Omega 6, Omega 3- I hate Science

Should we use Agave Nectar? Is it Paleo? 
 Agave Nectar is extracted from Agave plants but it is highly refined and basically raises your insulin level the same way that high fructose corn syrup does. Don't be fooled like I was with the "All Natural" label. I have switched to honey or maple syrup when I use sweeteners.


Grape seed oil is high in natural sugar and also has a really high Omega 6 content but it does have some Omega 3. Use it in moderation. The only thing I really use it for is Paleo crunch but I haven't made that in a long time.


Coconut oil has one of the lowest omega 6 count but it doesn't have any Omega 3.


Check out this picture of our oils- should make it more clear. This was from http://paleozonenutrition.com/





Your goal with using oils is to make sure that they are as close to an even ratio of Omega 6 and Omega 3. Notice Safflower oil- 74.6g Omega 6 and 0 Omega 3. Clearly not a great choice.


Why should we balance our Omega 6 and Omega 3 Fatty acids?
You don't want to burn yourself in the shower so you balance the hot and the cold right? Well that is what we are doing with Omega 6 and Omega 3. Omega 6 is linked to inflammation where Omega 3 is linked to anti-inflammatory. The best ratio is about 4:1 to 1:1. This information comes from here.  Check out their site and see what the Omega 6 and Omega 3's are for other foods.


Keep in mind that you can't stress out about the foods you eat, your body will evolve and you need to listen to what it is telling you. If you stress about what you are eating, you are adding unhealthy energy to your body and causing health issues due to stress. Make healthier choices and eliminate as needed.

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs- It's just an Egg right?

I was never a huge egg eater. I rarely ate eggs unless they were in my cake batter, in fact, the smell of eggs grossed me out and the runny yolk UGH!! 
Now that we have been eating healthier, I eat a lot of eggs paired with meat or veggies- I still break the yolk so that it isn't runny. I make Omelets, scrambled eggs, hard boiled etc. To save money I currently buy my eggs from COSTCO! With all of the recipe's I make, I use a lot of eggs. Most of my healthy breads/muffin recipe's take a lot of eggs- sometimes 6 EGGS!!!!  
So buying healthier eggs would be really expensive. But is it worth it? What are the health benefits of buying a farm fresh egg compared to eggs at the store? Do I buy cage free or free range? Who knew an egg could be so complicated. How many eggs can I eat a week? Don't eggs raise cholesterol? Won't we have a heart attack if we eat too many? I don't know- it depends on what you read and where you look. I say, do some reading, eat some eggs and see how you feel. I have been eating no more that 6 eggs a week because I notice that if I eat too many, I don't like them. hahaha. The Bible says all things in moderation so go with that and eat what you want.  It's an EGG PEOPLE!!!!! 


Here is what Mark Sisson says about eating eggs. 


Here is another article that I read about how to raise Omega 3 in diet and lower Omega 6. This is a pretty good article that shows the goods in Grass- Fed, farm fresh eggs. CLA is 5 times more present in those types of eggs and it helps fight cancers and fight heart disease. This was interesting research and gives some good advice on why these types of eggs are more beneficial. 
My grandparents have chickens and they live in a beautiful house on the farm and they are happy and healthy and they make some delicious eggs- big, healthy eggs! If only I lived at home and could eat these eggs for free :) 

Look behind the people. the little white chapel and the red barn  are for the chickens! They are so happy :) 

My friend Katie sent me some information and this picture of a farm fresh grass fed egg on the left and a cage free egg from Whole foods on the right.

Note the rich yolk color

 Here is another photo from Happy Critters Ranch

                                          

Here is an analysis from  Joel Salatin's latest book. He owns Polyface Farms in Virginia.

"So if anyone ever tells you that there is no difference between the nutrition in between a conventional vs. pastured raised food (note: "pastured" is different than "organic") show them this! Here is the nutrient profile of a conventional USDA standard egg vs. that found in an egg from Polyface Farm:

Vitamin E: USDA - 0.97 mg / POLY - 7.37mg
Vitamin A: USDA - 487 IU / POLY - 763 IU
Beta-Carotene...: USDA - 10 mcg / POLY - 76.2 mcg
Folate (Folic Acid): USDA - 47 mcg / POLY - 10,200 mcg - Hello pregnant ladies!
Omega-3s: USDA - 0.033 g / POLY - 0.71 g
Cholesterol: USDA - 423 mg / POLY - 292 mg
Saturated Fat: USDA 3.1 g / POLY - 2.31" 

In conclusion, I feel like eggs are good for you. I don't think you have to limit your egg intake unless you feel sick from eggs. I think that you should do your own research and find out what is best for you. One day, I will own my own farm and raise my own happy eggs just like my grandparents. For now and for financial reasons, I will continue to buy my eggs at Costco unless I calculate that I can save money from Farm Fresh eggs. We are currently looking into some co-ops that might make this a possibility. I don't think the eggs that I am eating are bad for me, they just aren't the BEST for me. Knowing about the CLA and looking at the vitamins, omega 3's and cholesterol difference in eggs, clearly we can see the best choice in egg.  With the way that I am currently eating, I feel healthy and happy and energized and I don't think switching my eggs will change that but in the long run, my goal is to get the best for my family and that will be Farm Fresh, grass-Fed Eggs. 

http://happyhensfarmgirl.blogspot.com/

Happy Egg Eating!