Full 2026: 6 week series is housed here: real food, real health, and why quality meat matters

Protein: The Nutrient Your Body Can’t Afford to Miss

Dear Friends,

Over the last year, many of you have asked thoughtful questions about food—why prices are changing, why quality matters, and what truly supports long-term health.

So as we step into 2026, we’re beginning a 6-week educational series to share what we know, what we’ve learned on the ranch, and why how your food is raised matters just as much as what you eat.

We’re starting with the foundation.

Why Protein Matters—Now More Than Ever

Protein isn’t a trend. It’s not a diet phase.
It’s one of the most essential nutrients your body depends on every single day.

Protein:

Builds and repairs muscle and tissue
Supports immune health and healing
Stabilizes blood sugar
Fuels metabolism
Helps preserve strength as we age
Keeps you satisfied longer, reducing cravings

In fact, after age 40, the body becomes less efficient at using protein, meaning quality and quantity matter more—not less—as we get older.

Protein is not just about strength.
It’s about resilience, energy, and longevity.

Not All Protein Is Created Equal

Here’s where things get interesting.

While protein can come from many sources, animal-based proteins are uniquely complete, providing all essential amino acids in forms your body can readily absorb and use.

But even within meat, quality varies dramatically.

How animals are raised—what they eat, how they live, whether they’re stressed or medicated—directly impacts:

• Nutrient density
  
  
• Fatty acid balance
  
  
• Digestibility
  
  
• And ultimately, your health
  
  

This is where grass-fed, pasture-raised meats begin to stand apart.

(And yes—we’ll unpack that fully next week.)

Why We’re Sharing This Series

At Cunningham Pastured Meats, we believe food should:

• Nourish your body
  
  
• Respect the animal
  
  
• Protect the land
  
  
• And earn your trust
  
  

This series isn’t about fear or perfection.
It’s about informed choices—so you can feed your family with confidence.

Coming Up in This 6-Week Series

Over the next several weeks, we’ll explore:

1️⃣ Why protein is essential for health, strength & aging well (published 01/04/26)
2️⃣ Why grass-fed & pasture-raised meats are fundamentally different from conventional meat  (01/11/26)
3️⃣ What antibiotics, confinement, and grain feeding change—inside the animal and inside you (01/18/26)
4️⃣ How soil, grass, and animal health directly influence nutrient density (01/25/26)
5️⃣ The hidden cost of cheap meat: health, environment & long-term impact (02/01/26)
6️⃣ What truly sets Cunningham Pastured Meats apart (02/08/26)
  → including our grass nutrient study and a Heart Your Body Savings Event launching 02/08 through February 14

An Invitation

If protein is the foundation of health…
Then choosing clean, responsibly raised protein is one of the most powerful decisions you can make.

We invite you to start with meat you can trust—
raised on pasture, finished on grass, and handled with care from ranch to table.

👉 Explore Cunningham Pastured Meats—because your body deserves real nourishment.

With gratitude,
Liz Cunningham
Cunningham Pastured Meats
Meat as it should be.

Revisit the 2025 Six Week Ranch Series in One Easy Click

https://cunninghampasturedmeats.com/blog/all-6-emails-in-series