Inventory Updates

The following items are back in stock:  

• Chicken Breasts 
• 75% Lean Ground Beef  
• 85% Lean Ground Beef  
• 85% Lean Ground Beef Bundle  
• Sugar Free Beef Bacon Tips
• Beef Bacon Tips
• Extra Dry Beef Jerky Sticks
• Beef Snack Stick Ends  
• Beef Marrow Bones 
• Medium Marrow Bones 
• Raw Jalapeno Cheese 
• Lamb Liver 
• Lamb Kidney 
• Lamb Tallow   

New Products:

• Petite Ham - Nitrate/Sugar Free 

Dr. Eric Serrano MD, MS, BC

Question and Answer Column

Hi Dr. Serrano,

I have a question regarding branch chain amino acids. When I started weight lifting, after my workouts I would take protein shakes (whey protein) even grass-fed whey protein, I would still be sore for days, but once I started taking BCAA's with glutamine and sometimes creatine, my recovery was very fast and I felt a lot better. 

Now I get newsletters from Dr.Mercola and he says to avoid BCAA's and just to use a high quality whey protein with at least 8 grams of leucine.  Even though that does not work for me, also on his newsletter he and Dr. Ori Hofmekler said this:

"When you infuse or administer amino acids into your body, particularly branch chain amino acid, they do signal the muscle to grow...but they may turn you diabetic. I.V. administration - infusion of amino acids - cause a level of insulin resistance that not even fructose can cause."

According to Ori, all amino acids, including the most beneficial ones, administrated intravenously have been shown to cause about six times more glycemic impact than the same amount of glucose, administered in the same way.

So my question is, am I destroying my body worse if taking BCAA's? Should I just stay with whey protein and wait till my muscles aren't sore?  

Thanks in advance,

George F.

 ___________________________________

Dear George,

I am gald you asked this question, and wow, both of them are wrong. Branch chain amino acids are essentail for life, and they protect and save lives.

I am sorry that Ori and Dr. Mercola feel that way but they are not aware of the science behind branch chain amino acids, which by the way the most renowned expert in the world is Mauro Depasquale.

The reason they think that branch chain amino acids can give you or cause diabetes is because of what they do to your insulin, not your sugar. Leucine is what we call an insulinogenic, meaning it increases insulin release, which is important to gain muscle weight and also Dr. Ori, stated IV, well how often can you get IV BCAA, unless you are sick or in the hospital.

The answer to your question is they are wrong and you are right, actually whey is also an insulinogenic by itself, and the reason BCAA give you a large response is because you are getting them IV, which in your case you are not.

In addition you want an insulin response after working out so you gain muscle weight and lose body fat, that is why BCAA prevents muscle breakdown.  In addition you will not have an allergic reaction to BCAA, and will not make you bloat.

Make sure you buy high quality BCAA from Infinity Fitness, this is my brand, or Beverly International, and by the way no, I don't make any money on this product.

All the best, 

Dr. Serrano

David Csonka

We are excited to introduce blogger David Csonka to our newsletter staff!  He is the author of the blog Naturally Engineered and an avid crossfit and paleo enthusiast who is also a contributor to the Paleo Magazine.

How to Eat Paleo on a Budget

This article series presents strategies for eating high quality health foods while sticking to a budget.

#2: Buy in Bulk and Freeze

If you have the capacity to plan ahead and ration out your food over time (instead of pigging out) then buying in bulk from a warehouse store can be one of the most effective ways to eat on a budget. You'll need to refrigerate or freeze a lot of food though since most of the items you'll be buying come in very large sizes. In most cases, your food would spoil long before you'd be able to eat it all.

Real Food Spoils

Real food gradually deteriorates because of a natural aging process. Once food is harvested or slaughtered, its tissue will soon start to decay. Microorganisms, such as fungi (molds & yeasts), spoilage bacteria, and their enzymes usually cause the spoilage process.

Having enough freezer space will be essential if you are going to try and buy food in bulk or frozen. Otherwise, if it's left out too long it's just going to spoil, ferment, or become overripe. Unless you are experimenting with culturing bacteria, this is a bad thing.

