Can Eggs Really Help With Depression?

I have written about eggs before. It used to be just the animal varieties to choose from. You know; duck eggs, chicken eggs, quail eggs, etc. Now there must be eight or so variations at the markets, ranging from plain old white eggs to free range (the chicken gets to stick it’s feathery neck outside the roost for a few minutes) to pasture-raised organic. This means the chickens are supposed to be able to grub around in the grass and dirt to find worms and insects, since birds tend to be carnivores. Chickens in the wild eat an omnivorous diet, meaning they eat anything they can forage in the grasses where they can find beetles. worms and other insects.i

Eggs are pretty amazing nutritionally. Yes, the yolks do contain cholesterol. But they also contain lecithin which breaks down fat and cholesterol. They also contain choline, which is necessary for fat metabolism, and is good for the brain.

Now there is evidence that eggs decrease the risk of depression. The study was a 6- year study of elderly people. Those who ate three eggs a week had a 38% decrease in the risk of depressive symptoms compared to non-egg eaters. And with each additional egg consumed per week, the risk decreased by an additional 4%.ii

This wasn’t a double-blind study. It was self-reported by the participants, but there probably isn’t too much reason to falsely report. So, this indicates that eggs are probably even better for us than was previously known. Happily, this also indicates that there is more interest in prevention and dietary influences of mental problems, rather than just prescribing drugs.

Although the study wasn’t performed on children or teenagers, eggs may prove beneficial to them, as well. Studies are showing that more young people are suffering from mental and emotional difficulties since the pandemic. It’s probably hard for adults to understand what an impact this pandemic event had on development, and it went on far too long. In the life of a young person, this would have an enormous impact, almost like the impact that periods of war or economic depression had on earlier generations. So, simple dietary improvements may help.

No time to fix eggs in the morning? Try this “Egg Pancakes” recipe. Mash a small banana with two raw eggs to make a batter. Cook the pancakes on a griddle until firm and light brown. These can be made ahead, frozen and thawed as needed, for a quick breakfast or snack. Spread with favorite nut butter, roll them up, and they can be eaten on the run. They are sweet enough on their own, or can be enjoyed with a fruit puree or syrup like a regular pancake.iii

I always suggest spending money on the best eggs. The health benefits are substantially improved when the yolk is orange and the shells are strong. Eggs keep several weeks after the date on the carton. You can tell if an egg is fresh by putting it in a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom and lays flat on its side, the egg is fresh. It is floats, toss it out.

Freshly laid eggs do not need to be refrigerated, and often aren’t in other countries. But once eggs are refrigerated, they must remain refrigerated because they “sweat” when returning to room-temperature and that liquid may be a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s okay to leave eggs out for baking, as many recipes suggest, as long as you use them quickly.

I love eggs and eat them most days for breakfast. I find that the protein keeps my blood sugar stable until lunch. My cholesterol was just checked and it is actually lower than I really want it! I have been eating very little sugar in this past year, and cholesterol is made mainly from dietary sugar, so it is not surprising. But cholesterol is very important for brain health and cognition, so I am going to keep on eating those eggs!

If you want more egg-y inspiration, here is a downloadable or purchasable cookbook called, “Too Many Eggs” by Mimi Dvorak. https://www.toomanyeggs.com

Herbal Aphrodisiacs For Valentine's Day

As usual, we have been provided with many natural substances to enhance our health and improve our body’s ability to have a full life. Certainly sex is a part of that and a powerful sexual response enhances a relationship. In ancient cultures, where the birth of children was a celebration and future prosperity, enhancement of sexuality was often religious, and attributed to the gods and goddesses of fertility, with a little assistance from the herbal healers.

An aphrodisiac is any plant or food substance that enhances pleasure, desire, or performance of sex. The word comes from Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love.

The herbal world provides a variety of choices for both males and females. Some of these herbs were probably discovered when humans noticed how animals responded to plants in the wild. It isn’t surprising that the attributes of plants that made animals frisky were explored by the human observers.

