Eggs – A Carton of Confusion?

Eggs are undoubtedly one of my favourite foods. They are quick and easy to prepare, super versatile and pretty darn cost effective too! But head into any grocery store and you’ll be confronted with the “WALL OF EGGS”. Natural, cage free, free range, pasture raised – suddenly the simple egg got a lot more complicated! Are the 5.99/dozen eggs really better for me than the 3.99/dozen brand? What’s the difference between cage free and free range? Let’s “crack” the code on this once and for all!

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

If the wide variety of terms on those cartons has got you confused, use the list I’ve created below to identify which terms have clout and which are just marketing fluff.

Regular (No Special Label)

Eggs without any other qualifying label on them are generally laid by hens fed a conventional, vegetarian diet. The hens are often caged or kept indoors without access to natural light or the outdoors. As they are kept in close quarters, they may also be debeaked to prevent them from pecking each other.

Natural/All Natural

These are purely marketing terms meant to trick the purchaser into thinking they are buying a superior product. There is no certification or verification needed to use these terms. Hens are likely fed and raised in the same conditions as those producing “regular” eggs.

Farm Fresh

Sounds great, but here is another term that has no regulation. These eggs can come from large industrial facilities and caged hens.

Free Range

Finally, a label with meaning! To use the “Free Range” label, producers must prove that the hens have been allowed access to the outdoors for at least 51% of their lives. BUT – and it’s a big but…there is no regulation regarding either the type or size of outdoor space. They could have access to dirt, a cement covered patio or pasture. As there is no regulation with regards to the size of the outdoor space, overcrowding is not uncommon and de-beaking is permitted.

No Antibiotics Added

This is another sneaky label. Producers are not allowed to sell eggs from hens treated with antibiotics and must wait a specified period of time after treatment is complete before they can sell the hen’s wares. In short, ALL eggs are antibiotic free.

Certified Organic

Organic eggs are laid by hens who are fed organic feed (free of pesticides and chemicals). There is no regulation as to how they are housed or the amount of outdoor access they have and, again, de-beaking is allowed.

Omega-3-Enriched

Hens are fed a vegetarian diet higher in Omega-3 fatty acids. This is often accomplished by adding flax seed to the diet. Again, there is no regulation as far as housing of the hens.

Cage Free

Hens are raised without cages, but this does not mean they have access to the outdoors. Often they are kept in large warehouses and in crowded conditions. Beak trimming is permitted.

Vegetarian Fed

Well, for starters, chickens are omnivores. Their natural diet would include protein from insects and worms, along with nutrients found in grasses. Vegetarian feed contains no animal products and would derive it’s protein from vegetarian sources, like soybeans. So really, a solely vegetarian diet is not a chicken’s natural diet.

Pasture Raised

This term implies that the hens are allowed full access to the outdoors to meander around the pastures are able to forage around for those bugs and grubs that are part of their natural diet. This isn’t a legal or regulated definition, so you want to do your homework to ensure the producer’s claim of pasture raised is accurate! Some companies, like Vital Farms, print the name of the farm where the eggs were produced on their cartons. You can go to their website and search for the farm to see the chickens in their pasture. Another great way to do ensure you are getting what you paid for is to get your eggs directly from the farmer!

Budget is always going to be a factor when we are filling our grocery cart, but how the animals are raised and fed should also hold some weight. In my next post in the series, I’ll discuss a couple of eggy myths and misconceptions before I dive into my final post on whether or not eggs are a valuable part of a nutrient dense, whole foods diet (spoiler alert…heck yes they are!).

Sources

Dessy, M. (2017). The Pantry Principle.Versadia Press

Food Labels Exposed [Booklet]. (2018). N.P.:A Greener World

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020

Minding Your Stress Bucket

Well Hello!! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything on here. Does anyone else feel like the days are going by faster since this whole pandemic thing started? I mean, it’s JULY already! Where did the last 4 months go?

