Perhaps we overexerted ourselves the day before or due to some sort of outside reasons (noise or commotion), we were unable to get a restful night’s sleep.

However, if you feel tired most of the time or seem to run out of steam quickly, something is wrong.

We are designed to be energetic beings! When your body is tired most of the time, it means something is draining the energy faster than it can be replenished.

It could be years before the rest of the symptoms of the diseases developing in your body are noticed.

Of course, it’s important to fuel your body with nutrients and energy. But what type of emotional energy are you giving your physical self?

Just as there are toxic foods and other physical substances that negatively affect your body’s ability to create energy, negative emotions also have an effect.

What negative emotions are draining your energy? And more importantly, what positive emotions can replace these and instead, fuel your energy levels?

Negative Internal Dialogue vs. Positive Internal Dialogue

 What sort of conversations do you have with yourself? You know, that little voice that is constantly chattering.

Is it your friend or foe? It’s funny, but we often wouldn’t dream of being as mean to others as we are to ourselves. Nor would we accept such talk from others.

 Would you tell your best friend “You look fat in that outfit!”? No, but have you ever looked in the mirror and told yourself… “I look horrible!”

Or, do you call yourself dumb or inept or clumsy or tell yourself you are incapable of accomplishing something?

Most of us do and all of that negative dialogue is hard on  our souls and our bodies.

Are Your Emotions Draining Your Energy?

Instead, learn to speak to yourself the way you would speak to others, which is hopefully in a positive, encouraging voice. Think about what you tell people when you want to help them out and boost their confidence. This is how your internal dialogue should be as often as possible.

When the negative creeps in, pause for thought and find a better thing to say to yourself. Focus on another attribute… Maybe you do have some weight to lose, but it will be much easier to lose it if you have energy and the energy can begin with taking note of one of your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Guilt vs. Letting Go

How much guilt is in your bowl? Do you feel bad when you have to turn down a favor asked of you? What about when you feel as though you cannot meet all of your obligations?

Or here’s a classic, do you feel guilty when you do something nice for yourself like, take a day off or buy something new?

Stop! You need to let go and realize that nobody can be everything all the time AND you simply cannot please everyone all the time!

You may be a “pleaser” and this may have been ingrained since you were a child. It’s time to let go of guilt and allow a positive thought flow that will allow you a simpler schedule and more time for you!

Anger vs. Forgiveness

Have you been scorned? Or do you find yourself angry and irritable over little things? Either way, the anger and irritability is draining precious energy.

It’s been said that it takes more energy to hold onto anger than it does to forgive and move forward. This is true whether it’s  a big thing (betrayal) or a small annoyance in life (rude driver who cuts you off on the exit ramp).

The art of forgiving is very healing. Maybe it requires you to understand more about the person’s reasons behind their actions. Sometimes, it means “giving it to God” and allowing your heart to be free of the anger.

For the small things, the old adage “Don’t sweat the small stuff” is quite true. Breathing exercises, music and learning to laugh about the little annoyances in life are your ticket to freedom from these daily irritations.

No matter what, concentrate on all you can do to increase your energy output!

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A recent study performed at the University of Scranton evaluated the nutritional quality of popcorn. Popcorn has been touted in the past for its fiber and whole grain content, but the study revealed that popcorn also has a large amount of polyphenols.

Polyphenols are phytonutrients found in plants. They give the plant protective properties such as antioxidants, and the theory is that when we consume plants containing phytonutrients such as polyphenols, our bodies will reap this protective quality.

Antioxidants can fight a number of potential problems in the human body. First and foremost, they fight the damage incurred by free radicals. Free radicals destroy cells and therefore tissue through a process called oxidation.

This oxidative stress can lead to a number of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. As well, oxidative stress causes premature aging.

Phytonutrients in plants also have anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic systemic inflammation is also behind disease as well as weight gain, fatigue and aging. By consuming a diet rich in plants, you can help reduce inflammation and promote a healthier body as well as weight loss.

