Blog - HMD Nutrition

Convenience!

Posted on May 12 by Heather Duquette-Wolf

in Blog

I love to make spaghetti squash, but it is time consuming. I saw this at the store recently and bought it. I cooked as directed in the microwave but then sauteed garlic in grass fed butter in a skillet and tossed the squash in with salt, pepper and a touch of cayenne. I added left over chicken and it was so good and easy!

Keep an eye out for frozen vegetables when your are limited with time.

I ate the whole bag for only 14 grams of net carbs!

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Eggcellent Eggs

Posted on May 02 by Heather Duquette-Wolf

in Blog

It seems like eggs have been in the headlines for years. One story will tell you eggs are the new superfood. And, the next will tell you to avoid them at all costs. Information about eggs is everywhere-with all of this information also comes some confusion.

Are eggs healthy to eat? How much? How often? What type is best to buy? What does the label mean? This newsletter edition answers those burning questions you have about eggs.

Have an eggcellent day!

The Good Egg

According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) results, eggs are an affordable, accessible, nutrient-rich source of high-quality protein that can be eaten as part of a healthful diet. One large egg provides varying amounts of 21 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Here is the complete nutrition breakdown:

Power of the Egg.
Despite the yolk being made out as a villain for years, it is the most nutritious part of the egg. The egg yolk contains half of the protein and contains higher amounts of vitamins A, D, E, K, B9, and B12 than the white. The yolks also contain more iron, phosphorous, calcium, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, and choline than the white.

Whole eggs are a nutrition powerhouse and a valuable source of many important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

How Much and How Often Should You Eat Eggs?
You may be wondering about how eggs can be nutrition powerhouses since they contain cholesterol. On average, one large egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol - all of it in the yolk.

The American Heart Association used to recommend no more than 300 milligrams a day of dietary cholesterol. We now understand that for most people, eating cholesterol does not raise cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). There is a very small percent of the population that is sensitive to dietary cholesterol.

Decoding the Egg Label

Gone are the days of just buying a dozen eggs. Now when you enter the grocery store the egg buying options are endless...and the variety of cartons and package styles is confusing. Here is the lowdown on the most common labeling terminology:

Certified Organic: Organic eggs are from hens that only eat feed certified organic-without most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Hens must be cage-free and free to roam. The use of antibiotics and growth hormones is not allowed. It’s important to note, that all eggs, organic or not, are hormone free.

Pasture-raised: “Pasture-raised” or “pastured” means the animal spent some time outdoors, feeding on grass, insects, and worms. Smaller farms and family-owned farms usually do pasture-raised eggs, however, there is also still no government regulation for this label considering how long those periods are.

Cage-free: The birds are not raised in cages, but are still subject to industrial farming techniques. The label gives no indication of any other living conditions.

Free-range eggs: Produced conventionally and industrially, but are exposed to outdoors for some part of their day. The time period is not regulated or monitored by the government and can be as little as one minute per day.

Barn Roaming: This is used to more accurately describe the source of eggs laid by hens that can not roam freely but are confined to a barn instead of a more restrictive cage.

Pasture-Raised: Each hen must be placed on a pasture, with at least 108 square feet of pasture, for at least six hours each day. The pasture must be covered mainly with living vegetation.

Grass-fed: Grass-fed means the chicken's primary source of food is grass or forage, not grain. There are no government standards for this label.

Omega 3 eggs: Generally these hens are given omega-3 food sources (e.g. flaxseed) in their diet in order to increase the omega-3 content in the egg. They are still subject to industrial farming techniques.

No added antibiotics: Hens were not given antibiotics in their feed or water.

Hormone-free: This label appears on some packages as a marketing tool since no lying hens are given hormones.

Vegetarian-fed: The hens were fed a vegetarian diet which is controversial since chickens are not naturally vegetarian. They normally eat an omnivore diet which is a mix of produce, grains, worms, snails, slugs, and insects.

Want more info including label icons you might see on egg cartons? Visit www.aeb.org/retail/defining-egg-types-labels to download a fact sheet.

Featured Recipe
Baked Egg & Tomato Cup

Oil for pan
12 slices of nitrate-free ham
12 large eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Salt & pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400º and grease a 12-cup muffin with oil. Line each cup with a slice of ham. Crack an egg into each ham cup, add fresh tomato slices, and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolks. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Change ...

Posted on April 19 by Heather Duquette-Wolf

in Blog

One of the hardest dietary changes I ever had to make was admitting to myself that gluten was indeed wrecking my health.

I, like many, was trained to believe you need grains for fiber and to be healthy. At first, trying to stop eating most grains was like asking myself not to breathe. I was not happy through this transition as I understand dietary habits are very difficult to change.

I literally sat down and wrote out all of the of the issues gluten cause me (runny nose, itchy skin, bloating, irregularity and ANXIETY) and it became clear the bad outweighed the good. So over time as my gut healed so did my physical and mental health.

I do slip up once in awhile, but the symptoms come raging back to remind me!

Like anything in life, practice and patience are a must in order for change to become a new routine.