(To which the answer was a no-brainer for yolk-lovers. We always flock to brown eggs because their yolks just always seem a bit richer, don’t they?)

Egg shopping used to be simple—white eggs or brown eggs. End of story.

(To which the answer was a no-brainer for yolk-lovers. We always flock to brown eggs because their yolks just always seem a bit richer, don’t they?)

Fun fact in case you missed it—the only difference between brown and white eggs are that brown eggs come from chickens with brown feathers and white eggs come from chickens with white feathers. Other than that, their nutritional makeup is identical: 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 5 percent of your daily vitamin A needs, and 10 percent of your vitamin D needs.

But egg shopping today, however, isn’t so easy or straightforward.

The Trouble With Eggs

You stand at the egg fridge at your grocery and see white eggs, brown eggs, free-range eggs, organic free-range eggs, cage-free eggs, Omega-3 fortified eggs, antibiotic-free eggs, pasture-raised eggs, and on and on—your confusion builds.

Something tells you you should avoid the cheap large, white eggs for $2.99 for a dozen so you go for the middle-priced brown, free-range eggs for $4.50 because they seem to offer something more, you think. You’re not sure why, but you remember hearing brown eggs are healthier than white.

But is this enough?

Should you be spending $7.99 a dozen for the certified organic, cage-free, pasture-raised eggs without antibiotics that have been pumped with Omega-3 fatty acids?

Total. Mind. F**k. Right?

Let’s get to the bottom of all this egg confusion. What do the labels really mean? And do they matter?

You’re going to hate me for this answer: It depends.

It depends on your priorities and it depends on where you live: The US versus Canada, for example.

Let’s consider three priorities below.

Egg Guideline 1: Hen Happiness

In the US, the reality is that the majority of egg-laying hens live in close quarters in cages barely big enough for them to fully stretch their wings.

So, if this tugs at your heartstrings, then cage-free is probably for you because at least it tells you the chickens have enough space to move around. That is, however, pretty much all it tells you. Free-range eggs tell a similar tale. The hens get to go outside and run around and do their natural hen-like activities.

In Canada, on the other hand, there are different housing options for the hens.

1. Conventional housing – Hens live in small groups in cages. Like the US, this is the most common method used by egg farmers. In fact, as many as 90 percent of eggs in Canada are produced this way in cages.
2. “Enriched housing” – Hens live in cages of varying sizes and they’re able to lay their eggs in a nesting area with easy access to food and water.
3. Free-run housing – Hens roam a bit more freely, but are still kept in a barn. They also have bedding areas and nesting areas for egg-laying.
4. Free-range housing – Similar to free-run except the hens also have access to an outside space, depending on the weather.

Egg Guideline 2: Your Own Health

You have been told you need more Omega-3 fatty acids because it helps with recovery, inflammation, reduces heart disease, etc. You don’t eat much fish and you dislike the fishy burps you produce after taking a fish oil supplement. If this is you, then Omega-3 eggs might be the eggs for you, as they have been pumped with Omega-3 (mostly DHA) fatty acids.

If the non-GMO thing is your priority, then organic eggs might be for you—this is exactly what that designation tells you. As for pasture-raised, this tells you the farm has been certified by a third-party, such as the Certified Humane Program (at least this is what it means in the US).

The True Gold Standard

The shortcoming with all of the above labels (cage-free, free-range, free-run, Omega-3, organic, and pasture-raised) is there are still many unknowns, such as what the hens were fed.

Thus, the gold standard, so to speak, if you live in the United States is USDA certified organic—meaning the hens were raised following an agreed-upon standard of practice. The USDA certified organic label also guarantees the eggs were produced without pesticides or fertilizers and that the hens were fed an organic diet free from animal by-products or antibiotics.

In Canada, hens are very rarely fed antibiotics unless they’re sick, so it’s less of a concern than it is in the United States.

The Egg Takeaway

Navigating egg best practices is tricky at the best of times. Some great advice a friend gave me a while back: Get to know a local farmer (I found one at a local farmer’s market) and check out their farm in person.

Even though most hens are housed in cages, there are many that aren’t, and if you’re a 4-eggs-a-day kind of person like me, it’s worth investing the time to find an egg source you’re happy with.

Related: The Great Egg Debate: Why You Should Eat Eggs, Why You Shouldn’t Not Eat Eggs

The post The Athlete’s Friend, Eggs: Best Buying Practices appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Quick, nutritious, one-pan recipes are key for any athlete when cooking. Being 100 percent Italian, I grew up eating a classic Italian dish that meets all three criteria: frittatas. My maternal grandmother was the queen of the cast iron frittata, and I have always loved this dish. She made them in a hot heirloom cast iron pan filled with a bounty of different veggies, meats, and the fluffiest eggs that would melt in your mouth.

