Before You Eat Another Egg, Read This

We have all read good and bad things about the egg. In 2009, the United States produced about 215.7 million cases (dozen) eggs. 124.6 cases went to retail grocery stores, 66.4 million cases went to manufacturers, 18.4 million cases went to food services, 6.4 million cases were exported (American Egg Board).

As of 2011, the top 5 egg producing states in the nation are Iowa at 14.467 million (cases) per year, Ohio at 7,607 million, Pennsylvania at 7,306 million, Indiana at 6,483 million and California at 5,287 million per year.

The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has been responsible for mandatory inspections of our eggs since 1970. It is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Because of animal protection groups and consumers who are becoming more vigilant in regards to their health, "specialty eggs" are now being introduced. Specialty eggs are organic, range-free, cage-free and Omega 3 eggs.

There are many health benefits and there are many down sides to eating eggs. Maybe it's the beautiful yellow color against that gorgeous red bacon strip we love. It may be just a visual but that's my theory.

I grew up on eggs, have made countless omelets during my lifetime, used them in my salads, stuffed them with all sorts of yummy things and accepted them into my daily consumption. But then I found something online that disturbed me in such a way, I made a drastic decision to completely alter the way I eat from now on. I decided to do a little research about the egg.

Before I share the secret that the egg industry does not want you to know, let's get acquainted with the egg. In keeping this as bias as possible, I have included all the good and bad points to the egg.

The important thing to keep in mind here is that every consumer deserves one thing from a food industry or grocer or advertising firm; The Truth. It's really that simple. I don't know any consumer that doesn't want to know what they are really eating unless they are just lazy or unconcerned with the health of their own bodies or that of their family.

It angers me when I am being kept in the dark about something that concerns my health and that of my family. It is sending the message that they don't care about me as a consumer or even a human being. I feel I am being ripped off and lied to solely for their profit gain and that bothers me because now they've made it personal.

We need to empower ourselves with education about where our food is coming from. No one is going to volunteer this information because if they were transparent, we would probably not want to buy into what they are selling.

The Pros:

1. The egg is a great source of Vitamin D.

2. It is good for Macular Degeneration because of its Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

3. One egg contains 6 grams of Protein and 9 essential amino acids.

4. One egg contains 300 micrograms of Choline, a nutrient that helps regulate the nervous system.

5. One egg has 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 of that is saturated.

6. The Sulphur or B12 in an egg is good for the growth of nails and hair.

The Cons:

1. The average egg contains 212 miligrams of Cholesterol.

2. One large egg contains 75 calories. Keep this in mind because it takes 3,500 calories to gain ONE pound.

3. Too much saturated fat increases your risk of heart disease.

4. Eggs that are not well cooked or runny have higher risk of Salmonella, which causes food poisoning. Eggs can be easily contaminated, so you have to really know where they are coming from before purchase.

5. The sterilization of commercial eggs, used for prevention of decay, has its own health risks to women, including fibroid tumors, fertility problems, menstrual irregularities, uterine cysts, and even impotence.

6. Keep in mind that corporate egg industries have genetically engineered chicken with injections for more egg production. These sterilized eggs are what you see in the grocery stores. You have to wonder what is in those injections because you and your family are consuming them.

Now for the ugly secret the egg industry is keeping from you.

Every single day in hatcheries across the United States, genetically altered male chicks are of no use to the egg industry because they can't be made into broilers due to health issues resulting in the alteration.

First, all male and female baby chicks are taken from their mothers when they are 1 to 2 days old. Then they are all placed on a conveyor belt in a factory, where assembly workers separate the males from the females. The male chicks are then either tossed into a shoot that leads to a grinder or left on the belt, which also leads to the grinder, where they are all macerated or ground alive. The grinder is similar to a meat grinder, only in industrial size.

If the grinder is busy or full, the chicks are either suffocated in plastic bags, gassed or just thrown into a huge dumpster bin, many still alive and chirping for their mothers, while workers stomp on them to make room for the next haul.

Each year the egg industry kills 200 million male chicks for no reason other than their lack of economic viability, which ironically was made possible through the industries own creation of these genetically altered chickens. Hergo, they were brought into this world for the sole purpose of dying 1 - 2 days later in the most horrific manner imaginable, which the egg industry calls "quick and painless".

For each egg you eat, one male baby chick was ground alive, stepped on or thrown out as waste; something everyone should know.

My solution: Put a stamp on every egg carton that states at least 1 male chick per every egg was ground up for this product. Let the consumer decide.

I forced myself to watch the video below and must admit I turned off the sound for about a second or two but felt as though I was cheating somehow, selling out to the integrity of this piece, so I turned it up and listened and sadly accepted the fact that this was all due to product demand. That was when I promised myself I will never eat another egg as long as I live and will do something with what I've learned.

If you can't stand living without eating eggs, there is a solution for you. Did you know that for as little as $10 you can adopt a chicken that will lay eggs for you? There are many farms out there who sell their farm animals, including chickens, which are cheap to keep and will lay about 250 eggs a year, so it's economically sound to own a few. Plus, you feed them, so your eggs will be as healthy as the feed you provide to your chickens.

Check your area for unincorporated/incorporated city codes before you do this to make sure it's legal where you live. Who knows, maybe you might even like the sound of a rooster waking you up at dawn instead and save a male chick.

It's supply and demand. I get it. But I also know there are so many alternatives that we can choose from that are not only better for the environment, better for the lives of other living creatures who have just as much a right to live as we do but also as a health benefit. Do your part to better the world you live in. It's always been up to you.

Here are some links to where you can adopt a chicken or any other farm animal. Email them and they will send you a list of farms in your area:

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/the-sanctuaries/home-adoption-and-placement/adoption-faqs/

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/chickens/tips/adopting_chickens.html

http://www.rhibafarms.com/adopt-a-chicken