Day 17 – My Beef with Beef and a Sunflower Pâté

When you think of a cow, you picture a large black and white mammal grazing on a lush green pasture. Unfortunately, factory farms aren’t so luxurious. Cows spend their lives on extremely crowded feed lots. They are forced to endure painful procedures without any anesthetic such as branding, dehorning (with a paste that burns out the root), and castration (to keep their meat tender).

Cows live in unnatural, inhumane conditions and are fed growth hormones which are then passed on to humans in the form of a hamburger. More shocking though, is that these naturally vegetarian mammals are fed pigs, horses, poultry, chicken manure, and even other cow parts in some countries – including the US. Since their food is so unnatural to them and contains high amounts of bacteria, cows are also given antibiotics to keep them “healthy”. Some factory farms are experimenting with using cardboard, newspapers, and sawdust in cows’ food to cut cost. (And I bet you didn’t know sawdust is used in human foods too. Check the label. It’s listed in the ingredients as “cellulose”.)

Ammonia is used to clean the leftover meat and fat after slaughter. This is the meat typically used for dog food, but once cleaned with the same stuff you use to clean your toilet, it is deemed fit for human consumption, usually in the form of ground beef or mince. This dangerous chemical is considered a processing agent, not an ingredient, so it does not need to be labeled.

Eating cows raised this way for their beef leads to numerous health issues including heart disease and cancer. Just one of the many growth hormones cows are given, Zeranol, is strongly linked to breast cancer.

I made a pâté today out of sunflower seeds. It was quick, simple, and made for the perfect lunch.

Sun Pâté

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked 3-4 hours
1 lemon, juiced and zested
pinch sea salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)

• Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
• Serve as a dip with your favorite veggies.