Hey guys,
Below is an article I had Lee Atwood, CrossFit RVA member and operator of Broadview Ranch write for the website. He’ll be at our cookout Saturday, providing all of the beef you’ll be eating, and he’ll have some for sale also. See you guys Saturday!
Grass Fed Fitness
Crossfit RVA’s motto “Elite fitness in an Urban Environment” doesn’t sound like it would have much to do with alternative agriculture. However if you dig below the surface you’ll find two cultures that are bucking conventional “wisdom” and taking a hard look at the best ways to improve health and fitness. Crossfit is concerned with maximizing your physical preparedness. Alternative agriculture is about allowing species to engage in natural interactions that maximize the health of the immediate ecosystem (and beyond). Healthier ecosystems create healthier plants and animals which in turn produce more nutritious food for you. While I am no nutritional expert, I believe that allowing animals to eat their natural diets increases the nutritional value of the food while reducing the need for chemical interventions and processing. For example grass fed beef is:
* Lower in total fat
* Higher in beta-carotene
* Higher in vitamin E
* Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
* Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
* Higher in total omega-3s (good) and lower in omega-6 (bad) fatty acids (same ratio as fish!)
Similar nutritional superiority can be found in pastured poultry, eggs, and pork as well as organically fertilized fruits, vegetable and grains. All these advantages are immediately detectable by your body in the superior taste as well! For more information visit http://www.eatwild.com or ask Jake about specifics and how this fits into the Crossfit recommended Zone and Paleo diets.
Remember the old adage “You are what you eat,†well guess what- it’s true. The proteins, vitamins, and nutrients in your diet are the fuel and building blocks of your body. Crossfit does a great job of maximizing the potential of your body but the choices you make in every meal determine the resources available to your body. Consider the sources of the nutrients entering your body and wherever possible consider taking an active role in your food chain. The young active body can hide many of the visible effects of a bad diet, but make no mistake many of the processed “foods” available today are nothing short of slow acting poison. You can only attain elite fitness when you treat your body well and provide it with the best fuel possible.
Broadview Ranch is providing the grass fed beef for the CrossfitRVA open house cookout on Saturday. We look forward to providing you with a burger or two and would love to continue this discussion. I will bring a limited supply of ground beef for interested folks to purchase at the cookout. If you are interested in eggs, steaks, and roasts, consider placing an order by this Thursday and I will have it available at the cookout. We would love to be your beef, pork or egg supplier but if not us consider the many farmers around the region that can do a better job providing you with healthy food choices than the grocery store. There are several great farmers markets in the Richmond area and growing resources are available for people willing to look a little beyond the grocery store.
See you on Saturday,
Lee Atwood
Broadview Ranch