As we begin to age, many of us begin to experience joint pain. This is usually a result of osteoarthritis, often referred to as degenerative joint disease. The wear and tear on our joints does take a toll as we age. The joints most likely to be affected are the weight bearing joints like the hips and the knees.
The very best thing you can do for your joints is to lose weight. Because the joints most affected are those weight bearing joints, if you are carrying around an extra 10, 20 or 50 pounds, the effect on the joints is going to be dramatic. So as you begin to lose weight, the other thing that will help the joints is the healthy diet, high in antioxidants. The other part of that equation is exercise. Begin slow and easy and build it up. The more you can strengthen the muscles that support those joints, the better the joint will function. If you want to know how to get started with your exercise, go get my free eBook on making exercise simple.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Egg Labels
Eggs that are labels organic are the only ones that meet USDA standards and regulations. These eggs come from chickens that are allowed to roam freely outside. They are fed organic grain which does not contain any pesticides and the chickens are not given antibiotics.
Cage free eggs, just means that the chickens are not kept in a cage. It does not mean that the chicken ever sees the light of day - in other words they may still be kept confined in an enclosed area, just not a cage. The environment and eggs are not audited by a third party.
Use caution when the label says free range, natural, no pesticides or no antibiotics. These terms are not regulated and may be put on any label. The only term that is regulated is organic.
Cage free eggs, just means that the chickens are not kept in a cage. It does not mean that the chicken ever sees the light of day - in other words they may still be kept confined in an enclosed area, just not a cage. The environment and eggs are not audited by a third party.
Use caution when the label says free range, natural, no pesticides or no antibiotics. These terms are not regulated and may be put on any label. The only term that is regulated is organic.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Egg Storage
Eggs should be stored in their original containers for a couple of reasons. I know we all have the nifty little egg container spot on the doors of our refrigerators, but this is not the best place to put your eggs. First of all the air at the door is warmer and if you are in and out of the refrigerator a great deal, this will not keep your eggs as cold as they should be. Secondly, eggs stored in your refrigerator door will absorb odors from other foods in the refrigerator.
Be cautious of leaving eggs unrefrigerated even for short periods of time. This can diminish freshness and can also result in the growth of organisms like salmonella. When I was in Egypt a number of years ago, I saw eggs - literally mounds of them in the open markets in the sun. I was very careful not to eat eggs in that country, but some of the people I was with ate them and became extremely ill. So be careful with this.
You can store raw egg whites for up to a week in the refrigerator. Yolks only keep about 3 days in the refrigerator. A better way is to freeze them. Don't freeze them whole in the shell, but crack the open. You can separate them or just freeze them in a container. They will last about 12 months in the freezer.
Be cautious of leaving eggs unrefrigerated even for short periods of time. This can diminish freshness and can also result in the growth of organisms like salmonella. When I was in Egypt a number of years ago, I saw eggs - literally mounds of them in the open markets in the sun. I was very careful not to eat eggs in that country, but some of the people I was with ate them and became extremely ill. So be careful with this.
You can store raw egg whites for up to a week in the refrigerator. Yolks only keep about 3 days in the refrigerator. A better way is to freeze them. Don't freeze them whole in the shell, but crack the open. You can separate them or just freeze them in a container. They will last about 12 months in the freezer.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Egg Facts
The color of an egg shell is determined by the breed of the hen. White eggs are the most common, but we have all seen brown eggs. These are usually more expensive because the hens are bigger and require more feed. The fact to know is that the shell color has no effect on the nutritional value of the egg.
Here's a fact you may not know, the cloudier the egg white, ther fresher the egg. Aging causes the egg white to become more clear and thinner.
The color of the yolk can tell you a great deal about the egg. Deep yellow yolks are usually from chickens that are fed yellow corn and alfalfa meal. Hens that are fed barley or wheat produce pale yellow yolks. Deep orange yellow yolks come from free range chickens who are allowed to forage and eat a variety of grains.
