InJoy Foods

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• Raw Local Honey
• Eggs Really Are Incredible!
• Agave Nectar is Oh-So Sweet!
  
• Hope’s Harvest Coconut Oil
• What’s the Buzz about Beef
  

Raw Local Honey

Raw Local Honey is the most nutritious honey available.  This raw local honey, full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and even some amino acids, is different from a general baking honey.   Because many of the important nutrients in honey are lost in the baking process, it not necessary or economical to use raw local honey in baking.  Rather, this special honey is best used when it will not be heated to high temperatures. Other uses for this honey include medicinal uses for treating sore throats and upper respiratory infections,  for dressing wounds and for taking before meals for a digestive aid.

Raw local honey has the following special properties:

• Has antibiotic properties as well as antioxidants.
• Helps promote the growth of healthy organisms in the digestive system because this honey contains important enzymes that aid in digestion.   You have heard the saying “you are what you eat”.  It has been said that the more accurate saying is “you are what you digest”! This type of honey has one of the highest enzymatic contents of all foods.  It tends to inhibit the secretion of gastric juices which ease discomfort associated with acid.
• Helps give your body an immunity boost to local allergens.
• Has antibacterial properties.
• Contains the all important minerals, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, chlorine, phosphorous, sulfur and iodine.
• Contains Vitamins B2 and B6, biotin, Vitamin K and Vitamin C amongst others.

Eggs Really Are Incredible!

InJoy uses and recommends whole eggs that come from hens that live in a cage-free environment and eat an organic and grain based diet. Not only are eggs helpful in producing a lighter and softer texture bread, but they also add important nutrients.   The following is some information on eggs that we hope will dispel any myths that you have heard that eggs are not healthy for you.

Straight from the Farm

The best way to buy eggs is to buy eggs is fresh from an egg farm  because comercially eggs are often not fresh even though they have not passed the expiration date.

To understand how tricky it is to determine the freshness of commercially processed eggs, one needs to understand the processing date.  Eggs in the grocery store have a processing date stamped on the container.  This date is different from the expiration date.  This processing date is the date the eggs are processed, meaning the date the eggs are cleaned, examined for cracked shells and other imperfections.   It is common for commercial eggs to be laid 3 weeks before being processed.  You can determine the processing date of commercial eggs by finding the stamp “P” on the carton that has three digits either before or after.  The three digits will be numbered 1-365, corresponding to one of the days of the year.  1 refers to January 1^st and 365 refers to December 31^st.  So, a processing date of  “P042” would refer to a carton of eggs that were processed on the 42^nd day of the year, mid-February.  Then the expiration date is stamped on the carton.  Commercial eggs have extremely long periods of time between processing date and the expiration date.  Additionally, there is no inidcation when the eggs were actually laid.  So, the period of time between when the egg is laid and when it is processed is not taken into consideration in commerically processed eggs.

Egg Nutritional Information:

1. Eggs contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are especially good for your eyes.  It is reported that eating one egg a week can help prevent macular degeneration and lower the risk of developing cataracts.
2. One large egg contains 6 grams of protein and all 13 essential amino acids and only 75 calories!
3. Because of the high protein and nutrient values in eggs, it is reported that people who eat eggs for breakfast eat fewer calories throughout the day and end up feeling more energetic than those who skip eggs.
4. Over the last 30 years, there has been no research to link egg consumption and heart disease.  In fact, it documented that egss consumption may help prevent heart attacks, blood clots and storkes.
5. One egg provides 100 micrograms of choline, which is an important nutrient in regulating the brain, nervous system and cardiovascular system.
6. Eggs contain 5 grams of fat, with only 1.5 grams being saturated far.
7. Recent studies show that moderate egg consumption does not have a negative impact on cholesterol.  Eggs are high in cholesterol.  It is saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, that has the greatest influence on blood cholesterol levels.
8. Eggs are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D, which many women tend to lack.
9. There is evidence that egg consumption (at least 6 eggs per week)  can lower the risk of breast cancer by 44%.
10. Because of their high sulphur andVitamin B12 content, eggs help promote healthy hair and nails.
11. If you have diabetes, it is recommended that you only eat between 2-3 eggs per week.

Egg Trivia…you just never know when you might need this information!

