When we began working on mom’s autoimmune condition we started by clearing out our cupboards of trigger foods like gluten, sugar, and corn, soy (and of course, processed dairy), which are known for causing inflammation and a gut that isn’t able to heal. To replace these items, we stocked up on healthy vegetables, meats, bone broth, and fermented ingredients like kimchi as a way to avoid falling back into old (unhealthy) habits.

Maybe that’s you! Maybe you’ve been struggling to focus on what matters most and wondered where you needed to focus your energy to see the biggest improvement.

The problem is, most of us feel overwhelmed trying to source the perfect healthy options for every single part of our healthy diet. Organic food can be twice the price of conventional, and we struggle to focus on what will make the biggest difference for our family.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! By choosing to improve in one simple area you can make a big impact on your diet.

Grass-fed and pastured meats are key to a healing diet because they are nutrient-dense, contain no toxins, and provide building blocks for healing your gut and nourishing your body.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why this is the case.

• Grass-fed or pastured animals eat a better diet and live a more natural lifestyle. You’ve heard that grass-fed, free range, pastured are better, but do you realize why this is? When animals are raised in a natural habitat a symbiotic relationship occurs between animal, sunshine, grass, and all the other factors that interact with the animal making them healthier than their confinement cousins. Cows raised in a feedlot and fed grain, for example, don’t get a healthy amount of exercise and fresh air so their immune system is compromised and it becomes necessary to feed antibiotics to keep them from getting sick. Cows on pasture, however, have stronger immune systems that create healthy meats which in turn provide a tastier, more nutritious food that works to heal your body..

• Grass-fed and pastured meats are free of toxic substances like GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics making it less of a burden on your body. Did you know 80% of antibiotics manufactured in America are fed to animals? [1} And the leading grains fed to slaughter animals is genetically modified corn and soy? And hormone injections are routinely fed to beef and dairy cattle to boost performance? [2] As a result, people eating conventionally raised meats are exposed to higher amounts of toxic substances that can become a burden to your body hindering detoxification and clogging up signals your body is trying to tell itself about how to regain health. Eating cleaner meat removes the toxic burden and allows your body to achieve quicker healing results..

• Grass-fed and pastured meats provide nutrients like collagen, gelatin, amino acids, vitamins and minerals that are the building blocks for healing your gut and nourishing your body. By now you’ve heard that your gut health is where healing starts, but what you probably don’t know is that your entire body depends on nutrients like those found in grass-fed animals to build youthful skin, healthy hair, strong bones, and solid muscle mass. For example, omega 3s found in the fats of grass-fed animals helps your body fight inflammation which reduces stress and helps you feel more alive. Also, CLAs in grass-fed fats is a known cancer-fighting agent helping you stay healthy into older age. When you source better meats and animal products like bone broth, tallow, lard, and organ meats, you give your body the tools to regain health naturally..

I was talking to someone recently who was explaining what they were eating for breakfasts and snacks to avoid trigger foods that cause them sensitivities. Immediately my mind turned to the nutrient content of the food, and thought about the fact that while those foods were not causing reactions, they were also not nourishing the gut in order to restore a healthy balance.. A better recommendation would be to incorporate as many nutrient-dense foods as possible, starting with nourishing grass-fed and pastured meats, bone broth, organ meats and fats, since these provide the building blocks to truly heal the body and live a more thriving life.

What changes are you making to improve your diet? How does grass-fed and pastured meats play a role in creating a healing diet for your family’s gut health?