Red meat has often gotten a bad rep, however with the rise of the carnivore movement we seem to be seeing a change of heart, and I gotta to say as a lifelong red meat eater it’s about time!
The marbling is where it’s at, any steak connoisseur knows this but we are taught that the fat and marbling is what leads to heart disease (not the case). Did you know that there is so much potential for highly marbled beef, much like the cherished Wagyu beef due to it’s high levels of oleic acid. Now grass fed is usually better due to it’s higher levels of Omega 3’s (specifically alpha linolenic acid) which our body needs, but we simply can’t get the same marbling from grass fed can we? Well smart farmers (like these guys) have actually figured that out. I can’t give away all the secrets but time of day has a lot to do with feeding and marbling. This is why I am a huge fan of local suppliers where you can get to know your farmers and their techniques. Did I mention they are grass fed ALL year round? Yup that is another little secret weapon they have tucked under their belt (I’ll be loading a video on my youtube about all of this).
Ok back to the topic…we change the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 when we opt for grass fed there is no debate here. Women tend to need about 1600 mg/day and men around 1800 mg/day, so adding in some salmon roe or wild caught fish will still be important to get those numbers where they need to be. What’s important to also note is the abundance of oleic acid… far more treasured than Omega’s in this scenario.
Let’s nerd out about genetics for a second here. Sirt1 activator or Activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, improves metabolism and confers protection against physiological and cognitive disturbances in old age. SRT1720 is a specific SIRT1 activator that has health and lifespan benefits in adult mice fed a high-fat diet – a diet high in oleic acid. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is popularly known as the “Longevity Gene”, it delays aging and plays a very protective role in diseases like obesity, diabetes, neurodegeneration, atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases,myopathies and nephropathy. Fasting is another powerful way to increase SIRT1 – so eat those fatty cuts of grass fed meat, treat yourself to some Wagyu and fast a few times a week.
For my pre and post menopausal women adding in a fatty steak like a nicely marbled ribeye just once a week made significant difference in their mood and hormone balance – no not cause meat is loaded with hormones silly. It’s because of the oleic acid content, and the Omega 3’s role in gut health didn’t hurt. There have been trials showing that consuming grass fed beef raises our HDL baseline and in doing so lowers your risk factors for type 2 diabetes risk and cardiovascular risk.
Let’s talk cuts of meat. Brisket contains the highest ratios of good fats, basically they should be seen as a health food way more than a green smoothie should. Wagyu beef has a ratio of 2:1 or higher for mono unsaturated fats (oleic acid mostly) to saturated fats. Standard cattle would be a ratio of about 1:1 depending on feed. This means spend the money and treat yourself to a nice fatty cut of beef, grass fed is great but be sure you are getting that important marbling that seems to only come from the grain finished stuff. That’s why I opt for my steaks from Ottawa Valley Meats be sure to enter coupon code SASSYCARNIVORE to save 20% off your order.
