Spring Hill Farms

Tamworth Pigs on Pasture

I have several breakfast selections I rotate through depending on what I feel like eating, how much time I have, etc.

This morning I elected to fry my eggs. The bulk of the pastured eggs I consume are raw. You hear all kinds of things about eating eggs raw and in another article I'll discuss why I eat raw eggs, but for today let's look at using pig lard as a ingredient in your everyday cooking. Like frying eggs.

I dropped about a half a tablespoon or more lard from our pastured pork into the skillet and in a couple minutes I was eating two eggs with real cheese and no bread. I have practically eliminated bread from my diet. Not completely, as I love whole wheat bread, but it happens to be one of the things that adds inches to my waistline so I keep my urge to eat a loaf at a time subdued.

Lard, like most animal fats, have gotten a bad wrap for many years now. I still marvel at the effectiveness of the "low fat" advertising mantra. Today there is so much confusion about fats and oils that many people are sabotaging their health while believing they are doing the right thing.

In 1956, an American Heart Association (AHA) fund-raiser aired on all three major networks. The MC interviewed, among others, Irving Page and Jeremiah Stamler of the AHA, and researcher Ancel Keys. Panelists presented the lipid hypothesis as the cause of the heart disease epidemic and launched the Prudent Diet, one in which corn oil, margarine, chicken and cold cereal replaced butter, lard, beef and eggs. But the television campaign was not an unqualified success because one of the panelists, Dr. Dudley White, disputed his colleagues at the AHA. Dr. White noted that heart disease in the form of myocardial infarction was nonexistent in 1900 when egg consumption was three times what it was in 1956 and when corn oil was unavailable. When pressed to support the Prudent Diet, Dr. White replied: "See here, I began my practice as a cardiologist in 1921 and I never saw an MI patent until 1928. Back in the MI free days before 1920, the fats were butter and lard and I think that we would all benefit from the kind of diet that we had at a time when no one had ever heard the word corn oil."

 So what type of fat is lard?

According to Mary Enig, author of Know Your Fats, lard is about 40 percent saturated, 50 percent monounsaturated, and contains 10 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is also one of our richest dietary sources of vitamin D.

(Research is showing vitamin D to be one of the foundational vitamins to good health.)

Foods containing trans fat sell because the American public is afraid of the alternative—saturated fats found in tallow, lard, butter, palm and coconut oil, fats traditionally used for frying and baking. Yet the scientific literature delineates a number of vital roles for dietary saturated fats—they enhance the immune system, are necessary for healthy bones, provide energy and structural integrity to the cells, protect the liverand enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids. Stearic acid, found in beef tallow and butter, has cholesterol lowering properties and is a preferred food for the heart. As saturated fats are stable, they do not become rancid easily, do not call upon the body's reserves of antioxidants, do not initiate cancer, do not irritate the artery walls.

We have always used lard here at Spring Hill Farms. A growing number of customers are requesting it. At this point the best we can do is give them the actual fat so they can make lard for themselves.

It's a simple process and can be done on the stove in smaller amounts.

If you would be interested in purchasing lard from us let me know. If the demand is large enough perhaps we will add it to our products.

You can buy lard at some grocery stores, but it can have hydrogenated lard it, BHT, Propyl Gallate, and Citric Acid.

You can bet the pig it was made from wasn't on pasture and worse yet probably fed all kinds of things to practically negate the benefits of the lard.

 Keep your eye out we may have a lard rendering here at the house this fall so you can try some for yourself.

 If you're thinking there is no way you are eating animal fats because they aren't healthy for you. I urge to do some research and see for yourself. A good place to start is The Oiling of America.


Until Next Time...

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The demand for grass fed beef is on the rise. Research is proving out that it is healthier for you and even helps fight cancer.

It took a long time to convince me that grass fed beef was better for you than grain fed.

The research that is coming mainstream these days though will convince the most skeptical person.

It's hard to describe the feeling you have sitting down to dinner with those you love and knowing they are eating foods that help keep them healthy rather than making them sick. That is one of our main priorities here at Spring Hill Farms.

Diet and lifestyle are two of the foundational keys to health. Read Dr Mercola's latest blog about the benefits of grass fed beef. [More]

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Eating fresh, local foods is the foundation to health and longevity but is it enough?

