The misguided focus on low-fat diets brought the egg much disrepute as a high-fat, high-cholesterol food to be avoided. The proponents of low-fat diets proclaimed that if you had to have eggs, eat only the egg-white. Boy, how wrong can you be.
A Harvard Medical School study of more than 100,000 people showed that the consumption of eggs in no way contributed to a rise in serum cholesterol, CHD or stroke in either men or women. In fact, that study showed that people who ate four or more eggs per week had lower serum cholesterol that those who ate fewer than two eggs per week.
Despite all that bad press by the low-fat-diet-advocates, the egg is actually a "perfect food." Protein from eggs is more easily digested and used than that from any other food source. Eggs have a protein rating of "100" as opposed to chicken (79), fish (70) and lean beef (69). Soy and whole wheat are both under 50.
Eggs contain all the essential amino acids and many vitamins and minerals as well as all that protein and "good" fats. Eggs are loaded with many of the "B" vitamins; B2, B6, B9, B12; Vitamin A, Vitamin E, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorous, potassium and a lot more.
Eggs also keep the cholesterol in your body soluble and prevent you from absorbing too much. So eggs, despite previous unfounded claims, actually help keep your cholesterol healthy.
The Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, claimed that a bodybuilder's high protein diet should include a lot of eggs. Eggs, claimed Gironda, because they are 95% biological, work in the body in much the same manner as steroids and growth hormones, and will stimulate muscle growth.
The only problem you face is what type of eggs should you be eating? A careful examination of the grocer's egg display will show mostly "conventional" eggs offered. These are from factory farms where the hens are kept in cages for their entire productive life. Their eggs are less nutritious because of their stressful lives in the battery-cages they share with four of five other hens.
"Cage-Free" or "Pastured" eggs are what you should be seeking. Sure these are more expensive, but their nutrient content more than makes up for that cost differential. These hens are allowed to roam free in a large enclosure where they are able to act normally; nesting, grooming and foraging for tasty morsels (bugs and grubs).
Cage-free hens absorb nutrients better than their confined sisters, thus they pass that increased nutrition on to their prospective offspring (eggs). The stressed-out hens in cages have a lower immunity to disease and thus have inferior genetic material to pass on in their eggs. More space equals less disease and healthier chickens.
Cage-free or pastured chicken eggs have nearly four times as much Vitamin E, almost twice as much Vitamin A, eight times the beta-carotene, three times the Omega 3s and about half the cholesterol. They also have less saturated fat.
I was surprised to find cage-free eggs on the shelf at my local supermarket. I had thought that I would have to seek out a natural poultry farm or specialty market to find them. The cost was about twice that of conventional eggs, but even at that, eggs are "cheap" food.
So, don't be afraid to include eggs in your healthful diet. You body will respond to their protein and all the vitamins and minerals. As part of a high-protein diet, eggs will contribute to the loss of your love handles (and your other body fat, too).
Carol Winberg is a fitness and nutrition expert and understands exactly what is required to lovehandles.com.au lose weight and more importantly, keep it off, while living an active, healthy lifestyle. Carol and her husband James have just released a brand new e-book that explains exactly why your love handles appear, and what you can do to get rid of them forever. "Losing Your Love Handles" is available at LoveHandles.com.au LoveHandles.com.au
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