Buying Eggs: Eggs and Grocery Label Claims

Do you have to live on a farm to have chickens that deliver fresh eggs or is owning your own chicken becoming a new trend? I was talking with a client who lives in the city of Minneapolis who has her own chickens and the end result is humanely raised chickens who produce highly nutritious eggs.

The thought of raising your own chicken for eggs might be intimidating and certainly a lot of work, so if you are more inclined to stick with the traditional grocery store eggs, how can you determine if the eggs you are buying are coming from humanely treated chickens? Well, if you read the labels of eggs it can be confusing. Once again, I was so pleased to read the article "Sorting Through the Claims of the Boastful Egg" in the NY Times on September 16, 2008 because never has buying eggs been more confusing.

As the NY times article states, some claims are regulated by the federal government, state government and some not at all. To ensure that there is truth in labeling, look for the USDA Organic label, USDA Shield or animal care related labels.

Definitions of Labels Claims, as defined by the agriculture department (resource NY Times):

Cage Free -- chickens kept out of cages with access to continuous food and water, doesn't necessarily have access to the outdoors.

Free Range --meets cage free standards, must have access to the outdoors, unless there’s a health risk present. There are no standards, though, for what that outdoor area must be like. (A concrete lot could do.)

Pasture Raised -- no regulation on this term. It implies that hens got at least part of their food from greens and bugs. Like other pasture raised animals, some studies suggest that pasture-raised eggs have more nutrients, in particular Omega 3 -- fatty acids.

As far as animal care labels, most of them have requirements on farm density, reducing feed to increase egg production, space, feed, etc.

"Animal Welfare Approved" a label by the America Welfare Institute. This label requires is given to independent farmers and has strict standards for the humane treatment of animals. The great news, is that Animal Welfare Approved foods are available at these stores/farms in Minnesota. According to the NY Times article, "flocks can have no more than 500 birds, and chickens over 4 weeks old must be able to spend all their time outside on pesticide-free pasture with a variety of vegetation. They must have access to dust baths and cannot have their beaks trimmed (a practice on crowded egg farms) or be fed animal byproducts."

The Humane Farm Animal Care, created the "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" and is audited every year by the Department of Agriculture. Chickens are kept cage free, although not necessarily outdoors.

American Humane Association created a voluntary label similar to the Certified Humane Raise and Handled (above).

Organic chickens are cage free and are able to go outdoors, although there is no defined time. They are not allowed to be given antibiotics. They are free fed from animal byproducts which is made from crops grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, etc. If eggs are titled "organic" without the seal, then they may be regulated by the state and don't necessarily meet the same standards.

There is a lot of information as it relates to labeling. I encourage, if you can to buy "farm fresh" eggs where you know the eggs are coming from a small, independent grass fed farm. As listed above, you can find local listing of animal welfare approved eggs here!

Yummy Yogurt

A few years ago, my husband I and travelled throughout the countryside of France, specifically in the Champagne regions. We spent our time drinking incredible champagne and eating the most spectacular foods, but there was one food that made such an impact on me that if forever changed my taste buds and brain chemistry, and that food was unpasturized goat's milk yogurt. I thought that I had died and gone to heaven while this eating yogurt! It truly had more of an impact on me than the champagne.

Prior to my trip to France, I would typically eat very "conventional" types of yogurt, processed here in the States by major corporations. When I would choose from the yogurt wall at the grocery store, it was always based on what "fruit" flavor was at the bottom. The texture was very thin and the taste, to be frank was "bland" and "artificial".

Needless to say, I was very discouraged upon my return to the states and actually stopped eating yogurt. That was until I discovered greek style yogurts. Fage, a brand that is easily accessible here in Minnesota is excellent. It is much higher in protein than standard yogurts and is thick and creamy. It tastes wonderful plain or with a little bity of honey. It doesn't compare to my experience in France, but it is the closest thing to it that I have experienced at home.

