‘Egg’ceptional Diet Option: Limited, Daily Egg Consumption Can Increase Weight Loss Results
 |
There are an awful lot of misconceptions about eggs. It seems every day there’s a new study out that says how great they are for you, followed by another study two and a half weeks later that nixes the previous study’s findings.
So where’s the truth lie? |
As I’ve reported in the past, eggs are a GREAT, complete protein food source – one little egg contains the nine essential amino acids the body cannot make therefore needs in order for the body to repair old muscle and build new muscle (not all protein sources are complete; beans, for instance, are an incomplete protein). But as I’ve also reported in the past, too many eggs in the diet are a great way to increase your mortality risk (see “‘Egg’regious Health Hazard”). But if you have one egg a day, it can keep you looking just as healthy and trim as those that shy away from eggs for fear of excess cholesterol.
As recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, people that included eggs in their diet were better able to follow a strict meal plan that enabled them to lose pounds of weight. The study involved participants between the ages of 25 and 60, all obese, and all following a dietary plan with a restricted number of calories. The researchers from Louisiana State University found that when the participants were grouped according to what they ate for breakfast – both following reduced-calorie diets – those that had two eggs for breakfast lost 65 percent more weight overall than the group that had a bagel for breakfast. The researchers believe the combination of fat, carbohydrates and protein found in eggs brings a greater sense of satiety, or fullness, thus preventing them from splurging on other foods to alleviate hunger pangs.
While I am indeed an advocate of eating eggs, I advise that you eat no more than one a day. This is largely because of the amount of cholesterol found in a solitary egg yolk – about 270 mg of cholesterol (nearly 90 percent of your daily recommended value)!
If one egg won’t fill you, add a few more but remove the egg yolks, leaving one for taste. Other than taste, leaving the one yolk ensures you get the complete protein aspect of eggs (removing the egg yolk removes the cholesterol but it also makes for an incomplete protein). If you’re being really strict about your diet and don’t want to have the yolk, I have no problem with that. But you should at least supplement it with some kind of protein to make it complete. One way to make it complete is by having your scrambled egg whites with a side of whole wheat toast spread with natural peanut butter.
My final bit of advice on eggs is to avoid eggs from the grocery store. You never know where these eggs originate from, how old they are, or how the chickens were raised. All these things affect the nutritional quality of the egg. Opt for eggs fresh from a local farm, where you know how the chickens are raised and what they’re fed. If you’re neck of the woods isn’t exactly Green Acres, head to the whole food market and grab a dozen eggs certified organic – the organic seal certifies they’re nutritionally sound, meaning the chickens were fed quality grain and raised humanely.
Related Posts
- Lose Weight by Eating More?
- Why a Champion Could Use a Revampin’: Phelps’ Diet Needs Work – For His and Other Kids’ Sake
- ‘Egg’regious Health Hazard?
- Redoubling Your Efforts: Researchers: For Weight Loss to Stay Lost, Obese Must Go the Extra Mile (Literally)
- Natural Heart Attack Prevention Is Your Safest Option
 
|
Enjoy this article? We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will NEVER be rented, traded or sold. |
Visit my new site: Self Help On The Web
 |
 |
Posted: September 2nd, 2008 under Dieting, eggs.
