Clean eating guide to healthy living

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There are a million reasons why people have decided not to eat meat. Some people might argue that many people eat terrible diets there whole life and nothing happens. Have you ever wondered how your meat goes from living to your dinner table? You may have a vague idea but you probably don't know the real facts behind your hamburger, steak, or Buffalo wings. We, unlike the meat industry, are not going to keep you in the dark about animal protein any longer. The sad reality is that the majority of the meat that we consume today comes from factory farms. Crowded farms where yield is prioritized over quality of the meat, and the welfare of the animals. Now, you've probably heard of the horrors of factory farming from vegans and vegetarians before (or perhaps an ethical meat eater), but there's much more about meat production and sales that will make you lose reconsider your diet.

A word of warning: if you're thinking of having turkey burgers for supper, you may want to reconsider. According to a report from the Food and Drug Administration, 81% of all the raw ground turkey tested for a study was contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs, was also found in 69% of pork chops and 39% of chicken. The reason why are we seeing superbugs in our meat is because animals are treated with antibiotics as a preventative measure, to proactively protect them from developing disease. According to the National Chicken Council, this is common practice in livestock husbandry. Because of the repeated exposure to these antibiotics, certain strains of bacteria are becoming resistant to them. Luckily, most commonly used forms of antibiotics used to treat humans are not used on chickens, so even if you do get sick from the superbugs found in your meat, you will most likely be able to receive treatment. But, the question remains: how many forms of antibiotics are out there, and how long until the superbugs become resistant to many, if not all, antibiotics? What makes things worse Farmers commonly regularly dose antibiotics to their livestock's to make them grow faster and prevent the spread of disease. According to a study conducted by the USDA, the regular administration of antibiotics ensures that livestock grow faster and larger by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. The regular administration of antibiotics improves "yield" (i.e. the amount of meat) by 1-2%. As to why they would need a regular administration of antibiotics, according to Beyond Factory Farming, animals on factory farms live in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions, which makes them more susceptible to disease. Close quarters also mean that once a disease takes hold, it can very easily spread to other animals.

What's really disturbing is that treating meat with carbon monoxide is common practice for packaged meat. Supermarkets treat with this gas to keep the meat from turning brown or gray. According to its material safety data sheet, inhaling carbon monoxide may cause damage to the blood, lungs, cardiovascular system and central nervous system. An exposure to as little as 6.4 percent CO can cause convulsions, loss of consciousness and death in 30 minutes. Yes, carbon monoxide is very dangerous if improperly used. For at least the past 20 years, industrial gases and gas mixtures have been commonly used during packaging for preservation purposes and to improve the taste and appearance of various foods. This process of packaging in an atmosphere other than air is known as modified atmosphere packaging. The carbon monoxide is strictly cosmetic and does not slow the growth of microorganisms nor does it alter the characteristic strong odor, slimy texture or bulging packages of spoiled meat.

Just when you think things couldn't get much grosser, we're here to tell you that there is such a thing as "meat glue." You may think that slab of meat on your plate is one whole piece of meat, but in reality, it can often made up of meat scraps held together with a product known as "meat glue." And yes, it's as disgusting as it sounds. Meat glue is officially "transglutaminase," a product which is produced through the fermentation of bacteria. While it's recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Association, it's not exactly appetizing, is it? The more you find out what exactly is in your meat, the more you wonder what else is lurking in that burger or sausage. Could things get much worse? Unfortunately, yes, they do indeed get worse. Last year, Consumer Reports tested 300 packages of ground beef from stores across the United States and do you know what they found in every single package of beef? Fecal contamination. If the meat is not cooked properly, it could pose many dangers including E. coli poisoning and blood infections. Even handling raw ground beef to make burger patties can contaminate everything you touch, unless you thoroughly wash your hands after handling. What we want to know is, why? Why on earth is their poop in meat? As the slaughter and processing of large animals, like cows, is messy, feces trapped in intestines or caked on the hide often end up on the carcass. In short your beef really is packed with poop.