The Beef i Love is Good For You!

This is my short and sweet Beef Presentation.

I am not going to lie; I am a fan of beef.  I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and supper.  I love beef.  There’s no doubt about it.  Everywhere I turn, the media is telling me to eat more chicken and fish.  They say “Stay away from beef”.   I decided that I was going to do some research and find out for myself, the truth about beef.   What I found is shocking.

Hello my name is Kalynn Hardegree; I am a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and I am also a member of the Mitchell County 4-H Club.   Which would you rather eat 3 ounces of steak or 6 ½ cups of raw spinach.  That's how much spinach you would have to eat to equal the amount of Vitamin B6 found in just three ounces of cooked lean beef.  You would have to eat 3 cups of raw spinach to equal the amount of iron. To equal the amount of Vitamin B 12 in your 3 ounce serving of beef you would have to eat seven skinless chicken breasts.  The list goes on and on.   A 3 oz serving of lean beef has 154 calories and contributes less than 10% of calories to a 2,000 calorie diet, yet it supplies more than 10% of the daily values for 10 essential nutrients.   Those include protein, zinc, Vitamin B 12, selenium, and phosphorus.  Other important nutrients found in beef include niacin, Vitamin B6, iron, and riboflavin.  These help you grow up strong and healthy by developing muscles, producing energy, and helping keep you from getting sick.

Proteins build and repair all body tissue.  Without Zinc you would have trouble healing everyday wounds. Vitamin B12 helps to maintain nerve tissue and normal blood formation.   Vitamin B6 is important in your body because it helps you to use the energy from other foods that you eat.  Beef provides people with a special kind of iron called heme iron.  This type is easily absorbed into the body, and even helps smaller amounts of iron to be absorbed from vegetables and grains! Getting enough iron is especially important for young people because it aids in brain development.   An Iron deficiency, called anemia causes developmental challenges, and research has shown that even short-term iron deficiency negatively affects academic performance.  Have you heard that eating beef or red meat will make you fat?  The studies show, beef does the opposite! The protein in beef contributes to building healthy muscles with fewer calories, and beef helps zap fat! Eating beef and other protein-rich foods helps everyone feel fuller, and therefore consume fewer calories when eaten in moderation.

 

It takes a lot of many other foods- and a lot more calories-to balance your diet, but, to get you the same amount of these important nutrients. Beef’s competitive advantage is that it packs a lot of goodness into a small package!

 

There is nothing like a freshly cooked Rib eye, Medium rare coming off the grill.   Beef is the best tasting vitamin.   Did you know you would have to eat 11 2/3 servings of tuna to get the same amount of zinc found in your 3 oz. serving?  With all this being said it is important to eat other proteins also.   Next time you are eating steak or other beef products enjoy yourself knowing you are nourishing your body with important nutrients.

C-O-N-F-I-D-ENCE

A favorite movie of mine is Clambake, starring Elvis!  If you have ever seen the movie, you would know the scene in the movie where Elvis, his best buddy and those adorable children are playing in the park.  I recently watched it again (well maybe three times) and the song from that scene got stuck in my head.   Of course, I just had to purchase it on itunes!   I believe a little boost in your self Confidence can get you a long way.  

C- Is for all those "Crazy Cows" I have had to keep from running away.  (Did I mention I have done more running than Standing my Ground?)  As I get older and stronger, I am running a little less.

O- Is for all the ''Opportuntities'' my Livestock Projects have given me.  Like becoming a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador.  It has truly made me grow as a person, making me grateful for the life I have.  Being raised on a farm is a true blessing.

N- Is for those "Nail Biting Moments" in my life.  Like Being so nervous before a 10 minute speech, that you have to give to a group of people or your sibling is going into the show ring and you just feel like throwing up, because you are so anxious about what could happen in the ring.  After all, they are holding a thousand pound or more steer in their hands.

F- Is for the "Farm" I have been blessed to live on.  That I am ashamed to say until recently, I have taken for granted.

I- Is for the ''Independence'' my livestock projects have provided.  I have learned the hard way; daddy can't always be there.  From feeding the cows, shooting a rattle snake, or treating a sick animal you have to learn to do it on your own. 

D- Is for the "Disasters" that happen in and out of the show ring that make you stronger.  You must learn to take the good with the bad, learn from the situation and move forward. 

ENCE- stands for Patience, which I continue to struggle with.  I can say I am improving, it is just so hard when you have so much to do around here and my siblings don't want to do it my way!

In the beginning of Summer 2012 I set some personal goals.  I can gladly say I have achieved most of them.   My number 1 goal of the summer was to go to State Round-up and walk the stage for 2 of the 3 Competitions I competed in.   I did!  Every evening, I put on glitter spray.  I can PROUDLY say I sparkled on stage for placing 3rd place in the Fashion Show and 3rd place with my Educational Presentation!

My second goal was to get out of my shell and make new friends.  This is one goal I am still working on, but I can say I have somewhat gotten rid of my shell.  I still get nervous and often try to be invisible but I am striving to be a more outgoing person.

My final goal was to get out of the state of Texas.  (I am terrified by the outside world) Just kidding!  To accomplish this goal I attended a camp in New Mexico.  My favorite parts were being with my friends and seeing the beautiful sunrises.  I guess you can say the trip was a success, but I can definitely say if it wasn't for Mandy and Andy I would have totally had a mental break down on the ropes course!  I am totally terrified of heights.  I can't wait for next year, but I have a feeling I will only do the bottom part of ropes course again.  Conquering the whole ropes course will be on my goals list for 2013!!!  We shall see!

With a C-O-N-F-I-D-ENCE put'em all together and what to you got Confidence!  You'll be surprised what you can do if you only try!  Life is full of ways to build your Confidence and I hope you have noticed mine has soared in the past few months thanks to my projects and experiences through 4-H!

Life Lessons I have learned:

Saying No to a challenge, Gets you nowhere.  Always be open to Challenging yourself.
Encouragement!  It gets you through life and death situations.
Push yourself!
There's no job too immense when you've got CONFIDENCE!