The Truth About Eggs

Are you an egg lover like me? 

If so, save this email and if you don't like eggs, you can skip this e-mail altogether! 

Listen to this blog post here

Because eggs are a regular part of my diet, I'm SUPER aware of sourcing them and want to share with you what to look for when you buy them, since companies use super shady marketing tactics to convince you they are healthy but in reality are laid by unhealthy sick chickens. 

I've noticed SO much confusion about eggs and I hope this email clears it up because first, we don't want to eat eggs from sick chickens, and second, we don't want to support companies who raise sick chickens and sell their eggs! 

Before we break it down, let's cover the whole "eggs are high in cholesterol"! 

Science told us at one time that a high degree of egg consumption increases your risk for cardiovascular disease due to the fact that eggs are high in cholesterol, BUT a large, long-term study has elucidated that myth. (Study)

The idea that we can have too much cholesterol from food, is ridiculous. 

Blaming cholesterol is like blaming firefighters for the fire. 

Cholesterol is actually an extremely potent antioxidant and is created to put out the fire in the body!

It's there because the body is inflamed. 

We don't want to lower cholesterol, that's not our enemy, inflammation is! 

So focusing on decreasing inflammation is key, not decreasing cholesterol! 

If you or someone you love is on cholesterol-lowering medications like statins, I highly recommend the book, Put Your Heart In Your Mouth by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride M.D as it will change the way you think about cholesterol and heart disease forever. 

The thing is eggs are a very nutrient-dense and healthy food. 

They are referred to as "nature's multivitamin" and contain:  

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12 (SO IMPORTANT!)
• Vitamin E
• Selenium
• Zinc
• Choline

Eggs also contain lutein & zeaxanthin, two carotenoids shown to protect the brain and improve neural processing speed! 

PLEASE don't toss the yolk.

Egg white omelets are SO out and creation of misguided and bad nutritional advice. The yolk has the most nutrients of the egg so eat the damn yolks please! 

So let's break it down so that you can buy eggs with confidence and a clear conscious. 

The poultry industry has created a mind game when it comes to sourcing chicken and eggs. 

If you have been shopping for chicken or eggs lately, you know how confusing all the labels are.

“Free-range”, “Natural”, “Cage-Free”, “Vegetarian Fed"???

This is a confusing tactic that USDA allows companies to use which meanings are far from the terms used themselves.

Let’s jump into these labels now so we can learn a little more about what exactly they are and aren’t  when it comes to buying poultry and eggs:

The following terms are those to steer clear of: 

• Natural – this is an absolutely meaningless term. All chickens and eggs are "natural"
• Antibiotic-free – this is important. We don’t want to eat any animals given antibiotics. Antibiotics make animals (and people) fat. This is huge reason antibiotics are given to animals.
• Cage-Free – this only applies to hens that don’t live in cages. The chickens we eat aren't raised in cages but the majority are raised in horrible and inhumane conditions.
• Free run-  this term is used when chickens are not confined to battery cages, but they're still cooped up indoors, in a giant factory-style building, without access to the outside.
• Free-range – same as cage-free for eggs. This just means the animals had access to the outdoors but doesn't mean they actually went outside. Completely meaningless.
• Hormone-free – it is actually illegal to give hormones to poultry. So this term is meaningless and meant to make you think their chicken is better because of this meaningless term.
• Vegetarian fed – this is actually awful for poultry. Poultry is made to eat insect protein, such as worms, bugs, and grubs. This is why it’s crucial they are raised in pastures.

Terms to look for when buying eggs or chickens:

• Pastured or Pasture-raised – Although this term isn’t an official designation, this is the gold standard of egg and chicken production. When birds have ample space to live their happy pecking lives they are healthy, eat the right diet for themselves, and are raised humanely.
• Certified Humane- This means that an animal welfare organization has inspected how the birds were raised and treated.
• Certified Organic – This is one of the best common labels as it guarantees the birds weren’t fed grains doused with pesticides and GMOs.

THE BEST PLACE TO BUY EGGS is from your local farmer or raise them in your backyard!

Hands down. 

If you want to take it a step further, you can even rate your eggs at the Organic Egg Scorecard by the Cornucopia Institute where you can learn how egg producers score based on their 5-Egg rating. 

If I can't get local eggs, my favorite eggs that I buy that are available pretty much everywhere are Vital Farms Organic Pasture-raised Eggs. 

Here is even a little image to save so that you can remember what to look for when buying those delicious and nutritious eggs! 

So if you eat eggs, know that they are SO good for you, just make sure you are buying healthy eggs from healthy chickens! 

Use the scorecard and the printout to up your egg game! 

I hope this email helps clear some of the myths and marketing confusion up and you are ready to buy healthy eggs that support you and your family's health! 

In love and light, 

Becky Wells 
The Hippie Moms, LLC
www.thehippiemoms.com
The Hippie Moms Podcast