The Skinny on Eggs

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Who knows. However, I do know a little about eggs after re-searching them A LOT the last few days.

Some of my fellow yogis from Gaia Flow Yoga and I were chatting about our diets and the topic of eggs came up. There were some questions regarding the health factors of eggs and egg whites. So I did some research to find out if they are bad for you, good for you, or worth even talking about…

Turns out some dietitians consider eggs to be one of the healthiest foods to  while others ban it from their diets entirely. Over the past 25 years, there has been quite a bit of research looking into eggs and the cholesterol in the yolk. In short, one yolk has about 186- 213 mg of cholesterol and we do need cholesterol to function properly but only about 200- 300 mg per day. If you love the yolk but you’re concerned about your cholesterol, don’t eat more than 7 yolks per week. 

I usually have 3 egg whites and one yolk because the yolk truly does have an amazing amount of health benefits. The yolk holds omega-3 fats, B-12, vitamin D, the antioxidant selenium (helps with hormone balance) and several other vitamins and minerals that help with your vision and fetal brain development.

As far as egg whites go, the only general concern one might have is the fact that they are an extremely concentrated animal protein, which means they can be hard on your kidneys. This is where water comes in handy. Water is your kidneys’ best friend. Also, for those with an autoimmune disease, they are extremely inflammatory and I would definitely recommend staying away form the whites. 

What kind of eggs should you buy? Eggcelent question. I would definitely recommend picking up Pasteurized eggs from a local farmer. If you can't get to one, grab the eggs with the most Omega-3s and DHAs. You can also opt for the organic eggs, which come from hens that are fed organically and raised without antibiotics. 

So all this to say... eggs ARE good for you and don't fear the yellow!