Here's a fact you may not know, the cloudier the egg white, ther fresher the egg. Aging causes the egg white to become more clear and thinner.
The color of the yolk can tell you a great deal about the egg. Deep yellow yolks are usually from chickens that are fed yellow corn and alfalfa meal. Hens that are fed barley or wheat produce pale yellow yolks. Deep orange yellow yolks come from free range chickens who are allowed to forage and eat a variety of grains.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Eggs - Good Food
Eggs contain many nutrients that can helps us be healthier. They are an excellent source of Vitamin B12 and also the antioxidant lutein. Lutein is very important in terms of our eye health.
The hype has always been that eggs are have too much cholesterol in them. Here is the facts from research. The effects of the cholesterol in 1 large egg eaten daily has shown to have no effect on the person developing heart disease.
The other things about eggs is to look at the free range eggs, which includes a diet of natural nutrients for the chickens, as well as meal which is enhance to provide more Omega 3. These can actually be very beneficial for the heart healthy or for someone who already has heart disease.
The hype has always been that eggs are have too much cholesterol in them. Here is the facts from research. The effects of the cholesterol in 1 large egg eaten daily has shown to have no effect on the person developing heart disease.
The other things about eggs is to look at the free range eggs, which includes a diet of natural nutrients for the chickens, as well as meal which is enhance to provide more Omega 3. These can actually be very beneficial for the heart healthy or for someone who already has heart disease.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Eggs - Bad Rap
Eggs have gotten a bad rap for years as a maker of "high cholesterol" and we should not eat them. NOT! Knowing the facts about eggs will make them seem like a much healthier food, which they are.
I want to just give you some facts about eggs. Of course, the best are the ones from free range chickens and are organic. The organic part has to do with what the chickens are eating or being fed. Obviously, free range chickens are eating more natural food instead of just the food given them with all kinds of things to make the eggs bigger and the hens to produce more eggs.
SO what's in an egg nutritionally. There are about 70 calories in a large egg. Eggs are a great protein source, containing about 6 grams of protein mostly found in the white of the egg. There are about 5 grams of fat with 2 of those grams being saturated fats and this is all found in the yolk. One of the things that I often recommend to people is to do 1 whole egg and 1 egg white to make a small omelet. If you want a slightly larger omelet, just add another egg white.
More on eggs tomorrow.
I want to just give you some facts about eggs. Of course, the best are the ones from free range chickens and are organic. The organic part has to do with what the chickens are eating or being fed. Obviously, free range chickens are eating more natural food instead of just the food given them with all kinds of things to make the eggs bigger and the hens to produce more eggs.
SO what's in an egg nutritionally. There are about 70 calories in a large egg. Eggs are a great protein source, containing about 6 grams of protein mostly found in the white of the egg. There are about 5 grams of fat with 2 of those grams being saturated fats and this is all found in the yolk. One of the things that I often recommend to people is to do 1 whole egg and 1 egg white to make a small omelet. If you want a slightly larger omelet, just add another egg white.
More on eggs tomorrow.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
High Blood Pressure
You may be surprised to learn that in 2007, the American Medical Association indicated that 30% of US adults have hypertension or high blood pressure. I believe that number is quite a bit higher today. The interesting part is that they also reported the 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have it under control.
While medicine may be necessary to get your blood pressure under control, there are somethings you can do to get it under control without medication. Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and certainly remove the salt shaker from the table. Get on a good balanced diet that will help you attain your appropriate weight. There are a lot of extra miles of blood vessels for every pound of extra weight that you are carrying. Start exercising on a regular basis. If you can find a hundred excuses why not to exercise, go pick up my free ebook and making exercise simple.
While medicine may be necessary to get your blood pressure under control, there are somethings you can do to get it under control without medication. Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and certainly remove the salt shaker from the table. Get on a good balanced diet that will help you attain your appropriate weight. There are a lot of extra miles of blood vessels for every pound of extra weight that you are carrying. Start exercising on a regular basis. If you can find a hundred excuses why not to exercise, go pick up my free ebook and making exercise simple.
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