Are Eggs Bad For You? Pastured Vs. Free Range. Are Eggs as Bad as Smoking? Healthiest Eggs? Free Range Egg Scam! Eggs and Cholesterol. Don't Overcook the Yolks. Egg-Free Baking. Mount Etna. VW Bus.

 

For “Foodie Friday”:

Are Eggs Bad For You? Egg Cholesterol Myths, How the Body Works, Clinical Nutrition

“Eggs have Cholesterol in them and many people have the idea that Eggs are not a health food or that eggs are potentially harmful because this. What’s the truth? Are eggs good or bad? Does a diet heavy in eggs raise the risk of high cholesterol, disease, heart attacks and obesity? Or does having eggs in ones diet contribute to over all health and wellness.
Find out the truth about eggs.”

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World’s Best Eggs

“Jeremiah Cunningham explains the Mother Earth News nutritional results showing why pastured eggs are so much better than free range.”

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Cage Vs. Free Range Pastured Eggs

Environmental Concerns

“Large numbers of animals confined in small spaces, as seen in conventional egg-production facilities, pollute the air, water and soil with the vast amounts of manure they produce. Livestock manure runs off into waterways, causing nutrient pollution and algae blooms; gases from the manure pollute the air; and the medications and pathogens in the animals' waste causes health risks.  Animal-based agriculture doesn't have to create a liability for the environment. In his 2006 book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Michael Pollan described poultry farms where rotating pastured poultry among fields provided enough manure to boost the nutrient levels in the soil without becoming toxic. At the same time, the chickens helped to control pests.

Nutrition

In addition to being healthier for the planet, free-range eggs are often healthier for you too. In 2007, Mother Earth News collected nutritional data from the eggs produced by 14 flocks of free-range pastured hens and compared that with data provided by the USDA for conventional eggs. The study revealed that the free-range eggs, on average, contained one-third less cholesterol and one-quarter less saturated fat, in addition to higher levels of vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids.”  More at: http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/cage-vs-range-eggs-2872.html

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Is it True that Eggs are as Bad for Your Arteries as Smoking?

“A recent study claims eating egg yolks on a regular basis is approximately two-thirds as bad as smoking with regards to arterial plaque formation. But two of the study’s authors have vested interests in statin drugs, and the third helped create the vegan “Portfolio Diet,” which only allows egg substitutes

While it’s true that fats from animal sources contain cholesterol, this is not necessarily something that will harm you. Cholesterol is in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat

While organic pastured eggs are some of the healthiest foods you can eat, you’ll want to avoid omega-3 eggs, which typically come from chickens that are fed poor-quality sources of omega-3 fats that are already oxidized. You also want to eat your eggs raw, or lightly cooked, as cooking the egg will oxidize the cholesterol

Shoddy Hypothesis Ignores Already Established Science

There is a major misconception that you must avoid foods like eggs and saturated fat to protect your heart. While it's true that fats from animal sources contain cholesterol, this is not necessarily something that will harm you. Cholesterol is in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of memories and is vital for your neurological function.

So what's the bottom line when you look at who funded the study and who the authors were? They all have heavy involvement with, and funding from, pharmaceutical companies, so how can you expect anything but massive conflict of interest? With this background information you could EASILY predict the outcome of the study well before it even began.”  Complete article at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/27/eating-eggs.aspx

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So Which Eggs Are The Healthiest?

“The USDA will tell you that all eggs are created equal, just as all vegetables, whether organic or not, are equal. Somehow the output from a chicken doesn’t depend on the inputs in the USDA’s world, which is frankly a ridiculous assumption. It’s like a chicken is a little computer program that always puts out the perfect solution, regardless of how much garbage you fed into the program. Too bad it’s not reality.

I was passed two articles from Mother Earth News regarding the nutrition of truly pastured eggs versus the eggs the USDA uses for its tests. Care to see what the results were?

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
• 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D

But how exactly did they get these results?

These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. We had six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore.

So we have an egg that is altogether more nutritious when the animal is raised in a more natural environment and allowed to eat its natural diet. Imagine that! Too bad the USDA and the Egg Board are unwilling to admit it.

Mike and I talk a lot about reframing our mindset and I think this is another key time for that. I pointed out before that it’s not that a diet based on real foods prevents disease, rather it doesn’t cause disease like the diet of most people. A pastured egg from a chicken eating something very close to the primal version of a chicken diet is our baseline, not the conventional egg. It’s not that pastured eggs are packed with more vitamins. It’s that conventional eggs have less nutrition. It’s all about context.

My Take On Raw Eggs
So while I’m not advising you one way or the other, I will say that, while I don’t include raw eggs in my diet, I think the risks are overstated, though I’m not sure that the benefits are all that great either.

