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

Beauty and Success Lessons from Pottenger’s Cats

Back in the 1940’s, a doctor named Francis Pottenger, Jr. did a landmark study on cat nutrition that should make us all sit up and pay attention to some of the trends in our modern society.

What does this have to do with beauty? Apparently, everything. What Dr. Pottenger found is that cats fed healthy diets had facial, skull and skeletal formations that were correctly structured. This means that the symmetry of their features was exactly as it should be for beautiful cats. They had perfect skulls, broad cheeks, well-developed palates and strong teeth. Their eyes were bright, and their coats were shiny. The cats were friendly and playful, and they were sociable with other cats.

The mama cats had easy pregnancies and smooth births. They nursed their healthy kittens with no difficulty, and the kittens thrived. As long as the kittens were fed a healthy diet, they followed in their parents’ footsteps, and each subsequent generation produced beautiful cats. They died mostly of old age.

When it comes to art and culture, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder. But scientific measurements of human facial features have shown that there are ideals in facial symmetry that are uniformly considered to be the most pleasing to the eye, as well as functionally ideal. i

When the cats were fed food that had adequate calories, but were nutritionally deficient, the story was the mirror opposite. The cats became sickly and died much younger. The kittens were lower birth weight and had poor formation of their faces and skulls. Their bones were spongy, their teeth weak and their lungs showed abnormal tissue. They had parasites and worms.

They were not sociable and fought other cats or clawed and scratched their handlers. The kittens were often stillborn, or died in a few days if too weak to nurse, or in a few weeks if unable to thrive. Subsequent generations suffered from infections. By the third generation few could reproduce and by the fourth generation the cats could not reproduce and the cat line died out. ii

The only supplement the cats received was cod liver oil. Otherwise they were given food and scraps meat and bones. The cats who were beautiful and healthy ate 2/3 raw meat and bones and 1/3 raw milk. The unhealthy cats were given 2/3 cooked meat and bones with 1/3 raw milk. That was the simple difference. The calories were the same, the protein grams were the same, and they both got cod liver oil. But the living factors in the raw meat made all the difference. The meat included organ meat, so the nutrient value of the raw meat was very high, particularly in 1940. This was before organic was a classification because the world had not become a chemical/pharmaceutical lab experiment.

What was the difference? After all, we eat cooked meat. But cats don’t eat cooked meat in the wild. There are nutrients that are destroyed by cooking that cats need. And modern commercial cat food doesn’t provide some essential elements, as evidenced by how much diabetes exists in domestic Western cats.

Dr. Pottenger went on to study nutrition in children. The results were very similar. Children who were malnourished due, not to lack of food, but from eating foods that had insufficient nutrient quality, had poor formation of the palette of the mouth and weaker and poorly-formed teeth. (How many kids today need braces and what if it’s the lack of correct nutrients?!) Their skeletal structure was less-defines as male or female and they had more social and behavioral issues. They were more introverted and less likely to excel and work hard.

So, apparently we can eat for beauty and success, and pass this to out children!

The health of the Western world, and the USA in particular, has plummeted in recent years. We can assume that something major has shifted because the statistics are appalling. Abundance in portions of food, and availability, but shocking increases in chronic disease, allergies, autoimmunity, obesity and major illness, not to mention mental health and the need for dental treatments. Maybe we are learning, in a giant scientific experiment, that chemical foods just don’t cut it. And the sharp decline in fertility also tells the story.

Medical doctors, with rare exception, have zero training in nutrition. Most of them are told that food has nothing to do with health. It’s kind of hard to imagine how some very bright people can actually accept that as truth.

We can do our own experiments. That doesn’t mean we need to eat raw organ meats! But we do need to find the most nutrient dense foods possible to make up for all the deficiencies we have due to modern farming methods and the lack of availability of foods like raw milk. I raised my kids on raw organic milk delivered from a farm near where we lived in Southern England.

Just imagine if all we really had to do to beat disease is go back to eating real whole foods. That’s an experiment that would be worth conducting. Whole organic foods should not cost so much, and they wouldn’t if farmers weren’t subsidized for growing corn and a host of other crops, mostly non-food commodities. Actually, now they call it “insurance” instread of subsidies and the federal government forks over five billion dollars to farmers to keep prices of crops low, instead of rewarding farmers for growing foods that nourish our health. iii We should support our farmers, of course, but it would be so much better if we supported the health needs of the people at the same time.

If you need tips on choosing nutrient-dense foods, let me know. Our kids, especially, need to be like the healthy kittens because their future, and their children's futures depend on it. We can start to reverse the downward trend in health right now!

Warmly;

Anne

ihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_symmetry#:~:text=unnaturally%20small%20nose.-,Attractiveness,of%20attractiveness%20concerning%20female%20faces.

iihttps://price-pottenger.org/store/pottengers-cats-a-study-in-nutrition/

iiihttps://grist.org/food/our-crazy-farm-subsidies-explained/

Eat Foods You Love and Get More Fiber!

There are other foods many people love that also contain fiber, and it all adds up. Coffee is an example. An 8-oz cup may contain 1.5 grams of protein. If you drink more than one cup of coffee a day, that adds up. Studies show that most people benefit from small amounts coffee, unless you are particularly sensitive to it.

 100 grams of dark chocolate (70-85% cacao) has 11 grams of fiber. And cocoa has 4 grams per two tablespoons of powder.

 Fruits like raspberries are a delicious way to get more fiber and summer and Fall are the perfect times to top up your fiber needs.

 One-quarter cup of almonds has 4 grams of fiber. Of course, raw is always better than roasted when it comes to the health benefits of nuts.