Any combination of leftover vegetables can be turned into a delicious frittata.

Eggs Aren’t Just for Breakfast

Most of us limit our egg consumption to hot in the morning and hard-boiled any other time of day. There’s nothing wrong with this, but whoever said eggs are limited to daytime eating only? I was raised differently. In my family, eggs have always been an elegant dinner menu item.

Over the last few years I have had non-breakfast gatherings where a frittata was the main event. Each time people were surprised this dish could hold a place of honor beyond the breakfast plate.

Beyond their flavor and versatility, frittatas are simple to make. Just grab your eggs and whatever ingredients you have on hand to create a nutritious masterpiece. This method is great for decreasing waste in your household. You will be surprised at what a delicious meal you can create by combining random flavors.

What follows isn’t so much a set recipe as a strategy. Be flexible with your frittata creations. Design and create a mixture of herbs, veggies, and fruits to make your perfect meal. Add a side salad for a rainbow packed with protein.

Here are some preparation tips and ideas for ingredients:

No-Fuss Personalized Frittata

Yield: Serves 1 to 2

Ingredients:

• 3 pasture-raised eggs
• ⅓ cup coconut milk
• Recommended veggies: zucchini, onion, cherry tomato, asparagus, heirloom potatoes
• Recommended herb: rosemary, basil, tarragon
• Recommended oils: bacon fat, ghee, coconut oil

Method:

1. Add eggs and coconut milk to a bowl and whisk for about 1 minute.
2. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Heat a small single-sized pan, preferably cast iron.
4. Add oil once the pan is heated to medium and add desired veggies, cooking for about 7 minutes. Turn several times to assure even cooking.
5. Add eggs and cover with lid. Set timer for 5 minutes.
6. After 5 minutes, place pan in oven uncovered with timer set for 3 minutes.
7. Check dish after 3 minutes and continue this until cooked to desired doneness.
8. Let frittata sit for a few minutes and then slice like a pie and serve. A side salad and/or fruit make a complete meal.

If no broiler is available, you can do this on the stove top. Just cook the frittata for a bit longer covered with a lid. Or if you’re feeling brave, give it a flip to lightly brown the top.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• The Great Egg Debate: Why You Should Eat Eggs, Why You Shouldn’t Not Eat Eggs
• Veggies Aren’t Boring, Your Cooking Is: Simple Skills + 5 Recipes
• Southwestern Breakfast Frittata
• New on Breaking Muscle Right Now

Photos courtesy of V. Capaldi.

The post A No-Fuss, Versatile Frittata Recipe appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Eggs Are Nutritional Powerhouses

If you’re reading the Breaking Muscle website, it’s likely that you have an interest in being healthier and becoming a physical badass of some kind. There are a number of nutrients in eggs that not only support training and recovery, but are great additions to any diet:

Protein: Eggs are little protein bombs. A medium egg contains 6 grams of protein⁵, half of which is in the yolk. Egg protein is the most easily digested protein available, and also has the best protein utilization and efficiency ratio values.⁶

These tell you how much of the protein you eat is actually absorbed by the body and used for things like muscle repair and growth. So, you’ll need less protein from your eggs compared to a protein shake (or even a steak) to get the same effect. (Don’t worry, steak, I still love you.)

Antioxidants: Eggs are a rich source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These are the main antioxidants in your eyes, and a number of studies have shown that higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet are associated with a reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.⁷

In the Beaver Dam Eye study of 1,354 individuals, the participants under 65 who ate the most eggs had a 40% reduction in the risk of cataracts over ten years.⁸ Studies also suggest that lutein and zeaxanthin have anti-cancer properties, particularly in breast and lung cancer.⁷

Choline: Choline has two main functions in the body. First, it is an essential part of your cell membranes, and ensures they remain intact. Second, it provides the message that turns nerve impulses from the brain into muscle contractions. No matter how hard you think, unless you have adequate choline, you just aren’t going to pick up that barbell. We know that choline levels drop after endurance exercise, and choline supplementation speeds-up recovery:⁹

• Lactic acid is cleared in cyclists and runners up to 40% faster when they supplement with choline.
• Heart rate returns to normal more quickly after exercise if choline is taken beforehand.

On a choline-per-calorie basis, eggs are the best food source of choline you can find, as well as an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, D, and folate.¹⁰ As many vitamins are fat-soluble, the key to your body absorbing them is consuming them with some fat. Conveniently, eggs pre-package their vitamins in a nice, rich yolk.

The Cholesterol in Eggs Is Good For You

We now know the cholesterol in your diet has little impact on the cholesterol in your blood. In fact, only 30% of us, known as hyper-responders, will see a meaningful increase in blood cholesterol after eating foods containing cholesterol.

