Merry Christmas Friends!

With the big day less than a week away, I wanted to make sure you have the resources you need to stay within your values while preparing your amazing feast for family and friends.

I am a spiritual person, and I feel a deep connection between myself and the animals I eat. I honor their life; I give thanks for my food and I only eat humanely raised and slaughtered animals.

But spiritual concerns are not the only motivation for the meats I choose. When compared with corn-raised, feed-lot beef, grass-fed beef has:

• Less total fat
• More heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
• More conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat that’s thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks
• More antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E

The Mayo Clinic even goes so far as to say that grass-fed beef can be a part of a heart-healthy diet.

Here’s where I go for humanely-raised, healthy grass-fed beef:

• Whole Foods – Step 4 only
• Sonrise Ranch – I get meats from this Carmel Valley Farm at my Farmers’ Market. You can find other outlets at their website or call them at 858-909-0945.
• Grassland Beef.com:  When I have time and want to stock up, I can get a bulk discount here. Paleo Magazine voted them their Best Online Food Supplier.
• www.kolfoods.com for high quality Kosher, grass-fed meats.
• http://growandbehold.com for high quality Kosher, grass-fed meats.

Christmas can be a great opportunity to share your approach to healthy, humane food choices with loved ones. Be prepared for push-back, but know that questions and even dismissal is just a natural part of learning a new approach to old habits. Christmas is that much richer when the food you serve sparks important, meaningful discussion.