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Pregnancy Superfood: Eggs

Pregnancy Superfood: Eggs

September 2, 2019 Nutrition, Pregnancy

“The incredible egg.” Breakfast staple, meatball binder, cake raiser…baby grower? The tiny, but mighty egg is a high-quality protein and nutrition powerhouse. Eggs contain a large range of nutrients, but are especially high in a few nutrients key to fetal growth during pregnancy. Eggs are high in choline, a B vitamin necessary for optimal brain growth and cognitive development. The National Institutes of Health estimates that “90-95% of pregnant women consume less choline than the AI [adequate intake].” This is alarming because choline influences a child’s cognitive abilities. A study published by The Journal of Pediatrics found that the infants of mothers with higher levels of choline during pregnancy were less likely to develop certain mental illnesses following maternal infection while in the womb.

The recommended AI (adequate intake) for pregnant women is 450 mg per day (and even higher for breastfeeding women, at 550 mg). To make matters worse, many prenatal vitamins don’t contain any choline. Beef liver and eggs are the highest food source of choline, so unless beef liver is a regular part of your diet (I’ll write a separate post on liver at some point), it takes a combination of eggs and many other foods to even attempt to get to the recommended daily value for choline. Two eggs contain approximately 250-300 mg. Besides being a great source for choline, eggs are also high in riboflavin, vitamin B12, biotin, iodine and selenium.

One thing to keep in mind when consuming eggs is that the yolk contains a large portion of the aforementioned nutrients. If you’re only eating egg whites, you’re missing out on a lot of what the egg has to offer you and your baby. Years ago, eggs, specifically the yolks, were demonized as a cholesterol-unfriendly food. Many studies have been conducted since then that debunked this fear and found little to no link between dietary cholesterol raising blood cholesterol. Other aspects of your diet, like consumption of unhealthy, processed fats and sugar, have far greater impact on your blood cholesterol and its link to heart disease. In fact, one or more studies have found that egg consumption increased HDL levels (the good cholesterol that we want to elevate). One thing to note, however, was that individuals with diabetes were more likely to experience elevated blood cholesterol levels by consuming high cholesterol foods such as eggs. If you are an individual living with diabetes, you should consult your doctor before increasing your egg intake.

With this in mind, two eggs a day (with the yolks!) is a great way to increase your choline and B12 intake and provide high-quality protein for your baby. Here are a few ways I eat my two eggs a day:

  • For breakfast, over-easy with half a slice of toasted homemade sourdough bread with grass-fed butter
  • For breakfast, scrambled with cheese and eaten alongside a quarter or half an avocado
  • As a snack or breakfast, hard-boiled, with sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • As a snack, deviled (I’ll share our go-to recipe soon – they’re delicious!)
  • As a snack, hard-boiled and marinated using this recipe

WHAT EGGS SHOULD I BUY?
Choosing what type of eggs to buy can feel intimidating. You’re confronted with many different brands, terms and prices. The thing to keep in mind when purchasing eggs is that the closer hens are to living in what would be considered their natural environment, where they can peck at bugs and worms in the grasses, the greater the nutrient profile and levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are another essential nutrient for cognitive development and growth of your baby. Plus, hens that are living closer to how they were designed to live (foraging on pasture) are living a higher quality life, which I believe impacts the quality, taste and nutrition of the eggs they produce. Crack an egg from a non-organic, cage-free carton and then crack an egg that’s from a hen raised on pasture and the difference will be obvious. The pastured egg will have a brighter, more vibrant colored yolk. I notice a definite difference in taste, too – pastured eggs have more flavor than non-pastured eggs. That’s typically why you’ll hear others who tout the taste of “farm fresh” eggs over store-bought.

First, look for organic eggs. Organic eggs are laid by hens whose feed is entirely organic and non-GMO, and it is a USDA-regulated certification, meaning farmers have strict guidelines to meet and serious consequences when they don’t. Most laying hens’ diets in the U.S. contain corn and soy, two of the biggest GMO crops in our country. Buying organic means that any corn or soy used in their feed is non-GMO, and also that all food sources are free of pesticides and harsh chemicals. Organic feed is also vegetarian. While hens are not vegetarians (they eat bugs), they wouldn’t be found eating other birds, fish or other meat sources for food.

