With Easter right around the corner, I thought it’d be good to talk eggs today.
Eggs are one of my favorite sources of protein, plus they taste great. One egg has about 6 g of protein and a lot of cholesterol – 212mg on average, which is a lot!
The reason why people associate eggs as bad is probably because of the yolk which has that cholesterol. There are bad fats, but not in eggs. Trans and saturated fats are in the fried foods and fast foods we love. These are the bad fats that contribute to heart disease. Eggs actually have some unsaturated fats, which are the healthier fats.
When it comes to fats versus carbs, it’s really the carbs we need to cut out. Refined sugars in baked goods and even whole grain carbs found in breads, pastas and cereals, contribute to weight gain, diabetes and heart disease. I’m sure you’ve heard of the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Well, do you remember the old food pyramid? It said to eat 6 servings of grains a day! Luckily the food pyramid has changed the requirements, but our diets continue to be filled with sugars and grains as if we were still following the old food pyramid. With now 1 in 3 Americans being obese, it’s time to skip that morning cereal, pastry or muffin, and eat an egg instead.
Eggs also might have gotten a bad reputation probably because of what many people eat with eggs: Pancakes, waffles, bacon, or even spam. Sorry, spam was the mystery meat that I grew up on. So, remember that eggs are a great source of protein and healthy cholesterol. Keep in mind that our bodies actually require fat and cholesterol in order to make hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and our stress hormone cortisol. So this Easter, eat your eggs boiled, poached or even fried! Actually, does anyone even use real eggs for Easter or is it just the chocolate kind??
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Corsilles
