Healthy Eggs!

If you’re looking for one of the best health foods that’s also economical, look no further than the super health food eggs.

Eggs Aren’t Evil

For a long time, eggs got a bad rap. Their consumption was accused of doing terrible things to your cholesterol levels. While it’s true eggs are high in cholesterol, with the average egg containing 212 milligrams, only a small amount of the cholesterol from food actually passes into the blood.  The real villains are saturated and trans fats in your diet, as they have a much bigger impact on blood cholesterol levels.

So it’s another one of those health food myths that eggs are bad news. They’re one of the best natural foods around, and actually quite good for you.

Build A Better Body With Protein

Your body needs proteins to supply the amino acids for building healthy cells. Eggs are full of high-quality protein with about 5.5 grams of protein per egg. Even better, they are an economical source. Compare the cost of eggs to just about any lean meat, and you’ll see what I mean. If you’re looking for cheap high-grade protein, eggs are just the thing.

Eggs are Full of Natural Food Goodness

Not only do eggs have protein, but they are also a good source of

• selenium,
• vitamin B12, and
• vitamin D.

Yes, eggs are one of the rare natural foods containing vitamin D.  (Other sources are fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel.)  Most foods sold with vitamin D have it added artificially.  Eggs are undoubtably of the cheapest natural food sources of vitamin D.

Calling All Choline Suppliers!

Eggs are also a good source of choline, which is very important for gene regulation, brain function, and heart health. So instead of eggs being bad for your heart, they are actually one of the best natural foods to eat!

Choline is also important to maintain levels of B vitamins, and it helps reduce inflammation. Considering more than 90% of Americans are choline-deficient, eggs sound like a good natural food to add to your diet!

Phyt For Sight - Phytochemicals Help Your Eyes

Eggs also contain the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

What’s more, the natural lutein found in eggs is as bioavailable, or even more so, than the forms of the nutrient offered in purified lutein products. In other words, eggs are as good or better a natural food source of usable lutein than supplements.

But Weight! We’re Not Done Yet!

Would you believe studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight? Yes, some studies have shown eating eggs for breakfast helps curb the appetite for the rest of the day.

What’s Not To Love About A Natural Food Like Eggs?

Eggs are cheap. They’re loaded with good-for-you ingredients like protein, vitamins, choline, phytochemicals and more. They may even help you lose weight. So it turns out eggs aren’t evil after all. They’re good for you and a real star on the Superfoods List!

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

Eggs: Natural Food, Great Health Food Benefits

When you go to the grocery store and see “Natural” on a package of ground beef, does it make you think of cattle raised without hormones and routine antibiotics?

It would seem, well, natural to think so. But the only trouble is, the beef ain’t necessarily natural.

Is Natural Beef Really An All Natural Food?

At one time, the USDA defined natural beef as:

Food used is always hormone and stimulant free. NO artificial or synthetic ingredients. Only minimally processed. USDA does not permit preservatives in this product.

That seems a good and reasonable definition for “natural beef” or any other natural meats.

The USDA Does Another About Face

Unfortunately, the USDA did consumers a grave disservice, bowing to pressure from the regular beef industry. They actually downgraded the definition of “natural” to mean:

Meat that is minimally processed and free of additives such as preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors.

Big deal! That means the only meat that doesn’t qualify for the natural label is marinated meat, or those with some other added solution.

In other words, “Natural” on the label doesn’t mean much these days. It’s just a sneaky way of getting you to spend more money on something you think is better than the regular beef, but most likely isn’t that different.

At best, you may at least be getting meat free of coloring or preservatives, and while that’s good, it doesn’t address the problem of how the beef was raised.

Natural Food Starts With Natural Raising

How can you give an animal hormones and antibiotics, then call the food produced natural? The USDA has separated how food is raised from how it’s processed.  You’d think anyone with an ounce of common sense could see the difference.  The food has to be natural before it’s plunked in a package!

Going Beyond The Natural Label To Find REAL Natural Foods

There are companies out there producing beef and other meat that is truly natural. They do not administer antibiotics or give the animals any hormones, and do not use feed with any animal by-products.

Costco, Kroger’s, Publix, and Whole Foods are some of the grocery stores that carry truly natural meats, such as those produced by Coleman Natural brands.

Other producers offer natural meats for sale online, shipping them with dry ice to the customer.

If you are fortunate, you might also find a local producer.

Watch For Those Misleading Food Labels

If all the package label says is “natural”, that doesn’t mean much. Meats that are truly natural food will have labeling proclaiming the animals were raised without hormones, etc.

So remember, just because the label says natural, doesn’t mean it really is.

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

“Natural” Is Another Misleading Food Label

Natural Food Information on Quinoa

First off, I realized recently I’ve been pronouncing this incorrectly for years. I won’t even tell you how I was mangling it, but instead, here’s the correct pronunciation: keen – wa

Quinoa is a seed about the size of a millet, produced from a plant related to spinach and Swiss chard. Chenopodium or “Goosefoot” comes from the Andes mountains region of South America.

It has some interesting history. The Incas used to mix quinoa with fat and roll it into a ball. The Incan armies used them for food, calling the mixture “war balls.”

Information On Quinoa Health Benefits

Now days quinoa is available as a grain, flour, pasta and cereal. It’s nutritional quality is compared to that of dried whole milk by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Bottom line, quinoa has more protein in it than any other grain known. Some varieties of quinoa have more than 20% protein. In comparison, hard red winter wheat contains about 12.6%, and red wheats have the highest proteins of the different kinds of wheat.

More Health Food Info on Quinoa

Even better, the protein in quinoa is complete, containing all the essentail amino acids. It’s also rich in iron, potassium and riboflavin, plus B6, niacin and thiamin. Since it’s high in protein, that makes it an especially good food for vegetarians.

More filling than rice and wheat, quinoa is a good food to help manage your weight.

Quinoa Is An Easy Health Food

Compared to some other grains, quinoa cooks up fairly quickly. It only takes about fifteen minutes to cook the whole grain. It’s excellent in hot casseroles, pilafs, soups, stews and stir-fries. Quinoa also works well in salads.

This grain deserves a place on the Superfoods List.  Try some quinoa as an easy way to put a high-protein grain in your diet!

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

Natural Food – Quinoa