I could use every excuse in the book as to why I haven’t been blogging regularly. I’ve been prepping for an upcoming board exam and working on my business. I wanted to be outside in the warm(ish) weather and, perhaps more than anything else, I needed to get away from my computer screen. Is anyone else just TOTALLY “Zoomed” out? Although these are all fine reasons, the truth is, I just really needed to drop some stuff out of my bucket.

I imagine our body’s ability to deal with stressors like a big bucket, a stress bucket. Everyone’s bucket is different. Some are a little smaller than others and fill up more quickly, whereas others are quite large and can hold quite a bit!

Our bodies are built to handle quite a lot of stress, in all it’s different forms. They protect us from immediate dangers by initiating our fight or flight response. They deal with foreign invaders, like bacteria and viruses, through our immune response. They deal with and eliminate toxins we produce or ingest – but they weren’t built for the multitude of stressors in this modern life of ours.

Many things take up room in our stress buckets:

Mental and Emotional Stressors

Work, Relationship or Financial issues
Feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, depression, anxiety and worry

Physiological Stressors

Lack of sleep
Toxins in our environment or diet – pesticides, chemicals in household and personal products, processed foods, sugar, unhealthy fats, EMF exposure, pollution
Nutrient deficiencies from a poor diet
Illness or injury
Over or under exertion

Our bodies work exceedingly hard to manage all these stressors and keep that ol’ bucket from overflowing. They strive for balance (or homeostasis) at all times, even if that means stealing energy and nutrients from one system in the body to keep another from crashing and burning. You can see that, without bailing some of those stressors out of the bucket, resources eventually run out. We become less resilient to the effects of stress of our body. That’s when we start to see illness and chronic disease . rear their ugly little heads. Think about Christmas holidays. It’s pretty common for people to get sick right around the holiday season. We’ve got parties and menus to plan, we are dealing with a lot of family and trying to keep everyone happy. We are often financially stressed and, of course, we are ingesting a lot of maybe not so nutritious foods and beverages. That’s a lot of stuff being dropped in our stress buckets at one time – especially if our bucket was already half full! Eventually, things start to slop over the rim and we end up miserable, nursing a cold and just praying for it all to be over.

So back to my absence from the blog. Let’s see how my stress bucket was faring….

I’m preparing for the Holistic Nutrition Board Exam
I’ve just recently joined a networking group that requires me to prepare and deliver a short speech on a weekly basis (This is like a mini pailful of stress added to my bucket every week. Public speaking is well outside of my comfort zone!)
I’m working on managing Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease), which among symptoms like fatigue and lack of motivation, is causing me to lose hair like crazy. Seriously, my cat and are are competing to see who can leave the most hairballs around the house! Not the end of the world, but my vanity would disagree. Definitely contributing to some emotional stress!
I’m a small business owner in an economic downturn, trying my darnedest to make a go of this entrepreneur thing and contribute to our household finances.
We are in the midst of this pandemic – so, like many, I’m feeling a little isolated. I’m also homesick for my Canadian brethren and not knowing when I’ll be able to see family and friends across the border is tough!
Of course, I eat a pretty decent diet (gotta walk the talk), but I’ll admit that some comfort foods started making a frequent appearance on my plate. I got a little TOO into baking grain free scones for a while there.
I try to keep my toxin exposure as minimal as possible by buying organic, using safer personal products and cleaning with Norwex products, but I had been putting in a LOT of screen time between Zoom meetings and scouring social media for all the latest “viral” news.
My sleep has been wonky due to worrying about all of the above!

So there you have it – not a terrible list, but I was starting to feel a little bit of overwhelm. So, I listened to what my body was whispering to me before it began SHOUTING. I had to take the ladle to the bucket and lighten the load before it overflowed. I put the blogging on hold so I could focus on some other, behind the scenes, business stuff. I ditched the homemade treats and refocused on incorporating lots of bright, colourful veggies in my diet. I mixed up my workouts and added in some nice neighbourhood walks with the hubby. I gave myself permission to NOT be a perfect public speaker on my zoom calls and to start to accept that being uncomfortable is part of growth. I’ve been utilizing breathing exercised and getting outside more