The study found that a serving of popcorn contains around 242-363 mg of polyphenols (contained in the hull, not the white fluffy part) compared to various fruits that contain around 160 mg per serving.

Does this mean you can ditch your fruits and vegetables? Absolutely not! Consuming a wide variety of plants is your best defense against weight gain and disease.

Phytonutrients also give plants their natural characteristics. Anthocyanins are responsible for the rich purple color of acai berries and red grapes.

Carotenoids lend to the orange color of carrots and sweet potatoes. There are literally hundreds of different phytonutrients that when combined, give the plant it’s unique texture, color, aroma and nutritional qualities.

When you offer your body a wide variety of plants, you are supplying it with a wide array of these amazing nutrients!

As well, you want to make sure you aren’t ruining your popcorn by drenching it in butter. Instead, try air popped popcorn and flavor it yourself with some healthier alternatives such as a bit of olive oil, black pepper and sea salt. Or, go spicy and add some cayenne pepper!

So, what about that butter laden movie theater popcorn? Go for it! As long as you aren’t at the movies every week, your body can probably handle a little saturated fat along with the added health benefits of popcorn!

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There are many correlations between body, mind and soul. If one area is negatively or positively affected, there will be a negative or positive response to the other areas. Let’s look at why this happens.

Mental Stress

We cannot avoid stress. We encounter it daily and the damage it does to your physical body is incredible.

This is mainly due to two different systems in the body: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. When one system is up, the other is down.

The sympathetic system is also called the “fight or flight” system. Its job is to deal with threat and injury.

When your sympathetic nervous system is working, stress hormones such as cortisol are elevated. Your body is in high alert. Your heart rate and breathing rate are elevated.

Energy sources such as glucose and cholesterol are dumped into your bloodstream. Inflammatory responses are high.

The parasympathetic system has an opposite design. Its job is to ensure proper digestion and waste removal. It is also responsible for immunity, clean up and restoration.

When the sympathetic nervous system is running, the parasympathetic system is not.

Now, we need our sympathetic nervous system and eventually, certain responses within this system trigger the parasympathetic system to kick in, calm, heal and restore bodily health.

Unfortunately, chronic stress leads to overuse of the sympathetic nervous system and a draining of resources.

Chronic inflammation ensues in the body and leads to diseases such as heart disease and obesity. The cycle becomes vicious. Remember that the parasympathetic system is in charge of proper digestion.

If we are not digesting properly, we are not absorbing nutrients and vital energy that can help support our physical health.

Eventually, poor physical health will lead to increased mental health and wear on our spiritual health. We become depressed, anxious, irritable and generally, unhappy.

Breaking the Cycle… Body, Mind and Soul!

So, we cannot avoid stress, however, there are things we can do to stop this cycle and restore health. The main idea here is not to avoid stress, but to learn how to manage it so that it does not create so many horrendous problems for our physical selves.

Positive Attitude

You’ve heard this of course, but too often, people believe they can conquer a negative attitude merely by telling themselves things such as “It will get better” and so forth.

You cannot become your own personal cheerleader if your subconscious does not believe the cheers.

What really needs to take place is an adjustment of your subconscious mind where all thoughts and emotions begin. The subconscious is developed over your lifetime through experiences and observations.

If you’ve had trouble with money for sometime, it’s pretty tough to tell yourself it will all be okay when your subconscious feels differently.

Hypnotherapy, including self-hypnosis, can be a powerful way to begin changing your perception of the stress in your life.

By adjusting the subconscious mind, you can begin to change behavior and emotional, mental and spiritual reaction to stressful stimuli. By doing this, your body gets a well-earned break from the negative effects of the sympathetic nervous system.

Breathing, Yoga, Tai-Chi and Other Parasympathetic Stimulation

The other way to adjust the cycle is by boosting the parasympathetic system. Simply taking time to breath properly during stress can slow down the sympathetic system and stimulate the parasympathetic system.