It gets a little trickier beyond the organic label. Cage-free and free-range are also USDA-regulated terms, but the quality of life for these hens doesn’t differ much between the two. Free-range hens have access to outdoors, but that simply means a door is available and if they tend to stay by their food source, they’re likely not seeing the sunlight that often. “Pastured” or “pasture-raised” are not USDA-regulated terms, so seeing these on a carton doesn’t tell you very much about how the hens are living and eating. Certified Humane is a third-party label run by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), which is a highly-acclaimed nonprofit organization “dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter.” Organic eggs that have the Certified Humane label AND say “pasture raised” are ideal. Certified Humane pasture raised eggs are laid by hens who spend their days outdoors foraging the vegetation and exhibiting natural behaviors.

Governmental and third-party certifications are expensive for farmers to obtain and maintain. So, don’t assume that your local farmers market eggs don’t meet the criteria mentioned here. Talk to your local farmers and learn about their feed processes and how their hens live on the farm to make the decision that’s right for you. There are also name brands that don’t have the Certified Humane label, but publicize the practices they use to provide a higher quality of life for their hens, like Organic Valley.

You may have also seen eggs labeled as “Omega-3” eggs. These are hens whose feed is supplemented with additional Omega-3 sources, most commonly flaxseed oil. I would like to see a study conducted comparing the Omega-3 and overall nutrition profiles between an egg from a pasture-raised hen and that of an “Omega-3” hen, however, no such study has been conducted. The eggs of pasture-raised hens have greater Omega-3 fatty acid profiles than those that are cage-free and free-range, but how do they compare to eggs that come from hens who are supplemented with Omega-3? I like to think that it would be preferable to get your nutrition sources through the most natural sources, and obviously a hen supplemented with Omega-3 is not natural. However, I would be interested in learning more. If you do choose to purchase Omega-3 eggs, I would still suggest buying organic.

I realize that purchasing the quality of eggs suggested in this post comes with a price tag. You may find yourself paying 2-5 times what you’d pay for cage-free, non-organic eggs. Remember that you are nourishing your body and your growing baby with whatever it is that you’re ingesting. For me, it was easy to justify paying more for my eggs and reducing part of my budget elsewhere to accommodate higher quality food. I realize not everyone can make that choice. If buying organic, pasture raised eggs isn’t in the cards for you, buying organic eggs would be the next best option, followed by non-organic cage free or free range eggs.

I also understand that it takes time to learn about the egg producers available to you in your grocery stores or farmers market. Realize that the time is an investment in the health of you and your baby. Once you’ve done the work, you can buy eggs confidently and quickly – and enjoy the better taste that higher quality eggs produce, too!

Warm regards,

Brianna

Sources:

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/
  • https://www.aeb.org/retail/nutrition
  • https://www.incredibleegg.org/
  • https://www.ams.usda.gov/

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Happy April 1st! 😜 If you want to live longer a Happy April 1st! 😜 If you want to live longer and feel great doing it, you might consider doing exactly the opposite of these things. 🙌

#longevity #healthylifestyle #healthtips
Irene has been healing a Dancer’s fracture for t Irene has been healing a Dancer’s fracture for the past couple months (and no, it didn’t happen during one of our dance practices, but yes, it is the reason we’ve been on break from our “Fancy Feet Friday” posts).👯‍♀️

A key part of her healing approach has included taking the Bone & Marrow product from @ancestralsupplements. You already know we love their products (which are whole foods, freeze-dried and served in capsule form). The concept behind why these products help so many people is called “like supports like,” where consuming a specific part of a healthy animal supports the health and healing of that part in your own body. There are some cool studies to support this and our ancestors knew it all along, before we had any of that research. 

The Bone & Marrow product is a regular part of both Irene’s and Brianna’s daily food intake and you might consider adding it to yours, too. Why are bones and marrow so beneficial to health and longevity?