If you have enough discipline to never eat processed foods and have done so for most of your life maybe it would be, but most people I know don't fall into that category!

I'm not a big proponent of nutritional supplements but I do think there is a place for them.

The key word is supplement. They should supplement an already good diet to help maintain good health.

Another good use of nutritional supplements is to help you overcome a health issue you may be facing and diet alone isn't getting the results you need to feel better.

Enter - Astaxanthin, the one supplement I believe no one should be without.

The list of benefits from taking Astaxanthin is growing by the day.

There may be no other single natural substance that performs so many beneficial biochemical functions as this little-known carotenoid. Its scope is truly amazing. Here are just some of the ways astaxanthin can positively impact your health, according to the latest research:


*The following was taken from Dr Mercola's Site read the full article here.

• Boosting immune function
• Improving cardiovascular health by reducing C-Reactive Proteins (CRP), reducing triglycerides, and increasing beneficial HDL
• GREATLY protecting your eyes from cataracts, macular degeneration, and blindness (which I will discuss at length below)
• Protecting your brain from dementia and Alzheimer's
• Reducing your risk for many types of cancer (including cancers of the breast, colon, bladder and mouth) by stimulating apoptosis (cancer cell death) and inhibiting lipid peroxidation
• Improving recovery from spinal cord and other central nervous system injuries
• Reducing inflammation from all causes, including arthritis and asthma
• Improving endurance, workout performance and recovery
• Helping to stabilize blood sugar, thereby protecting your kidneys
• Relieving indigestion and reflux
• Improving fertility by increasing sperm strength and sperm count
• Actually helping to prevent sunburn, and protecting you from the damaging effects of radiation (i.e., flying in airplanes, x-rays, CT scans, etc.)
• Reducing oxidative damage to your DNA
• Reducing symptoms from pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.

I started taking Astaxanthin because I was suffering from severe lower back pain for almost 3 years. I tried everything chiropractors, stretching, exercise, other supplements, nothing got me complete relief. 

After just 3 weeks of taking Astaxanthin my back pain was totally gone! It has changed my life. No more asking my wife to help me get my shoes on, no more sleepless nights, no more constant pain...I was a new man!

Another benefit I noticed is it is a great natural sunscreen! Contrary to what most dermatologists say, I believe sunshine is good for you.

You don't want to get sunburned but we need sunshine to optimize our vitamin D levels. The research is proving this and most all suncreens you buy in store actaully contain carcinegenics.

I take 8 mg a day and it seems to be enough. If you're going to be in the sun continuously for a long period I would think you may need to take more through the day. Dr. Mercola sells a great natural sunscreen on his site if you are prone to burning.

Dr Mercola has blogged extensively on Astaxanthin. I would urge you to see for yourself if you want all the technical information.

I have had so many friends and family ask me about Astaxanthin that I promised them I would blog about it so they know where to get it.

You can purchase here and receive $5 off your first order! I signed up for their rewards program and receive credits toward my purchases when you purchase products.

Over the next few blogs I'll delve deeper into exactly what I do everyday to maintain optimal health.

My breakfast every morning, foods I refuse to eat, the best dirt for health, all kinds of fun stuff!



Until next time....

PS -Let me know how Astaxanthin improves your life!

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 I started raising Oberhasli dairy goats last year as a way to supply my family with fresh, grass fed, raw milk.

We have many customers who asked about milk and we have to tell them that the ODA and FDA consider it a crime to sell raw milk.

 

 Many times people are shocked that a farmer is seriously restricted as to what and how they can sell off the farm and it keeps getting worse.

 I believe the raw milk controversy is the fore runner to defining our food rights as American consumers. Even if you have no interest in raw milk (which is a wonderful health food), ask yourself if you want to be told you can no longer buy eggs off the farm that are ungraded. Or, produce has to be inspected to insure it is safe so no on farm sales of produce either.

 A large percentage of these laws and regulations are sponsored and pushed by big business to eliminate the competition and maintain the illusion that only food from the "established system" is safe to eat.

Check out Dr Mercola's latest post about Ron Paul standing up and saying enough! [more]

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