Little changes add up to BIG results!

[fitoverforty]

I might try the Omega 3 eggs. I saw some also that were from "free range - organic grass fed" chickens...that sounded good but they were almost $5 for a dozen!! What is the general opinion on types of eggs? Brown eggs? Organic eggs? Free range eggs? Omega 3 eggs? So many decisions to make!

[Boss Man]

Cage Free probably wouldn't mean that, or it would be false advertising. I think it usually refers to Chickens kept in Barns at night, or during the day when it's a bit soggy.

Omega Eggs are supposed to be better than normal ones, but normal ones are perfectly okay, remembering of course with those, to limit your Yolk intake to be on the safe side.

[cassiegose]

The yolk has fat and cholesterol in it (HDL, good stuff, not LDLs). The white is almost 100% protein. I personally eat mostly whole eggs. Eggs are the perfect food. I also can't stand to waste the yolks. It just goes against everything I was taught to do. Typically when I eat eggs (like today!) I scramble or omelet 2 whole, or eat one hardboiled (With toast if I'm feelin' saucy).

The yolk has a tremendous amount of nutrient in it so I would hesitate to say that they are "bad". I eat probably 2 eggs a week.

I agree, however if a person is relying on eggs as one of their primary sources of protein (such as I am) then you really do need to be careful with eating too many yolks. If you're only doing 2 eggs a week then you're totally fine to eat the yolks. However if you're doing eggs for 2 meals a day everyday (with is what I do) then eating the yolks will definitely catch up to you.

Luckily mom has about 50 chickens which are currently yielding about 18-20 eggs a day so I have an endless supply (even though she charges me $2 per dozen). I read an article a while back about eggs. Farm fresh are the healthiest because the chickens are typically treated best and have access to a wide range of food and nutrients as they are allowed to scavange for their own food instead of being limited to only certain foods (corn and soy).

Lynne, I was curious about your questions so did some research: As far as the differences between colors- some breeds of chickens lay white and some lay brown. There really is no nutritional difference between the two ( moms chickens lay brown). The best laying chickens lay white eggs so this is why those are typically the most popular.

As far as cage free goes... seems like this is more of an ethical and sanitation matter. Commerical egg laying hens are often kept in small cages with a few other hens. Basically these chickens aren't treated very well at all. They are never allowed outside and are under unnatural lighting 24 hours a day to keep them laying eggs around the clock. The conditions these chickens are kept in are unsanitary and make the chickens more likely to spread diseases. I've been in some of these chicken farms and its really quite sad. I had a friend who used to work at a chicken farm.. their job was to walk around and pick up dead chickens all day. Not a fun job at all! When a chicken is smaller or weaker then the rest they aren't likely to live long at a commerical farm because they can easily get trampled.. plus chickens are fairly aggressive and when you cram then in to very tight quarters they are quite likely to become even more aggressive.

Omega 3 eggs... as Boss stated these chickens are fed flaxseeds and green algae to increase the amount of healthy fats in teh eggs. Free range chickens are also high in omega 3s because they have access to such a wide range of food (larvae, bugs, worms... mom also feeds her chickens scraps from the garden).

Organic... As Lesplease stated i believe this term can be used pretty loosly. It could be that commercial chickens are simply fed organic feed (corn and soy) or it could mean that the chickens are free range and are also fed organic feed. Many farm fresh and free roaming eggs are also organic.

personal opinion... buy farm fresh if you can or atleast free range if youre concerned about the way the animals are treated.. as I said i've been to those commerical chicken farms and its pretty freaking sad to see all those chickens crammed in such a tight space. mom actually goes up and sits with her chickens every evening and pets and loves on them. This past summer it was hot so she bought fans and took them up to the chickens so they could cool off. She even froze big tubs of ice and took them up to the chickens and the chickens would hop up on the ice and sit on it to cool their fannys. mom and her chickens crack me right up. I think its hilarious how well she treats her chickens.

Cassie

[Boss Man]

I find it interesting that Chickens have what's called a Cloaca, which means the Eggs basically come out of a poo hole.

She even froze big tubs of ice and took them up to the chickens and the chickens would hop up on the ice and sit on it to cool their fannys.

Just to clarify for other British users, fanny is American slang for the bottom.

For American users, Fanny is British slang for the female genital area. Don't ask me why, I don't know.

This caused some humour in the past, when American rock band Fanny came to Britain, in the mid 70's. They didn't know the translation. Their music was banned from Radio 1, and they were deemed too provocative to play the Albert Hall. All of which didn't phase them.

As for battery farming, that really isn't right, to have Chickens cooped up like that so close together.

[fitoverforty]

This past summer it was hot so she bought fans and took them up to the chickens so they could cool off. She even froze big tubs of ice and took them up to the chickens and the chickens would hop up on the ice and sit on it to cool their fannys.

Just to clarify for other British users, fanny is American slang for the bottom.
For American users, Fanny is British slang for the female genital area. Don't ask me why, I don't know.

Okay, I just choked on lunch sandwich, I'm laughing so hard!!! LOL That is the funniest thing EVER! Co-workers are beginning to wonder if I've finally gone over the edge!
I appreciate everyone's input and theories, advice and help on this subject of eggs. And Cassie, that is so sweet that your mom would care for her chickens like that! After reading what you learned about commercial hen houses it will make me think twice about buying storebought - commercially raised eggs. We have alot of Farmer's markets around here that sell fresh yard eggs and garden grown veggies...that's probably best and healthiest option.

You guys are great....thanks for the info and the laughs!!!

[cassiegose]

LOL!