1. Brown eggs and white eggs are nutritionally the same.  Brown eggs come from hens that have red feathers and brown ears.  White eggs come from hens with white ears.
2. The shells of brown eggs tend to be thicker than white eggs.  The larger the shell the thinner the shell.  However, all brown or all white eggs  regardless of size have the same amount of shell.  The shell of the larger egg is spread over a larger area making them thinner than the smaller egg shells.  This explains why a larger egg is easier to crack than a smaller egg.
3. The size of the egg is determined by the age of the hen.  Older hens lay larger eggs.
4. The color of the yolk is determined by the hen’s feed.  Therefore, based on what the hen eats, the color of the yolk can be anywhere from a pale yellow to a dark golden yellow.  For example, if a hen eats a lot of marigold’s, her yolk’s will be more of a deep golden yellow.

Agave Nectar is Oh-So Sweet!

Agave (uh-gah-vay) Nectar, a 100% organic sweetener, comes from a plant indigenous to Central Mexico.  Besides being organic, this sweetener is a kosher and pure sweetener with no additives with a mild neutral flavor that will not change the taste of foods, making it an excellent sweetener for baking and cooking uses.

Important Properties of Agave Nectar

• One of the most important qualities of Agave Nectar has a low glycemic profile, which makes it particularly helpful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance or are watching their carbohydrate consumption.
• It is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar, honey granules and molasses granules; therefore, you will use less when baking and cooking.  Consequently, substituting Agave nectar for other sweeteners will lower the food’s caloric value.
• It has hygroscopic properties, which increase the water retention properties in foods.  This helps increase the shelf life in baked goods. However, the hygroscopic properties also cause a change in the consistency of cookie dough resulting in a more cake-like product.  Therefore, Agave Nectar is recommended for all baking and cooking recipes except cookie recipes.
• Unlike honey that will eventually crystallize, Agave Nectar will never solidify or crystallize, making it have an unlimited shelf life.
• It pours easily, even when cold, similar to maple syrup.  It dissolves easily even in cold substances, which makes it wonderful as a sweetener for cold cereals and drinks.
• It contains Inulin, a complex form of fructose that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables.  The Inulin is a soluble fiber that improves digestion.  Additionally, the Inulin improves calcium absorption and bone density.
• Like honey, Agave Nectar has medicinal uses.  It can be used topically to fight off bacteria such as Staph aureus.  It has anti-microbial properties.  And, it has been proven effective in treating intestinal bacteria.

Agave Nectar Trivia

The agave plant is related to the aloe plant.  It has a center cavity in the top of the plant where the nectar is stored.   For the juicing process to take place, the top of the plant is cut off and the core is hollowed out.  A stone is put on the top of the plant to form a cap.  The plant then begins to produce a juice in the hollowed cavity.  The juice is removed every few days.  For centuries, the Otomi people who live in the deserts of Central Mexico have used the agave juice (or nectar as it is often referred to).   Agave Nectar was developed as a sweetener in the 1990s.  Interestingly, this is the same plant that is used to make tequila.  Hmmm?!

How to Substitute Agave Nectar in recipes

• By going to www.injoybread.com and looking under the Sweetener Conversion Charts, you will find a conversion chart for using Agave Nectar.
• If you would like a recipe from the Back To Basics Cookbook converted to using Agave Nectar, please contact us and we will gladly send you the recipe.

Purchasing Agave Nectar

• InJoy store:  46 oz. bottles for $17.00
• InJoy Co-Op: 176 oz. bottle for $48.00 Co-Op.

New! Hope’s Harvest Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

InJoy is now carrying a very high quality coconut oil called Hope’s Harvest.  This coconut oil is completely natural and unrefined.  It is obtained by using a method of cold pressing called Direct Micro Expelling (DME).  Using this method, the oil is obtained within one hour of opening the coconut shell.

How is Hope’s Harvest coconut oil different from InJoy’s other coconut oil?

This coconut oil has the high levels of lauric acid.  Lauric acid helps boost the immune system as well as provides anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.  Hope’s Harvest coconut oil is an anti-oxidant.

How is Hope’s Harvest coconut oil similar to InJoy’s other coconut oil?

Both the Spectrum organic coconut oil (refined) and Hope’s Harvest coconut oil (unrefined) have high levels of medium chain fatty acids, which are easily metabolized by the body thereby increasing the body’s metabolism.  Neither coconut oils have any trans fats.  Both oils have high smoke points which make them excellent for cooking with high heats and both oils have a 2-3 year shelf life.

What does Hope’s Harvest coconut oil taste like?

This coconut oil has a strong coconut smell and taste.  For that reason, it can alter the taste of foods.  It is also expensive.  Therefore, this coconut oil is best used in when the coconut taste will compliment the recipe.  Our suggestion is to use a refined coconut oil (Spectrum) for the recipes where the coconut taste will be too strong.  We also suggest adding a tablespoon of Hope’s Harvest coconut oil to your daily diet.  We have found that it tastes wonderful in your morning cup of coffee.

