Did you know that eggs were once considered one of the best foods a person could eat? In order to get healthy babies, many cultures would make sure a pregnant or lactating mom was given plenty of eggs each day. At times long voyages under harsh conditions were endured to collect eggs. I even heard of grandmas taking on this responsibility. They would do whatever it took to ensure these women were getting the nutrients they needed for themselves and their babies.
Recently we read in the autobiographical account of Ralph Moody, (swear words not included!) that Ralph’s father that suffered from a terrible cough was given several raw eggs mixed with raw milk by his wife to help with his cough that he had developed working in a woolen mill.
There was a study done back in the 90s where researchers studied the eating habits of two different groups of 80-year-old men. They found that the group of men that ate at least 1 egg per day was able to care for themselves, whereas the other group was senile and required constant care. I believe there are too many variables to say for sure that it was the egg, but it’s definitely an interesting study. It’s also worth noting that as egg consumption went down in our culture, heart disease and chronic disease increased significantly.
All eggs are not created equal. While egg substitutes have been touted as healthier, a study done on Egg Beaters says differently. Sally Fallon said, it showed that rats fed this egg replacement were “stunted, had a variety of physical abnormalities, and all died long before reaching maturity.” The group eating eggs “thrived, grew normally, and enjoyed perfect health.”
The most common eggs on the market are those that are produced in confinement. In other words, large buildings without natural sunlight. These eggs have a higher risk of bacteria, and studies have consistently revealed that the nutrients in these eggs are much lower than chickens on pasture. Even organic and most “pastured” eggs are coming from these confinement houses, although it is better. We hear the term “farm fresh” a lot too, but I’m sorry to say that has no meaning.
It might be tempting to buy the cheapest or most convenient eggs at the store, but we really benefit by raising our own chickens on pasture with quality feed or finding a farmer that truly practices this. Most chickens will not be on pasture during the coldest part of winter, but we have found that grinding good quality square bales and sprouting the grains helps to produce a dark yellow yolk which is a great sign of a high nutrient content in our eggs.
My husband shared a podcast with us yesterday morning at breakfast called Eat Like Your Health Depend on It with Steve Campbell. I really enjoyed listening to it while I was potting up some seedlings that afternoon. At one point in the podcast he was talking about one of his own personal experiences and said, “We’ve all seen people that are 50 that look 70 years old. We’ve all seen people that are 70 that look 50. There’s a difference in the way they live their lives and what they ate . . . Somebody was a lot of fun, partying, and eating fast food and then we lost some friends from high school already before they should have gone. People do that and they lose their health. They then wind up spending all the money they made early on in life trying to get their health back. Is health a destination or a journey? We can have a party or we can enjoy nature, give back, and pay it forward.” I agree with Zach Bush when he says, “94% of disease is EPA genetic and 6% is genetic. It’s not in the genes. You can lead a different life and have a different outcome. There is hope.”
People continue to reach out to us to share about how changing their diet has improved their quality of life and health. Recently one person shared how she was able to get off all her medications (a total of 9) simply by switching to a clean diet. Praise the Lord! Have you changed your diet/lifestyle? What difference did you see? Please share in the comments so we can encourage others! We love to hear your stories!!