Ways to Lighten the Load in Your Buckets

Breathing Techniques – Check out this website for some inspiration.
Tapping – Learn more here .
Reframing – Did you know that the difference between excitement and anxiety often lies in how we interpret them? Find out more here.
Movement – Any type of movement helps drain our stress bucket by promoting feel good endorphins and burning off excess stress hormone (cortisol). Stick with lower intensity activities if your bucket is really full. Overexertion can ADD to the bucket if your system is already taxed.
Getting outdoors – Soak up some sun, breathe some fresh air and connect with nature!
Hydrating – Most people are walking around dehydrated, try to consume half your body weight in ounces of clean, filtered water daily.
Prioritize sleep – Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.
Take a break from the screens!! Not only can the blue light from our devices affect our sleep, the constant barrage of crazy from social media feeds isn’t doing anybody’s stress levels any favours.
Do your best to avoid toxins in your food products, cleaning supplies and personal products – Some great brands to check out are BeautyCounter, Native and Norwex
Eat a nutrient rich diet – Avoid processed and refined foods and focus on eating ALL the colours of the rainbow.

There’s no way to avoid stress completely – in fact, some stress is good for us. It gives us a sense of purpose and motivation. But everyone’s perception of stress will differ and what is only a “drop in the bucket” to one person may be a tsunami to someone else. So take stock of what is in your stress bucket and, if it’s feeling like it’s getting a little too full – it’s time to put a hole in that bucket, dear Liza. (I REALLY hope someone gets that reference!)

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020

The Monday Mention – The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz

In The Big Fat Surprise, Nina Teicholz takes an in depth look into the nutrition research that has guided our way of eating for decades. The low fat/high carbohydrate diet that we, as a population, have been advised to follow for decades is not working. We are more unhealthy now than ever before. By following the science, Teicholz discovers that the foods we’ve been taught to deny ourselves – meat, cheese, butter, lard could actually be the very foods that bring us back to health. Through an exhaustive look at thousands of scientific studies and conducting countless interviews, she shows us that the diet advice we’ve been urged to follow for years is based on little more than weak science that is often manipulated to achieve the researcher’s or study funder’s desired outcome.

For decades researchers have demonized saturated fats, largely due to the fact that these fats can increase a person’s LDL cholesterol. The Framingham Study’s follow-up results showed that, of all the measurable lipids and lipoproteins, HDL cholesterol has the largest impact on cardiovascular risk (Teicholz, 2014, pg.162) and is a better predictor of heart attack than LDL. Interestingly, saturated fats are the only food known to actually increase levels of HDL cholesterol! (Teichrob, 2014, pg.334)

Another interesting fact I learned about saturated fats is that the type of LDL they increase (light, buoyant LDL) is not associated with an increase in heart attack risk. In fact, it is the small, dense type of LDL that has been shown to be linked to increased heart disease. An increase in this type of LDL is seen in diets higher in carbohydrates.

Sure, we have finally been told that trans fats are unhealthy. What should have been a boon to our society’s health with the banning of these trans fats though, has led to the creation of more “Franken-fats” in the form of interesterification, genetically modified soybeans and “fat” replacers. Industry continues to mess with nature and the chemistry of fats to solve a problem that didn’t exist 100 years ago when we ate the fat provided to us by nature. Once again, the public is being used, unwittingly, as guinea pigs in these experiments where the health implications are unknown. Companies and chemists have gone to so much work to replace saturated fats and at what cost? It’s apparent through reading this book, that the cost has been the health of a great many people. This cost will only continue to escalate unless we can break the stigma surrounding saturated fat. Teicholz’s book sheds light on this and I found that it highlights the evidence surrounding what Nutritional Therapy Practitioners tell their clients – that good quality, well sourced fats are vital to optimal nutrition and health.