The majority of the evidence also shows that eating eggs is beneficial to our cholesterol profile (the amounts of good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol in the blood). It is worth mentioning here that not all LDL is created equal. The more buoyant and fluffy your LDL is, the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

• An analysis of 167 cholesterol-feeding studies in 3,519 patients over forty years showed that one egg per day increased cholesterol by less than 1-2% in hyper-responders. The hypo-responders saw less than half of that.¹
• Both the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (12,847 men) and the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (20,000 people) showed those who ate the most eggs had the lowest cholesterol levels.²
• The largest study to date examined egg consumption in the Nurses’ Health Study (80,082 women) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (37,851 men), and found those eating seven or more eggs per week had no greater risk of coronary heart disease compared to those eating fewer than one egg per week.³
• Even when an increase in cholesterol is seen, there is an increase in both good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, with no change in the LDL:HDL ratio, which is the main predictor of cardiovascular disease.⁴
• One study showed that eating three eggs a day makes LDL more buoyant, which reduces its ability to cause atherosclerosis. There was also no increase in the risk of LDL oxidation (another risk factor for cardiovascular disease), probably due to the high levels of antioxidants in egg yolk. So, even if you are a hyper-responder and eggs increase your cholesterol levels slightly, you will have fluffier, happier LDL as a result.¹¹

Eggs Are Yummy…

If you’ve never tried eating half a dozen eggs scrambled in a tablespoon of coconut butter for breakfast, or before a training session, you are yet to discover the true magical powers of eggs.

…And Convenient

You don’t get much more nutrition per penny than an egg. Eggs are a cheap, self-contained addition to lunch boxes, and can form the basis of a quick, healthy meal at any time. Take some leftovers or some vegetables, then add a few eggs and cook slowly or place under the grill – a frittata in minutes!

Better Eggs Are Better – You Need Omega-3 Fatty Acids

While your average egg is good, we know a better quality egg will give you that little bit extra. Free-range eggs are higher in omega-3s.¹²

Organic eggs haven’t been shown to have a higher nutrient content than eggs from caged hens, but many people prefer their animal products to come from animals with better welfare conditions and reduced pesticide and antibiotic use.¹³

Should We All Be Eating More Eggs?

We can only do our best based on the information we currently have. We know dietary patterns are much more important than individual components.² So, if all your eggs are eaten with a stack of pancakes, I can’t promise you’ll get the full benefit.

Also, the main problem with studying diet and disease is that it’s almost impossible to accurately calculate the intake of individual foods based on a questionnaire. Quick – try and remember how many eggs you ate four weeks ago. Hard, isn’t it?

However, the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study do show an increased risk of heart disease in those who have diabetes, especially if eating more than one egg per day.³ Diabetes changes the way the body handles cholesterol, and those afflicted with it should limit egg intake to around three per week.

If men in your family have a history of developing prostate cancer, you may also want to consider only having eggs on occasion. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study recently reported that men who ate 2.5 eggs or more per week had an 81% increased chance of developing more aggressive prostate cancer.¹⁴

The theory is that choline and cholesterol (an important part of testosterone production) may make prostate cancer more likely to metastasize. In the same group of men, those with the highest choline intake had a 70% increased risk of lethal or metastatic prostate cancer. Interestingly, there was no association between prostate cancer and the fat-soluble types of choline found in eggs.

The risk appears to come from water-soluble types of choline, almost all of which were from fat-reduced dairy products.¹⁵ This suggests the story is far from clear, as highlighted by the fact the Netherlands Cohort Study of 58,279 men found no association between eggs and prostate cancer risk.¹⁶

Though researchers do try to isolate the effects of eggs alone, it is worth noting that those who ate the most eggs in the Health Professionals study tended to have a number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer to start with.

On average, they had a higher BMI, engaged in less physical activity, and were more likely to have a history of smoking and diabetes. Does eating eggs make you more likely to smoke and skip workouts? Probably not. If you are active and generally healthy, the research still shows that eggs are a great, tasty source of protein and vitamins.

Eat Eggs

Eggs are nutrient-rich, cheap and convenient. They can improve your recovery, and reduce your risk of eye and heart disease. As part of the healthier lifestyle that we should all be trying to work towards, I hope that you include eggs in your diet, and are stronger, faster and happier as a result.

References:

1. McNamara DJ. The impact of egg limitations on coronary heart disease risk: do the numbers add up? J Am Coll Nutr. 2000 Oct;19(5 Suppl):540S-548S.

2. Kritchevsky SB. A review of scientific research and recommendations regarding eggs. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6 Suppl):596S-600S.

3. Hu FB, et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA. 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1387-94.

4. Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol provided by eggs and plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Jan;9(1):8-12.