Oxidation of the fats and cholesterol in the yolk seems to me to be the focus of most raw advocates, so I opt instead for cooking most of my eggs without exposing the yolk to the air. Over-easy, soft-boiled and hard-boiled are how 90% of my eggs are eaten. While there is heat exposure, there is no light or air exposure to begin the process of oxidation. I do occasionally throw together an omelet though, cooked over low-medium heat in healthy saturated fats that are protective against oxidation.”  More at: http://www.realfooduniversity.com/truth-isfree-range-eggs-healthier-store-bought-eggs/

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Free Range Egg Scam!

“If you think free range eggs are any different than regular store bought eggs - you need to see this!
Can you trust the the USDA guidelines about 'free range' eggs?
Truly pastured chickens are healthy and strong - they lay nutritionally superior eggs which are essential to look and feel your best and burn fat.”

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Cracking the Egg-Cholesterol Myth

“More than 30 Years of Research Supports the Role of Eggs in a Healthy Diet. The new research about eating eggs when you have high bad cholesterol is that they are really good for you.

But you should not eat them with the yolk broken where it will be subjected to high heat.  Soft boiled, like 3-4 minutes, over easy, 'splashed', or even raw, are good for you.”  

"Scrambling your eggs would be one of the worst ways to eat eggs as it actually oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. If you have high cholesterol this may actually be a problem for you as the oxidized cholesterol may cause some damage in your body."   More at:  http://www.incredibleegg.org/images/website/documents/health-and-nutrition/cracking-the-cholesterol-myth/cracking-the-cholesterol-myth_10-31-08.pdf

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Organic Egg Scorecard

““5-egg” rating (2001-2200): “Exemplary”—Beyond Organic
Producers in this top tier manage diverse, small- to medium-scale family farms. They raise their hens in mobile housing on well-managed and ample pasture or in fixed housing with intensively managed rotated pasture. They sell eggs locally or regionally under their farm’s brand name, mostly through farmer’s markets, food cooperatives and/or independently owned natural and grocery stores and sometimes through larger chains like Whole Foods:” http://www.cornucopia.org/organic-egg-scorecard/ 

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Eggs and Cholesterol - Controversy and Deception

"When cooking an egg, the cholesterol in the yolk is altered when simultaneously heated and exposed to air. Therefore, eggs should be cooked without breaking the yolks (i.e. poached, boiled, over easy, etc.), instead of scrambled or made into omelets. A raw blended egg should be drunk fairly quickly, or refrigerated, because leaving it out at room temperature will start cholesterol oxidation, albeit more slowly than by cooking.
{Health Scientist Panelist, Allan Spreen, MD, on e-Alert, April 3, 2003}

Also in "To Your Health," 2002, Dr. Spreen says that the original researchers did not even use real, whole eggs: they used powdered eggs. The lecithin in the eggs had to be heated (altered before ever being used in the research), thus destroying the healthy, naturally protective lecithin only available in the real whole egg."

When one heats the egg yolk, changes occur in the fragile elements that serve to support the vital life force within the egg. The egg yolk, in many ways, is not very different from your own cells. Once your temperature goes above 105 degrees, you will start to suffer serious health problems. Similarly heating the yolk above 105 degrees will also start to cause structural changes in many of the highly perishable components in the yolk. The most obvious one is cholesterol.

The more the yolk is heated, the more likely oxidation will occur. Our blood vessels do not have receptors for cholesterol, only for oxidized cholesterol. So, you can eat as many eggs as you like, without worrying about cholesterol, as long as you don't cook the yolks.”   More at: http://www.jrussellshealth.org/cholesterol.html

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If you don't have any eggs, and don't have time to run to the store:

“Egg-Free Baking Tips:

• Vinegar and Baking Soda: For a rising or lightening effect in cakes, cupcakes and breads, combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

• Ground Flaxseed: Rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed whisked with 3 tablespoons of water in a blender or food processor will replace one egg. Flaxseed works best in nutty, grainy items like pancakes, waffles, bran muffins and oatmeal cookies.

• Bananas: For its binding abilities, half of a potassium and magnesium rich mashed or pureed banana will generally replace one or two eggs in breads, muffins, cakes and pancakes.

• Applesauce: Full of fiber and vitamin C, unsweetened applesauce offers the binding and moisture needed in baked goods. 1/4 cup equals one egg. Applesauce works best when you want the results to be moist, as in brownies.”

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On This Day:

Mount Etna erupts, Mar 8, 1669:

“On this day in 1669, Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily in modern-day Italy, begins rumbling. Multiple eruptions over the next few weeks killed more than 20,000 people and left thousands more homeless. Most of the victims could have saved themselves by fleeing, but stayed, in a vain attempt to save their city.

Mount Etna dominates the island of Sicily. Rising 11,000 feet above sea level in the northeast section of Sicily, it can be seen from just about every part of the 460-square-mile island. The geologic history of Mount Etna demonstrates that it has been periodically spewing ash and lava for thousands of years; the first recorded eruption of the volcano was in 475 BCE. It is the most active volcano in Europe. In 1169, an earthquake just prior to an eruption killed 15,000 people on Sicily. Despite the dangers of living near an active volcano, the eruptions made the surrounding soil very fertile, so many small villages developed on the slopes of the mountain.