I must admit, I found the first part of this book to be a bit dry and hard to get through. Perhaps it is because I have already read a fair bit about Ancel Keys and his infamous “Seven Countries Study”. If you have never heard of Ancel Keys, I urge you to look into him. Long story short, the results of his “Seven Countries Study” confirmed (in his warped sense of research) the relationship of saturated fat consumption to increased heart disease. But (and this is a BIG BUT), it turns out that the devilish Mr. Keys cherry picked only the countries that, when graphed, appeared to prove his hypothesis. Once ALL the countries are graphed, his correlation falls apart. It is this flawed methodology that has dictated what we’ve been told to eat for the last half a century! So, although it takes a bit of effort to push through all the review of the studies, it really is worth your while. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more, particularly the information about cholesterol.

The big takeaway I have from this book is just how infuriating and frightening it is to realize how research outcomes are manipulated, ignored or coerced through funding. People’s egos and company bottom lines have affected the health of millions for several generations. I do think that we are making some progress. The horrible effects of sugar are known to a lot more people today than even a few years ago, but the benefits of saturated fats have yet to hit the mainstream population. The information IS out there, but only if you choose to seek it out. People who aren’t passionate about nutrition and health still rely on the guidelines based on weak science. Nutritional Therapy Practitioners have our work cut out for us to try and shift this school of thought, but I believe that as more of us share our knowledge, others will be empowered to question the advice they have been given for decades.

Rating 4 Peaks — My Rating – 4 out of 5 Peaks

REFERENCES

Teicholz, N. (2014). The Big Fat Surprise. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.

April 7, 2020April 8, 2020

Are You Getting Enough Water?

One of the best things we can do to support our health is to ensure we are consuming enough clean water. Unfortunately, water is the single most common nutrient deficiency in the American population. How can this be? Well, in the land of Venti lattes and Super Big Gulps, we are often choosing to “quench” our thirst with beverages that not only make us lose more liquid than we obtain from drinking them, but are also addictive and keep us coming back for more. As someone who has a love-hate relationship with cold brew and unsweetened iced tea, I’m ALL too aware of how easy it is to fall into the “just one more cup” trap!

A person’s water consumption is not merely dictated by their preference for one beverage over the other. Age, race and socio-economic status have also been shown to play a role. Both children and older adults are more at risk for dehydration. Children are reliant on an adult to provide them with a source of good hydration and they have a larger surface area to body mass ratio. This allows more water to be lost to the environment through evaporation from the skin. Older adults have a reduced thirst signal, which means they do not recognize the body’s need for water as readily. Portions of the population that are of lower income and less educated also tend to have lower water consumption. One wonders why this would be, when water is arguably one of the least expensive beverages. Perhaps lack of access to good quality water plays a role. Most surprisingly to me is that teenagers who drink less water have also been found to eat less fruits and vegetables (themselves the best source of water in food), get less exercise and consume more fast food and soda. By under hydrating, they create a downward spiral, as they adopt habits that lead them further into dehydration!

Your hydration status is dependent on two factors – fluid intake and fluid loss. An imbalance between these two factors can have negative health consequences. It takes relatively little water loss to experience signs of dehydration. As little as 1 to 2% loss of body water can impair a person’s cognition. Most people don’t realize that even mild dehydration can cause changes in short term memory, visual acuity, mood, concentration and reaction time. These symptoms are alleviated when euhydration (normal body fluid levels) are met. Imagine the changes to people’s well being if they were properly hydrated!

Water plays so many important functions in the body. From regulating body temperature to cushioning our joints to allowing the kidneys to filter and remove wastes by producing urine, our body cannot function without water. In fact, water is the nutrient that carries ALL other nutrients to the cells in our bodies – this is why we cannot go more than a few days without water. Our cells essentially starve! Water is also a necessary ingredient in the production of stomach acid. Without enough stomach acid, we can’t properly digest our food and absorb the nutrients our bodies need to function properly. Although the body does produce a small amount of water through its metabolic processes, the majority of the water we need must come from the foods and beverages we consume. Unlike camels, we cannot store water and must get an adequate amount daily. How much water your body needs will vary on a daily basis, depending on how much water you lose via sweat during exercise, how hot or humid the climate is and if you are ill. Ensuring you consume an adequate amount of clean water, eating lots of water rich vegetables and fruit and avoiding dehydrating beverages such as soda, coffee and alcohol are great steps toward making sure your body is well hydrated and preventing the serious consequences of chronic dehydration.

