Breakfast Burritos

Not surprisingly, most of my clients are busy. They know breakfast is important, but they just don’t have time to make a fresh vegetable omelet and fresh squeezed orange juice every morning before work. So, I spend a lot of my time working on solutions for them – breakfasts that they can prepare ahead of time and grab quickly in the morning, without sacrificing nutrition.

One such solution is the premade breakfast burrito. This one seems particularly popular with my male clients, but I think breakfast burritos are great for the whole family.

I am in charge of breakfast at our house most mornings, and when Ed goes to the gym before work, he’s out of the house well before the sun comes up. We’d been doing a lot of hard-boiled eggs and bananas for these early mornings, but he wanted a little more protein after a good workout. So, I decided to take my own advice and give the breakfast burritos a try.

They were really easy to make.

Ingredients

• Tortillas
• Beans
• Salsa
• Serrano peppers
• Eggs*
• Mushrooms
• Kale
• Turkey sausage*
• Cheese
• Tinfoil

*I have mentioned this before, but animal foods should be of the highest quality you feel you can afford. The nutrition found in an egg from a factory farmed chicken is very poor compared to the nutrition in an egg from a pastured chicken, and the same goes for meats. For our burritos, the eggs came from Grant Family Farms (Fort Collins, CO) and the turkey sausage came from heritage turkeys at Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch (sold at In Season Local Market in Denver, CO).

I used a dozen eggs for nine burritos. Ed made a gentle suggestion that next time I use 15 eggs, so I will. Cook the sausage, sauté the kale, peppers and mushrooms together, cook or rinse the beans (depending on if you’re using dry or canned), grate the cheese, and set up an assembly line.

Individually wrap each burrito and stick it in the freezer. These reheat really quickly in the microwave. I can’t remember the exact amount, but I think I spent about $20-$22 total for 9 burritos, which averages out to just over $2 per burrito. Not bad considering all ingredients were organic, and the animal foods were local.

Homemade breakfast burritos save money, time, and are so much healthier than anything you will find in most cafés or coffee shops. Experiment with different veggies and ingredients, and come up with a recipe that your whole family will enjoy!

Eggs in the News

As many of you know, there has been a massive egg recall due to countless reports of salmonella poisoning. Over 228 million eggs were recalled, including brands such as Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Sunshine, Farm Fresh, and Kemps.

I occasionally talk about eggs, and have stressed the importance of buying your eggs from a local farmer if at all possible. There are many benefits to eating eggs from chickens that eat grass and roam freely (read more about it here), including an extremely low risk of salmonella. A recent article in the Denver Post stated that due to the egg recall, local egg demand has increased beyond supply. This is great news!

We get our eggs from Grant Family Farms, who also provide our CSA box each week full of fresh fruits and vegetables. I have to admit, it was nice to know that despite the huge egg scare, we could still soft-boil our eggs or cook them over easy without worrying about getting sick.

Grant Family Farms has had 30 more people sign up for an egg “share” in the past week and a half, and other farms are actually increasing egg production for next year because demand is greater than current supplies. There is a local woman who holds classes on how to raise your own backyard chickens, and she has even seen a surge in class enrollments in the past week and a half! I’m not sure if local egg demand is increasing in other cities, but I encourage you to look into this option. The eggs will likely be a little bit more expensive, but they taste much better, and most importantly they are safer and healthier. Not to mention the satisfaction you’ll feel when you decide to support a local farmer!

To see more photos about how the chickens at Grant Family Farms are raised, go to the Denver Post’s album here.

I’ll be taking Thursday, Friday and Monday off to spend time with family. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and eat well!

Want to Improve Your Memory? Try these things…

There is little more frustrating than not being able to remember something. Especially the stupid little things that you should remember, like the person you talked to yesterday who said they ran into your sister; or, when you meet someone new and forget their first name literally a split second after you shake their hand. Does that happen to anyone else?!

