Which Egg Do You Want To Eat?

Left: Store brand “free range” and Right: Vital Farms organic pasture raised

The eggs I typically buy are Vital Farms brand, organic and pasture raised. If the store has regeneratively raised then I’ll go for those, but right now most stores don’t carry them. My sense is that for that extra $1 - $2 per carton, people aren’t buying them. There is more education to do on the benefits of regenerative farming.

But with the egg shortage recently due to the bird flu, Vital Farms eggs have not been on the shelves. In some grocery stores, they haven’t had eggs at all. So when I saw eggs on a recent food shopping trip, I decided to grab a dozen.

The best and most expensive eggs available were store brand “free range” eggs for $4.99 per dozen. Vital Farms organic pasture raised by comparison can be $10, regenerative eggs are even more.

So I didn’t have any grand expectations for the eggs I bought. I know how most chickens are raised in this country. I know that cage free, free range, non-GMO, no antibiotics, is really all horse shit when compared to a chicken that is actually raised on pasture. But I was shocked when I cracked these two eggs next to each other.

I was preparing to make chicken cutlets and I had one Vital Farm egg left, so I used it along with the new dozen I bought. The difference in color almost made me throw the egg away. I couldn’t believe how dead the egg on the left looked in comparison to the egg on the right.

The egg on the right looks like it’s full of life and nutrients. Thick and creamy. While the egg on the left looks like it came from a chicken who struggled to survive.

Most food we eat doesn’t have such a contrast when put side by side. Meats, vegetables, and fruits, have a better appearance when raised regeneratively or organically, when compared to conventionally raised. They have a better taste too. But out of the box (out of the shell), I don’t think the juxtaposition is nearly as drastic this.

When I see the difference in these yolks it is no wonder to me that bird flu spreads so quickly and easily through the factory chicken farms that house hundreds of thousands of birds all crammed on top of each other, living in their own filth and excrements. These birds are clearly very unhealthy and their immune systems are therefore incapable of fighting off a virus. The same way that many people with co-morbidities were unable to fight off COVID in this country.

And it’s not wonder. If most people are eating eggs that look like the one on the left, or worse, then how could we expect to be healthy. If what were putting into our bodies is dead, then how could we expect to live.

The first key to turning around our health is putting healthy food in front of us. And that happens when we force the food system to change, and start growing food that serves us and not the corporations that own the system.

Expectations vs. Reality of Food Prices

As Americans we expect everything to be cheap. Including our food. But very few people understand how it actually works.

Over the last few weeks I’ve heard from so many people complaining about the rising cost of eggs, which is being driven by a fresh outbreak of avian bird flu. Avian bird flu largely impacts factory farmed chickens where it’s common for hundreds of thousands of egg laying hens to occupy the same living quarters. Very often with little to no room to move. These birds live, eat, breathe, sleep, and defecate all in one place.

Hundreds of thousands of birds living on top of each other. So when there is a flu outbreak, it’s typical for a whole flock, a whole warehouse of birds that is, to be culled at once. It doesn’t matter how many birds are actually infected or not. It only takes one positive test from one bird for all of the birds to meet their maker. It’s just assumed that given the close proximity of the birds that if one is infected they all are or will be soon. And in that case it’s much “easier” to just kill them all.

Every time there’s an outbreak of avian flu millions of egg laying hens are culled. The supply of eggs goes down. Consumer demand remains the same. So prices go up. Simple economics. One interesting but little discussed aspect of this system that I’ll leave for a different post, is that the farmers who cull large numbers of birds, are forced to do so by the federal government, who then reimburses them for the loss. Funded by tax payer money. Perhaps we could save some money and birds by raising them correctly. But I digress.

But part of the question is, how much should eggs really cost anyway? That is, if egg laying hens were raised in humane conditions and allowed to roam on open pasture feeding on grass and bugs, pecking and scratching, things they enjoy, instead of being crammed wing to wing in a factory and fed conventionally grown grains that are full of pesticides. What would a dozen eggs cost?

I’m not sure what the math on eggs is, but looking online it appears that organic pasture raised eggs are 3 - 4x more than factory farmed eggs. Which is about the same as chicken meat. Chicken purchased in the grocery store can be $2 - $3 per lb, while chicken I buy from my local farm is upwards of $10 per lb. It’s a significant difference. But the way I look at it is the price I’m paying today is an investment in my health and my community. But what would the down stream savings be if all the animals we ate were raised correctly.