Many of my clients choose yogurt based on calories, I am challenging you to try the greek style yogurt and choose it based on taste and satiety. Yogurt is a power food and is filled with live cultures which makes it unique. For additional recipes and more information about yogurt, click here.

Defining Healthy -- Physically fit and overweight/obese or thin and unfit?

This post is a little off "food", but it is one that I posted on the CES blog and thought it would be excellent for the Twin City Nutrition Blog...

Are you healthy? Overweight or obese?

Can you be healthy and overweight? For most health care practitioners, a body mass index (BMI) is the measurement used to diagnose a person's body size -- either thin or fat. This tool is used by most physician's, dietitian's, nurses, health and exercise professionals. Most of us visit our physician and they either tell us, "hey, you are doing great" or " hey, you need to lose weight". Those people who have a BMI greater than 25, probably leave their physician's office feeling shameful, failed, defected, fearful and so desperate to work towards getting their BMI lower that, for some, their brain becomes bombarded with thoughts about food, weight and body image.

Take for example, a client of mine who I will call Mary for annonymity. Mary is a professional in the health care field. She understands numbers, research and is incredibly smart. She came to visit me at my practice, Twin City Nutrition, feeling threatened, shamed and with a strong belief that she was "defected". She has been dietiting since her twenties and now being in her forties, she felt out of control with food and couldn't make sense of all of the nutrition information. She shared that she has hated her body image since her early twenties and has NEVER had a good relationship with food. She has been active, but still set the expectation that she "should be doing more" to be "healthy". She has always feared food, and when asked why, part of her explanation was that she felt that she was a "good" person when she ate balanced and a "bad" person when she ate out of balance -- food, weight and body image was defining her self worth. Since she worked in a medical office, she was regularly counseling on BMI and everyday was reminded that her BMI was high, therefore putting her into a stress response frequently throughout the day.

When I first met Mary, I asked her how often she thought that she was going into a stress response around food? She stated initially, that she didn't think that she was stressing out "too much", but after several weeks of working together it became clear as to how much she was going into a physiological stress response, thus triggering an array of hundreds of hormones, including cortisol and others that drive cravings, thoughts about food, behaviors, etc. Since she did understand the physiological world, she was able to quickly start to compartmentalize feelings from physiological imbalance from those feelings that were evolved from past experiences around weight, including the many of physician visits when she was told that "something wasn't right". If you look at Mary's health history -- she is healthy. She exercises, eats structured meals (timing) and doesn't take any medication. Her lab values are within normal limits and she supplements her diet with vitamins/minerals and essential fatty acids. She has worked hard on balancing out meals to feel good and has seen significant decreases with symptoms (fatigue, hunger, cravings, crashes, headaches, etc). She feels GREAT, except she is still very worried about her body mass index.

I was delighted to read the article, Better to Be Fat and Fit Than Skinny and Unfit, in the New York Times published on August 19, 2008. The article highlights a study that was published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, which compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among more than 5400 adults. The findings found that half of the overweight people and one-third of the obese people are "metabolically healthy"....meaning that they have healthy lipid levels (cholesterol), blood pressure, blood glucose and other risk factors for heart disease.

The study also found that about 1 out of 4 thin people had at least 2 cardivascular risk factors associated with obesity.According to the article, this study does not dismiss the associations between overweight/obesity with health problems and "obese people were more likely to have two or more cardiovascular risk factors than slim people...but it was the proportion of people who were overweight/obese who were metabolically healthy."

The article also highlights studies at the Cooper Instute in Dallas that have shown that fitness, is a far better indicator of health than body mass index. They note, "in several studies, the researchers have shown that people who are fat but can still keep up on treadmill tests have much lower heart risk than people who are slim and unfit".

I do believe that people can be healthy and be overweight/obese. Looking solely at weight loss based on the BMI (which doesn't take into account muscle mass) is very limiting and doesn't take into account all of the other factors that defines health -- physical activity, hormonal balances, relationships with food and body image, genetic risk factors, laboratory markers, etc....

