Dear John,
 April showers have fallen here in Northeast Missouri lately. Slightly cooler temperatures remind us that summer is not quite here yet, but certainly getting closer! Our cattle are enjoying lush green pastures much earlier this year than usual while basking in the April sunshine. Why do we eat meat? Is it ethical to eat meat? The New York Times asked this question a few weeks ago and as responses have flooded in, it has sparked interest in many of our readers, who have shared their responses with us. We eat meat for countless reasons, health being one of the top on our list, also because we can't imagine starting the day without some juicy bacon! In light of the recent issues the beef industry is facing, and in response to the New York Times article, we have been getting more calls and emails asking about how we raise, harvest and process our products. We always enjoy telling our story. For an exclusive video tour of our Northeast Missouri farms, check out The Grassfed Difference on YouTube. For more information about the rest of our Midwest producers, check out our blog. If you ever have questions about our practices, please drop us an email. Does diet affect autism? Does a pregnant woman's diet affect the chances of her child being born with autism? A recent study investigated this due to the similar rising number of cases of obesity, diabetes and autism, and wondered - can these three be related? The University of California, Davis study reported that women who were obese and/or had diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy were 60% more likely to have a child with autism. This scary trend makes it even more imperative to continue healthy eating habits, especially when expecting. The Weston A. Price Foundation is an excellent resource for expecting mothers, they have a helpful list of foods to incorporate into any pregnancy diet. One of the most highly recommended foods is grass-fed marrow bone broth. This can easily be added to any roast recipe, in chili or stew, or just drink straight. Here's your chance to win this week: Fitness in an Evolutionary Direction is an exciting new blog that is quickly gaining popularity in the primal world. They have just launched a new giveaway, entering is easy and the winner receives over $160 worth of primal goods including a $100 USWM gift certificate! On sale this week: our popular 75% lean burger patties. This is one of our top ten best selling products - a juicy six ounce burger loaded with CLA and heart-healthy Omega-3's makes a quick lunch or tasty dinner! Also happening this week - our beef tallow, beef suet and pemmican pails have finally restocked. We appreciate your patience while we work through our inventory shortages, we expect more tallow and the pemmican bars to restock Friday, April 20. Are you one of the many new Pinterest fans? We are! Be sure to check out our board for all of our latest and greatest recipe ideas! Spring Regards,    
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Breaking News
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Restocked This Week:
*Pemmican Bars are expected to restock this Friday, April 20.
15% Discount Code Available!
- Read Dr. Al Sears' article below
- Find 4-red letter code word spelled in order in article
- Code active Sunday through Tuesday this week
- Applies to any order under 40 lbs
- Excludes any sale items, steak bundles, bulk boxes, volume discounts, gift certificates
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Children With Autism Have Lower Levels of HDL
 Mystery surrounds autism. Its theories of causes and treatments are as unique and diverse as the people who have it. The same holds true for its symptoms. Scientists and physicians are uncovering more about this disorder every day; many of those studies and findings concentrate on diet. Dr. Yasmin Neggers, a professor of human nutrition and hospitality management in The University of Alabama College of Human Environmental Sciences whose main research focus is nutrition during pregnancy, was inspired by a visiting colleague to learn more about this disorder that affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. The colleague, Dr. Eun-Kyung Kim from Kangnung-Wonju National University in Korea, and Neggers decided to look at blood levels of lipids and fatty acids in two groups of South Korean children - one group of typically developing boys and another group of boys with an autism diagnosis. These fatty acids, particularly omega-3 and omega-6, are needed for normal development of the nervous system, including the brain. "Many studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids to be neuroprotective because they decrease the risk of neurological problems," Neggers explains. "We were surprised when we didn't find studies that looked at omega-3 levels in children with autism." Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and many other foods, are known to be neuroprotective. Even though there were no major differences in what these children ate, those with autism had a lower omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio and lower levels of high density lipoprotein, more commonly known as HDL. For both levels, it's often believed, the higher the better. HDL is commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol. High levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attacks, while low levels increase the risk of heart disease. "It's a very preliminary study, but we think there is some kind of lipid metabolism disorder in children with autism," Neggers says. "It is plausible that low blood levels of HDL and omega-3 fatty acids observed in autistic children at an early age may be an indicator of impaired fatty acid metabolism. "What we need to do is follow these kids until they become older and then see whether their lower amounts of good cholesterol result in any health problems, such as a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. We don't know." Neggers is not suggesting parents change their children's diets quite yet. More studies need to be done. "We wouldn't suggest starting to give omega-3 supplements to autistic children yet," Neggers advises, "although it wouldn't hurt because it's good for you. But these findings suggest the need for further investigation. The next step is to look at bigger sample sizes for a longer amount of time and with children of different ethnicities." There is nothing, yet, to suggest that increasing blood levels of HDL or omega-3 fatty acids will reduce the symptoms of autism. In fact, the study doesn't reveal what causes what - if autism causes a lipid metabolism disorder or if the disorder causes autism. What's important about these findings is what it could mean later in life for the person with autism. Mystery still surrounds autism. Neggers hopes this is one more clue to solve it.