5. American Egg Board – Egg Nutrition Facts: https://www.incredibleegg.org/?site=a

6. Hoffman J R, Falvo M J. “Protein – Which is Best.” 2004 J Sport Sci Med (3): 118–30.

7. Ribaya-Mercado JD, Blumberg JB. Lutein and zeaxanthin and their potential roles in disease prevention. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6 Suppl):567S-587S.

8. Lyle BJ, et al. Antioxidant intake and risk of incident age-related nuclear cataracts in the Beaver Dam Eye Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1999 May 1;149(9):801-9.

9. Jäger R, Purpura M, Kingsley M. Phospholipids and sports performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Jul 25;4:5.

10. USDA National Nutrition Database: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

11. Herron KL, et al. High intake of cholesterol results in less atherogenic low-density lipoprotein particles in men and women independent of response classification. Metabolism. 2004 Jun;53(6):823-30.

12. Anderson KE. Comparison of fatty acid, cholesterol, and vitamin A and E composition in eggs from hens housed in conventional cage and range production facilities. Poult Sci. 2011 Jul;90(7):1600-8.

13. Mesías FJ, et al. Functional and organic eggs as an alternative to conventional production: a conjoint analysis of consumers’ preferences. J Sci Food Agric. 2011 Feb;91(3):532-8.

14. Richman EL, et al. Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate-specific antigen-era: incidence and survival. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 Dec;4(12):2110-21.

15. Richman EL, et al. Choline intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer: incidence and survival. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Oct;96(4):855-63.

16. Schuurman AG, et al. Animal products, calcium and protein and prostate cancer risk in The Netherlands Cohort Study. Br J Cancer. 1999 Jun;80(7):1107-13.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The Great Egg Debate: Why You Should Eat Eggs, Why You Shouldn’t Not Eat Eggs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Reason #1: It’s probably smart to stay away from cholesterol bombs

Eggs are the single largest source of cholesterol in the American diet. One egg has as much cholesterol as a Hardee’s Thickburger. And although it’s true that dietary cholesterol doesn’t have much of an effect on blood cholesterol levels (only about a 10% increase), that’s not the reason why we should be avoiding dietary cholesterol.

The problem is the pro-inflammatory and oxidative effects dietary cholesterol has been shown to have on your LDL. This in turn can damage the endothelium (the lining inside our arteries) and increase cardiovascular effects. Another recent study found that frequent egg consumption might be as bad as smoking when it comes to carotid artery plaque build-up.

Reason #2: Salmonella poisoning is not a fun thing to have

Salmonella is the leading cause of food-borne illness related death in the United States. More than 100,000 Americans are poisoned by salmonella-tainted eggs per year. So whatever you do, make sure you stay away from conventional eggs at all costs. Even if you don’t die from salmonella, the symptoms even from just getting sick are quite unpleasant. That being said, the risk lies mainly with conventional eggs.

Reason #3: Free-range eggs may not be much of a better choice

While purchasing free-range eggs over conventional eggs is definitely a step up from an animal welfare and immediate health standpoint, considering you’ll have lower risk of salmonella poisoning, studies have shown there’s not much difference in cholesterol levels between the two.

Reason #4: Consuming an egg a day may shorten your life

The Harvard Physicians Health study, which followed 20,000 doctors for over twenty years found that those doctors consuming at least one egg a day had a significantly higher all-cause mortality risk, which essentially suggests that consuming even just one egg a day is significantly associated with a shorter lifespan. Not great news for those who like their omelets in the morning.

That being said, if you are going to include some animal protein in your diet (of which I believe there should be little, if any) eggs from pasture-raised hens may actually be one of the better choices for you, considering your other options. Dr. Joel Fuhrman notes that eggs should be favored over fish or dairy because they are relatively safe from chemical pollutants, mercury, and PCBs.

So what’s my recommendation? If you’re going to eat eggs, make sure you buy the highest quality eggs possible and eat them infrequently. But why not just play it safe and avoid eggs all together, now that you know they’re packaged with significant risk? If you feel like you need something egg-like, try a tofu scramble.

Continue the debate:

The Great Egg Debate: Why You Should Eat Eggs, Why You Shouldn’t Not Eat Eggs

References:

1. Spence JD, Jenkins DJ, Davignon J. 2010. “Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease.” Canadian Journal of Cardiology, November 26.

2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2009. FDA Improves Egg Safety.

3. Anderson KE. 2011. “Comparison of fatty acid, cholesterol, and vitamin A and E composition in eggs from hens housed in conventional cage and range production facilities.” Poultry Science, July.

4. Djoussé L, Gaziano JM. 2008. “Egg consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease and mortality: the Physicians’ Health Study.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The Great Egg Debate: 4 Reasons You Need to Stop Eating Eggs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.