How much would our health improve from eating quality nutrient filled meat that’s devoid of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, and instead is raised in sunshine, fresh air, and free to express their natural instincts, on a diet of grass and bugs? How much would we save in healthcare costs as a nation? How much more would a healthier workforce generate? Innovate?

If factory farms ceased to exist, and the number of family farms increased, how many jobs would return to rural America? What would the return of fulfilling work and community do to the health and economy of these neighborhoods? What would be the impact of giving the majority of the profits to local farms, farmers, and workers, instead of corporate owned factory farms?

What would be the impact on our environment by eliminating factory farms and instead allowing animals to roam freely out on pasture, rehabbing the land as they graze? Re-wilding the soil. How would this positive environmental impact help to reduce the ferocity and frequency of natural disasters? What would be the reduction in costs to rebuild? How many billions would be saved that could be used proactively instead reactively?

What would be the impact on the water if there was no pesticide runoff, no dirt erosion, no manure piles seeping into the ground?

We’ve been led to believe that food should cost an artificially low amount. But it’s never explained that we end up paying for it in the end. It’s never explained what the cost of cheap food is to our health, our communities, and our environment. Wasted water, polluted water, land degradation, deforestation, a collapsing middle class, degradation of our health, are all topics that are given little air time. 

The next time you find yourself questioning the cost of food, ask yourself why it costs that much or that little, and ask yourself what it should cost and why. Ask yourself if you know where that food came from. How it was grown or raised. And if it’s an option for you, find a local farmer who can tell you, and buy your food from them. 

We don’t pay enough for food. Instead we’re paying for it with deteriorating health and destruction of our environment. It’s no coincidence that both are failing at once.

Five Articles Worth Reading This Week

Click here: OneSource Health, March 10, 2024

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion it has taken place.”

George Bernard Shaw

Five Articles to Consider This Week

I think the single biggest struggle we face when trying to do something to better ourselves like exercise and clean up our diet is the idea that in doing so, we’re giving something up. When we choose to exercise, we’re giving up time to decompress after a long day of work. When we choose to clean up our diet we’re missing out on that tasty cheeseburger and fries. When we choose to get adequate amounts of sleep, we experience FOMO thinking about all the fun that everyone else is having.

But we never give enough credit to how much we are gaining from those actions. This is in part because we live in a society based on consumption. It is the job of major corporations to make us feel like we’re missing out if we’re not participating because that’s what keeps their pockets fat and happy. But as the articles below make abundantly clear, there is plenty to gain from avoiding what corporate has to offer.

Parkinson’s and Exercise

Add Parkinson’s to the list of diseases that exercise has been shown to improve. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that effects dopamine producing neurons in the brain which impacts both motor and non-motor skills, and mood. Historically treatments for Parkinson’s have focused on dopamine supplementation which only masks the symptoms and is not a sustainable solution long term. Exercise, by contrast, has been shown to not only slow the deterioration of the dopamine neurons but even to reverse it in some cases. The type of exercise required is moderate-high intensity aerobic exercise, like HIIT, performed 3 or more times per week. Weight training may also have benefits, but it has not been studied.

Why it matters: Exercise is the one supplement that has been shown to improve nearly every disease across the board. Adding a degenerative and debilitating disease such as Parkinson’s to the list is further evidence of just how powerful exercise can be. If it can help treat Parkinson’s, what can it do for a healthy brain and body?

Read here: Aerobic exercise for Parkinson’s disease

Read here: Yale study shows HIIT can reverse nerve damage caused by Parkinson’s

9 charts that show US factory farming is even bigger than you realize

Factory farms, not farming, is contaminating the water we drink, polluting the air we breathe and causing an increased rate of climate change, as well as causing the inhumane treatment of billions of animals each year. Like so many other industries in recent years (i.e. healthcare, retail, housing, banking), large scale factory farms have benefited from consolidation, absorbing there would be competitors into their business, and concentrating too much of where our food comes from into the hands of a few. A few key takeaways:

• ¾ of chickens raised for meat live on farms that house 500,000 or more chickens.

• Egg producers are sometimes housed with millions of other hens in one place, increasing the likelihood of disease and making the transmission of bird flu even more likely.

• 2/3 of dairy cows live on farms with 100,000 or more cows.