University of Alabama. "Children with autism have lower levels of HDL." ScienceDaily, 24 Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2012.
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Dr. Al Sears, M.D. | 
These Drugs Poison Your Bones By: Al Sears, MD
Dear Health-Conscious Reader, Would you use a drug that gives you the problem it's supposed to prevent? Well, that's exactly what's going on with the new osteoporosis drugs. Fosomax, Boniva, Reclast, Actonel ... these medications are supposed to help stop you from getting bone fractures as you get older. But we now have evidence that they cause bone breaks. Researchers studied women taking these medications - called bisphosphonates - who experienced some sort of fracture. Over 65 percent had the same rare fracture in the same area of their thigh bones. And these were the women who had been on the drugs for the longest periods.(1) Plus they've also found that if you're on the drugs for a long time and you do get a bone break, you'll heal very slowly. Sometimes it can take two years! It's another example of how modern medicine doesn't learn from its mistakes. They refuse to take a whole-body approach to healing. Instead they opt to treat individual symptoms with drugs designed only for those symptoms. And bone density drugs are a perfect example of this. I'll tell you how they work in a moment, but first I want to tell you a little bit about how your body makes bone... Your bones have cells called osteoclasts. Their job is to remove old bone tissue. This allows the bone to grow strong because other cells called osteoblasts then rebuild the bone. With osteoporosis and other bone diseases, there is an imbalance... either your osteoblasts aren't making new cells fast enough, or osteoclasts are removing too much tissue. So drug companies came up with a way to stop osteoclasts from removing the old tissue, which also artificially increases your bone density: bisphosphonate drugs. There are two problems with this. - By keeping your old bone tissue, you increase bone mass but make bones act older.
- The drugs do the job by poisoning your osteoclast cells.
What happens is that you take the medicine, the osteoclasts absorb it, and it poisons the osteoclast cells by cutting off their blood supply. The cells then either work very slowly or die... Continue Reading..._____________________________________________
Editors Note: Dr. Al Sears, M.D. is a board-certified clinical nutrition specialist. His practice, Dr. Sears' Health & Wellness Center in Royal Palm Beach, Fla., specializes in alternative medicine. He is the author of seven books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation, including The Doctor's Heart Cure. To get his free special report on the proven anti-aging strategies for building a vibrant, disease-free life, go here now. You'll learn how to stop Father Time without giving up the foods you love.
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Kelley Herring
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The Common Mediterranean Herb with Uncommon Health Benefits
By: Kelley Herring
It's no secret that basil adds more flavor and aroma to dishes. But what most people don't know is that its uses and benefits go way beyond its culinary applications. In fact, there's nothing ordinary about this everyday herb.
Basil: The Unsung Hero that Keeps Bacteria at Bay
Before you decide to use antiseptic solutions, antimicrobial ointments or pop another antibiotic pill, you may want to read on and find out how basil can benefit you by warding off and eliminating bacteria from your system.
Basil contains an active group of phytonutrients called flavonoids, plant compounds which provide protection at the cellular level. In particular, the two primary flavonoids in basil are called orientin and vicenin. These two compounds have been identified as the critical components that help protect cell structures and chromosomes against oxygen-based free radical damage.
If you don't exactly care for the thought of sharing your body and living spaces with unwanted bacterial growth, the volatile oils of basil, which contain cineole, linalool, estragole, myrcene, sabinene, eugenol and limonene, have also been shown to contribute to basil's antibacterial properties.
In fact, one study published in Microbiology Methods, showed that these essential oils are very effective at inhibiting strains of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and others. These bacteria are not only known to be pervasive and potentially dangerous, but strains of these pathogens have become resistant to common antibiotic medications...
Continue Reading...
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Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder and Editor of Healing Gourmet - the leading provider of organic, sustainable recipes and meal plans for health and weight loss. Be sure to grab Healing Gourmet's free books - Eating Clean & Saving Green: Your Guide to Organic Foods on a Budget (includes 100+ foods at the best prices) and Eat Your Way Into Shape: Flip Your Body's Fat Blasting Switch and Melt 12 Pounds in 2 Weeks (includes a delicious 7 day meal plan!). Claim your free copies here...