Ahh...organic blueberries

Blueberries. Being a native of Michigan, blueberries and summer went together like ice cream and fudge. From blueberry festivals to spending hours picking berries in northern Michigan, Michiganders take pride in what could be called the state berry, the "blueberry". Ironically, as a child I wasn't a big fan of blueberries and actually preferred other berries (blackberries, strawberries and raspberries). Recently, I had some incredible organic blueberries and they were perfect -- both sweet and tart! Known for very high anti-oxidant properties, blueberries in August is a food experience you can't miss!!!

Now that I live in Minnesota, I was eager to find some local, organic Minnesota grown blueberries and came across a wonderful resource -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Grown Online Directory. It was intriguing to learn that there are local organic blueberry farms which you can actually visit and pick berries. I have listed a few and certainly plan on taking my son to visit and do some picking....

Blue Heaven Berry Farm located in Stacy, Minnesota which is about 40 miles outside of Minneapolis. They are also at the Farmers Market in Forest Lake, Minnesota on Tuesday evenings from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

Berry Ridge Farm located in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Blueberry Patch located in Bagley, Minnesota and offer tours and picking.

Brambling Rows Berry Farm located in Brainerd, Minnesota. Brambling Rows Berry Farm is a U-Pick berry farm. We have summer red raspberries, purple raspberries, black raspberries, fall red raspberries, blueberries, and grapes.

Bauer Berry Farm located in Champlin, Minnesota. Just 30 minutes outside of Minneapolis.

Blueberry Fields of Stillwater located in Stillwater, Minnesota.

If you are looking for recipes, organic Naturipe Farms has posted many different berry recipes on their website.

Fearing Eggs

I was working with a client this week and she said "I am afraid of eating eggs" for fear the fat and cholesterol in the eggs would be detrimental to her health. I sat back and reflected on how much misinformation and debate is around eggs and their nutrient composition. It made me sad! Ironically, there was also this discussion on a professional listserv that I subscribe, along with a great post by blogger and owner of After the Diet Netowork Monika Woolsey.

I have always been in defense of the WHOLE egg. When I think back to childhood, there was one remedy that always worked for me when I was feeling ill -- can you guess? Eggs. I remember my aunt making me a hard boiled or fried egg sandwich and feeling so much better! Then came research that connected the cholesterol found in the yolks of eggs and elevated blood cholesterol and everyone stopped eating the yolks and all of a sudden a new problem -- FEAR of egg yolks and for some a catalyst of many stress responses around the food; thus resulting in a broken relationship with the nutrient dense food.

Currently, the research is mixed and Monika does a really good job of highlighting the differences. I believe the American Heart Association still recommends 3 egg yolks/week. The bottom line is that I still work with many clients that have signifciant fears and broken relationships with eggs. In defense of eggs, particularly those from chickens raised on sustainable farms -- they are satisfying, nutrient dense and they taste good!

Our visit to the heartland and Cedar Summit Farm

On Tuesday, my son (Harrison) and I packed up the car and headed down to Cedar Summit Farm. It was only about a 45 minute drive from the Twin Cities metro area. I chose the more scenic route and couldn't help but reminisce about when I was a young girl and spending my summers in mid-Michigan at our cabin. I remember driving through the country side and looking at all of the all of the cows, sheep, pigs, horses and vegetable farms and of course, the dirt roads. This trip was different. There were the same farm houses as I remembered in mid-Michigan, but there were no animals! There were a couple of vegetable farms and lots and lots of corn fields. Still stunned, having seen no animals in the heartland we arrived at the Cedar Summit Farm and yes, finally saw some cows. This farm is a grass fed dairy and the cows were grazing very joyfully in the grass. We sat and watched them from the road (since there were no tours that day) and observed. They were congregated together in groups, but something struck me so odd when watching them. All of their tails were waving and wagging, similar the way my dogs tails wag/wave when they are happy to see me. Could this be a sign of happy cows?