 An avocado has 14 grams of fiber; so one half has 7 grams. I have been making a simple guacamole lately, to add to lettuce-wrap sandwiches. Just add lime juice, salt, red pepper flakes, and your favorite pepper sauce to taste. This works as a dip, sandwich spread, or can be added to hard-boiled egg yolk for a special twist on deviled eggs.

 Chia seeds are another source and can be mixed with almond milk for a fiber-rich pudding. With 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon, chia seeds can be added to smoothies, yogurt, pancakes, or other baked goods, and used as a thickener in recipes.

 For a summer treat puree a package of fresh strawberries with 2 cups of almond milk and ¼ cup of honey. Mix with ½ cup of chia seeds. The mixture will thicken to a pudding texture. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and store in the refrigerator.

 All whole fruits and vegetables have fiber. More fiber means less cholesterol so if you have cholesterol concerns here is a non-drug approach. Whole grains contain fiber, as well as vitamins lost when grains are milled or processed. Here is a link to my new favorite bread, organic whole rye, from Germany. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCWFX9K?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_ypp_rep_k4_1_3&amp&crid=2Y65RNPWQYU8C&amp&sprefix=ryeOne slice of this bread and you know you have eaten something good. Yes, rye has gluten, but this bread has far more nutrition than gluten-free options, and I don’t get the tiredness I feel when I eat commercial wheat products.

 Who knew that feeding your good bugs was one of the most effective ways to feed yourself? Those tiny critters are making B vitamins, hormones, and compounds like  Urolithin A that energize the engines of the cells called mitochondria. It is possible that we will be able to harness the gut microbe to make therapeutic agents that will handle diseases that drugs only suppress or manage. Those cute little bugs in our gut-biome may turn out to be our best intervention to create, maintain, and revitalize the body functions that give us vitality, energy, and longevity.

 So, let’s be very extremely cautious about the overuse of antibiotics that destroy the helpful microbes along with the bad guys. I can always help with building a strong immune system to avoid antibiotic use. And increasing fiber is one of the greatest changes you can make for your immune system, and support hormones and brain/cognitive health. There have been some reports that fiber can really help with weight loss, too. Fiber itself has no calories, because we don’t eat it-our microbes do!

What We Learned From Cats

In the 1950’s a medical doctor named Francis Pottenger, Jr. was conducting research into the endocrine (hormonal) systems of cats in an attempt to standardize dosages of hormones needed to sustain their lives.

The cats in the study were being fed a seemingly healthy diet of raw milk, cod liver oil, and cooked meat scraps of liver, muscle, and other organs.  Organ meat contains the highest quality nutrition. Cats are strict carnivores (meat eaters) so this diet was considered to be the best for them. However, the cats were not thriving and more cats had to be added to the research, straining the food budget. Dr. Pottenger ordered raw scraps of meat from a local meat plant.

The raw scraps were fed to one of the animal groups. In very short order Dr. Pottenger and his research assistants noticed that the kittens born to the mother cats being fed the raw meat were friskier and better formed than the cooked meat group.

The teeth, skeletal formation, and tone of the musculature of the raw meat group were superior to the cooked meat group. Dr. Pottenger became so interested in the evidence of nutritional superiority of the raw meat group that he began to document his findings and his famous “Cat Study” was begun.

Although Dr. Pottenger never said that cats were exactly like humans, the evidence of the importance of the quality of nutrients in physical health is too startling to be ignored. The vitamins, minerals, and protein quality of the raw meat were clearly of much greater benefit than the cooked meat.

What this says for human health is that paying attention to the source of the nutrients may be vitally important. It is pretty easy to figure out that a well-done hamburger from a fast-food chain might be of inferior nutritional quality to a hamburger from a higher end restaurant. But how about a hamburger from a fully grass-fed cow cooked rare or even served raw? Restaurants used to serve raw meat as “Steak tartare” often.  The Tatars were a warring tribe and legend has it that they did not stop to cook their meat, but preserved it under their saddles as they rode. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/60315/original-steak-tartare/

Some of the healthiest cultures in the world have eaten raw animal products. Sushi is a prime example. African tribes have been known to drink the blood of their herd animals for a meal. Native Americans cut the hearts from animals killed in hunts and served them up to the warriors of the tribes.

Perhaps one of the reasons red meat has gotten a bad rap is because we so often eat it cooked to the point of protein-death, and eat far too much at a time to be able to digest it.

If you do indulge in raw animal foods, you may have a higher number of parasites, since little critters like sushi, too. Strong stomach acid, herbal preparations, and avoiding sugar and processed foods can all help keep down the population of hitch-hikers, but everyone has some in their body. You just want to keep them from getting out of control. So, cleanses, probiotics, and herbal preparations should be part of your regular health regimen. You change the oil in your car, and doing a cleanse is just as important.

Nature does not demand that foods be cooked or processed to be nutritional. Our modern diet of processed and chemical foods is too far from a natural state to maintain the kind of robust health that makes life fun and a body disease-resistant.

Even if the idea of raw meat does not appeal, take a cue from Dr. Pottenger’s kitties and include raw foods every day. Vegetables and fruits, unrefined oils, and raw cheese are all good choices. Even raw honey has benefits, as long as it is used in moderation because of the natural sugar.

Live cells need living food. In Nature, big cats are always sleek and svelte. It is only when domesticated cats eat commercial food that they get chubby and develop Diabetes.  So we can learn something from our feline friends. Play a lot, sleep a lot, and eat plenty of raw foods. Purrrrfect!