Ancestral Supplements Bone & Marrow contains:
🔹The entire bone matrix (living bone, pure marrow & cartilage)
🔹Platelets and stem cells to support red and white blood cells
🔹Collagen
🔹Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

All of these things support:
🔸Healthy blood (red & white blood cell production)
🔸Robust immune health
🔸Decreased inflammation
🔸Strong bones & teeth (dental health)
🔸Skin & joint health
🔸Marrow & cartilage health

Learn more about this wonderful product at the link in our profile bio!

#injuryrecovery #healthylifestyle #nutrition
Feeling especially inspired by today’s ruck part Feeling especially inspired by today’s ruck participants!! Talk about showing up and giving it your all! You are amazing and awesome! We can’t think of a better way to have started our Saturday. Congrats, two-percenters! 🤩

#iamhealthy #healthyhappy #healthywealthy #activelifestyle #iamfit #determination #motivation #inspiration #icandothis #instafit #instafitness #attitudeiseverything #attitude #gratitude #activeliving #foreverfit #fitnessislife #fitspiration #createyourlife #livelifetothefullest #designyourlife #omaha #omahanebraska #optoutside #betterouthere #omaharuckclub #glaruckclub #omahafitness #omahaevents #ruckclub
Join us this Saturday morning for our next ruck! T Join us this Saturday morning for our next ruck! The great thing about our rucks is that anyone can participate at their own level of difficulty. Someone who is very active and fit can carry more weight in their backpack, hold more weight in their hands or up on their shoulders, while someone who is newer to rucking can walk with just a few added pounds in their backpack. Parents can push strollers or use their kids as added weight in a carrier on their back or chest. If you have an elderly parent or disabled friend, you can push them in their wheelchair. There’s almost no situation that can’t be accommodated in some way - you just need the motivation to want to go!

If you would like to join us for our next ruck (it’s free), you can receive the details by email and/or via our private Facebook group. The links for both can be accessed from the link in our profile bio!

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#iamhealthy #healthyhappy #healthywealthy #activelifestyle #iamfit #determination #motivation #inspiration #icandothis #instafit #instafitness #attitudeiseverything #attitude #gratitude #activeliving #foreverfit #fitnessislife #fitspiration #createyourlife #livelifetothefullest #designyourlife #omaha #omahanebraska #optoutside #betterouthere #omaharuckclub #glaruckclub #omahafitness #omahaevents #ruckclub
Science is proving that when the heart and brain a Science is proving that when the heart and brain are in coherence, they operate synergistically and more efficiently. This coherence brings about major changes in our emotional states, our bodily health, and cognitive function. 

When we feel negative emotions such as anger, resentment, anxiety, and frustration, we create disordered heart variability and stress in our body and mind. We feel scattered and pulled because our thoughts and feelings are working against each other and creating disorder in our bodies. By focusing on positive emotions, such as love, joy, abundance and appreciation, we can turn down the stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight response, and generate a harmonious and highly-ordered pattern in our heart’s rhythm. 

The heart and brain communicate in both directions. When the heart and brain are in coherence, we not only decrease stress, we increase creativity, calmness, greater focus, improved decision-making, and we bring about a sense of peace within ourselves and a deeper connection to those around us. 

As if that’s not already enough, it also strengthens our immune system, balances our hormonal function, improves sleep quality and increases physical energy. 

Take a few minutes to do this little exercise today and feel the difference it can make for you. 

#mindset #motivationmonday #mondaymotivation #gratitude #lawofattraction #getbetter #personaldevelopment #healthcoach
Some fun surprise weather on our walk today! #snow Some fun surprise weather on our walk today! #snowshowers #snow #walk #outdoors #dogwalk
“Some people have all the luck…”🍀 We don “Some people have all the luck…”🍀

We don’t believe in luck. We believe in making your goals and dreams come true through open-mindedness, vulnerability, optimism, determination, commitment, perseverance and tenacity. Not relying on luck. 

We believe that your starting point does not determine your destination. YOU determine your destination. 

If you don’t like some aspect of your life, then decide what you want it to look like instead and start taking action towards that!