• 1/3 of U.S. River miles have been contaminated by farm run off consisting of waste from high concentrations of animal manure.

• 40 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is used for ethanol (it takes 100 acres of corn to produce the same amount of energy as 1 acre of solar).

Why it matters: Relying on a shrinking number of growing farms to supply our food means, in addition to the harm to the planet and animals it causes, our food system is losing it’s resilience. During times of disaster (i.e. COVID) or disease (i.e. bird flu) the potential for our food supply to be disrupted is greatly increased. Small local farmers by contrast offer sustainability across communities.

Read here: 9 charts that show US factory farming is even bigger than you realize

The Science Behind Ozempic Was Wrong

It turns out that they don’t know how the new class of weight-loss drugs that millions of people are taking actually works. They just know that they do. Initially they thought the drug reduced appetite by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone produced naturally in your gut. It’s now believed that the high concentrations and extended half-life (how long it takes for the hormone to be absorbed by your body) of the manufactured GLP-1 drug allows it to cross the blood brain barrier and penetrate deep into the brain.

Here’ a direct quote from the article that should make you feel better: “The latest drugs succeeded not because we fully understood the hormone, they’re based on but because we got lucky. And drug development, for all the careful research required, does sometimes come down to luck.”

Why it matters: It’s just the latest example of pharmaceutical companies chasing profits over safe treatments. The expected utilization of Ozempic and Wegovy has been enough to make Novo Nordisk, the company that manufactures both drugs, more valuable than the country, Denmark, it’s based out of. It makes you wonder what all those clinical trials are for.

Read here: The Science Behind Ozempic Was Wrong

CEO of Kellogg’s Say Eat Cereal For Dinner

The CEO of Kellogg’s took to TV this past week to tell Americans, particularly those struggling to put food on their tables, that they should eat cereal for dinner. The backlash was quick as many people pointed out that it’s very unlikely that the CEO making close to $5 mln per year is feeding his children cereal for dinner. He of course also missed the fact that cereal (as the next article points out) is not food.

Why it matters: This is the second time I’ve read about the CEO of a major food corporation telling people to eat processed foods. It continues to amaze me how people in positions of power are allowed to lie and omit facts on TV or in print without any real repercussions. The idea that while 44 million Americans face food insecurity, and millions more face nutrition insecurity, the CEO of Kellogg would make a statement such as this one tells you where we are in society.

Read here: Kellogg CEO under fire for suggesting cereal as a money-saving dinner

Read here: Let them eat Flakes: Kellogg’s CEO says poor families should consider ‘cereal for dinner’

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to 32 Health Problems

An umbrella review of 45 distinct pooled meta-analysis that included 10 million people concluded that consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) increases the risk of death and disease. The studies included the impact of increased exposure to UPFs such as cereal, ready to eat meals, protein bars, and soda. Heart disease, cancer, metabolic disease, respiratory illness, obesity, and diabetes were among the diseases with increased prevalence. Rates of anxiety and depression also increased dramatically. The researchers concluded “It is now time for UN agencies, with member states, to develop and implement a framework convention on ultra-processed foods analogous to the framework on tobacco.”

Why it matters: We’ve been told for too long that ‘calories in and calories’ out is all that matters. This review proves that the type of calorie is key. Ultra-processed foods are stripped of their nutrients and fiber and contain toxic ingredients that are banned in other countries. Up until now this has mostly been ignored by the “experts.” Perhaps now they will take it seriously and work to introduce legislation to make the food we eat be more like food.

Read here: Ultra-processed food linked to 32 harmful effects to health, review finds

Cheers to your practice.

James.

Meat Raised Right, and Finding Excuses to Exercise

Click here: OneSource Health, March 3, 2024

“When motivation fails you, discipline and routine will save you.” 

Tim Kennedy

Sisu Farms Show and Tell

For the past few weeks, I’ve been ordering chicken and eggs from Sisu Farms. They’re a local farm located about 2 hours outside of Denver run by a native Colorado family. I found them on eatwild.com. All their meat is pasture raised and fed only organic non-GMO grains. Pictured above are 3 whole chickens, a dozen eggs, and a package of bacon (it was on sale and I couldn’t resist). My largest order to date.