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Dr. Eric Serrano MD, MS, BC
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Dr. Serrano,
Can you help me solve a mystery? Among the many things to pay attention to with our health now comes the subject of food additives even in our foods we think/thought were healthy. Guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum......Have you looked into these things yet? I am passionate about doing what is supportive of my health and the health of my family and this is the current topic for me. Any input you have is much appreciated.
Health and Blessings,
Jami
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Dear Jami,
Yes I have looked at food additives closely, because they make a huge difference in how you feel.
Colorings are the worst, so make sure you stay away from all colorings. But I assume you want to know about guar gum, xantham gum, and carrageenan which are actually additives that come from natural sources and they are usually used as thickening agents, which are safe for some people, and for others not.
A healthy person should be able to handle these natural additives but as you know everybody is different and if somebody is getting sick after eating foods with these additives then eliminate them.
Best of success,
Dr. Serrano
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This is a friendly reminder to email health and wellness questions to eathealthy@grasslandbeef.com for the Dr. Serrano question and answer series. Answers will appear in future issues of the weekly newsletter under your first name only. Dr. Serrano has been so kind to offer his expertise to any question involving health and wellness.
Dr. Serrano has advanced degrees in nutrition, kinesiology and wellness and has a wealth of knowledge from both his farm background, 15 years of clinical experience, and as an award-winning professor at Ohio State Medical School. Dr. Serrano has an outstanding family practice on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio and works with a select group of professional athletes.
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Athlete Corner - Scott Mendelson Q&A
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 Burn 8 lbs of Body Fat in 28 Days and 20-30 More Over the Following 60 Days!
By: Scott Mendelson
Scott,
I am having difficulty getting started with proper nutrition and exercise. A large part of it is not fully knowing what to do as there is so much conflicting information out there. My husband is also very frustrated at this point and this has led to a lot of bad food choices and inactivity lately. We need a quick workout that we can do at home for fat loss and to improve energy.
Carrie
____________________________________________ How to Build Metabolic and Hormonal Momentum for Unstoppable Fat Loss and Improved Energy
Carrie,
Yes, I help many husband and wife combinations make great fat loss progress training at home with little equipment.
A key factor of success is consistent execution of the right methods. I never fail to see improved execution when clients become confident a plan will work very well for their goals. Recently a couple using customized plans both lost 8 pounds of body fat within the first 28 days of the program. From then on they were believers and stayed on track for a full 12 weeks resulting in dramatic changes to their physiques as well as improving energy. They were able to drop more body fat during month two as well as three by giving the plan time to do the Job!
Your Body Fat Problems Did Not Accumulate Overnight
In your cases the body has been "abused" in many ways and will take time for fat burning to optimize. The status of the fat cells is very important in this regard. Purging them of trans fats and other garbage not only accelerates fat loss but gets rid of cravings for bad food choices. The good news is that you can shift to rapid fat burning in a reasonable amount of time by making use of the right tactics optimizing fat cell function, hormones, enzymes, metabolism and more. This process can take anywhere from a month to longer depending on how many problems exist. If you have excess body fat, it did not accumulate overnight so you must send the right signals to the system for a consistent period of time to efficiently burn off the excess body fat forever! This couple, like most clients, saw much faster progress during the second and third months of the program as it takes time for metabolic and hormonal momentum to build.
Get a Winning Nutrition and Training Strategy for Your Needs
You are correct - there is too much conflicting information out there and the valid items are just bits and pieces which don't give you enough info to build your own effective plan. The amount of tabloid garbage nutrition information is overwhelming. Just like training there must be a sound nutrition plan put in place to accelerate fat burning. If not, progress will be slow and energy levels will suffer leading people to binge and gain more body fat than what they started with...
Continue Reading...
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Now that problems you are facing have been identified - Get solutions or do not expect to make progress. Email or call me any time seven days a week to discuss your specific situation and goals. Email Scott@infinityfitness.com for a free copy of the Extreme Crash Diet, Physique Breakfast of Champions, and Get Out of Man O Pause special reports and Strip Set Fat Burning Weight Training Routine.