Your mind is always scanning for opportunities. If you know what you want and you’re determined to get there, you better believe opportunities will “suddenly” arise to help you meet your goal.

Others watching from the outside will say it was luck, but you will know it was anything but.

To add an example with a touch of humor, if you’ve ever seen our favorite movie, Dumb & Dumber, then you’re familiar with the scene at the end. Harry and Lloyd get stopped by a Hawaiian Tropic tour bus and several bikini models get out to tell them they're looking for two guys to travel around with them on tour and help them get ready for shows. Harry and Lloyd respond by telling them there's a town just a few miles down the road that's bound to have guys for the roles they're looking for. Lloyd says, "Wow two lucky guys are going to be driving around with those girls for the next couple of months." Then Harry replies, "Yeah. Don't worry. We'll catch our break too. Just gotta keep our eyes open." 😜

To sum it all up, we leave you with two quotes that further support our perspective on luck:

"Shallow men believe in luck. 
Strong men believe in cause and effect." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” - Brian Tracy

Create your own luck today. Be the cause to your effect. Get real with yourself. Set your sights on something. Take a chance. Be the victor who knows you have the power to change your life, not the victim who thinks others have all the luck.

#mindset #longevity #health #comfortzone #goals #goalgetter #healthylifestyle #healthcoach #attitude #motivation
Here’s part 2 to our previous video. Are you agi Here’s part 2 to our previous video. Are you aging yourself? 

#mindset #aging #longevity #attitude #healthylifestyle
You have more influence than you think when it com You have more influence than you think when it comes to aging well. 😉 The whole video doesn’t fit in the reels time limit, so check out our post after this for part 2!

#mindset #aging #longevity #attitude #healthylifestyle
How many more reasons do you need before you’ll How many more reasons do you need before you’ll make the jump and join our ruck club? 😉

Our next group ruck is Saturday, March 25th at 9:30am. It’s going to be an awesome time! 🤩

All ages and abilities can participate. The level of difficulty is determined by how much added weight you carry in your backpack. Some of our members don’t carry any added weight because the ruck is already difficult enough. Some members push their kids in the stroller AND wear a weighted backpack. It’s your opportunity to challenge yourself and we will support you the entire way!

If you’ve been watching and wondering, it’s time to say YES to you by joining us! 💪

If you’re in the Omaha area and would like to participate (it’s free), you can receive the details by email and/or via our private Facebook group. The links for both can be accessed from the link in our profile bio!

#ruckclub #omaha #omahanebraska #omahafitness #outdoorfun #getoutside
We celebrated a birthday in the family this past w We celebrated a birthday in the family this past weekend and Irene made her amazing Tuscan chicken! This made us think maybe we should share the recipe with you, so you can picture yourself in Tuscany amongst the vineyards, too. Get the recipe at goliveabundance.com or at the link in our profile bio. For the birthday party, we went all out with a fresh salad with hazelnuts and Parmesan, organic angel hair pasta, and homemade sourdough garlic bread. It even got requested as the meal of choice for another family member’s upcoming birthday in a few months! Try it out for yourself! #recipes #healthyfood #healthymeals #dinnerparty #easyrecipes
“Just do 5 minutes!” - it’s one of our philo “Just do 5 minutes!” - it’s one of our philosophies for exercise as well as many other things that we sometimes don’t have a large block of time to do.

You may not feel like you have 30 minutes for a dedicated workout, but we bet you can find 5 minutes to do something. When you practice the “just do 5 minutes” approach, typically you’ll find that two possible results are achieved:

1. You really do just 5 minutes, which is great because it’s still getting your body moving and it’s much better than doing nothing!
2. You end up doing a little more (or sometimes even a lot more) than 5 minutes because you feel good and motivated once you start and you decide you have time to go a little longer than planned!

Both are great outcomes!

When you find pockets of time to do a couple or a few sets of 5-minute bursts, you end up multiplying your benefits even more! You may find it easier to find 2-3 different opportunities to do 5 minutes, than finding a single 10-15 minute block of time.

