-Loss Study Sheds New Light On Ways to Prevent Muscle Loss, Obesity and Diabetes
A research study from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has yielded important breakthroughs on how the body loses muscle, paving the way for new treatments for aging, obesity and diabetes.
The study found that by inhibiting a particular molecule produced naturally in the body, muscle loss due to aging or illnesses can be prevented. Blocking the same molecule will also trigger the body to go into a 'fat-burning mode' which will fight obesity and also treat the common form of diabetes.
The exciting discoveries have led NTU scientists to embark on joint clinical research with local hospitals to further validate their findings which were previously carried out on animals.
Their research on how humans lose muscle during extreme conditions such as chronic diseases or starvation was published last month in Cell Metabolism.
Associate Professor Ravi Kambadur and his team from the NTU School of Biological Sciences found that a protein called Myostatin, which controls muscle cell growth, is responsible for initiating muscle loss.
When excess levels of Myostatin is bound to a muscle cell, it induces heavy loss of mitochondria (the part of the cell responsible for energy production that keeps a cell alive), which in turn causes the muscle cell to waste or lose muscle tissue (atrophy) due to the 'lack of energy'.
Under normal healthy conditions, small loss of Mitochondria is needed for the regeneration of new cells, but when a patient is suffering from chronic diseases or is bedridden (and muscles are not used often), this process is disrupted due to high levels of myostatin which results in increased mitochondrial loss and muscle atrophy.
Prof Kambadur said recent studies have shown that extreme muscle wasting can lead to death.
"For example, about 30 per cent of cancer patients die not because of cancer, but because of muscle loss also known as cachexia," said Prof Kambadur.
"When someone is suffering from a chronic disease and doesn't eat enough, the body starts to generate energy by breaking down muscle proteins and that is the reason we see a lot of muscle wasting under chronic disease conditions."
"Over the years, our research has revealed that this type of muscle wasting is initiated by excess levels of myostatin in the body. If we block myostatin from binding to cells, then muscles won't waste away and we can then mitigate the effects of aging and chronic diseases."
Apart from regulating the growth and loss of muscle, myostatin also regulates whether the body will burn fat or carbohydrates during fasting and meal times.
Blocking myostatin keeps the body in "fat-burning mode" and promotes muscle growth at the same time -- which could potentially make obesity a thing of the past.
Because obesity is one of the main causes of the most common form of diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, blocking myostatin could also treat diabetes. In the US, 90 to 95 per cent of diabetes cases are Type 2, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Singapore's Health Promotion Board, diabetes is among the top ten causes of death locally. In 2010, it was reported by Ministry of Health that 11.3 per cent of the Singaporean adults aged 18 to 69 years are affected by diabetes while 10.8 percent were obese.
"In near future, myostatin blockers could increase fat utilisation in the body and give you the benefits of exercise, without actually doing intense physical activity," Prof Kambadur explained.
"This would be a good alternative treatment for people who are unable to exercise, such as those who are bed-ridden or are in cancer treatment, who are most at risk of massive muscle loss."
Prof Kambadur added that while blocking myostatin sounds like a good idea, there is a need to study the long term effects, as the molecule is needed to regulate cell growth for normal body operation.
Other studies on myostatin conducted by Prof Kambadur's group have also yielded interesting results.
For instance, people who exercise regularly have been found to have lower levels of myostatin as compared to those who do not. Studies have also found that older people have more myostatin and this can explain why when one ages, muscles become weaker.
Prof Kambadur's research projects on myostatin are funded by Ministry of Education, Biomedical Research Council and the National Research Foundation's (NRF) Competitive Research Programme (CRP). The research on myostatin is conducted in collaboration with Associate Professor Mridula Sharma from the National University of Singapore. The husband-and-wife team have collaborated on various research projects in the area of skeletal muscle for many years.
Nanyang Technological University. "Muscle-loss study sheds new light on ways to prevent muscle loss, obesity and diabetes." ScienceDaily, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2012.