The chicken is more expensive than what you’d get in the store, but that’s because they’re two different chickens. An industrial raised chicken might be as cheap as $3.50 per lb, while an industrial raised organic chicken will be closer to $5 per lb. Pasture raised organic chickens, like the ones shown here from Sisu Farms, are closer to $9 per lb or more. Yes, almost double the price.

So, what’s the difference?

Industrial raised chickens live their entire lives indoors, never seeing sunlight or feeling a breeze. They’re fed cheap commodity grains grown with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Their feed is laced with antibiotics meant to ward off infections caused by weak immune systems from the inhumane way they’re forced to live. Antibiotics also accelerate their growth to otherwise abnormal levels, making some chickens so heavy their legs can’t even support their weight. And with no room to move they’re forced to live “knee” deep in their own waste.

Industrial raised chickens

“Free range” chickens have access to the outdoors for 51 percent of their life, but that says nothing of how much time that they actually do spend outside the coop or what the quality of that outdoor environment is. “Cage free” hens can move “freely” within their hen house, assuming they have the space to do so amongst the thousands of other chickens. And an “organic” industrially raised chicken is given organic feed, but it’s typically of low quality and no variety.

Pigs being transported to slaughter

It’s for all these reasons that industrial farmers are able to produce birds, and other animals such as hogs and cattle, so cheaply. But this method of raising animals has other more costly downstream effects. Mainly to our health in the form of antibiotic resistant strains of infection and chronic diseases, and to the environment in the form of natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and rising water levels. The cost to remedy our health epidemic and the growing number of disasters is borne by us and is in the trillions of dollars. When you include those costs, it becomes clear what the cheaper option is.

In stark contrast to this method of farming lies Sisu Farms and a growing number of other farmers around the country who are raising their animals the right way. Sisu raises their chickens and hogs out on pasture, allowing them to exhibit natural instincts to peck, scratch, and root. Creating a healthier and more resilient animal.

The recent bird flu outbreak in 2022 in which over 50 million chickens, most of which were on large scale commercial farms, had to be slaughtered to try and contain the spread of the virus is the perfect example. The flu spread through these chickens like wildfire because of the artificial and inhumane way in which they were raised. As a result, the USDA had to reimburse farmers more than $140 million dollars for the lost fowl. Funded by taxpayers.

So, the question isn’t “why are pasture raised chickens so expensive,” its “why are commodity chickens so damn cheap!” And, moreover, “what is the true cost to society of raising chickens in an industrialized manner?”

I don’t like thinking I’m paying double for meat when I don’t have to, but it’s become abundantly clear to me that I have to. If I want to stay healthy, consume humanely raised animals, and contribute to healing the planet, then I don’t have a choice. I must be willing to put my dollars behind my beliefs.

One way I’ve tried to offset the cost is by buying and cooking whole chickens. Organic chicken ranges in price from $7 per lb for chicken thighs, up to $10 per lb for chicken breasts. So if you’re used to buying individual cuts, then you’re already paying close to the same price as you would for an organic pasture raised chicken. But with a whole chicken you’ll get more meat, tasty skin, a carcass for delicious bone broth, and organs (if you or your dog are into that).

For those of us with a choice it’s not a question but a matter of fact. Anyone that can afford to, must. And the more of us that do, the more accessible and affordable raising food the right way will become. Think of every dollar you spend as a vote. I’ve been using my dollars to vote for local food and businesses as much as I can, because it’s been my experience that those are the people that care.

Check out eatwild.com to find a farm that will deliver near you.

Science Says We Don’t Want to Exercise.

Two articles slid into my feed recently that piqued my interest. Both were detailing the science behind why we don’t want to exercise. The theory goes something like this. While humans developed a large capacity for physical activity, born out of our need to hunt and gather food, our brains also evolved to favor the conservation of energy.

From an evolutionary perspective this made sense. Save your energy (calories) for finding food and fighting off predators. But we no longer must search for food, and the only real predators we face are ourselves. Since food is easily accessible and abundant (for most) we no longer burn calories hunting and gathering, and we end up doing too much conserving.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over 70 percent of people fail to get the recommended 150 minutes (about 20 minutes per day) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two resistance training sessions per week prescribed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Various surveys suggest that the reasons why so many people are missing the mark isn’t exclusive to our evolutionary tendency towards rest.

At least 50 percent of people report having a chronic condition that prevents them from exercising. Others report lacking the confidence to step into a gym and workout. And for a lot of people, it’s simply a matter of avoiding what they view as an unpleasant and uncomfortable act with uncertain rewards.