Regular exercise, especially practicing specialized activities such as Tai-Chi and Yoga, can help restore health as well as make it easier for you to face and manage daily stress.

Nutritional Support

Eating a clean diet filled with nutrient-dense foods can help stimulate your parasympathetic system. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish and krill oil, for instance, can reverse chronic inflammation.

Phytonutrients in fruits, vegetables and whole grains have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to help your body combat stress, repair and replenish tissue.

Proper fiber intake can improve digestion and help you better absorb all of these important nutrients and ensure a healthy colon so you can continue reaping the benefits of your now, healthier diet.

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Let me share with you the very best in herbs and then you can decide which you should have in your cabinet. But first, you need to understand something about using herbs for healing and nourishing your body.

Herbal supplements work best in your body when you are already consuming a healthy diet.

In fact, experimenting with herbal supplements will get you nowhere if you consume a poor diet or live an unhealthy lifestyle otherwise.

They are not a quick fix and although relatively harmless, they won’t really benefit you until you’ve started eating healthfully and adding important activities to your regimen such as exercise or stress management.

Still, herbal supplements are a natural means that have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Here are the top herbal supplements and what they can do for your body!

Rosemary – You may know this beautiful, fragrant herb that graces breads and other delectable dishes, but it does more than enhance flavor as do all of these wonderful herbs.

Rosemary contains bioflavonoids and phenols that serve as potent antioxidants. They help to improve blood circulation to the heart and brain.

Rosemary also helps relax blood vessels which can lower blood pressure. Rosemary has been shown in studies to improve vision and memory.

Ginger – Have you ever been told to have some ginger ale when your stomach is upset? True story! Provided you can find ginger ale with true ginger.

Ginger is excellent for the digestive system. It contains proteases and terpenes that improve digestion through helping to produce hydrochloric acid and pancreatic enzymes necessary for proper and thorough digestion.

Ginger also aides your immune system and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties. It’s also an excellent anti-microbial which is why it is served with Sushi!

Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a familiar and inviting herb for most humans. It also is a potent antioxidant (a theme you will soon recognize with most herbs) and an excellent liver detoxifier.

Cinnamon can lower your blood sugar!

Cinnamon can also enhance the effectiveness of insulin, making it important in blood glucose management. It also helps relax smooth muscle and thus, lower blood pressure by relaxing arterial walls.

Turmeric – Turmeric is most familiar as a component of curry. It is what lends to the yellow color and pungent flavor of many Indian dishes.

It is hot and spicy and contains bioflavonoids and terpenes that serve as potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. It is effective a killing h. pylori, the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.

It also assists the liver in detoxifying and balancing cholesterol levels. Interesting note about turmeric, pineapple which often accompanies Indian cuisine, enhances the absorption of turmeric!

Peppermint / Spearmint – Peppermint or spearmint? We all have our preference and your body may be telling you what you need with this preference!

Both peppermint and spearmint are excellent as a digestive stimulant as well as relaxant, but peppermint is sometimes a bit strong and can lean more towards the stimulant side which may increase gastric symptoms.

Spearmint is milder and may be a better remedy for some when attempting to solve digestive problems. Both herbs are excellent at improving circulation and calming the nervous system!

Stinging Nettle – Sounds a bit daunting, but stinging nettle is actually wonderful for lung and liver health.

It contains potent antioxidants due to its chlorophyll and bioflavonoid content and is actually one of the most nutrient dense herbs. Stinging nettle is also an excellent blood cleanser!

Siberian Ginseng – You may have heard of ginseng as its presence in energy drinks abounds.

Ginseng can in fact boost energy due to its content of glycosides and polysaccharides that help regulate the production of cortisol.

Ginseng helps improve the use of oxygen by mitochondria, which are the cellular organs responsible for producing cellular energy or ATP.

