The Queen B: Is it the Chicken or The Egg?

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

I like this verse that talks about how birds don't worry. I am terrible at not worrying. That's my grandmother's fault, I'm pretty sure it's hereditary ha ha! The verse talks about the birds don't worry what they will eat and where they will take shelter, the just know that God will take care of it all.

Speaking of birds, they give us a source of wonderful food, the egg. I have heard great debate in my 37 years, the egg is bad, the egg is good, no the egg is bad again. The trouble with it all is not with the egg itself, it is how the chicken in raised and fed. So, the studies must take in consideration the chicken when they are being conducted. So...what is it, good or bad? The egg is a creation of God and the bible tells us that the creatures and the plants were made for us for food. So, by that, I will trust that the egg is good. So let's take a look at why I say it matters to take in to consideration the chicken itself.

Benefits of Eggs
1. Egg keep you feeling full much longer than cereal or toast.The protein and fat in eggs helps sustain your energy levels, keeping you satisfied for longer and reducing the need for a mid morning snack.
2. Eggs assist weight loss.
This is a follow on benefit from keeping you satiated. Studies have shown that people who eat eggs for breakfast are more likely to lose weight than those who ate bagels.
3. Eggs are a great source of protein.
Whole eggs are one of the most complete sources of protein, meaning eggs contain all the essential amino acids which we must get from our diets.
4. Eggs tend to be relatively inexpensive.
Compared to other high protein foods such as red meat, even free range eggs are more budget friendly.
5. Eggs aren’t going to make your cholesterol worse.
While it’s true that eggs do contain a significant amount of cholesterol, the old formula of the cholesterol you eat impacting on your blood cholesterol levels, has been disproven. So there’s no need to worry about eating eggs increasing your risk for heart disease.
6. Eggs help with brain development and memory.
Choline, an essential nutrient found in eggs, stimulates brain development and function. It has also been linked with increasing memory retention and recall as well as improving alertness.
7. Eggs protect your eyesight.
Two antioxidants, leutin and zeaxanthin, are present in eggs and have been linked to protecting eyes from damage related to UV exposure. They have also been associated with reducing the likelihood of developing cataracts in old age.

Eggs produced by free-range hens compare favourably with those produced by battery cage hens. Eggs from free range hens had up to:

1/3 less cholesterol

1/4 less saturated fat

2/3 more vitamin A

2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

3 times more vitamin E

7 times more beta carotene

When we treat God's creations like they should be, the effects it has on the overall health of the animal leads to a better production in the eggs they produce and the meat from the animal itself.

In this egg yolk picture to the left, you can see the comparison in color between the free range chicken egg yolk from a pastured chicken and the confined chicken egg yolk. The pale yellow egg yolk picture is from my confined chicken that was eating nearly 100% grains and was eating virtually no greens. Now you know too that there is a big visual difference between free range eggs from pastured chickens versus confined grain fed chicken eggs.

See, it does matter how the chicken in treated. I know where my eggs come from. I buy them weekly and I drive to the farm to get them. I took a picture of them with the cows. I won't go in to all the details, but multi-species grazing is great for both animals and the soil itself. It helps the fertilizer spread to the grass when the chickens scratch in the field, helping the field and bugs that the chicken and cattle eat. It's a win/win situation to let them roam free together!