In this month’s newsletter:
Happy New Year! I hope you are feeling refreshed and ready for an excellent 2013!
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Office Closing Dates in January
We will be closed Friday, January 25th and Saturday, January 26th as Dr. Pete will be attending a seminar for continuing education.
Incredible, Edible Eggs!
Despite what you may or may not have heard, eggs are simply one of the most nutritious foods that you can eat.
In fact, even the worst quality of eggs, from chickens raised in the least responsible manner, still are a relatively solid food choice. I also like that eggs are an affordably priced source of good quality protein, fats, and micronutrients.
The picture to the right is very cool… it shows the difference in color and texture of raw eggs from chickens raised in different ways. Eggs from chickens that are free to roam in pasture, eating bugs and grass will show a darker orange yolk and a thick egg white. The shell will typically be stronger and thicker as well.
The cheapest supermarket eggs will generally show a pale yellow yolk and a thinner, runnier egg white along with a thin shell.
Unfortunately, there are few helpful or meaningful labels to help us determine the best quality of eggs at the grocery. It is a common misconception that terms such as “Free Range,” “Cage Free,” and “Organic” imply that farmers give their chickens access to the outdoors. These confusing marketing labels may lead you to think you are making a better choice, however, very few of these terms actually mean a whole lot. For example, “Free Range” is not even a regulated term for eggs so this can be used by absolutely anyone. All that’s needed is a door to the outside that gives the chickens access to an outdoor area, whether they actually use it or not. “Organic,” like the eggs pictured in the middle of the photo to the right, simply means the hens were fed organic feed, whatever that feed consists of.
I have found the best tasting and most nutritious eggs can be found at local farmer’s markets from farmers who keep their chickens outdoors and let them roam around in the sun, eating bugs. Chickens need to be outdoors to get vitamin D from the sun and protein from eating bugs and worms. The article, Meet Real Free-Range Eggs, published by the Mother Earth News website, summarizes results from a study in which they compared the nutrients in real pastured eggs to supermarket eggs. Real pastured eggs have 5 times more vitamin D, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene than factory farmed supermarket eggs.
Look for eggs at our local farmer’s markets; the Hyde Park Farmers Market (currently held Sunday AM 10-1 at Clark Montessori) and Findley Market are great places to start. Talk to the farmers and ask if the birds are kept outdoors and ask what they are fed. You can also check out the Eat Wild or Local Harvest websites to look for pastured eggs in specific regions.
Recipe of the Month: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
This recipe can be found in the Primal Blueprint Healthy Sauces, Dressings, & Toppings cookbook. It would be excellent as a topping for skirt steak and grilled eggplant, or tossed with arugula as a thick salad dressing. You can buy roasted red peppers, but they taste so much better when you roast them yourself.
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers, roasted
½ cup walnuts or macadamia nuts
1 to 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Season to taste with salt
Instructions
1. To roast the peppers, place directly over a gas flame, grill flame, or under a broiler. Roast, turning with tongs, until blackened all over.
2. Put peppers into a bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed plastic bag to steam the skin off. Let stand ten minutes then rub the black skin off and remove inner seeds and stem.
3. In a food processor, blend nuts and garlic until nuts are very finely chopped.
4. Add remaining ingredients, including the roasted peppers, and blend until smooth.
5. Season to taste with salt. The flavor of this sauce gets even better after refrigerating the sauce overnight.
Why Popping Ibuprofen May Not Be a Good Idea… Especially for Athletes and Exercisers
Several years ago, David Nieman set out to study stresses that the 100 mile Western States Endurance Run places on the bodies of the participants. After looking at racers’ blood work, he discovered that some of the ultramarathoners were supplying their own physiological stress, in tablet form. Those runners who’d popped over-the-counter ibuprofen pills before and during the race displayed significantly more inflammation and other markers of high immune system response afterward than the runners who hadn’t taken anti-inflammatories. The ibuprofen users also showed signs of mild kidney impairment and, both before and after the race, of low-level endotoxemia, a condition in which bacteria leak from the colon into the bloodstream.
Since then, several new studies, such as the one recapped by The New York Times from the December issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, have further highlighted the dangers and misuse of ibuprofen in athletes. Additionally, these studies have debunked the theory that taking ibuprofen before or during exercise will lessen the pain during and after that event.
R-I-C-E = Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation for Acute Injuries. Is this still the best strategy?
Conventional wisdom tells us that we ice injuries to reduce inflammation. However, more and more authorities suggest that if we are injured, our bodies may not benefit from the cold therapy. The inflammatory process is ultimately how our bodies heal damaged tissues and recover from injuries. Dr. Nick DiNubile, Editor in Chief of The Physician And Sports Medicine Journal, who is quoted by the MobilityWOD blog, says it best: “Seriously, do you honestly believe that your body’s natural inflammatory response is a mistake?”
According to the Sports Medicine Journal, ”as lymphatic permeability is enhanced, large amounts of fluid begin to pour from the lymphatics ‘in the wrong direction’ (into the injured area), increasing the amount of local swelling and potentially contributing to greater pain“. Simply said, icing can INCREASE the amount of swelling and slow the healing process.
Icing will help to numb pain and I still recommend using ice for acute injuries if the pain is not tolerable and we can avoid pain medication simply with ice. I believe that we underutilize the other components of RICE. Compression wraps, sleeves, bandages and apparel are an easy way to help the body’s healing processes. For more details, check out this link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/should-we-ice-injuries/#axzz2E7qhTcMT.
I look forward to helping you along your journey with health, happiness and vitality in 2013. Let me know how I can be of help.