We stopped at the Creamery and had some wonderful homemade ice cream. It really was delicious! I also picked up some meat, eggs and honey (all from local sustainable farms). I decided to take a different way home, in hopes to seeing more animals and taking in the picturesque heartland. We did see 2 more dairy farms on our way home. One farm had a very large shed, but I didn't see a cow in sight. I don't know if they were inside this shed or out roaming the farm. The other dairy farm, appearing to be larger, did have cows outside. These cows weren't grazing on the green pastures, but rather were confined to a dirt pen no larger than the lower level of my house. There had to be at least 40 cows in the pen and they too were in a group; the VERY noticeable difference --they weren't waving/wagging their tails.

I have spent such little time in the country since my summers in mid-Michigan and it was a different experience. The farms and the country side appears to be the same, but the farms have significantly changed.

My family has been thoroughly enjoying the sustainable food products that we picked up at the Cedar Summit Farm. The milk is really, really fresh and the eggs, chicken and beef all taste really good. Harrison and I will be visiting the farm again tomorrow to replenish our stock!

Milk -- Grass Fed Dairies

For many people who know me, I tend to be a strong advocate for cows milk and you all at this point are probably saying "enough already". Primarily from the perspective that it is satisfying! Simply stated, I strongly believe that when you consume milk with meals or snacks, it provides greater satiety and therefore you are not as hungry later. Isn't that the experience that we all want our food to give us -- satiety and nourishment? We certainly know that the complexity of the proteins found in cow's milk can lead to that satiety, but is also balanced out with vitamins, minerals and fats.

Now, with that being said, there is a lot of controversy about milk including health benefits, but more importantly about how industrial dairy farms are operating here in the United States. Again, the horror stories of large industrial farms and their techniques for milking cows, literally makes me ill to my stomach and I do believe many of the stories to be true. So, once again what is one to do? Are you ready and willing to pay $5.00 - $6.00 per gallon of milk?

I cam across a website, eatwild, which is a fantastic resource for "safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles". The website has a Directory of Farms which lists over 800 pasture based farms throughout the country. We will discuss more about the other farms in future posts, but I want to particularly bring your attention to the ALL GRASS FED DAIRIES DIRECTORY. There are actually only a few grass fed dairies in the United States, which was surprising to me! I was happy to see that Minnesota's Cedar Summit Farm made the list. Cedar Summit Farm's milk is very available in the Twin Cities and is so delicious! There were two other farms listed on the directory in Minnesota, Green Pastures Dairy and PastureLand. You can buy food online directly from these farmers or you can visit the farms. I am already planning out some visits to stock up on supplies!

Grass fed cows produce milk that has higher quality vitamins, minerals, omega 3-fatty acids, I suppose the way "nature intended". I love milk and my clients love milk. Is it worth it to pay $6.00 a gallon to ensure that your milk is coming from happy cows that are humanely treated, are not stressed and are producing a much higher quality product -- I think so!

The Silver Bison Ranch

To continue with my carnivore theme...

Last weekend my family made a visit to a horse farm in Wisconsin. On our way back home to Minnesota, we stopped at the Silver Bison Ranch. The 1000 acre ranch is home to about 400 roaming buffalo. The buffalo eat the natural prairie grasses and are NEVER exposed to a feed lot or any "man-made" feed products. They are not given steroids or hormones to "fatten" them up. There is no use of pesticides or herbicides on the pasture and the water and land surrounding and part of the farm is protected. The farmers rotate their pastures to allow for adequate forage growth and to allow the "natural clean up of manure " by soil insects. These bison are raised humanely, they are happy and are living in a stress free environment surrounded by green trees, green grass, deer, butterflies and native plants.

There is a long American history and bison. It is believed that bison have been in existence in North America for over 10,000 years, first migrating to the plains of the Great Plains and Canada. In fact due to their grazing patterns bison helped shaped the ecology of the great plains. At one time bison was the most numerous species of mammals on earth, but during the mid 1800's they were hunted for their skin leaving the population near extinction. Bison herds started repopulating in the late 1800's/early 1900's and now there are over 400,000 today. Most of the herds today are not "pure breed" bison, but rather have been crossbred with cattle or genetically polluted. There are however still 4 genetically unmixed herds. All of the herds in the United States, except one are farmed and mainly raised for consumption. The one "wild" herd is located in Yellowstone National Park and consists of approximately 3000 - 3500 bison who roam in the wild and free.