[fitoverforty]

Okay....I'm gonna borrow one of Cassie's favorite sayings..."I'm so stinking proud of myself!!"
I passed the ultimate test today....RESTAURANT FOOD!!
husband wanted to take me to lunch today (a very special mid-week treat ) and at first all I could think was "Oh no...what will I eat?" But I wouldn't pass up a lunch out with him for the world - so I just hoped I would be able to order something half way healthy.
We went to Cheddar's restaurant. It is a "all-around" type of food eatery, with everything from steaks to chicken, fish, hamburgers, salads, etc. Most everything is either fried, or has tons of salt and saturated with cheese.
So, I ordered unsweetened tea and i ordered a grilled tilapia dinner with grilled shrimp & mango salsa, and steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. I seasoned it all with black pepper. I have to say, it was fabulous!! So much flavor! The mango salsa was awesome, I want to start making that at home .
So, all in all, I was really pleased that I didn't give in to any bad temptations...truth was, I had no desire for any of the stuff. Yey!!!
This morning I made myself a two egg, one egg white omelet with mushrooms and red bell pepper, melted on top a 2% low fat mozz. cheese stick and seasoned with lots of black pepper and topped it all with some picante sauce. yummmmmmm!
So I learned that it is possible to eat out with friends or family....just look a little longer at the menu and find the healthy options...if there just isn't any healthy options, don't be afraid to ask for something to be grilled or broiled instead of fried. Leave off the salt. Make picante sauce your new best friend!

[Packard]

Okay....I'm gonna borrow one of Cassie's favorite sayings..."I'm so stinking proud of myself!!"
I passed the ultimate test today....RESTAURANT FOOD!!
husband wanted to take me to lunch today (a very special mid-week treat ) and at first all I could think was "Oh no...what will I eat?" But I wouldn't pass up a lunch out with him for the world - so I just hoped I would be able to order something half way healthy.
We went to Cheddar's restaurant. It is a "all-around" type of food eatery, with everything from steaks to chicken, fish, hamburgers, salads, etc. Most everything is either fried, or has tons of salt and saturated with cheese.
So, I ordered unsweetened tea and i ordered a grilled tilapia dinner with grilled shrimp & mango salsa, and steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. I seasoned it all with black pepper. I have to say, it was fabulous!! So much flavor! The mango salsa was awesome, I want to start making that at home .
So, all in all, I was really pleased that I didn't give in to any bad temptations...truth was, I had no desire for any of the stuff. Yey!!!

Fish! Yuck!!!

( father discovered "cocktail sauce" late in life an poured it over everything. Each to his/her own.)

[cassiegose]

Okay....I'm gonna borrow one of Cassie's favorite sayings..."I'm so stinking proud of myself!!"
I passed the ultimate test today....RESTAURANT FOOD!!
husband wanted to take me to lunch today (a very special mid-week treat ) and at first all I could think was "Oh no...what will I eat?" But I wouldn't pass up a lunch out with him for the world - so I just hoped I would be able to order something half way healthy.
We went to Cheddar's restaurant. It is a "all-around" type of food eatery, with everything from steaks to chicken, fish, hamburgers, salads, etc. Most everything is either fried, or has tons of salt and saturated with cheese.
So, I ordered unsweetened tea and i ordered a grilled tilapia dinner with grilled shrimp & mango salsa, and steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. I seasoned it all with black pepper. I have to say, it was fabulous!! So much flavor! The mango salsa was awesome, I want to start making that at home .
So, all in all, I was really pleased that I didn't give in to any bad temptations...truth was, I had no desire for any of the stuff. Yey!!!
This morning I made myself a two egg, one egg white omelet with mushrooms and red bell pepper, melted on top a 2% low fat mozz. cheese stick and seasoned with lots of black pepper and topped it all with some picante sauce. yummmmmmm!
So I learned that it is possible to eat out with friends or family....just look a little longer at the menu and find the healthy options...if there just isn't any healthy options, don't be afraid to ask for something to be grilled or broiled instead of fried. Leave off the salt. Make picante sauce your new best friend!

I'm so proud of yourself too!!! Very very good!

I love fish!.. Tilipia is a staple in diet because its cheap and easy (like a lot of the girls i went to high school with. LOL!). Steelhead is also freaking delicious! Ohhhhh and orange roughy!! YUM! GET IN ! Yeah I pretty much like it all.

[Boss Man]

As you can tell by her chirpy demeanour, the Mercury and possible Cadmium and Lead ingestion has never done her any harm .

[Nokie173]

Tilipia is a staple in diet because its cheap and easy (like a lot of the girls i went to high school with. LOL!)

I had to read this 2 or 3 times to make sure I had read it properly.

Cheap + Easy = Trashy

[Packard]

As you can tell by her chirpy demeanour, the Mercury and possible Cadmium and Lead ingestion has never done her any harm .

Yet.

[cassiegose]

As you can tell by her chirpy demeanour, the Mercury and possible Cadmium and Lead ingestion has never done her any harm .

Yet.

LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting


MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or less per month:
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt
(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned
chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout)


HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)*


HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna
(Bigeye, Ahi)*


* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to fish to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.

I've done research. The fact that tilapia is a staple in diet does not necessarily mean that I'm at harm for an unhealthy amount of mercury ingestion. I do eat other sources of protein, but also eat tilapia on a regular basis. According to a report done by the FDA, farm raised tilapia is the safest fish when it comes to mercury contamination and mercury levels in farm raised tilapia are "not detectable". As for other fish, I eat those maybe once or twice a month (orange roughy more like twice a year because its so expensive)... not enough to put me at risk.

[Boss Man]

Well in that case then, feel free to keep smirking

[Packard]

Well in that case then, feel free to keep smirking

And I'm free to say "yuck".