My friend Diana Rogers, started the Global Food Justice Alliance. This organization brings unbiased science to the discussion of meat consumption as it relates to health AND the environment. As discussed previously (see regenerative agriculture posts), properly raised ruminants (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) are ecologically sound, help create soil and fight climate change, and provide important nutrient dense food for people of all ages. The anti-meat narrative in popular media presents a false and dangerous position that threatens our environment, soil conversation/creation, and health.
Regenerative sustainable agriculture (depicted on the right) , minimizes use of fossil fuel and fossil oil based fertilizer. Instead it utilizes ruminant animal waste for fertilizer, creates living soil and biologic diversity. Mono-agriculture depicted on the left, destroys soil, depletes nutrients in food, contaminates our food with pesticides, creates downstream runoff environmental degradation, and contributes to climate change. The documentary “Kiss the Ground” documents these important concerns.
In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.
Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, >40ng/ml arguably better.
Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
Drink water filtered through a high quality system that eliminates most environmental toxins.
If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs. Age > 50 and/or risk factors means clear benefit from a booster.
THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.
Again, another biased article claims to demonstrate the dangers of red meat. There are so many problems with the author’s analysis and conclusions it is hard to know where to begin. Rather than go through the nitty gritty here, just head on over to this analysis to read another debunking of the same litany of bad science.
Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml. (read this Open Letter)
Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs.
THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.
If we continue to grow crops and raise animals the way we presently do, our topsoil will be gone in 20 years! There will be another dustbowl but this time it will be NATIONWIDE.
Shocking? Yes.
Fake news? NO.
Watch this 2.5 minute trailer to understand the scope of this problem and the simple proven solution that will not only lead to carbon sequestration in the ground but will create soil and improve the profitability of farming and ranching.
Watch this movie to understand why we must create soil with regenerative farming and ranching.
When we destroy soil and turn it into dirt we release CO2 into the atmostphere.
When we create living soil, returning insects, microbes, viruses, worms, fungi and water to their proper ecosystem role, we capture CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it in the newly created soil through the crops. Moving CO2 from air to plant to soil through the roots, that is the path to saving out planet and providing for world-wide food security.
Biosequestration is the process of using plants, trees, and techniques of farming and raising animals, to capture carbon and store it in the soil. Restoration of grasslands along with regenerative agriculture can accomplish this much quicker and with greater return on investment than planting trees. Of course restoring forests should also be part of a global effort to save our planet from destruction. But the quickest, most efficient way to solve multiple problems at once is to convert present day mono-agriculture system that destroys soil releasing CO2 into the air with the opposite and more profitable system of regenerative agriculture and ranching.
But what about eating meat and raising cattle? We have heard that is bad for the planet. THE SCIENCE SAYS OTHERWISE.
You can watch this BRIEF TRAILER:
That is the science.
Plants capture CO2 and put it back into the soil. Plants and soil capture and sequester rain water as well as CO2, further preventing erosion and runoff. But to create soil we need ruminant animal poop!!!!!!!!!!!
Regenerative agriculture and ranching avoids fossil-fuel based fertilizer and toxic chemicals and uses instead manure from grazing animals to fertilize crops and convert dirt into living soil. This process creates life and habitat for numerous species of animals, plants, microbes etc.
This is a win-win scenario.
What stands in the way?
Ignorance, habit, and Federal subsidy of corn, wheat, soy.
Most (>90%) of the (subsidized) grains grown in the US go into feeding cattle and pigs which are raised on factory farms. After grazing naturally during their early life, most cattle are then moved onto feedlots to be fed GMO glyphosate-resistant grains which degrade the quality of their fat and protein and transfer toxic glyphosate from grain to animal. Those cattle stand in their own excrement and require antibiotics to fend off the inevitable infections that come with feedlot conditions.
The pigs live their lives in a warehouse standing on grated floors dropping their excrement into methane producing lakes of pig poop which overflow into streams and rivers when heavy rains fall.
Antibiotic resistant organisms are created in our feed lots and contribute to our epidemic of antibiotic resistant infections in humans.
But it need not be that way.
After viewing the trailers linked above, watch the movies KISS THE GROUND (already released and available on Netflix) and Sacred Cow (soon to be released) you will learn the path to recovering the health of our planet and the health of our human population.
If you still do not believe this narrative or want to dive deeply into the science, read the book:
“Data from farming and grazing studies show the power of exemplary regenerative systems that, if achieved globally, would drawdown more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.”
That is a very bold but hopeful statement, backed by solid science. It will improve the bottom line for farmers and ranchers by increasing production per acre with non-toxic, soil producing simple farmer’s almanac based technology already being practiced and proven today.
“Actual yields in well-designed regenerative organic systems, rather than agglomerated averages, have been shown to outcompete conventional yields for almost all food crops including corn, wheat, rice, soybean, and sunflower.”
Finally, the scoop on methane produced by cattle and the difference between that and fossil fuel generated CO2 is discussed in this very brief animation.
Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.
In a previous post I praised the recently released book SACRED COW which discusses regenerative agriculture, creation rather than destruction of soil through better farming models, the need for cattle (ruminants) in soil creation, the myths concerning vegetarian diets-saving-the-planet, and many issues related to nutrition and health of the planet.
A recently published white paper on the topic of regenerative agriculture states “there is hope right beneath our feet” to address the climate crisis and global food security at the same time.