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Ask the Doctor - Question & Answer Series
|  Dear Dr. Kim, What are your thoughts on the Meatless Monday campaign that seems to be gaining popularity again? My office started it last month and is practicing it through the holiday season. I eat meat regularly, and have been participating in the meatless Mondays, but I usually end up hungrier than usual by Monday night. I know why we need meat in our diets, and I believe the average consumer eats more than they should - so is giving up meat one day a week a healthy option? or do we just need to balance our diets more every other day?Thank you, Cliff T.Chicago, IL________________________________
Dear Cliff, Great question. I think with the majority of meat that people eat, it's not of the highest quality so I can see where the hype is drawn from this type of practice. To answer your question, yes giving up meat once a week is a healthy option. But what kind of meat are you giving up? Are you giving up pork? chicken? beef? fish? If you have a fairly balanced diet, this term is relative by the way, keeping meat in the diet is not a bad thing. If you have solid cholesterol levels, and exercise, why give up the meat? Does this make sense? I think that this is a great tradition for those that eat unhealthy and need something to help them get jump started to a healthier life, I'm all for it. However, just to do it for the sake of doing is not my cup of tea. If you are incorporating a carb-loading type of day and you are skipping meat for that purpose, then do it! If you are doing it just for the sake of doing it, then reconsider. Thank You, Dr. Kim___________________________________
This is a friendly reminder to email health and wellness questions on any topic to eathealthy@grasslandbeef.com for the question and answer series. Answers will appear in future issues of the weekly newsletter under your first name only. Dr. Kim has been so kind to offer his expertise to any question involving health and wellness. Dr. Kim is always seeking the latest and newest ways to help people with weight loss, athletic performance and healthy eating. He has a deep connection with MMA fighters, NFL athletes, and other professional athletes. He is at the forefront of breaking science with Muscle Pharm Sports Science and Research Center. His goal is to make living healthier for everyone, one meal at a time.
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| Recipe Corner | |
Bacon Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients (Serves 6):
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 3 whole carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 pounds raw bacon, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small apple, chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon(taste bud depending, start with 1 and add to taste)
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Toss squash and carrots with coconut oil
- Arrange in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 35 minutes or until tender
- In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside for the soup garnish
- Add the onion and apple to the dutch oven or stock pot and sauté in bacon fat over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes
- Add the roasted butternut squash, carrots, chicken broth, and coconut milk to dutch oven or stock pot and bring to a boil stirring often
- Remove from heat
- Use an immersion blender to blend your soup or working in several small batches, blend soup in food processor or blender until smooth
- Return to dutch oven or stock pot, bring to a simmer and season with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- Serve soup in large bowls garnished with bacon or you can freeze and save for later. I have frozen mine up to 2 months
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Recipe and photo compliments of George at Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations. Be sure to visit his website for more hearty paleo recipes!
If you are a blogger or food artist and would like to see your recipes published simply email them to recipes@grasslandbeef.com.
   
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| Customer Feedback |
 US Wellness,
I am 60. I have been a vegetarian since I was 16. I have been a 'health-nut' since then, too! But...in the past year, or so, I have been evolving...I started to eat broth and bacon (as my introduction to animal nutrient dense eating)! Well, last night we ate the ground beef that we ordered from you, and the flavor and texture was out of this world...absolutely delicious!
Thank you for making my transition worth every mouthful...excellent!
Sincerely, an old vegetarian
Wendy P.
Boca Raton, FL
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About U.S. Wellness Meats
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U.S. Wellness Meats was founded on September 1st, 2000. Pasture management and meat science research originated in 1997.
The company office is located in Monticello, Missouri in Lewis County which joins the Mississippi River 140 miles North of St. Louis.
The company has branched from beef products into: Grass-Fed Lamb, Compassionate Certified Pork, Poultry, Wild Caught Seafood, Grass-Fed Bison, Grass-Fed Butter, Raw Grass-Fed Cheese, Raw Honey, Gourmet Rabbit, Wholesale Packs, Pre-Cooked Entrees, Snacks, and Pet Food.
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Confidentiality Guarantee
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We at U.S. Wellness Meats do not sell, trade or give away any subscriber information. This isn't just an ethical commitment, it's also a legal one.
Copyright © 2009 by U.S. Wellness Meats. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this newsletter are copyrighted. Please secure written permission of the author before copying or using this material. Address:
Sincerely,
John Wood
U.S. Wellness Meats
Toll Free: (877) 383-0051
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On Sale!
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The following delicious sale items will expire at 10 PM CST Saturday January 5, 2013.
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