Consider spending a little bit of money on getting a decent size freezer. The energy costs will be relatively low since it won't be opened very often, and it will eventually pay for itself with the savings from buying food in bulk.

Buying in Bulk

You'll end up paying a relatively small annual membership fee (probably $40-50 per year) for Costco or Sam's Club but will then have access to mountains of food at very low prices. Shopping at a big box store is a great way to get frequently consumed items for lower than average prices.

Cheap grain foods such as cereal will probably provide the most savings, but a paleo-style dieter will still gain plenty of advantages from buying food in stores like this.

Buying cooking herbs and olive oil will bring you huge savings, as well as the ability to buy fresh or frozen vegetables in large quantities. If you like to eat a large salad every day, then buying your produce in bulk will be necessary to keep your costs manageable.

Also, if you can get used to eating just one or two types of fruit for a week, you can get things like bananas or avocados for far lower prices than conventional grocery stores by purchasing them in large bunches.

I don't usually buy meat from stores like this because quality can sometimes be an issue. However, buying directly from a rancher or through an online seller like U.S. Wellness Meats (USWM) provides an excellent way to purchase meat in bulk while not sacrificing the quality of the product.

Buying from the farm will sometimes require you to accept quarters or halves of the animal, which could make storage problematic. However, the convenient sizing of USWM's products as well as their bulk discount make buying high quality meat through them very affordable.

Buy Frozen

When you have no other choice besides getting your produce at the grocery store, buying frozen is a good choice. It's cheaper, and a lot easier to keep from spoiling so you're less likely to waste money.

Frozen produce is typically picked at its peak nutritional state and then flash-frozen within hours. As for the "fresh" stuff, planes, trains and diesel burning semi's move your fruits and veggies through state after state (or country after country) before they end up in the produce area of your local grocery story; the nutritional value depleting in every mile.

Sure, fresh fruits and veggies taste amazing and look so pretty packed in those little see through drawers in your fridge but man do they spoil quickly! If you're OK with shopping about two times a week, then by all means, get the fresh stuff. But, if you're like me and have a hard time getting to the grocery just one time a week, I suggest going for some of the frozen options.

The Bottom Line

Buying in bulk from a warehouse store can be one of the most effective ways to eat on a budget. You'll need to refrigerate or freeze a lot of food, so get a decent size freezer and buy meat and other stuff when it's on sale. As well, flash-frozen produce is an affordable and acceptable compromise to fresh fruits and vegetables.

 __________________________________________

David Csonka is a blogger and natural health enthusiast living in Denver, Colorado. His blog naturallyengineered.com covers topics ranging from evolutionary diets to barefoot running and natural movement. He attended the Florida State University where he graduated with a bachelors and masters degree in Information Science. His interests include running and exercising outdoors, hiking, exploring, and capturing the natural world through the lens of his camera.

Spring Strawberry Salad with Chicken     

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed 
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided 
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, divided 
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and dried 
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced 
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese 
• 5 oz pecans 

1. Place the chicken breasts into a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette over medium heat; cook and stir until the chicken is browned, no longer pink in the center, and the juice has nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes.  
2. Remove the chicken to a bowl and let cool. 
3. Place the spinach into a salad bowl; scatter the strawberries, goat cheese, and pecans over the spinach.  
4. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and top with the chicken.
5. Serve slightly warm or chilled.   

Wholesale Hello!

We are happy to introduce a new section in our News Alerts that will shine some light on a featured US Wellness Wholesale customer.  We have many wholesale outlets around the country that many customers may not be aware of, so this is our chance to brag about them!  If you are interested in becoming a US Wellness wholesaler, simply drop us an email at: eathealthy@grasslandbeef.com.   

Our Wholesale Hello! this week takes us to downtown New York City to the popular restaurant BRGR.  BRGR is a grass-fed burger restaurant with two locations in the city, and US Wellness is proud to be able to provide all of the product for their delicous burgers.  They also make award-winning milkshakes, with products from local Ronnybrook Dairy. 

Founding member John Wood was on hand for the grand opening, and got to talk to the crowd about the benefits of grass-fed beef.  If you are in the area be sure to stop by one of the locations for one of the best burgers in NYC!

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