The most profound conclusion of this paper provides hope for the climate crisis:
“Data from farming and grazing studies show the power of exemplary regenerative systems that, if achieved globally, would drawdown more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.”
Regenerative agriculture is
“a system of farming principles that rehabilitates the entire ecosystem and enhances natural resources, rather than depleting them.”
Comparing regenerative agriculture to present day industrial farming an eco-artist has created this image.
Mono-agriculture on the left, Regenerative agriculture on the right.
“In contrast to industrial practices dependent upon monocultures, extensive tillage, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers, a regenerative approach uses, at minimum, seven practices which aim to boost biodiversity both above and underground and make possible carbon sequestration in soil.
Diversifying crop rotations
Planting cover crops, green manures, and perennials
Retaining crop residues
Using natural sources of fertilizer, such as compost
Employing highly managed grazing and/or integrating crops and livestock
Reducing tillage frequency and depth
Eliminating synthetic chemicals”
“When compared to conventional industrial agriculture,” the authors write, “regenerative systems improve”:
Biodiversity abundance and species richness
Soil health, including soil carbon
Pesticide impacts on food and ecosystems
Total farm outputs
Nutrient density of outputs
Resilience to climate shocks
Provision of ecosystem services
Resource use efficiency
Job creation and farmworker welfare
Farm profitability
Rural community revitalization
A movie KISS THE GROUND, highlights the importance of a transition from present day mono-agriculture to a Regenerative approach. You can view the trailer here.
Along these lines, be on the lookout for a similar movie version of the book SACRED COW.
The US military has determined that the greatest threat to global security is CLIMATE CHANGE.
Alternative energy sources and elimination of fossil fuels can cut our carbon emissions but will not sequester the carbon in our atmosphere. REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE can sequester carbon, create new living soil, and feed the planet a healthy diet.
The following short animation explains the difference between methane from cows and CO2 from burning fossil fuels. The “natural carbon cycle” reveals the difference.
Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.
Daily loss of nutrient rich top soil with desertification of arable land
COVID-19 pandemic
The first two threats are intimately related to each other. As the climate and our oceans warm and seas rise, the ecologic and economic consequences will be profound. Species are threatened and become extinct, biodiversity which sustains the global ecology and global economy diminishes on a daily basis. Loss of trees and native plants accelerates global warming. Melting of the polar ice caps and mountain glaciers results in less reflectance of solar energy back into space and more absorption of solar energy by the planet, producing a positive feedback loop that is cooking our planet.
Warming climate combined with loss of habitat (especially loss of rainforests) has produced a non-sustainable advance that has already caused tens of thousands of insect species to become extinct. Loss of insects, at the base of the food chain, and loss of essential microbes in our soil, threaten all species on earth, including humans.
Mono-agriculture has produced quantitative and qualitative loss of topsoil and arable land. Soil is a living organism. Arable land requires not just nutrient rich topsoil but also a diverse abundance of microorganisms that support agriculture, native plants, and the entire food chain. Ditto the effects on the health of our oceans, seas, rivers, streams and lakes.
There has been a pseudo-scientific movement away from raising animals as a food source. We have been told that only a vegetarian or vegan diet can sustain the planet. Nothing can be further from the truth!
Creation rather than destruction of arable land requires animal waste. Feeding the world with health-supporting food will require animal and plant foods. Sustainable agriculture requires animals and their poop.
To be blunt, the future of the world’s food supply and arable fertile land depends upon the poop of wild and domestic animals, the elimination of Monoagriculture, GMOs, Roundup-ready crops, and deforestation as well as addressing the threat of global warming.
How many news headlines, films, books and friends of yours say that beef is the unhealthiest and environmentally destructive foods you could be eating? Have you cut down on your meat consumption or feel frustrated about the vilification of meat, something humans have eaten for millions of years?
The most pivotal food and environment book of 2020 is coming soon!
My friends Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf have been trying to get the word out for years about the importance of sustainability when it comes to diet, and have just finished a new book (due out July 14) and documentary film (slated for Fall release) that addresses this complex, yet critically important topic.
What is Sacred Cow?
Beef is framed as the most environmentally destructive and least healthy of foods, but while many argue that greatly reducing, or even eliminating it from our diets, Sacred Cow takes a more critical look at the assumptions and misinformation presented about meat – and has the science to back it up!
Where can you get it?
Sacred Cow is available now for pre-order everywhere books are sold. They’re also offering over $200 in pre-order incentives, including a free sneak peek preview link to the film Sacred Cow! Click here for more info.
After spending years analyzing the science, the book presents a solid case that:
Meat and animal fat are essential for our bodies
A sustainable food system cannot exist without animals
A vegan diet may destroy more life than sustainable cattle farming
Regenerative cattle ranching is one of our best tools at mitigating climate change
Sacred Cow proposes a new way to look at sustainable diets. The book takes a deep dive into the nutritional claims against meat, why cattle raised well are actually good for the environment, and address the ethical considerations surrounding killing animals for food. The truth is, you cannot have life without death, and eliminating animals from our food system could cause more harm than good.
But even if this way of raising animals is better than our current system, surely you can’t feed the world this way, right? Yep, they tackle that too!
Order it todayand get all of your questions about the impacts of eating and raising meat answered in one place.
Have a great week!
PS – Don’t forget to order Sacred Cow today to take advantage of their valuable pre-order incentives and the preview link to the film. Receipts must be submitted to sacredcow.info/book by July 14th!
In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.
Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.
Practical Evolutionary Health 