Dr Bergman recommends a plant based diet, with some meats. THe meats must be organically raised.

I have stsruggled with understanding the anti animal fat advice, and the red meat will kill policies...... to the point of gathering information and mulling it all over. Some months ago I came to this conclusion.

( I have a BS in Animal Science, and took a number of food classes as well as a licenced vet tech at one time. Have raised livestock, and gardened a bit, for 30 years.)

Fats-- the fats and oils in the market is NOT the same as 100 years ago. Everyone pretty much lived on a farm, and few in the cities. Access to fresh, just picked much of the year, or stored foods in cold cellars or dried. Canning was a recent possiblity 100 years ago. Back to fats. Everythig was grass fed. With some grains and hay to winder over. To watch the chickens now in winter, they love the green grasses. YES, in winter here the grasses thrive, and go domant in the summer heat. However, cattle cannot walk on the winter pasutre without damaging the plants; their hooves puncture huge holes into the turf. My sheep are m uch lighter and do not do that kind of damage.


Grain based oils are very processed; not just crushed and pressed but also solvents utilized. A few pressed oils are avialable to us today: coconut oil, avocado oil, and a few others. THough interestingly these too often have higher levels of omega 6 than omega 3's ( More on that later.)

THe ivestock today are raised in huge factory sized buildings. The hogs kept penned; the cattle moved from range to pens with a driveway wide enough to auger grains into the feed bunks. ANd hopefully some hay also provided for maintian health. Not optimal health, but enough to keep the animal growing. CHickens in large buildings with food only steps away, and no or little sunlight, some 10,000 per building. A few sqare feet per bird is the calculation, though the bird cuold walk the 100 foot length. Again all are fed the cheapest possible grains: which means GMO, single-crop farming methods, and may have antibiotics added to the feed or injected ( cattle get pellets injected into the ear-- per cattle class in the 80's)

A dang chicken came into my life some 8 years ago, and I blame her for my start into organic, gut health, etc. Her name was Arielle.

Back to the fats. The fats derived from the commercially fed livestock is not the same as the animal that runs over the grass accessing bugs, buds, the grass itself, as well as a grain ration. I am starting to understand that that grain ration needs to be organic too. I had deluded myself that free ranging was enough to balance the GMO commercial grains. IT IS NOT.

These animal fats reflect the feeds. THe fat is more yellow. And the omega 3 to 6 ration is more correct; should be 1:1 to 1:4. But just seeing yellow is not enough. Chrysanthamum is fet to chickens to make the yolks yellow; to make consumers thing these are better. It is only a food coloring. IT is not a deep rich yellow do to vitamin A from eating real greens.

As goes for the chickens, goes for the hogs and cattle.

When I looked up the time for the omega 3:6 to change when animals moved from grazing to feedlot, the change over seems to be at 3 months on feedlot. NOT LONG.

Finding grassfed beef in the market is getting easier; seems to be shipped in from AUstralia. Why does all our cattle go to feed lots here??? I dont have an answer. I did hear of a man imprisioned for standing up to the BLM trying to keep access to the acres of government land leased to cattlemen. Why were so many herds restricted from this land? What is that land going to be used for? What could be more important that a healthy source of feed for the cattle? Many herds have been totally culled due to this. How does this support our food sources??

Fats from grassfed hogs, cattle and chickens is what was on the table 100 years ago. ANd a short trip from pen to table too. FRESH. ANd all the animal was utilized. Not just meat, but the organs too; chicken feet make marvelous soups. The grass fed livestock have a better omega 3:6 ratio-- a natural one.

Over the last 8 years I have learned to do all the steps of putting food on the table; I am more thankful for my food than ever before, meaning each gets a prayer of thanks. ANd I use everything, NOthing is wasted. OR I am continueing to learn better practices toward using everything but the squeal.

Only know of two farms that raise grassfed hogs; otherwise there are the wild/feral hogs in the southeast, and maybe else where that fend for themselves, and that does not mean eating grains.

The lectures by Dr Bergman fits my personal exerience; in that what I know fits with what he says; such that I am inclined to beleive much of what else he has to say.

Vaccinations. To be brief. My pediatrition does not ask if anyone in the fam ily has a problem with vaccines. WHen I tried to have a reasonable discussion he raised here voice to shut me up with conspiracy theory mumbo jumbo. I KNOW FOR A FACT that vaccinations of foals were delayed because the vaccines were negating the protection from their mothers milk conrfirred when that baby drinks within 12 hours of birth. I asked what I thought was an intelligent question-- only to be shut up.

All the vaccines contained thimerisol. THE ONE drug I am allergic to. I now have a son with autistic issues. I now question the validity and the safety of vaccines. Im not against them, but I do understand those parents that have decided to NOT vaccinate.

I would like to see a more spread out schedule; and fewer diseases vaccinated against. THis is what is now done with dogs and horses; We dont vaccinate unless there is an outbreak in the area or the animal is shipping into an area where the disease is common.

Food for thought.