I can’t disagree. I’ve been walking into gyms for over 20 years and despite what it seems, it never gets easier. The habit I’ve developed makes it harder to skip a day (see quote above), but it doesn’t make it easier. Most days I still dread walking through those gym doors or driving to a trailhead.

But one of the things that has kept me coming back is the feeling I always leave with. A sense of accomplishment and a clear mind. In all my years of exercise there’s never been a workout I’ve regretted. So, in order to stay consistent and keep those good feelings coming, I’ve developed a number of techniques and mental tricks to keep showing up.

Think About Your Ideal Self

Self-discrepancy theory describes three selves we all possess.

Actual self - your current state

Ideal self - what you want to be

Ought self - the self that does all the stuff required to become your ideal self

I wrote a post recently titled Who Are You Becoming? that speaks to this theory (although I hadn’t heard of it at the time). Essentially, think about the person you want to become and then match your daily actions to those that would be required to become that person. If you want to feel better and exercise, then talk to your ought self and get a workout in. We become our ideal self through the accumulation of small actions each day.

Think About the Reward

Both articles cite “uncertain rewards” as a reason people avoid working out. But I think it’s a misunderstanding of what rewards to expect. Physical rewards might take time to appear, but the mental benefits are always immediate as exercise is the most effective mood booster on the market, the result of a handful of hormones that are released when you exert yourself physically. In addition, a good workout serves as a distraction from stress and anxiety in your normal life, providing you with a muchneeded break and reset. So, think about what a good workout is going to do for your mood.

Break It Down

The hardest part of a workout is (like most of life) showing up for it. When we think about a workout, all we focus on is the 45 - 60 minutes of getting our ass kicked, ending up in a pool of our own sweat. Instead, focus on each step on the way to that workout. When I’m struggling to get out the door, I have a conversation with myself. “Well, just change into your gym clothes, then see how you feel. Ok good, now get your bag ready. Great. How about filling up your water.” I have this conversation to distract myself from the workout I’m dreading and to inch my way out the door.

Lie To Yourself And Commit To A Shorter Workout

This was particularly useful when I was training for triathlons. I would convince myself to get out for my run or bike sessions by lying. I’d commit to half the prescribed miles and then agree to reassess. Nine out of 10 times I’d complete the whole workout. It was just a matter of getting going.

Now that I’m strength training the conversation sounds different, but the intent is the same. Some days all I commit to is a stretch and foam roll session, or 20 minutes in the sauna, or 10 minutes on the treadmill. But once I’m in the gym and the blood starts pumping, I find the motivation to get my workout done.

Be Realistic About The Commitment

An hour at the gym, on your Peloton bike, or out hiking, sounds like a long and dreadful time! But it’s only one hour or 6 percent of your day. It’s one episode of your favorite show. It’s one meeting at work. It’s a chance to do something for yourself that will make you feel good the rest of the day.

Know That You’re Not Alone In Feeling Out Of Place

I’ve been working out in gyms for 20+ years, and I still feel uncomfortable whenever I’m in a new setting. It happened to me recently after moving to Colorado (read New Gym Jitters). So, know that you’re not alone. And while avid gym goers seem intimidating, I’m here to tell you that they are anything but. They are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Also, and this is important, most avid gym goers (me included) are too self-absorbed to care about what you’re doing.

Try Something New

After a few years of endurance racing, I’ve finally gotten back into strength training (my first love). But after a year of consistently hitting the weights, I’ve been feeling burnt out and lacking motivation. So this past week I tried something new. I took a movement class where we did things like bear crawl forwards, backwards, and sideways. We played a game of “catch,” and we practiced moves like cartwheels, the crab, and (my favorite) the slippery pickle. It was a blast and it provided enough of a shakeup in my routine to get me excited to exercise.

Physical Activity Doesn’t Have To Be Formal

Spend time in your garden if you have one. Spend time in the kitchen cooking, whether that’s big meal preps or preparing individual meals. Clean up and organize your house. Volunteer in your community. Anything to get moving.

The science says we don’t want to exercise but every study in the world comes to the same conclusion. That exercise is by and large the best way to improve your physical and mental health. We don’t have to forage for food anymore or hunt big game, what a relief. Instead use that energy to do something fun and active!

Cheers to your practice.

James.