While researching for this newsletter I learned a few more things about eggs and realized I wasn't choosing the best that are available to me. I thought I was but I wasn't and I'd really like for you to understand which eggs you should be eating, too.
Eggs that are raised in a very natural and healthy environment, eating their natural diet are very safe and higher by far in nutritional content than all other eggs.
It is overcrowding, poor living conditions and poor quality feed that produces the risk of salmonella and other bacterial contamination due to the porous nature of the shells.
When a hen lays an egg it applies a cuticle in the form of a liquid coating that dries in a few minutes, this naturally protects it from contamination when raised in healthy conditions.
Eggs from healthy hens contain very high amounts of vitamins A, D, E, beta carotene and omega 3 fatty acids. You would have to eat 5-6 of any other egg to get the same nutritional punch that is provided in just one pasture raised, organic egg. Here it is: the best eggs you can eat are directly from the pasture raised hen.
- The eggs have not been heated, sprayed, coated in wax or refrigerated.
- The hens are not fed wheat, corn or soy, they eat bugs and grubs: their supplemental feed is organic.
- The grains growing naturally in their pastures are not treated with pesticides or fertilizers (other than what the organic grazing animals might be dropping).
- The hens soak up Vitamin D from the sun and are happy, happy birds.
Check out this very eye-opening article about why our USA eggs would be illegal in some other countries. It inspired me to find a farmer who follows the practices in the UK and those I outlined above.
The best place to find these eggs are direct from the farmer or your local farmers market. Don't be afraid to ask questions and really get to the bottom of how the hens are raised and what they are fed. To find a local farmer go to the Weston A. Price foundation website.
Your next best option would be organic pasture raised eggs from the grocery store. They must follow USDA guidelines, meaning; washed with detergent, sprayed with a chemical sanitizer and refrigerated. This practice applies to those eggs labeled organic as well.
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