Are you terrified to consume wholesome free range organic eggs for breakfast because you think it will make you fat or raise your cholesterol levels? If you have any concerns about eating free range organic eggs, this article will explain why eggs are the good guys!!
Breakfast is the meal most likely to affect learning ability and reaction time as well as influence your vitality and energy. Yet for the majority of people breakfast is rushed, unplanned, or missed entirely.
Have you ever looked at the word breakfast? You are breaking the fast. What are you breaking your fast with? From the last time you ate until breakfast, is the longest period of time in a 24-hour period that your body goes without fuel. When the gas tank of your car is showing low, you stop at the gas station and refuel. You don’t expect your car to run on empty. But somehow you expect your body to run without fuel or on the wrong kind of fuel.
So what can you eat for breakfast?
I recommend the original old fashioned egg. “But isn’t that dangerous to your health?, my clients ask?
TRUE EGG LEGENDS
- Too many raw egg whites will cause a deficiency of Biotin. If you consume the whole raw egg including the yolk, this won’t happen (eggs yolks are very high in biotin).
- Fried eggs should be avoided because of the risk of overcooking and problems with fried fats; unless they are fried lightly in butter, ghee or coconut oil (use a lid to steam the top of the egg while it’s cooking as this keeps the yolk runny while still cooking most of the egg white).
- Scrambling and microwaving your eggs are the worst ways to cook them as this oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk, which may in fact harm your health. If you choose to eat your eggs cooked; poached, coddled or soft-boiled are your best options.
- Commercial eggs come from chickens that are usually raised in overcrowded conditions. They are fed antibiotics to prevent infections in those close quarters, are not given space for adequate exercise, are fed excessively to increase their size, and are given stimulants or hormones to increase growth. However, you can avoid these problems by purchasing certified organic free-range eggs or free-range eggs from a local farmer or market. These chickens have room to roam, are fed non-chemical food, with no added stimulants, antibiotics or hormones.
- Yes, two large eggs contain just over 500 mg of cholesterol.
FALSE EGG LEGENDS
#1. If you are going to eat eggs, toss out the yolk and eat just the whites. Wrong!
Eggs contain high quality proteins, fats (including omega 3), vitamins (A, D, E, and some B’s) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus and zinc) almost all of which is found in the yolk. And, according to new research, antioxidant properties found in egg yolks are due to the presence of two amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine. No wonder eggs are a “feel good food”. Egg yolks are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are protective carotenoids that offer powerful protection for your eye health.
#2. Raw and undercooked eggs are contaminated with salmonella. Wrong!
Public health organizations advise you to thoroughly cook your eggs to lower your risk of salmonella, but as long as they’re pastured and organic, eating your eggs raw is completely safe.
The salmonella risk is increased when hens are raised in unsanitary conditions, which is extremely rare for small organic farms where the chickens are raised in clean, spacious coops, have access to sunlight, and forage for their natural food. Conventional eggs, making up the vast majority of eggs in typical grocery stores, have an increased risk for salmonella, which is why you don’t want to eat conventional eggs raw.
#3. Eggs raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Wrong!!
First of all, HDL (good cholesterol) are the good guys partly because they are composed of lecithin which helps break up cholesterol so that it is transported through the blood without clogging your arteries. Eggs contain lecithin!
Secondly, cholesterol is absolutely essential to life. For example, cholesterol serves as the basic raw material from which your body makes many major steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and cortisone. In fact, cholesterol is so critical to your well-being; your liver routinely makes 800-1500 mg. per day from dietary saturated fats and SIMPLE SUGARS. Strict vegans are fortunate their livers can make cholesterol, since purely vegetarian foods do not contain cholesterol. If body levels of cholesterol were to drop to zero, death would rapidly ensue!
Thirdly, most people cannot absorb more than 300-500 mg. per day of cholesterol directly from foods. Radioactive tracer studies have shown the 60-70% of all blood cholesterol comes from production by the liver, not from cholesterol in foods.
Fourthly, excessive sugar intake will raise your serum cholesterol levels much faster than a daily intake of eggs will. Your liver quickly converts excess sugars into substances called triglycerides (storage molecules for fat), while simultaneously raising LDL levels (bad cholesterol) and lowering HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Let me share two phenomenal stories that will illustrate my point.
Case History Number One:
When I was in private practice I counseled a lot people on how to lower their cholesterol. My success rate was so high that many GP’s began referring their patients to me. One such client explained to me that he couldn’t understand why his cholesterol was so high. He said that when he was eating 12 eggs a day (no, that isn’t a misprint, I did mean twelve), his cholesterol levels were normal and ever since he had been on a health kick, his cholesterol level had gone sky high.
At first glance his food diary looked very balanced and healthy, but then I asked him about the carrot juice he was drinking. He said that he was really into juicing now and was going through a five-pound bag of carrots per day. This guy didn’t do anything in moderation.
