Brain Food: Eggs-actly What you Wanted to Hear
by Catherine Ziegler, H.H.C., N.E.December 21 2009
Brain Food!
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and healthy fat. Similar to coconut oil eggs were eaten in abundance until an unsubstantiated health scare in the 1950’s nearly wiped them out of our diets. There is little research supporting the hypothesis that the cholesterol in eggs contributes to heart disease.
The Journal of the American Medical Association reported in 1999 that consumption of one egg per day bore no risk of increased heart disease among healthy women and men. Eggs have joined the ranks of other healthy fats we have been influenced to avoid, but interestingly, chronic disease levels have increased as healthy fat consumption has decreased.
Eggs are a wonderfully rich source of nutrition: while the egg white contains a great deal of protein, the yolk is full of fatty acids crucial to nerve function. In fact, in China, pregnant women have been known to eat eggs in great abundance in order to provide nutrition for their developing baby’s brains.
Where you Buy your Eggs is as Important as the Egg Itself
Many commercialized egg production centers house the hens in confined spaces where they are not exposed to sunlight. The diet of a commercially raised hen consists of mostly artificial substances. In addition, pesticides and antibiotics are commonly used in the growth of commercially raised hens and, therefore, are present in the eggs you eat. In addition to a lackluster life for the hen, the egg will be nearly devoid of the beneficial nutrients we’ve been discussing.
Egg Selection Tip
➢ Look for “Pastured Eggs.” Farm fresh eggs are available from many farmers and at farmers’ markets (find your local farmers’ market). Chickens raised in green pastures eat a diet that nature provides them. Thus, the eggs will be rich in the nutrients important for brain function and bone formation.
Brain Food for Breakfast: Morning Greens and Eggs Recipe
2 t. ghee or coconut oil
2 T. water
1 -2 eggs
1 cup spinach or kale or swiss chard
½ cup shitake mushrooms
½ onion
1 garlic clove
1 T. flax seed
Heat oil or ghee. Sauté garlic, onion and mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Add water and greens and stir the vegetables for 1 minute. Add an egg or two and cook as desired*. Serve with flax seed sprinkled on top.
*Note: Egg whites should be cooked because in raw form they contain inhibitors that interfere with protein digestion. Egg yolks are recommended to be eaten raw when they are from a pastured hen, free of antibiotics. Egg yolks are recommended to be cooked when commercially sourced from a supermarket as there may be a risk of salmonella.
Questions or comments? Please discuss your experiences with this week’s tip below. Feel free to suggest other great ways to incorporate eggs into your diet or submit your own nutritious and delicious egg recipes. Read the latest blogs and see what other great and healthy tips we have for you this week.
Catherine, a Holistic Health Counselor, trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in association with Columbia University and is a certified Nutrition Educator from Bauman College. She works on health goals in areas such as natural weight equilibrium, food cravings, sleep, energy and digestion.
If you are interested in personalized nutrition consultations for vibrant health, Catherine offers a free initial health history session for both local and distant clients - her furthest client, so far, lives in Spain! Please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Also, check out her other blog.