Memory tends to fade as we age. That is inevitable. This is partly due to the natural aging process, partly due to the nutrient deficiencies often seen in the elderly, and partly due to the decrease in brain stimulation that some elderly people experience. I know some elderly people who work hard to retain their memory power by doing things like Sudoku, crosswords, and other brain teasers. No matter what your age, doing activities that make you think – make your brain work a little harder than normal – are all good for memory. We need to keep those neurotransmitters fresh and active! (I have provided a Sudoku below if anyone wants to get going on their brain exercises for the day…).

Nutrition can also be a good tool for improving memory. Some people believe that cognitive function is directly related to nutritional status. In fact, some studies show that Alzheimer’s disease is directly correlated with a low intake of essential nutrients. The B-vitamins are crucial for memory and brain function. Thiamin, or vitamin B1, actually mimics the effects of acetylcholine inside our bodies. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter involved in memory, and supplementation of thiamin has actually shown improved memory function in Alzheimer’s patients. Foods that contain high amounts of thiamin include sunflower seeds, tuna, green peas, black beans, lentils, and pinto beans.

Vitamin B12 is directly linked to nerve function. When someone has a B12 deficiency, they may experience things like tingly or numb hands or feet; memory loss; brain fog; and other cognitive issues. Many studies have shown that B12 levels inside the body tend to decline with age, and supplementation of B12 can be a powerful tool for those with impaired brain function. Foods high in vitamin B12 include calf’s liver, snapper, venison, grass-fed beef, lamb, scallops, shrimp and halibut.

Ginkgo biloba extract is an herb used to help increase memory and brain function. The studies on ginkgo biloba are ongoing, with some seeing positive results and others concluding that it does little for the brain. However, I have spoken with some people who have tried ginkgo biloba and had success. Ginkgo biloba not only increases our brain capacity, but it also normalizes acetylcholine receptors, which helps improve our brain function. Ginkgo biloba extract can be bought in supplemental form at most health foods stores, or ordered online.

Lecithin is a fatty substance found in animal and plant tissues such as egg yolks, soybeans and organ meats. This is one reason it is so important to eat the entire egg, not just egg whites! Since lecithin is made up of fat, and our brain is mostly fat, it makes sense that a diet high in lecithin will help the brain. Our brain depends on these healthy fats to keep the cell walls in tact so proper messages can be sent and received. In addition to brain health, lecithin helps prevent cardiovascular disease by increasing excretion of cholesterol and bile acids, and aiding in proper fat digestion. It also helps keep our liver healthy.

Finally, increased vitamin E in the diet can help protect our nerve cells. It acts as an antioxidant and prevents free radical damage to nerve cells, which are crucial for brain function. Whole food sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, papaya, and leafy greens.

Did you finish the Sudoku yet?

The Egg Dilemma: Cost or Quality?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I get pretty excited about farm-fresh eggs from pastured chickens. These are eggs that come from chickens who live outside, eat green grass, and are not injected with any hormones, stimulants or antibiotics. They soak up sunshine daily, get exercise as they roam around the grass, and are happy (as happy as a chicken can be, at least). The eggs from pastured chickens are higher in essential fatty acids, lower in cholesterol, and contain more nutrients than regular eggs. Eggs from factory-farmed chickens are of a lower quality when it comes to nutrients, and on top of that they contain more bacteria because of the poor living conditions of the chickens. To get a refresher on eggs, go here.

A few days ago, one PWN reader commented on how expensive eggs from grass-fed chickens are compared to regular eggs. This is definitely true! My pastured chicken eggs cost $4.25 per dozen, and I know you can get regular eggs for as low as $0.99 per dozen in some places. This reader was wondering if the quality of the pastured chicken eggs and regular eggs are similar once you hard-boil the egg. In other words, does cooking an egg kill off any bad bacteria associated with factory farming, to the point that it doesn’t matter where the egg comes from?