He was shocked when I told him the problem was simple. He didn’t need drugs, he didn’t need more exercise, he didn’t need to make any radical dietary changes, he just needed to trade in the carrot juice and go back to the eggs. He was very skeptical but thrilled. He followed my advice and a month later reported that his cholesterol levels were normal again.
Now does that mean I recommend that you eat 12 eggs per day? NO!! The point I want you to understand is that ANY unused sugar, whether it comes from healthy foods or from refined foods, which does not get burned up as energy is converted to cholesterol in the blood and fat on your body!
Case History Number Two:
Another client was extremely depressed because she had removed every stitch of fat from her diet and yet her cholesterol levels wouldn’t come down. She was also becoming physically and emotionally affected from the lack of essential fatty acids that are derived from good fats.
I took one look at her food diary and said, “I want you to do add back eggs, cheese, butter, nuts, seeds, seafood, red meat and avocadoes and I want you to dramatically cut back on all the sugar you are eating.”
She was literally a sugarholic. I remember quite clearly that her jaw just about hit the floor when I told her that she could reintroduce these “high-fat” foods into her diet. She was very happy to comply and her next blood test showed that her cholesterol levels and ratios were well within the normal range.
What food have you been eating instead of eggs? Let’s look at egg trades:
How about a bagel instead of eggs? Hmmm, when I was in school we made glue out of flour and water. Take a look at your bagel, the first ingredient is flour and the second ingredient is water. Great, we have traded quality protein with nutrients for a nutrient deficient blob of glue that will gum up our intestines and lead to constipation, bloating and gas, to name just a few. This isn’t even taking into consideration the gluten intolerance issues we are seeing more of these days.
How about a breakfast cereal instead of eggs? Almost all cereal is loaded with sugar and is devoid of nutrients. Worse than empty calories, they spike your blood sugar which then comes crashing down causing you to lose concentration and energy. The crash stimulates your appetite and desire to get another lift so you crave more sugar or caffeine or both. We all know that Captain Crunch would make a poor choice with its 4 teaspoons of sugar in every serving but who would guess that high fiber cereals could be loaded with enough sodium, sugar, and additives to counteract their potential benefits. If you don’t believe me, go check your cereal box right now.
So what do I suggest for breakfast? Well, eggs of course!!! Poached eggs, eggs gently fried with healthy fats, egg burritos, eggs any way you like. Even raw in your smoothies is great as long as you get organic or free range eggs.
There are many other healthy choices you can make such as slow cooked oatmeal (add nuts, seeds , chia and flax), homemade nut granola or homemade muffins (you can even make muffins without flour using almond meal). Homemade flax waffles are a high fiber (and grain free) alternative. I love left over dinner for breakfast, and in winter hearty soups make awesome breakfasts. I miss the breakfasts I enjoyed while backpacking through Asia, fried brown rice or fried rice noodles with vegetables and egg on top.
If you are going to eat toast, have a high quality bread such as rye, or spelt. And scrap the margarine; only use butter, nut butter or coconut oil.
For more natural ways to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, go to the benefits page at my www.TotalHealthPack.com website or go HERE.
I also highly recommend our e-manual “7 Effective Steps To Safe and Effective Weight Loss” HERE. It is co-written with my nutritional partner Megan Bocsik who is our “food specialist”. The e-manual contains a detailed eating plan including meal planning, recipes and snack ideas.
This e-manual is not just for people who want to lose weight. It is a “must have” lifestyle guide for any of the following concerns:
- Low blood sugar
- Food sensitivities
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Inflammation
The “7 Effective Steps To Safe and Effective Weight Loss” E-Manual is available HERE.
The information made available in this article is provided for educational or reference purposes only. Nutritional Therapy and/or Coaching is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or cure for any disease, mental or physical, and is not intended as a substitute for regular medical care.
Copyright Brenda Eastwood and Megan Bocsik 2013– Article How Do You Start Your Day?
MaximumResults@shaw.ca www.BrendaEastwood.com www.TotalHealthPack.com
Would you like to use this article in your E-zine or website? You may, as long as you include this complete write-up with it: Brenda Eastwood is a holistic health expert who specializes in Women’s Health Issues. Her expertise stems from over 30 years’ experience as a Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner. This includes ongoing research, 17 years running a successful private practice, presenting hundreds of seminars and workshops, as well as coaching clients through her unique online Inner Circle program. Today she is able to reach out to even more women through her regular article contributions to HANS (Health Action Magazine) and her book “Get off the PMS and Perimenopausal Roller Coaster, Learn 9 Natural Fast Track Solutions to Balanced Hormones”. For more information on Brenda Eastwood please visit www.BrendaEastwood.com or for information on her Total Health Packs visit www.TotalHealthPack.com