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Infinity Fitness INC provides training, fitness, and nutritional information for educational purposes. It is important that you consult with a health professional to ensure that your dietary and health needs are met. It is necessary for you to carefully monitor your progress and to make changes to your nutritional and fitness program to enjoy success. Infinity Fitness does not employ dietitians or health professionals and assumes no responsibility or liability for your personal health and condition. For more information regarding our Limited Warranty for products and services, please see our disclaimer at InfinityFitness.com. Copyright © Infinity Fitness INC All Rights Reserved 2010This document is provided by Infinity Fitness INC for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of health or fitness advice. The information is provided "as is" with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. Email new questions for Scott Mendelson to: eathealthy@grasslandbeef.com. |
| Customer Feedback |
Comments from a concerned reader after last week's edition regarding the ethics of eating meat:  Why do I eat Beef? Well, my father was a butcher and he owned a very small butcher shop in our hometown. I grew up working in the store and learned a lot about the meat business. When I was a child I loved meat especially beef and ate a piece of beef every day of my childhood. We also ate eggs every day along with lots of pork products. Lamb and chicken rounded out the meals at home although beef was my absolute favorite. We never ate soy or tofu. Beans were accompanied by meat. Fat was never removed and thrown away. My mother rendered chicken fat and we saved every bit of drippings to be used in other recipes. This was great until my mother discovered WeightWatchers in the 1960's and switched to processed chicken roll and plain fish in order to lose weight. She stopped eating beef because beef did not fit the diet agenda of the organization at that time. WeightWatchers during the early days only allowed fish, white meat chicken or processed chicken roll (yukkk!). All that unpalatable no fat dieting led my mother to suffer health problems. Her skin turned dry and scaly and her hair thinned out (among other problems) My father was appalled by this diet. His philosophy was that meat makes you strong! Good for the blood. He was right. When my mother began to add beef back to her diet her health improved. I grew up strong and sturdy -- not pale or wobbly. I skipped the usual childhood ear infections, flus and other colds and viruses. Today my skin is smooth and thick. My bones are strong and hard. When I was a child my doctor would slap me on the back and call me "sturdy -- you will have nothing to worry about." Well, here I am over 50 years later and I am still strong and sturdy. I enjoy eating meat, especially grass-fed beef, humanely raised pork and chicken. I do not believe in cholesterol being bad for you. In fact, as you age, you need to eat plenty of fat from clean meat so that you protect your internal organs and your brain. Eating beef has kept me healthy and happy. J.F.
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| Recipe Corner | |
Bacon Wrapped Beef Franks with Spicy "Relish"
Ingredients:
- 6 Grass Fed Beef Franks
- 6 Pieces of Pastured Bacon
- 1 Red Onion, chopped
- 2 Jalapeños, seeds removed chopped
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
- Juice of 1 Lime
- Handful of Cilantro
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat your grill to medium
- While your grill is warming up, take your bamboo skewers and place your beef franks on the skewers
- Once stabbed, wrap once slice of bacon around each beef frank and now you are ready to grill
- Place your bacon wrapped beef franks on the grill and be sure to be close, bacon is loaded with grease and can cause some serious flare ups if left unattended and you don't want to char your food
- Ensure you turn your franks a few times to evenly cook the bacon
- While your beef franks are grilling, take all the remaining ingredients and place them all in a food processor and let it go to town until completely blended like a relish. You can adjust the taste with all the salt and pepper you like
- Pull your beef franks off when the bacon is cooked to your liking and plate, top with some of your Spicy "relish" or just serve on the side. You can also have the below Fresh Cucumber Salsa as a side
Cucumber Salsa from 21 Day Sugar Detox
Ingredients:
- 1 Cucumber, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 Clove of garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Process:
- Toss all of your ingredients in a bowl
- Serve chilled aside your grilled beef franks or any delicious summer dish
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Recipe and photo compliments of Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations. For more mouth-watering photos and recipe ideas, visit his blog!
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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Purchasing Information
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Order Minimums
- All orders must weigh at least 7 pounds in order to ship, to ensure everything stays frozen during transit.
- $75 minimum purchase requirement, since we have built the cost of shipping into the price of each product.
- You will never be charged extra for shipping.
- There is a $7.50 handling fee upon checkout.
- The South Carolina Chicken Bundles, Olive Oil and cookbooks ship from separate locations, so they are not included in the 7 lb weight minimum. The shopping cart will keep track and remind you if your order is under the 7 lb limit.
Weight Discount - Receive a $25 discount for every 40 pounds you order. This offer excludes items that ship separate such as the South Carolina Chicken and Olive Oil.
- This is our way of saying thank-you for purchasing in bulk!
- This can be any combination of products totaling 40 pounds and does not have to be specific to any category. Each 40 pound interval will yield the discount - for example, order 80 pounds and we'll take $50 off!
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U.S. Wellness Meats does 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 authors before copying or using this material. Address: eathealthy@grasslandbeef.com
Sincerely,
John Wood
U.S. Wellness Meats
Toll Free: (877) 383-0051
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On Sale Now
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Volume Discount
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