For example, a common male sexual enhancer is Horny Goat Weed. Saw Palmetto helps with male reproductive organs and is often used for prostate health. Panax Ginseng has long been associated with longevity, as well as male reproduction and stamina. Panax means “all healing” in Greek. Tribulus increases testosterone in men and estrogen in women, so it is a general herbal hormone tonic.

For women, Saffron has a history of enhancing female sexual desire. Damiana is another female libido enhancer. Organic Oats milky seed extract improves arousal in women.

Maca, often used as an energy-enhancing herb, also improves sexual arousal in both men and women.

Gaia Professional Formulas has created herbal combinations for both men and women. For women, there is Arousal Restore Formula and for men, Male Libido.

Balancing male and female hormones would be an important component, and there are herbs that enhance testosterone or estrogen/progesterone production.

For men, issues of sexual stamina or arousal may be related to circulation, so improving and strengthening the vascular system may be considered.

Beyond the herbal world there are other natural ways to enhance romance. Don’t forget back rubs with coconut oil, or other raw oils scented with your favorite essential oil scent.

And then there is the time-tested and plant-based reliable; Chocolate. The scent and flavor may be enough for many women!

Happy Valentine’s Day and may you have all the romance you desire.

Emeralds, Rubies, Minerals and You

More than half of all Americans take Vitamins on a regular basis. But what about minerals?

Did you know that you can arrest a cold just by taking calcium? Cancer cells can die when there is sufficient copper and zinc in the body. Manganese is needed for proper pituitary function. The pituitary is the master gland that controls the hormone system in both men and women. Zinc is vital for prostate function, immune function, and zinc is required for the production of stomach acid used for digestion.

Vitamins are co-factors that allow and assist in all the small processes that contribute to the function of each system in the body. Minerals provide the building blocks of the cells of the body, or act as escorts to other nutrients.

There is an elaborate dance that goes on at a cellular level. The foods we eat, consisting of carbohydrates (starches and sugars, vegetables and fruits), proteins (meats, fish, poultry, eggs), and fats (oils and butter), are broken down by enzymes, assisted by vitamins. Then they are absorbed into the blood system for transportation to areas where they are reconfigured into the various cells and fluids of the body.

The body is a gigantic factory that produces endless products on an hourly basis. Minerals are the building blocks used to form the structure of the cells. But remember that nothing in Nature acts alone. For example, calcium must be in a matrix with other minerals, such as magnesium and phosphorus, so just taking high levels of calcium won’t give you strong bones.

Salt and potassium are minerals used to allow nutrients to pass into cells, and cellular wasteproducts to pass out of cells for elimination. Sulfur is required for detoxification processes in the liver.

Other minerals are needed in trace (tiny) amounts, but pack a big wallop in terms of benefits. Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone function, chromium helps regulate blood sugar, and iron carries oxygen in red blood cells. Our cells are like fish. They live in a salt sea and they need oxygen to “breathe”. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/tc/minerals-their-functions-and-sources-topic-overview

Vegetables are great sources of minerals, since they draw the minerals up from the soil, but the minerals must be in the soil in the first place. Chemical farming methods that destroy and strip the soil, along with chemical fertilizers, create the giant tasteless veggies that are sold in supermarkets.

All natural forms of foods contain minerals, including dairy, eggs, whole grains, nuts and seeds, meats and fish. Minerals are alkalinizing, but there must be sufficient stomach acid for minerals to be digested and absorbed.

Our modern diets of processed foods and sugar are woefully deficient in minerals. If you are stressed, suffer from weak bones, have difficulty sleeping, losing weight or healing from rashes or acne, you may be mineral deficient.

The quality of the mineral supplement is very important, because some forms of minerals are easy for the body to utilize, and others are not. The best minerals are those found in food sources, so this is another good reason to eat organic food from trusted sources that enrich the soil as it is farmed.

