| Adapted from :
http://eatwellenjoylife.com/holistic-lifestyle For years we have been told to stop eating eggs. Why?Americans are often recommended to eat a low cholesterol diet to lower their cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Eggs have gotten a bad rap in the past because they are considered to be a high cholesterol food due to the cholesterol content of the yolk. But now they are discovering something entirely different. LDL and HDL Over time, research started to differentiate between HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol. HDL is known as "good cholesterol" because it protects against heart attacks, while LDL is known as "bad cholesterol" because it creates plaque that can clog arteries, contributing to heart attack and stroke. Research has shown that there are different types of LDL cholesterol, not all of which are responsible for clogging arteries. In some people egg cholesterol promotes the formation of large LDL cholesterol particles, which are better than small LDL particles and do not cause plaque formation (narrowing in blood vessels). The NHANES III observational study evaluated over 27,000 people and found that people who ate 4 or more eggs per week had significantly lower cholesterol levels than people who ate less than one egg per week. Today even though we Americans have cut our egg consumption in half there has not been a decline in heart disease. Eggs Are A Near Perfect Food The yolk contains lecithin, which aids in fat assimilation. Eggs actively raise the level of HDL and they have the most perfect protein components of any food. Besides providing all eight essential protein building amino acids, a large whole, fresh egg offers about six to seven grams of protein and five grams of fat (with about 1.5 grams of it saturated), which comes in handy to help in the absorption of all the egg's fat-soluble vitamins. One egg also serves up around 200 milligrams of brain-loving cholesterol and contains the valuable vitamins A, K, E, D, B-complex and minerals iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Eggs are an ancient food. Man has always eaten the eggs of all animals that produced them: chicken, duck, goose, turtles. Additionally, eggs are a wonderful source of nutrition and can greatly strengthen your health. Eggs provide a vital source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, folic acid, phosphorus, sulfur, and the adrenal-building minerals: choline, sodium, and potassium. Health Benefits of Eggs Keep your brain healthy. Choline is an important nutrient found in egg yolks that is required by the body to keep cell membranes normal and healthy as they function.Choline, another egg-nutrient, is a fatty substance found in every living cell and is a major component of our brain. Additionally, choline helps break up cholesterol deposits by preventing fat and cholesterol from sticking to the arteries. So the bottom line is, don't be chicken about eating eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolks! Prevent Alzheimer's disease. Phosphatidycholine is a nutrient in eggs essential for concentration, attention, and retaining information in the memory to ultimately prevent Alzheimer's disease. Improve heart health. Homocysteine is a substance in the body that can damage the blood vessels and leave you at risk for heart disease. Luckily, the choline found in eggs will convert homocysteine into harmless material. Eggs can alsodecrease your risk for heart attacks and strokethanks to the anti-clotting agent found in yolks. Enhance your vision. The lutein found in eggs can help prevent macular degeneration.Egg yolks are the richest source of two superstar carotenoids-lutein and zeaxanthin. Not only are bright yellow yolks loaded with these fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients, they are more bioavailable than those found in vegetables, corn and most supplements. Aid in fat assimilation. Eggs yolks contain lecithin to help break down fats. So don't be chicken about eating eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolks! Eating Healthy Eggs It is extremely important to get eggs from a farm where the chickens are free to roam and not fed any antibiotics or chemicals. Without a doubt, fresh, pastured eggs are superior in taste and nutrition to conventionally raised commercially available varieties. Unfortunately, commercial chicken farms today pack 500,000 animals into close quarters where they feed them genetically modified (GM) grains and emphasize production over health, not to mention the inhumanity of it. These conditions create sick chickens that lay sick eggs. You don't ever want to eat these poor quality eggs anyway. They may not be contaminated with salmonella, but the eggs aren't fit to eat. Commercial eggs have much lower levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. ******** The best way to prepare eggs is "over easy" (with a soft runny yolk) in organic coconut oil. You never want to overcook proteins, or they become difficult to digest. In spite of the popular myth that egg white omelets are good for you, the yellow yolk has the most valuable nutrition and is easier to digest than the white. It is best to combine eggs with lots of alkaline vegetables (especially fermented) and some Celtic sea salt to balance their acidic nature. If you find eggs difficult to digest try eating them with cultured vegetables and only the yolk. Once you have built up your inner ecosystem, many foods you could not eat before will be well tolerated and you can starting eating them again. |