Purchasing Hope’s Harvest Coconut Oil

InJoy Store        $24.00/320z jar  (can be pre-ordered through Co-Op)

What’s the Buzz About Beef?

InJoy recommends eating a beef that comes from pasture raised grass fed cattle.  The following information explains the reasons for our recommendation.

Pasture Raised Beef (What You Want To Eat):

• Pasture raised beef is a lean meat that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids comes from healthy cows that live in a stress free natural environment.
• Cows that graze in a pasture are living the life that they were intended to live.  Cows, which are ruminants, are the only type of animal that digest grasses.  Cows were created with a rumen, which is a digestive organ that is designed to use bacteria to break down grass into proteins.

Corn Fed Beef (What You DO NOT Want To Eat):

• Most commercially processed beef comes from cows that are live in CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) where they have no human contact.
• In the CAFOs, the cows are packed in crowded pens where they are not free to roam and graze.  They are fed a diet of cheap GMO corn, antibiotics, and growth stimulants.  This lifestyle is not natural for the cows.
• Because the cows in CAFOs are eating solely grains, which their digestive systems were not made to digest, they are getting sick.  The cows live in extremely close quarters with barely any room to move.  If one animal gets sick, many other animals will quickly become infected.
• Cattle farmers solve this problem by adding low doses of antibiotics to the cow’s food and water.  70% of all antimicrovials used in the USA are fed to lifestock.¹ This equates to 25 million pounds of antibiotics annually, which is more than eight times the amount used to treat disease in humans.² This causes a host of problems.
• The cows are under stress, which affects the quality of the beef.
• Another problem is the cows in CAFOs in the USA have six different growth hormones that they can be injected with. Europe has wisely banned growth hormone injections in their beef cattle.

Simpson Farm Beef (What InJoy is Recommending):

• InJoy loves to support our local farmers.  We found a wonderful cattle farm, Simpson Farm, in the Northern Neck where the owners have been raising and breeding cattle for three generations.  They raise a special breed of Angus and Hereford cattle that produces a very lean and tasty meat.
• From the time the cows on this farm are born until they go to slaughter, at about 2 years old, the cows on this farm live a simple life of grazing on 300 acres of pesticide free pastures.
• There are usually 18 cows on the farm at any given time.  They all have names and are handled daily by the three generations that live on this farm.  Research shows the cow’s stress level affects the quality of beef.  These cows live a stress free happy life!
• All of these cows are raised in pastures so they have access 24/7 to pesticide free grasses.  The cows are rotated between different pastures every two weeks.  In the barn, the cows are given access to hay and local corn (very local, it is grown right on Simpson Farm!).  Since cows prefer the pasture grasses, they only occasionally eat the corn and hay.
• None of these lucky cows receive any growth stimulants or antibiotics.

Why did cattle farming change?

• It is easier and less expensive for the farmer to raise a larger number of cattle when they are kept in a confined area and fed with a trough of grain than it is to raise cattle in a pasture.
• There is an abundance of corn grown in the US.  Feeding corn to the American livestock helps use the corn supply.
• Additionally, corn fed cows grow faster than pasture raised cows.  This means cows go to slaughter quicker.
• Cows that are fed grain have meat with more marbling, ie, fat, which is what the consumer demands.
• By feeding a large number of cows a cheap diet of corn for a relatively short period of time, the cost of the beef goes down.  The consumer wants inexpensive meat.

How does grass fed beef taste?

• You can taste the difference in this beef.  It is very lean and has a flavor that you will love!

• The ground beef can be cooked like any other ground beef; however, the other cuts of beef are so lean that they must be marinated before cooking.
• For now, InJoy is only offering ground beef.  Depending on the demand, we will look into other cuts of beef this spring.

How do I purchase grass fed beef?

• When in grocery stores, look for beef that specifically says grass-fed.  The grass feed designation is more important that an organic label.
• Organic simply means the cow was fed an organic diet, which could be solely organic corn.  The organic label will mean that no antibiotics were given to the cow but the cow could still be living in a horrid CAFO.
• InJoy Co-Op sells Simpson Farm ground beef for $5/lb.  It comes in 1 pound frozen vacuum-packed packages.

¹ Union of Concerned Scientists, “Hogging It!: Estimates of Antibiotic Abuse in Livestock,” UCS, 2001

² Union of Concerned Scientists, “Food and Environment: Antibiotic Resistance,” UCS, October 2003.