Ginseng is often prescribed in Chinese medicine to treat exhaustion, chronic stress and interestingly enough, insomnia!

Remember, in order for herbs or herbal supplements to work properly in your body to improve health, it is imperative that you strive for a healthy diet and lifestyle!

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There are thousands of anti-aging formulas, serums and other miracles in a bottle, but the real secret is that you don’t need any of that stuff! In fact, most of those products are temporary fixes.

Even spa-level, professional anti-aging treatments only work as long as you continue to have them done!

No, this advice is geared towards inexpensive tips and tricks that will help fight the signs of aging and give you the best anti-aging defenses possible. Ready?

What Causes Aging?

Your initial answer might be the calendar, right? Actually, aging has more to do with cellular damage than a biological calendar or clock.

Let’s talk about this a bit so you can better understand the tips and tricks.

Your body is composed of millions of tiny cells. These cells make up the tissue which makes up the organs.

All health begins at the cellular level. Cells are constantly being destroyed and replenished as our bodies perform their daily functions.

The younger our bodies are, the easier it is for them to keep up with this process.

A child can run about in the sun all day and perhaps they wind up with sunburn, but you won’t see “damaged” skin over the next few weeks. Later in life, yes, constant sun exposure throughout childhood and young adulthood will definitely takes its toll.

At the root of aging is the breakdown of tissue, and this breakdown is caused by free radical damage and chronic inflammation. Both free radical damage and chronic inflammation can be minimized, however.

We cannot avoid exposure to all free radicals. Some free radicals are produced by bodily processes such as digestion.

Our bodies should be equipped with natural antioxidants such as glutathione to combat this amount of free radicals and avoid a significant amount of damage.

We are also exposed to free radicals and ensuing damage due to environmental pollutants: chemicals, car exhaust, UV rays, carcinogens and more.

To top this off, certain foods such as overly processed foods, foods with artificial ingredients and foods high in sugar, trans fats and arachidonic acid introduce and produce loads of free radicals through digestion.

In addition, there’s a good chance you are not consuming foods that provide your body with the nutrients it needs to protect itself from aging and disease. So, you are exposing your body to harm and not giving it what it needs to keep you young!

Chronic inflammation also speeds up aging and disease. This can be caused by the foods we eat, poor health conditions and stress (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual).

Given all of the above information, the following tips and tricks to stay youthful and fight aging should be abundantly clear.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants combat free radicals and help repair cellular damage. They also aid in replenishing cells.

As well, they are precursors or components of important enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters that help keep your body healthy and youthful.

Antioxidants are vital in fighting aging

Antioxidants are found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. By consuming a diet high in a variety of plants, you are giving your body what it needs to fight aging as well as disease!

Clean Eating for a Youthful Appearance

The above being said, let’s take it a step further. Clean eating means consuming organic food. Chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and bad fats in non-organic foods will age you quickly.

They are loaded in free radical potential and often contain nutrients that are poor quality.

Organic food, clean food, provides your body with abundant nutrients and because of the way it was grown or raised, you will not be taking in the poisons that can lead to aging and disease.

For instance, meat from animals trapped in cruel circumstances and viciously butchered will have high amounts of arachidonic acid. Why does this matter?

Coconut oil is higher in saturated fat than animal sources; however, it has never been linked to diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Why? It does not contain arachidonic acid. The point is, if you consume a steak from organic, grass-fed cattle, you will not reap the harmful effects of saturated fat.

Remember… You are what you eat. Give your body the nutrients it needs to fight the damage year after year brings, and you will remain youthful for many more years to come!

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Genetics plays a role in the development of your hair, but environment has quite a bit to do with it as well. Aging is another issue as is pregnancy and menstrual cycles that affect your hair quality.

Let’s go over some of the basics and what you can do to have the healthiest looking hair possible!

If you are losing hair, it may be a matter of genetics. In this case, your hair stylist is the best person to consult for the latest product recommendations. The sooner you begin, the better as it’s easier to keep hair than it is to replenish hair, although there are products that work.

