When a food recall is announced, the United States media jumps on the story. Words like ?poisoned,? ?contaminated,? ?deadly? have become a part of our vocabulary in recent years, thanks to food recalls. It tears the industry apart and no doubt, has lasting effects on people. Mad cow disease, tomatoes, kids peanut butter crackers, and now eggs, we are faced with a myriad of information that we have to filter through every time. What?s truly dangerous, is it in our area, what can we do to protect ourselves, is it ever safe to buy the product again, what?s next?
The truth is, that even with FDA controls, we can never truly protect the quality of our foods. There is always an opening for poisons, contamination, and deadly consequences. A recent Wall Street Journal article talks more about how the FDA is ramping up protections since a voluntary egg recall that could have ripped apart the egg farming industry. Billions and billions of eggs were recalled and destroyed because of possible salmonella contamination. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704340504575447951284839386.html?mod=djemHL_t The natural assumption is that it is the bugs and the bacteria that is responsible for our disease. We look to place the blame on some sort of ?resistant? bacteria. But did we ever look at what makes a resistant bacteria? Sometimes, the answer is: us! Bacteria should be killed off in our stomachs as soon as we take it in.  It should kill everything and keep us safe, so what does it mean if it doesn?t?
Take for example  a grass fed cow as opposed to a grain fed cow. This can make all the difference. Cows, in nature, are not meant to eat corn. But they are fed a diet of rain to bulk them up and get them to your plate quicker. But in a grain fed cow, there is acid created in the stomach. The bacteria grown then becomes resistant to acid, naturally found in our own stomachs. So, by the time the meat gets to us, we are exposed to a resistant strain of bacteria that the acids in our stomach would have naturally killed. That is where grass fed cows come in. Here, we are much safer, as the bacteria isn?t resistant.  Because it is neutral environment in the grass fed cow.  Therefore no acid resistant bacteria. Here is a more detailed article about the differences: http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/397/1/Grass-vs-grain-fed-beef.html
Another reason we are unable to fight bacteria as we did before is the use of medication that decreases acid. Even an over-the-counter medication like Prevacid or Prilosec can decrease our acid enough to hinder the ability to fight off certain bacteria.  Of course you should take those meds if it is really necessary. A third reason can be damage done to our guts. As a doctor, I stress the importance of a well-working gut to help solve almost every problem. Our gut controls so many of our functions, including the ability to fight off infection. Most of our immune system in located in the gut and if it isn?t working properly, we are bound to get sick.
What can we do to keep ourselves safe? Firstly, besides being incredibly good for you, grass fed beef is much healthier and can help you keep safe from bacteria. Second: eat a caveman diet to keep your gut in the best shape it can be in. No carbs or dairy: just meat, fruit and vegetables to keep you lean and healthy! Lastly: eat organic. It might be a little more expensive, but it?s worth it in the quality of the products you are ingesting. You are eliminating so many of the possible causes of getting sick. And lastly: skip the over-the-counter acid reducers. Watch your diet and your acid should naturally control itself. Do you ever feel sick after eating? Does your gut feel out of whack? Would you like to start a healthier way of life but don?t know where to start?