When Etna began to rumble and belch gas on March 8, the residents nearby ignored the warning signs of a larger eruption. Three days later, the volcano began spewing out noxious fumes in large quantities. Approximately 3,000 people living on the slopes of the mountain died from asphyxiation. Even worse, Etna was soon emitting tremendous amounts of ash and molten lava. The ash was sent out with such force that significant amounts came down in the southern part of mainland Italy, in some cases nearly 100 miles away. Lava also began pouring down the south side of the mountain heading toward the city of Catania, 18 miles to the south along the sea.

At the time, the city of Catania had about 20,000 residents; most failed to flee the city immediately. Instead, Diego de Pappalardo, a resident of the city, led a team of 50 men to Mount Etna, where they attempted to divert the lava flow. Wearing cowhides soaked in water, the men bravely approached the lava with long iron rods, picks and shovels. They were able to hack open a hole in the hardened lava wall that had developed on the outside of the lava flow and much of the flow began to flow west out of the new hole. However, the residents of Paterno, a city lying southwest of Etna were monitoring these developments and quickly realized that this new flow direction could imperil their own city. They literally fought back the Catanians, while the lava breach hardened and filled again.

For several weeks, the lava pushed toward Catania and the sea. Still, the residents failed to evacuate the city. Apparently, they remained hopeful that the lava would stop or the city's ancient defensive walls would protect them. Neither was the case—the walls were quickly swallowed by the extremely hot lava and nearly 17,000 people in Catania died. Most of the city was destroyed. Catania was not the only city affected—the eruption wiped out 14 towns and villages and left about 27,000 people homeless.

Following this disaster, it was decreed that interference with the natural flow of lava was prohibited in Italy, a regulation that remained in effect hundreds of years later.”

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VW bus, icon of counterculture movement, goes into production, Mar 8, 1950:

“Volkswagen, maker of the Beetle automobile, expands its product offerings to include a microbus, which goes into production on this day in 1950. Known officially as the Volkswagen Type 2 (the Beetle was the Type 1) or the Transporter, the bus was a favorite mode of transportation for hippies in the U.S. during the 1960s and became an icon of the American counterculture movement.

The VW bus was reportedly the brainchild of Dutch businessman Ben Pon, an importer of Beetles to the Netherlands, who saw a market for a small bus and in 1947 sketched out his concept. Volkswagen engineers further developed the idea and in March 1950, the vehicle, with its boxy, utilitarian shape and rear engine, went into production. The bus eventually collected a number of nicknames, including the "Combi" (for combined-use vehicle) and the "Splittie" (for its split windshield); in Germany it was known as the "Bulli." In the U.S., it was referred to by some as a hippie van or bus because it was used to transport groups of young people and their camping gear and other supplies to concerts and anti-war rallies. Some owners painted colorful murals on their buses and replaced the VW logo on the front with a peace symbol. According to "Bug" by Phil Patton, when Grateful Dead musician Jerry Garcia died in 1995, Volkswagen ran an ad featuring a drawing of the front of a bus with a tear streaming down it.”

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Yesterday:

Terry continues to get over his URI (Feline Upper Respiratory Infection).  He doesn’t act sick, and if he is this sweet when he feels bad, I wonder how he is going to be when he feels better.  You can see how big Terry’s head is, a cat that size shouldn’t be able to curl up into such a small space.  Hopefully, he won’t be so skinny for long.

Ray and I took the AC unit out of my living room window, took it out of it’s case and he cleaned it.  While he was doing that, I had both the AC cases, fronts and filters all in a row outside on a work table, sprayed and hosed them down. 

While everything was drying in the sun, we looked at how we were going to hard-wire the Heat/Air Conditioning unit to comply with HUD regulations.  The Heat/Air was in Ray’s living room.  We are swapping them out.  I found some flexible conduit just the right length and diameter, and the right fittings to go on the ends.  (My junk parts around here come in handy!) 

We had to cut a larger slot in the base of the unit where the cord comes out with a jigsaw so that the fittings would fit right.  Then we will thread the cord through the conduit, into a box inset in the wall, then through the wall and into a junction box behind the wall in the garage.  That is why we have taken down that wall panel in the garage.  We can access the 220v from there.

Installing the Heat/Air unit in my house will be better than cutting out a big section of sheet rock and installing the wall heater.  It is all temporary, as I intend to install a mini-split air conditioner/heat-pumps in both houses before summer comes.  Most of them are Energy Star rated, and cost so much less to operate.

Terry is getting three squares a day, so maybe it won’t be long before he bulks up. Satchmo never would go out on the screen porch, but now it is getting used again.  Terry enjoyed being out there to bathe in the sun yesterday.