Rogaine and Nyacin are both great products that can help boost hair growth and help you keep the hair you have. If you’ve had extensive hair loss, hair implants are improving all the time and also becoming more affordable.

It’s still expensive, but it may be worth it if you are truly affected emotionally and mentally by your hair loss.

Sometimes hair loss has more to do with environmental causes. Wearing a hat often, especially when it’s warm and you are more likely to sweat, can be detrimental to your hair. A visor may be better if you are trying to keep the sun off your face.

Another environmental factor is how often and with what you process your hair. Hair color containing ammonia and especially bleaching products can be really tough on your hair. Your hair will eventually look and feel thinner.

Perms and straightening treatments can also be damaging. It’s important to use nourishing protein and keratin treatments in between.

If your hair is damaged, you should try repairing it prior to your next coloring. As well, there are less harmful demi colors and herbal hair colors that can reduce damage.

You might consider going darker instead of continually lightening your hair. Perhaps try some foils to add some blond streaks rather than bleaching all of your hair.

Heat! Do you regularly blow dry your hair or use styling tools such as curling irons or straightening irons? If you do, make sure you use a protective treatment prior to using heat on your noggin and be sure to use ceramic tools rather than metal.

Clips and bands! If you are constantly putting your hair up, you may find that you have a lot of breakage where you normally tie it. Absolutely DO NOT put it up when your hair is wet. Your hair can break far more easily when it’s wet.

When you comb your hair, start from the bottom. This may seem backwards, but if you gently untangle the ends first and then pull a comb through from the top, you will find you have less breakage and hair loss.

Fun in the sun is also damaging to your hair. Chlorine pools not only help to strip color, but they are also very damaging to your hair.

There are protective products you can use on your hair prior to swimming that can help, and make sure you rinse your hair in fresh water after swimming.

Salt water is not nearly as bad for your hair. The sun itself is damaging, but as already mentioned, a hat is not the best recommendation. Instead, use a protective product prior to sun exposure.

Pools are not the only source of chlorine. Most tap water is pretty high in chlorine content, so if you can afford it, you might want to purchase a reverse osmosis system that will clean all the water in your home.

This will ensure pure water at the sink as well as in the bath. It will be better for you skin as well as your hair!

Some hair treatments are really expensive, but there is one that is super affordable and you can find it in most grocery stores. Coconut oil!

Sold near the other cooking oils, rather than near the shampoo, coconut oil is the secret behind the gorgeous hair of Polynesian women.

Once a week, use a small scoop of coconut oil and work it through your hair. Allow it to stay in overnight and shampoo and condition in the morning. Your hair will be soft, manageable and gorgeous!

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Skincare does not begin with the skin! You may very well be wasting your hard earned money if you are not doing the following essential things for skincare!

The Cellular Level

We tend to think about only the skin’s surface. This is the part we can see and the part that we desperately want to look amazing. We don’t want wrinkles.

We want our skin to be taut, not sagging. We want it to be free of blemishes, acne and rashes. We would also prefer it stayed healthy, supple, moist and of course, free of any dangerous melanomas.

What you need to understand is that all of the above begins at the cellular level. All tissue in the body is composed of millions of cells.

Those cells have some specific requirements to maintain their integrity. If the cells are not healthy, the tissue begins to break down and show the signs of aging.

What’s the main cause of this breakdown and destruction of skin tissue? Free radical damage. Free radicals from the environment affect us from the outside as well as the inside.

UV rays, for instance, promote free radical damage. Environmental pollutants also affect our bodies from the outside, as well as the inside when we consume foods that are not organic.

Carcinogens, such as cigarettes, create free radical damage. Non organic as well as overly processed foods, foods with trans fat and high amounts of saturated fat coupled with arachidonic acid also produce excessive free radicals.

