Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/771993
Page 46 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com intended. True free-range eggs, now increasingly referred to as "pasture-raised," come from hens that roam freely outdoors on a pasture where they can forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, and worms. Barring organic cer fica on, which is cost-prohibi ve for many small farmers, you could just make sure the farmer raises his chickens according to organic, free-range standards, allowing his flock to forage freely for their natural diet, and aren't fed an bio cs, corn and soy. Tes ng has confirmed that true free-range eggs are far more nutri ous than com- mercially raised eggs. The drama cally superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens. Besides high-quality protein, pasture-raised eggs also contain healthful saturated fats and cholesterol—both of which your body actually needs for op mal health. You can usually tell the eggs are free range or pastured by the color of the egg yolk. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you're ge ng eggs form caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet. Cornucopia.org offers a helpful organic egg scorecard that rates egg manufacturers based on 22 criteria that are important for organic consumers. Ideally, you'll want to eat your eggs raw, or as close to raw as possible. Keep in mind that the closer to raw you eat them, the more important it is to make sure the eggs are truly organic and pasture-raised, as CAFO-raised eggs are far more prone to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria like salmonella. If you choose not to eat your egg yolks raw, poached or so -boiled would be the next best op on. Scrambled or fried eggs are the worst, as this oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. Egg yolks also contain valuable an oxidants, which are reduced by as much as 50 percent when the egg is fried or boiled. 5: Organic Pasture-Raised Chicken The foods you eat a er exercise produce different effects on your body's metabolism, so planning your post-workout meal is an important factor. Research has shown that aerobic exercise most effec vely enhances insulin sensi vity when your post-workout meal has rela vely low carbohydrate content. A er a cardiovascular workout, wait 30-45 minutes, and then consume a high-quality source of protein (whole food) along with a vegetable-type carbohydrate. An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken. The reason why you'll want to wait a bit a er the session to eat is to ride the fat burning wave of your cardio session. However, wai ng more than an hour is typically too long, and can start to slow down your metabolism because your body goes into starva on mode. As men oned above, organic free-range chicken is an excellent source of protein and essen al amino acids for muscle growth and maintenance. Organic chicken is also raised without the use of an bio cs (which are o en used to promote growth in confined animal feeding opera ons, aka CAFOs). This is another important aspect, as over half of the an bio cs fed to mass-produced farm animals, including chickens, are iden cal to the ones administered to humans, and overuse of such an bio cs is the primary driver of an bio c-resistant disease. An bio cs also kill off beneficial bacteria in your gut, which can lead to chronic gut problems when consumed on a regular basis. 6: Antibiotic Free, Grass-Fed Whey Protein Whey protein, which is derived from milk, is considered the gold standard of protein by many, and is one of the best types of foods you can consume before and a er exercise. This is par cularly true a er a resistance or strength-training workout, when you need a meal that can be rapidly absorbed. Here, whey protein is an ideal choice, along with a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate, such as a banana. The potassium in the banana seems to help with recovery. Ideally, you'll want to consume it 15-30 minutes a er your intense weight training session. If you want, you can take 20 grams of whey protein (make sure there's no added sugar) 30 minutes before exercise, and another serving about 30 minutes a erward. This can help increase both fat burning and muscle building. According to a 2010 study, consuming whey protein (20g protein / serving) 30 minutes before resistance training can boost your body's