Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or the factory farmed egg? How about Salmonella? Well, who knows. But what I do know are the differences between factory farmed eggs and farm fresh, organic eggs. In case you were wondering what the difference was, here are eight bullet points that spell it out for you in raw terms.

• Let’s get down to what really matters first. Taste. Okay, yeah, health is good, nutrition is good, but as any five year old will tell you, taste is what wins. So here’s the skinny on farm fresh eggs. They taste better. Period. When a chicken is fed proper seeds and grains, and has time outside of cage, it is happier and healthier, and therefore produces more fertile and flavorful eggs. The yolk is richer, the flavor is more robust and the vitamin/mineral value is higher. Farm fresh for the flavor win.

• So everything is better for you when it’s organic, right? The difference, however, between organically produced eggs, and farm fresh, is that the USDA has no living condition regulations when it comes to defining something as “organic.” In fact, the only stipulation, in the case of laying hens, is that they must be fed organic food. You can cram as many of those little buggers in one cage as you like, and their eggs are still “organic,” just as long as they’re fed organic food. However, an essential part of the well being of any animal (cow, chicken, human) is the ability to roam as they please. If a chicken is healthy, her eggs will be too.
• A is for awesome, and E is for egg. Farm fresh eggs have more of both (the vitamins, that is).
• One dozen eggs divided by 4 =Omega 3! More of it in those farm fresh gems.
• Less is more: When you choose farm fresh, you’re choosing an egg with 1/2 as much fat and cholesterol.
• When you buy organic, farm fresh eggs, from free range chickens, you’re supporting a healthier environment.
• You have the comfort of knowing that what you’re putting in your body is free of artificial hormones, or anything else that might harm you or your family.
• Supporting your local farmer supports your local economy and the organic foods movement.

And if you’re not sure where else besides the grocery store to find eggs, check Craigslist. There’s always a few farmers there with a few extra eggs. The last batch I bought was just $3.00/dozen. A little more than what you’ll pay at a supermarket, but the consider what you get for your money, and where your money is going, and the choice is easy.

Get Crackin! Facts provided by Dr James G Hood.

It’s mid-September and school is back in session. And you know what that means. Well, if you live in a college town like San Luis Obispo, it means a general increase in the incidence of public drunkenness and sharp decrease in your odds of finding a decent parking space. But if you’re a member of the student body, it means time to sharpen your pencil and your mind, fine tune your memory, and lubricate your neurotransmitters.

So here are a few tips for students of all ages on how to nourish your mind with some all-natural sustenance to keep you sharp, healthy and alert without burning out halfway through the semester.

· Caffeine and sugar comprise the cornerstones of many a student diet, and they do indeed give the brain a good kick start. But to keep going for the duration without the weary crash, consider something with a lower glycemic index. Don’t worry, it’s as simple as a piece of fruit. The fructose will provide far more stamina than the blood-sugar-spike-inducing sucrose of table sugar. Might even get you through the post-coffee doldrums.

· Third in the collegiate trifecta diet, of course, is alcohol. Red wine in fact is a good source of anti-oxidants, but don’t get carried away. Green tea is also famously rich in antioxidants — key elements in promoting good mental and physical health and neutralizing free-radicals, which can cause cancer. But you know what has even more antioxidants? Chocolate! Yeah, no kidding. (Exercise moderation.)

· OK, so not every student survives off those staples of sugar, caffeine and alcohol. It’s rare, but some — usually archaeology majors and grad students — actually think about the long term. For the very long term, consider good sources of choline, a cellular building block which has been shown to improve memory and prevent senility. Nothing has more choline than egg yolks, so try to find a good local source and gobble away. Plenty of people in these parts raise their own chickens, so ask around, because commercial eggs may be tainted with salmonella.

· My own personal favorite, for long-term preservation of the cognitive functions, is a hot bowl of curry. Turmeric, a key ingredient in curry, has been shown to ward off symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. So next time you go out for Indian or pick up some Thai take-out, don’t forget to order up some extra curry. Or pick up some turmeric and spices from the Secret Garden and conjure your own curry!

· We’ve all heard the old wives’ tale about fish being good brain food. Well it turns out that rumor is more than just air bubbles. Omega-3 fatty acids — widely found in fish, especially the oily ones like salmon, herring, and sardines, as well as flax oil and hemp seed oil — provide an essential component to the outer membrane of brain cells. These oils have been shown to prevent memory impairment, and to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

I had a few more suggestions, but believe it or not, this research has worked up quite an appetite. So I’m off to enjoy something oily with a glass of red wine and a slice of chocolate cake. Now if I can just remember where I put my wine opener. . .

It’s three in the morning, and you jolt awake from a nightmare involving  clowns and people with creepy mustaches. Your head is pounding, which prevents you from going back to sleep. The dream has left you with anxiety and your heart pounds big rhythmic thumps in your chest.  The anxiety brings on your asthma and as you reach for the inhaler you get a charlie horse in your leg. Jumping from the pain, you accidentally scrape your head on the corner of the nightstand containing said inhaler and a small amount of blood is drawn. Your headache worsens and you now have a plethora of problems whose pay dirt can only be procured by purloining that purple miracle: lavender. 

• Aside from looking pretty, and smelling even better, lavender has a variety of uses. lavender has been used for quite some time as an antiseptic and pain reliever, and as a calming agent for anxiety, stress, and nervous tension.

• There’s a couple of different methods for using nature’s purple bushy wonder. One unique way to relieve tension headaches and treat respiratory problems with lavender is to put its oil derivative in to a vaporizer.

• Amongst the long list of uses that lavender has, it can work as a pain reliever, when used in massage. It can fight off pesky insects from mosquitoes to lice, and has possibly reduced mammary tumors in lab rats (though I doubt those mammary tumors are the worst of a lab rat’s problems)

• lavender oil has anti-fungal properties. As a result, it may be able to treat acne, cuts, burns, psoriasis, and when added to chamomile, eczema. This amazing stuff can improve circulation, lower blood pressure and aid in treating hypertension.

• As a dietary aid, the oil stimulates digestive properties that fend off indigestion, stomach pain, gas, and other unpleasant problems caused from that two am pizza binge.

• In aromatherapy lavender oil is used for depression and emotional stress. It can increase mental activity and relieve restlessness.

All around, lavender and its derivatives are pretty useful in every day life. You can grow lavender in rough terrain and if prefers the hot weather. It’s a natural cure all that makes your house smell like heaven, and it tastes pretty dang good in ice cream! Put a little purple in your life and try Ruth’s lavender salve.

Song of the day: Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello.