I'm in a unique position to determine food content, since I have wound up with a body that looks and works best with whole foods. And reacts violently to things I must avoid, because of my autoimmune illness. I can keep it in remission by realizing where I went wrong and eliminate a troublesome food. Or, I gain a new food.
It's been a health process since 2003, when I started on Atkins. Which is how it works for everyone, which isn't about some standard of quality imposed from outside.
If I listened to the regular protein calculators I'd eat only half of the amount of protein I turn out to need: at least now, while I'm healing. All of this advice is about averages, and none of us is average!
Right now, my priority is to avoid flare-ups. If I'm not spending $900 a month on the drug I'm trying to avoid, that leaves a bit of wiggle room for things I eat for my health.
I FEEL the grass-fed beef. Perhaps because here's a list I need to avoid:
- gluten
- lectins
- artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners
- stabilizers and things to keep it from being lumpy and extra processing of anything
This is in order of how much my body will tolerate. With glutens, I'm not separate-cutting-board sensitive, but I still suffer. I've reacted to beef. Which makes no sense. Sometimes, I know I got a burger that was premade with some kind of tenderizer, or has breadcrumbs as a stretcher, and now I have to avoid all of that unless I know the chef.
But sometimes it's a mystery, which makes even labeled foods suspect. Grass-fed ground beef is not that much more expensive, and I've never reacted to it.
I still only spend more if I get more. I have noticed differences in produce where I think some kinds have more micro-nutrients in the organic version. It's dependent on the food and the region and the soil. If the organic consistently tastes better, that produce could be worth the extra money.
Part of my medical budget is about the food, and my own search for the cheapest forms that work for a couple who have different chronic illnesses
That's the kind of calculations to consider, for your individual needs and resources. Might be worth exploring, especially when we are new to eating this way.
Because I have a whole new outlook on food. It's also medicine.