Calculate your water requirement! Are you meeting your body’s needs?

Though it’s very uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. This can result a condition called water intoxication, where levels of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes become diluted. Adding a pinch of quality, mineral rich sea salt to your water bottle can help ensure these electrolytes stay balanced and allows your body to utilize the water more effectively.

Certain medical conditions may make you more prone to water retention and you should discuss your hydration habits with your physician before increasing your daily intake.

These conditions include:

congestive heart failure
kidney disease
uncontrolled diabetes

Changing a habit can be hard, especially if there are addictive substances like caffeine and sugar drawing you back to them again and again. Make a plan to increase your daily consumption by a cup or two daily. Try replacing one of your water depleting beverages with a “spa” water or non-diuretic herbal tea. Before you know it, your hydration game will be on point!

Until next time – Happy Hydrating!

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020

The Monday Mention – Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf

I have been following Robb Wolf since he released his first book, The Paleo Solution, back in 2010. Our CrossFit community had formed a book club of sorts and Robb’s book was first on the list. Since then, I’ve followed along as he’s broadened his reach into podcasting, seminars and health coaching. I enjoy his no-nonsense, humour laden writing style so when he released his second book, Wired To Eat, I knew it would be making it to my bookshelf fairly quickly.

In broad terms, Wired To Eat focuses on exactly that – ancestrally, we are wired to eat as much as we can for survival. Our ancestors needed to eat all they could when food was plentiful to prepare for times of famine. In today’s world of hyper palatable, processed foods that are super convenient to procure or even have delivered right to your home – our wiring is creating a multitude of problems. As the author states, if you are “not fat, sick and diabetic, you are, from a biological perspective, ‘screwing up’” (pg.13). We ARE wired to eat, but to eat foods that are whole and unprocessed and to have to expend a lot of energy sourcing these foods. Modern diets are devoid of both of these factors and we are paying the price. By following the concepts laid out in Wired To Eat, readers can work toward balancing their blood sugar, decreasing insulin resistance, repairing their appetites and preventing chronic disease states.

Although both of Wolf’s books are similar in style and promote a “Paleo” style approach to eating, I found it interesting to see how his dietary lens has shifted in the last decade. Wired To Eat focuses much more on people’s bioindividuality. Yes, he still promotes the paleo approach and a low carbohydrate, whole foods diet, but he specifies that this way of eating is just a starting point. It is a way to rewire your body to a whole, natural foods appetite and then focus on customizing it to your own unique needs. The book focuses mainly on carbohydrate tolerance by testing the affects of certain carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. The main takeaway, however, is that no one diet is perfect for everyone and we must do the work to find out what works best for our own “wiring”.

The bioindividual approach of this book lines up perfectly with my beliefs as a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Beyond diet, the author also delves into the importance of non-dietary factors, such as sleep, community, stress and movement on one’s overall health. He spends a lot of time on these areas, seeing them as pillars of health, just as important as diet. These are all areas of focus in my practice as well.

I think this book would be a good, informational read for any reader. So many people try a “Paleo” style diet as a last resort and I feel we must educate people to incorporate a whole foods, ancestral type diet before they are in crisis. The information in this book can be quite scientific and some may feel a little overwhelmed by it. However, Wolf does a great job making the information as approachable and enjoyable to read as possible. I think Wired To Eat would be a great resource in combination with working with a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who can clarify specific ideas and be available for further discussion. Anyone who has become “carb-phobic” would also benefit from this resource, as it can slowly guide them through the process of adding in certain carbohydrates and finding out how well they handle them.

Wired To Eat highlights the importance of bioindividuality. It delves deep into the why and how of personalized nutrition and how lifestyle choices also play a vital role in one’s health. Through his humour and casual writing style, Robb Wolf makes these topics both accessible and enjoyable for his readers and provides a plan that makes changing one’s dietary outlook and health doable.