#wellnesswednesday #wellnesscoach #wellnesstips #healthtips #mindset #exercisemotivation #fitnessmotivation
It’s not “cause and effect”, it’s cause an It’s not “cause and effect”, it’s cause an effect. Be the CAUSE to make the effect! Make it happen. 🙌

#mondaymotivation #motivationmonday
Remember to always add some fun to your workouts 😂

#fitnessfriday #fridayfitness #fitnessfun #homeworkout #workout #fitness #toddler #toddlerlife
No, we don’t always feel motivated to go outside No, we don’t always feel motivated to go outside at sunrise in the winter, but we do it anyways because we know it:
- Supports our circadian rhythms and proper functioning of many other processes in our bodies through morning sunlight in the eyes 
- Exposes us to the benefits of cold temps and getting out of our comfort zones
- Clears our minds and gets us centered for your day by being outdoors in nature

And P.S., we also don’t care what our neighbors think about our morning sunlight ritual 😜

#healthyhabits #healthtips #healthylifestyle #healthjourney #healthcoach #wellnessjourney #wellnesscoach #mindset #motivation #getoutside #getoutdoors #betteroutside
Our go-to tortilla chips! Made with non-GMO corn a Our go-to tortilla chips! Made with non-GMO corn and cooked in coconut oil instead of inflammatory seed oils. We’re the weirdos in the grocery store aisle looking at each @gilly_loco bag for the puffiest and saltiest chips. 😅 If you don’t have a Whole Foods near you, you can order these directly from the brand on their website!

#healthyfood #cleanfood #healthtips #healthylifestyle #foodie #healthcoach #wellnessjourney #betterfood
Want to improve your balance? Here are a few simpl Want to improve your balance? Here are a few simple ideas that you can do anytime, anywhere. Not only do they improve your balance when practiced consistently and regularly, they also strength your feet, ankles, knees and all the way up to the hips. 

#exercisetips #healthtips #personaltrainer #healthcoach #motivationmonday #mondaymotivation #longevity #aginggracefully #agingbackwards #fitnessmotivation #fitnessgirl
When you notice your avocados are ripe but don’t When you notice your avocados are ripe but don’t have any plans to eat them, don’t let them go to waste - freeze them! Just scoop the flesh out onto some parchment paper on a flat surface, freeze and then transfer the fruit to a bag or container for storage. Avocado halves only take about 20-30 min to thaw. Frozen avocado is also a great addition to a smoothie - adds creaminess, but no weird flavor! We especially like to stock up on avocados when they’re on sale and then freeze them.

#cookingtips #kitchenhacks #mealprep #healthyeating #healthyfood #keto #ketomeals #ketodiet #carnivorediet #carnivoreketo #carnivorelife #paleodiet #paleorecipes #momhack #parentingtips
You’ve heard us talk about rucking for a while n You’ve heard us talk about rucking for a while now. There are so many health benefits to walking with added weight (increased bone density, stronger muscles, more calories burned, etc.). If you have a small child or grandchild, let them be your ruck! Strollers provide some nice weighted resistance, but they don’t compare to the full body effort required for rucking. Carrying your child also means you can get out in all seasons more easily. Taking a stroller across an uncleared snowy path is no “walk in the park”!

#rucking #outdoorworkout #grandma #grandpa #parentingtips #momlife #dadlife #fitmama #wellnesswednesday #fitspo
You can only love others to the degree with which You can only love others to the degree with which you love yourself. This isn't ego love, or arrogance - that is not love. This is about truly loving yourself, respecting yourself, and honoring your self. Knowing your value and that you are worthy. You do this by becoming physically, mentally, and emotionally fit. That is the highest form of personal development. It takes commitment, perseverance, tenacity, a focused mindset, and putting in the effort even when you don't feel like doing it. That's how you build self-esteem, confidence, and inner strength. It's a process, and it's an ongoing one. It's in the journey along the way where the growth occurs. Love yourself enough that you become your most idealized self. Then go out and share that love with everyone else in the world. Everyone will benefit. Happy Valentine's Day. From our hearts to yours, we love you! 

#valentine #valentineday #love #gratitude
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