Chicken meat and eggs are the most common source of food bacteria. Factory farmed chickens are kept in sheds of up to 100,000 chickens, and they are manipulated with light, food and injections to lay extra eggs each day. Cooking an egg can kill off the bacteria that can lead to food poisoning, but only if the egg is cooked thoroughly. Sunny-side up, soft-boiled, or any type of runny yolk is not considered an egg that is cooked through. Therefore, there is still a chance that some bacteria will remain. An egg that is hard-boiled with a hardened yolk will likely have no harmful bacteria.

However, the nutrients are still lower in a factory-farmed egg than in an egg from a pastured chicken. So while you may be avoiding salmonella or E. coli, you are still consuming an egg that is higher in cholesterol and lower in essential fats and vitamins. Some suggestions for getting the most out of your eggs while still staying within your grocery budget include saving the inexpensive factory-farmed eggs for hard-boiling; using pastured chicken eggs for other types of cooking; and doing some research to find a local farm that can supply you high quality eggs at a competitive price.

Guest Blogger Ed: Egg Salad Recipe

I am very excited to introduce today's guest blogger and my husband, Ed Pierce. Although Ed spends most of his time working, skiing, golfing, fishing, playing basketball, doing yardwork, and watching sports, he does venture into the kitchen from time to time and he is actually quite a good cook and grillmaster. Ed is consistently very patient and even enthusiastic about my new nutrition experiments. For example, last week he willingly took the Sesame Seed Test (more on that later), let me prick his finger to determine his blood type, and drank fresh coconut juice (with pulp) to prepare for a 5-mile race we did. Thank you, Ed, for putting up with all of this, and thanks for offering to guest blog today - you're the best!

I am taking it upon myself to brag about my wife and let you know that she has been blogging about nutrition for six months now. That is 130 blogs for the mathletes. I can tell you that she puts hours into each blog post. I would like to think we are all healthier from her efforts.

Considering the six straight months of blogging, I thought I would treat her to a day off on this ANNiversary.

I am going to introduce you to the delicate world of egg salad. Many of you are probably pretty intimidated to try a tricky menu item like this. I am here to assuage those fears with a straightforward and, yes, nutritious recipe.

Ann can tell you about all the healthy benefits of eating eggs from pastured chickens. I cannot. But, I did use them in this tasty salad. (Note from Ann: Read about eggs from pastured chickens here.)

Here are the ingredients:

• 6 eggs from pastured chickens

• 4 rings of pepperoncinis (from the jar)

• 4 rings of jalepenos (jar)

• 4 green olives with pits (great natural fats)

• 1 big garlic clove

• 6-7 pickle slices (I considers these veggies, but Ann firmly disagrees)

• 1.5 teaspoons of stone ground mustard

• Half a teaspoon of light mayo (I have tried extra virgin olive oil for a healthier approach, but it tends to separate from the other contents and sits at the bottom of the bowl in the fridge – not that appetizing)

• Dash(es) of paprika (I have used cayenne before and I did not like it, because egg salad shouldn’t have too much kick). Please note that paprika has more vitamin C per ounce than lemon juice – cool.

• Salt and pepper (try to use unprocessed sea salt)

First, place the eggs into a pot of water, bring to a boil and boil for four minutes. Let cool by draining the warm water. Now, shower the eggs with cold water. This approach makes them easier to peel.

Peel and cut up into chunks in a bowl. By the way, the less the eggs are cooked, the more nutrients they retain. If you are a Type O blood person like me, you need all that animal protein. Blood type will be a later blog by Ann……

Secondly, I mince the pepperoncinis, jalepenos, olives (once carved away from the pit), the garlic clove, and the pickles.

This is where you really have to pay attention:

Add these minced foods to the chopped eggs along with the mustard, mayo, paprika, and the sea salt and pepper. Stir and let a friend taste-test.

Amazingly, you are done!

I recommend eating with crackers. My brother Richie would recommend eating in a sandwich because Richie loves sandwiches.

-Ed (Ann’s husband)