An Eggcellent Food

I'm not a big one for daytime talk shows, but lately I've been finding myself routinely tuning in to the Ellen Show. I'm not sure whether or not to blame my new habit on Zac Efron's recent appearance, or the humor she brings to the show.... but at any rate, it keeps me entertained and more importantly, it sparks ideas for good blog topics.

[enter in blog topic sparked by recent Ellen Show]


So, the other day, while enjoying a perfect sized snack of apple and almond butter, I was watching the Ellen Show (didn't see that one coming, did ya?!) and she invited author, Kathy Freston, on the show to talk about her new book, The Lean and Simple,

 

which lays out an easy and do-able plan to become vegan. Long story short, she talked about her book, about being vegan and shared her experience in a recent project that consisted of converting a family vegan. To begin the "conversion" (if you will) she visited their home and basically raided their kitchen... gasping in horror over the sugary cereals, the sodium-laden frozen meals and the eggs in the refrigerator. "There's more cholesterol in 1 egg than there is in a Big Mac!! Never eat eggs!" 


What? Seriously? 

My nutrition defense immediately went up. I gave a look to my roommate that closely resembles the look I give people when they say they don't eat breakfast.... a look of shock. Don't eat eggs. Hmmm....

Well, lucky for you guys, you have me and my stellar writing skills to set the record straight when it comes to eating or not eating certain foods, and today I'm here to set the record straight on the egg. The highly nutritious egg. Prepare to be enlightened...

Before we chat nutrition stats, lets briefly get back to why author, Kathy Freston initially said not to eat eggs - high cholesterol. 
I would be lying if I told you all that eggs are not high in cholesterol, because eggs, do in fact, have a high amount of cholesterol. However, while they are high in cholesterol, they are also high in lecithin. Lecithin  is the antidote to cholesterol, which in layman's terms, basically means that it helps to lower our body's cholesterol. Pretty cool, eh?
And to further wow your brain this morning....the word lecithin is derived from the Greek word, lekithos, which means........... drum roll please...... yolk of an egg!


Choosing an egg is not only a wise choice because of it's cholesterol-fighting capabilities, but also because it's a complete food and super easy to digest. They are high in protein, high in choline (which is necessary for  brain development) AND provide all the essential amino acids for humans - need I say more? Nope!

 

Recap
Okay. So what did we all learn today?

• Eggs are an awesome choice in your weekly food plan. 
• Eggs are high in cholesterol, but are also high in lecithin.
• Lecithin helps control and lower cholesterol. 
• Eggs provide all the essential amino acids for humans
• As with everything - moderation is key. Eating a whole carton of eggs for breakfast isn't the wisest of choices. 

Additional information - It just so happens as I was beginning this post, Runner's World magazine tweeted a link as to why eggs are the best food for runners. Since I've already rambled on enough for 1 post, I'll let you guys do the reading - Eggs: Best Food for Runners

Stay Healthy,

How do you guys eat your eggs?
I love frying an egg or two, chopping it up and throwing it on my salad.