Bison are nutritious and an excellent source of high quality lean protein, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin b-6, niacin, vitamin b-12, selenium, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

If you live in the Minneapolis area, there are some places where you can purchase The Silver Bison Ranch bison and they also service to some upscale restaurants. To find out where you can call the ranch at (715) 684-2811 or visit their shop which is approximately 35 miles east of Saint Paul. If you don't live in the area, you can call them and they do mail order.

Compassionate Carnivore

Okay...it has taken me some time to put together my thoughts and actually start typing, but here I am and very present in this moment! My original thought for my new focus of the blog was to write about Jeni's -- fabulous handmade ice cream. And while, this would fulfill my summertime craving for homemade ice cream my focus shifted when I picked up and started reading The Compassionate Carnivore: OR, HOW TO KEEP ANIMALS HAPPY, SAVE OLD MACDONALD'S FARM, REDUCE YOUR HOOFPRINT, AND STILL EAT MEAT by Catherine Friend.

I love animals and I also love to eat animals. I counsel my clients to eat animals and drink animal products on a daily basis. My world has duality, for I know that I am fueling my body well and it responds well to the nutrients, but I also feel guilty knowing that much of the meat that I have eaten in my life probably came from a large factory farm where animals were not treated humanely. As a generation X'er and born in the 1970's, the farming community has changed significantly in my lifetime. It was most likely that my parents were raised eating meat from small family farms and they probably ate much less. I have been reading some of the horror stories about large farming practices and it really does make me sick to my stomach. So, what is one to do? How can we make a difference?

For the last five years, while living in Minneapolis, my family and I have become more conscious and we have purchased a lot of our meat from a local meat market who only works with sustainable small farms (Clancy's) or directly from the small, sustainable farmer. With that said, I still didn't look at eating meat -- fish, poultry, beef, lamb the same way I do now after reading Catherine's book. Catherine Friend's book has inspired me to take a more deeper and honest look at my relationship with the meat that I am eating. I now think about...did the animal live a happy life? Did the animal smell the fresh air daily and allowed to roam the open prairie? Am I am able to deeply honor and respect the animal for the nourishment it provides me and my family? I am now! I don't think I will ever eat a McDonald's hamburger again.

Catherine Friend is a farmer and shares her love, passion for the animals that she raises and her farm -- The Rising Moon Farm in Minnesota. Her book is a must read and I quote her four ideas on being a more compassionate carnivore:

• Pay attention
• Waste less meat
• Replace factory meat with meat from animals raised humanely
• Choose meatless meals over meat from animals raised in factories
  

I have struggled for many years with the moral and ethical concerns about eating meat, however being a vegetarian was never an option for me! This book is truly a must read. Thank you Catherine for your heartfelt, honest and eloquent perspective on sustainable farming!

The Twin City Nutrition Blog is undergoing a new look and purpose. It will now be devoted to postings on food. The purpose of the blog is to feature foods that are wholesome and tasty.

Appreciating good food is just the first part of creating a positive relationship with food. In my practice, I work with many clients who don't have a relationship or appreciation of food, and live daily in fear about what they are eating or not eating.

Respecting and appreciating our food is a nurturing and loving act and it is my hope that this blog will provide an outlet for a greater understanding of food and how good foods fit into a balanced and healthy meal.

I'll be writing about many different foods --great handmade ice cream to high quality frozen haricot verts. The foods featured will be wholesome, delicious and provide a unique role in balanced and nutritious meals. The nutrient content and health benefits will be sited and there will be an emphasis on whole, unprocessed, foods.

I hope you join me on this exploration of food. The first posting will be soon!

http://incyst.blogspot.com/2008/05/we-are-making-babies-in-minnesota.html

All about making babies in Minnesota!