Some minerals will keep the body hydrated, so drinking water alone may not be enough in hot weather. Kids often eat the most depleted diets, when they are desperate for minerals as their bodies are growing. How much ADHD might be mineral deficiency? And a hydrated body is also a younger looking body, because the skin needs the right balance of minerals to be plump and firm.

Let us know if you are concerned about your own mineral balance. We have a zinc test you can take, and there are other ways to check your mineral balance. I have seen minerals make a world of difference when a deficiency is corrected, from improving serious conditions like Celiac (severe allergy to gluten) to improving energy or even lifting depression.

There are more than 4,000 naturally occurring minerals on earth. Some are considered precious gems, such as emeralds and rubies. But none are more valuable than the minerals that you need in your body to restore and maintain healthy body function. http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/inside-the-earth/minerals-gems/

Our dreams and spirits may be not of this world, but our bodies are rooted in the ground. There is a reason we refer to Mother Earth. She nourishes us, when we let her, so we can live the dreams we make.

Staying Strong For Men

When women age, we can talk about it freely because women are allowed to be concerned about their hormonal changes, their faces, and figures.  For men, the problems of aging may be just as concerning, but not so easily discussed.

Just like women, men have a need for hormone balance. The adrenal glands (those tiny but mighty glands sitting above the kidneys) make the steroid hormones that allow us to run faster in danger, monitor libido, and determine energy levels. Men and women both make hormones out of cholesterol. Then the cascade of hormones proceeds into progesterone, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen. Estrogen is lowest on the hormone chain, and estrogen is formed from testosterone.

An enzyme called aromatase causes the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Aromatase can surge when too much sugar, alcohol or refined carbohydrate is consumed, spiking blood sugar. As more fat accumulates around breasts (man boobs) and belly, the fat can also produce estrogen, adding to the problem. http://blogs.christianpost.com/health/is-your-testosterone-turning-into-estrogen-5890/

All cells in the body have hormone receptors on them. For men, testosterone should be more dominantly parked in the cells. If there is too much estrogen, then the male sexual characteristics diminish. Muscles turn to fat and the prostate can enlarge. Too much circulating estrogen is a risk for prostate cancer. http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/docking-receptor-binding.html

Higher amounts of circulating estrogen increase risk of stroke.  Estrogen dominance, which is the ratio of estrogen to testosterone, is a risk for heart attack and thicker arteries. Low testosterone levels can be associated with depression and anxiety. http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/low-testosterone-8/default.htm

Statin drugs decrease cholesterol, which in turn can decrease testosterone levels. This may lead to Erectile Dysfunction caused by low testosterone. Statin drugs have also been associated with higher risk of Diabetes Type II. Sufficient healthy fats in the blood keep blood sugar levels more balanced.

You can monitor your testosterone levels through blood or Salvia hormone testing. Another simple way is to have a zinc taste test. Adequate zinc is needed for testosterone. We offer all of these tests at Well Body Clinic.

We also have herbal DHEA and testosterone boosters, in cream and tablet form that will encourage the body to make more testosterone. A detox program for weight loss, or a Blood Sugar balance program, will help you kick the carb habit, stop the snack cravings, drop weight and lose the excess belly fat.

Lifestyle choices may influence your testosterone levels. Avoid excess alcohol, sugar and grains. Eat sufficient protein, but make sure it is digested well; so digestive enzymes can be used. Get plenty of cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels Sprouts to help the liver metabolize excess estrogen. Get moderate exercise and sufficient sleep. (Maybe Mom was right all along.)

No matter what kind of a job you have, life itself is an Olympic event and those who train for it usually come out ahead of the crowd. Breaking old habits is never easy until the new habits have replaced them.

For Father’s Day, and every day, stay strong and ready for the next event. Healthy guys are sexier. And out-running your kids is always satisfying.

Happy Father’s Day to all the great men in our lives.