Free radicals cause cellular damage through a process called oxidation. This leads to loads of oxidative stress in the body and when it comes to the skin, the cells break down and the tissue eventually shows the wear and tear from the outside.

Antioxidant Support

In order to combat free radical damage, it’s important to minimize exposure. A little sun is important for your health and you should expose your skin (not just your face, but larger portions) to the sun to make sure your body produces adequate vitamin D for emotional health as well as bone health.

However, you should not be baking in the sun. This will lead to excessive free radical damage and tissue breakdown.

As you age-it is vital that you take care of your skin

Secondly, make sure you are taking in plenty of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress and ensure proper cellular repair and replenishment.

This can be accomplished by consuming AT LEAST 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day as well as taking a good supplement. Make sure some of those veggies are green, every day! Spinach and Swiss chard are excellent. A good chlorella supplement may also be great for you or barley grass and spirulina.

Things to AVOID

Avoid processed foods and choose organic whenever possible. Foods that sound like a chemistry experiment are likely just that. Check food labels and make sure you are not ingesting loads of chemicals.

The less that’s been done to the food since it was grown or raised, the better!

Avoid trans fats (anything deep-fried or cooked in oils not meant for high heat). These types of fat produce the most free radicals in your body than any other type of fat or macronutrient.

High amounts of saturated fat coupled with arachidonic acid as found in nonorganic animal products also create excessive free radicals as well as an inflammatory response in the body.

Don’t Forget! Hydration, hydration, hydration!

Finally, make SURE you are drinking plenty of clean water. You should have around 1 ml of fluid per calorie you consume, which means roughly 2 liters a day for most of us.

This amount should be increased when the temperatures rise, when you are physically exerting yourself, when you are mentally or emotionally stressed and when you are in a dry climate.

You do not have to stick with just water. Organic juices, low in sugar, are great, but if you are watching your weight, don’t get carried away with too much juice. Sugar is sugar, right?

Here’s an amazing beverage to drink that will keep you hydrated as well as offer your body loads of antioxidants: Green tea! I love to make a large pitcher of iced green tea and sip on it throughout the day.

Keeps me hydrated, keeps my skin healthy AND it even helps trim your waistline a bit.

What better way to slim down so you can expose more of that gorgeous skin!

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To understand, first you should understand what makes saturated fat and potentially, omega 6 fatty acid not so good for you.

We are compromised of millions of tiny cells. Each cell has a phospholipids layer that protects and helps maintain the integrity of the cell.

The layer is composed of fat, both saturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you consume a lot of saturated fat, your cells’ phospholipids layers will have more saturated fat and vice versa.

Because of the molecular makeup of saturated fat (all single bonds), the tails of each fatty acid are straight and rigid. Polyunsaturated fats have a few double bonds within the molecular structure, and where these double bonds exist, the tail bends or curves.

This makes the polyunsaturated fat more flexible, which in turn makes the cellular phospholipid layer more flexible.

Think about this as you would a very rigid material, prone to breakage and damage, as opposed to a rubbery, more flexible material that can withstand more stress: a piece of glass versus a piece of plastic.

So, right away, you can see that by consuming polyunsaturated fats, you are helping your body by making it more flexible and tolerant of stress.

So, why not omega 6 fatty acids? Why are omega 3’s so awesome, while omega 6 fatty acids (widely available in animal protein sources) so negatively viewed? Why aren’t we persuaded to take, let’s say, beef oil (not that this exists, so don’t try to google it!)

The fact is we get plenty of omega 6 fatty acids through the typical Western diet. Our ancestors likely consumed a diet that had an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 1:1. Today, modern humans consume a ratio of 10:1 on up to 30:1!

The American Heart Association recommends 2:1 – 5:1 to maintain cardiovascular health.

The problem with omega 6 fatty acid is that once in the body, some of it is broken down for use as inflammatory components in the body.

While some of this is necessary to stave off infection and aid in protecting injured tissue, too much of it leads to problems such as heart disease and obesity.

