An Egg is an Egg is an Egg....Not Really

All eggs are created equal?? Maybe if you click your heels together three times saying, "an egg is an egg is an egg" it might become truth! Eggs have gotten a "bum" wrap for the past thirty years or so. Back in the 1980's, it was believed that Egg Beater was better for the body than eating real eggs and other comedic farces such as Margarine was healthier than real butter! Unfortunately, the stigma regarding eggs has still stuck in the "file cabinet" called the human brain in some individuals. Eggs were on the dietitians and M.D.'s hit list for those at risk of cardiovascular illness, blamed for mysteriously making LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidize on site and glom to the sides of one's arteries in an instant. In reality, eggs are nature's wonder food. Packed full of nutrients such as: choline (brain health), zeaxanthin and lutein (carotenoids) which contribute to eye health and prevention of macular degeneration and vitamin D. Eggs are also a high protein content food, with approximately 6 grams of protein per egg. All of this nutrition in a tiny oval bundle equaling approximately 70 calories!
A multitude of studies has linked eating breakfast daily with a lower incidence of Type II Diabetes as well as weight maintenance and loss. Eating eggs for breakfast will go a long way towards keeping you healthy and they are very versatile as well. They are a better choice by far than cereal, toast and/or breakfast bars. So, consider reprogramming those memory banks if you have old tapes running through your head, of how the egg does the body harm. While heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States, proof that the egg contributes to this disease is virtually inconclusive via years of research. What is important however, when eating eggs, is to make sure that you are cognizant of the fact that all eggs are far from equal. The worst kind of egg to eat by far is the egg that has come from a factory farm. A fact substantiated by the most recent outbreak of Salmonella which was traced back to one factory farm in Iowa. Factory farm eggs may be cheap, but you may pay for it in the end. Hens raised in this type of setting are kept in crowded cages, fed cheap grain and are many times de-beaked to keep them from pecking each other to death! In fact, they are raised in similar fashion to cows and pigs where E-Coli is the disease of the day. When choosing eggs to eat based on knowledge, one would normally assume that organic is best. While indeed, organic is better for many reasons, such as the fact the hens are being fed 100 percent organic feed grown without pesticides and chemicals and having the ability to roam freely, what is left out of the equation is where exactly they may roam freely and assuming that hens are vegetarians. In fact, many organic and or cage free hens only see the inside of very big sheds with no windows. Also, hens and chickens on the farm, forage for greens, worms and insects, they do not run for a big bag of oatmeal!  The ultimate "diamond in the rough" regarding the type of eggs to eat are called pastured eggs with organic/free range being second. Basically, pastured eggs are the eggs that farmers ate prior to and shortly after WWII. They come from chickens able to forage outside on the grass and having access to greens,worms/bugs. The Eat Local movement is growing exponentially partly due to the fact that people are becoming conscious and aware in what they eat and where it comes from. I suggest reading Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for a more in depth look at the specifics of pastured eggs, namely the chapter about big organic chicken farms.  In short, real pastured eggs have five times more Vitamin D, 2/3 more Vitamin A, 3 times more Vitamin E and 7 times more Beta Carotene.
I am sure after picking up a copy of this book, you will see why the Eat Local movement is growing and possibly become a member of the growth, at least I hope so!