With Easter around the corner, I found five great reasons to eat eggs.
Before I go any farther, let me clarify that I am talking about real eggs — not the chocolate kind that the Easter bunny brings you. Eggs have been proven to curb hunger and build lean muscle. They are easy to cook, inexpensive and are only 70 calories per egg.
- Eggs will not elevate your cholesterol.
The eggs we purchase today in the supermarkets contain 14 percent less cholesterol than the ones you bought a decade ago. This is possibly because of changes in hen feeding practices. On average, each egg contains 185 mg of cholesterol; the recommended limit a day is 300 mg.
- Eggs can help you lose weight.
A 2008 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that overweight adults who ate two eggs a day for breakfast as part of their low-calorie diet consumed fewer calories later in the day compared to those who ate the same calories’ worth of bagels. After eight weeks, the egg group lost 65 percent more weight and reduced their waistlines by 34 percent more than the bagel eaters!
- Eggs can help you maintain weight loss.
Eating a diet balanced in protein and low in carbohydrates can help prevent you from gaining back all the weight you worked so hard to lose. The body can break down protein easier and it leaves you feeling full longer.
- Eggs can help you build bigger muscles.
Eggs are one of the few foods that contains all nine essential amino acids, making it one of the best protein sources to spur muscle growth. The yolk is packed with vitamin B12, which is required to break down fat and contract muscles. It can also help active adults strengthen their muscles and prevent muscle loss in older adults.
- Eggs contain a rare nutrient.
We have been told to get a little sunlight each day for vitamin D. But did you know that eggs are also a good source of this important nutrient? Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which builds strong bones and even helps to fight fat.
So enjoy your eggs and leave the candy ones in the Easter basket.
If you need help finding something healthy to eat at your favorite restaurant or are looking for nutritious and tasty recipes to try at home, download Menu It, a smartphone app developed by Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well. The app is available for free for smartphones in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. The app can be downloaded by searching “Menu It.”
For more information about Menu It, visit GetHealthyLiveWell.org.