Omega 3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are eventually used for anti-inflammatory components of the body, which in turn reduce the risk of inflammatory related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, dementia and obesity.

 So, fish oil or krill oil can be highly beneficial to help change the ratio. In addition, make sure you limit your animal protein intake.

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A recent study printed in the Journal of Human Reproduction found that men who consumed diets high in saturated fat had lower sperm counts and less active sperm.

The men in the study were overweight or obese and their dietary analysis was based on questionnaires taken for their general food consumption for the past year. Here’s the problem. Yes, their diets were high in saturated fat, but what else?

Diets high in saturated fat are implicated in a number of deadly health issues including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer including breast, prostate and colon cancer. But is all saturated fat bad?

No, in fact, we need some saturated fat. Fat consumption is essential for a healthy immune system, nervous system, growth, development and healthy reproduction. The true culprit may be arachidonic acid.

The content of arachidonic acid that accompanies the saturated fat is key in whether the saturated fat will promote poor health conditions. Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat, yet has never been implicated in heart disease. Plant sources of saturated fat do not contain arachidonic acid.

Arachidonic acid is produced by animals (including humans), and exists in high quantities when animals are slaughtered inhumanely. This is caused by the extreme stress the animals face before they become “food.” Arachidonic acid is a key component used to turn fat into inflammatory eicosanoids, which are the culprits behind the ill-effects of fat.

Organic, naturally fed animals brought to a gentler slaughter, have a lower percentage of arachidonic acid, and therefore, their saturated fat (which is lower as well) is less harmful.

Rather than worry about the grams of saturated fat, consider the source. The more natural the source, the better it is for you and your body!

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Coined “pink slime” by a grossed out federal microbiologist, pink slime is otherwise known as “lean finely textured beef” and it is created by taking leftover bits of meat from other cuts, heated to reduce the fat, mixed with other meat and then treated with ammonia to kill any pathogens, such as E. coli.

After all the negative press, the school systems will now be given a choice: pink slime or less lean ground beef? But what about the rest of us? How do you know whether you are consuming pink slime or ground beef? And is it important?

Currently, the beef industry is not required to place any labels on the ground beef or patties containing pink slime. If you’ve noticed, it’s a little hard to tell what you are purchasing when you pick up a package or tube of ground beef.

Ground beef can contain the filler and still be labeled “all natural.” The only real way to tell that you are not purchasing pink slime is to purchase organic beef… at a hefty price, but it may be worth it.

Aside from the poor taste and strange texture of pink slime, there are other considerations.

For one, ammonia. Of course, the filler passes safety inspections, but I ask you this: Would you still eat a burger if it were sprayed with Windex? Georgia prisons refused to serve their prisoners pink slime after complaints were made that the meatloaf had a strong smell of ammonia.

Another consideration is the inflammatory effects of pink slime. The majority of beef produced in the United States is obtained from giant feed lots, crammed with stressed out, diseased cattle.

The slaughter process is awful, and between the infections and stress, these cattle produce a high amount of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is a necessary component in the production of enzymes and hormones that cause inflammation in the human body.

While we need some, our bodies produce enough on their own to combat infection. Too much and we are at risk of diseases that are primarily inflammatory in nature (i.e. heart disease).

E. Coli outbreaks may have you thinking that the pink slime is better than mass-produced ground beef that is not treated, and you may be right, but the fact is, the meat probably wouldn’t need to be treated if the cows were treated humanely, not crammed together and covered in their own feces and fed natural diets that are meant to rid the cow of bacteria such as E. Coli.

Organic, grass-fed beef, on the other hand, has very low amounts of arachidonic acid and higher nutritional quality AND, a much lower chance of being infected with E. Coli in the first place.

If you don’t want to spring for the pricey meat, just eliminate ground beef from your menu and your child’s menu both at school and home. There are many, less expensive alternatives to ground beef.

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