How to choose your eggs

The last time I stood in the grocery store, comparing prices of a dozen eggs, I shook my head in cofusion, knowing that despite the claims, most grocery store eggs still are not exactly what we want to be eating. Labeling laws and regulations tiptoe the edge of honesty. Technically, there is truth in advertising, but just barely.

Egg cartons are emblazoned with feel good words intended to convince the consumer of the healthy and wholesome conditions the chickens are raised under. But what does that really mean to the person eating the eggs? 

In short? Very little. 

Consumers need to understand that the job of the package is to sell the product, and that marketing experts will sell in any way they can. Some terms to be wary about on egg packages include: 

image courtesy of: wikimedia commons

• Cage-Free: Means exactly that. The chickens aren't in a cage. They may however be packed into a crowded barn with no access to the outdoors. In fact, cage free chickens are often subjected to the cruel practice of beak trimming to ensure they don't hurt each other in their crowded conditions. 
• Free-Range: Means they have access to the outside. Access is legally defined as a door. Outside may be nothing more than a small square of dirt. Outside is not a bucolic pasture where chickens are in the sunshine breathing fresh air and pecking at bugs. In fact, chickens are not even required to have access until they are 5 weeks old, at which time, their habits are already established.
• Organic: While this term is regulated and indicates the sort of diet the chickens are fed, they still may live in overcrowded coops, with minimal access to the outside. It's just that their food is organic, and free of hormones and antibiotics. 

If your eggs come from a commercial egg producer, they probably do not have the health benefits that true free-range, organic diet, cage-free, yard roaming chickens have. Eggs from truly free chickens actually have up to six times the vitamin D that a standard egg has, as the hen absorbs the sunshine vitamin which becomes part of her egg. 

The only way for a consumer to truly know they are getting the healthiest and safest eggs is to buy from a local farmer or raise their own chickens. 

Why Grass Fed Beef is Better for You (Infographic)

Why grass fed beef is better for you infographic by dianagosi.

The dangers of chlorine

A chlorine allergy is often difficult to diagnose because few people associate showering with an allergic reaction. However, while chlorine kills harmful bacteria in drinking water, it can also cause dry skin, eye irritation, sneezing, congestion and coughing. But even without a specific allergy, about 66% of a person's exposure to chlorine is not through drinking water, but through steam and skin absorption.

photo courtesy of: wikimedia commons

Chlorine damages the moist tissues such as eyes, throat and lungs. There are several harmful effects of repeatedly showering with chlorinated water. It significantly reduces the natural moisture retention in your skin which ages the skin. Water that contains harsh chemicals can also cause breathing problems. When you inhale chlorinated water from showering regularly, you are inhaling chlorine gas that can eventually increase your risks of acquiring severe medical conditions.

Fortunately, there are products on the market that will filter and eliminate the chlorine and other harmful contaminants. A quality shower head filter will significantly reduce your chances of suffering detrimental side effects of contaminated shower water. Buy a shower head filter at SanteForHealth.com, and you will eliminate chlorine and other contaminants that are found in unfiltered shower water.

SanteForHealth.com has been in business since 1978, and the company is committed to helping as many customers as possible equip their homes and offices with water filters, shower head filters and water softeners to promote healthy lifestyles as well as overall physical health of people. The shower head filters offered by SanteForHealth.com particularly reduces up to 99% of chlorine in water and decrease the levels of lead and copper found in unfiltered water.

disclosure: Our Daily Green has been compensated for this post. Nonetheless, we have written previously about the effects of chlorine and highly recommend filters that remove chlorine from shower water.