Breaking Down the Egg

As someone who has borderline high cholesterol complements of my gene pool, eggs were a food I often shied away from.  Like you, I questioned if adding eggs to my diet was beneficial to the active, healthy lifestyle I was striving to achieve.  What about the cholesterol and fat? Just whites or should I use the yolks?

After weaving my way through medical research, raising eyebrows at misinformed, egg-guzzling bodybuilders and seeing the spin the egg-doting American Egg Board has put on their product, I’ve come to a conclusion: eggs are one of my favorite go-to foods.

Surprised? By adding up the numbers and listing the pros and cons, I’ve found that adding a healthy dose eggs  (mainly whites for me) was a quick and easy way for me to get a high-quality source of protein and a great source of vitamins and minerals all while keeping my cholesterol in check. 

Can eggs fit into YOUR daily diet?  Find out as we Break Down the Egg. 

The Break Down:*
Egg White:
57% protein, 3.6 gr
1% fat
11% vitamins and minerals
0 grams Dietary Cholesterol

Egg Yolk:
43% protein, 2.7 gr
99% of fat, 4.5 gr
89% of vitamins and minerals
213 grams Dietary Cholesterol

Eggs are a source of High-quality protein

• Protein increases your satiety and feeling of fullness after eating, which makes it an important macronutrient for those wanting to lose weight. Studies show eating protein in the morning leads to eating fewer calories throughout the day.
• Protein helps repair the slight muscle damage that occurs during exercise and helps build new muscle tissue
• Eggs are an inexpensive source of protein, about 3 cents per gram of protein compared to over 10 cents per gram of protein for many protein enriched bars and shakes. *Based on September 2008 Boston prices.

Eggs Yolks contain the richest source of Choline available in food, 125 mg per large egg

• Choline reduces risk factors associated with heart disease
• Choline is important for brain function and is a component of neurotransmitters that send messages between nerves and muscles.
• Choline is important in fetal brain development.
• Recommended daily intake of choline: 550 milligrams per day for men and 425 milligrams a day for women, more if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. It’s estimated 90% of Americans do not get enough Choline in their diet.  Choline can also be found in soy beans, wheat germ, chicken, cod and salmon.

Cholesterol

• It IS true that the yolk contains 71% of your day’s recommended maximum dietary cholesterol intake of 300 grams, but it also contains 89% of the vitamins and minerals. If you limit the intake of other dietary cholesterol, saturated and trans fats in your diet throughout the day, you can enjoy your nutrient-rich egg yolks guilt-free.
• For those who have a higher cholesterol sensitivity, such as those with chronic conditions as heart disease or type 2 diabetes it’s recommended to limit your max dietary cholesterol to 200 grams per day.
• Find out the cholesterol content in other common foods at the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

*Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Note: There is a small varient in nutrition from free-range chickens, caged chickens and the type of diet the chickens are fed. Be aware of possible egg allergies. Avoid consuming raw eggs.

Dirty Dozen – Pesticides in fruits and vegetables

It’s been reported this evening that the total number of illnesses due to salmonella from tainted tomatoes in Massachusetts is up to 17 since late May.  As I walked by the tomatoes at the grocery store this evening, I wondered what other fruits and vegetables were considered to be “at risk”.

I remember reading about the “Dirty Dozen”; the 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the most and varied amount of pesticides. From 2000-2005, the USDA and FDA analyzed nearly 51,000 food samples for detectable pesticides. These foods were tested just as if you and I were about to consume them. For example, apples were washed and bananas were peeled. The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization gathered the information and began an awareness campaign. Here are their Dirty Dozen:

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes – Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58

While pesticides are harmful by design, they ARE meant to kill weeds and bugs after all, there is little scientific data stating the long term effect of pesticide consumption. Those who should be most concerned about pesticides in their fruits and veges are those with infants and children. Certified organic fruits and vegetables is a good alternative for pesticide free foods. To see where your favorite fruit or vegetable places in the list of 43 tested, visit www.foodnews.org.

~~JT

Healthy Cocktails sans Alcohol

When we first began dating, my fiance and I were bar hoppers. We loved going from bar to bar in the South End or the Back Bay. Heck, we even met at a bar: Vox Populi on Boylston Street.  We weren’t the sloppy drinkers that you saw spilling out of the bars at 1am.  We just really enjoyed good cocktails and good conversation.

When I decided to train for fitness competitions at the beginning of this year, I learned alcohol was not on my “clean eating” nutrition plan. Talk about lifestyle change!  As difficult as it was for me to adjust, I felt my friends and fiance had an even harder time adjusting. They always apologized for drinking when I eyed their Flirtinis and Vodka Tonics. It wasn’t judgement people, it was jealousy!

Instead of lamenting my alcoholic beverages, I got creative at cocktail hour. Here are some non-alcoholic beverages to fit your healthy living lifestyle.

Virgin Mary
4 oz. tomato juice
2 dashes lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Season with Tobasco, celery salt and pepper to taste

Tropical Colada
3/4 cup pineapple juice (unsweetened)
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 banana
2-3 packets of sweetener (try Stevia)
1/4 tsp coconut extract

Place all ingredients in blender. Top with ice cubes and blend for a frozen treat.

Mango Mojito
8-12 fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp lime juice
ice
1-2 oz mango puree (mashed ripe mango)
4 oz soda water
agave nectar (low glycemic natural sweetener)

Muddle mint and lime juice in glass. Top glass with ice. Add mango puree and soda water. Sweeten with agave nectar to taste.

~~JT