Healthy living: An ode to eggs

Eggs are on my list of perfect foods. They are nourishing, delectable, quick-cooking, versatile and conveniently individually packaged.
I strongly advocate eating fresh-pastured eggs from chickens that graze on a natural diet of green plants, insects, and grains. When cracked open, these eggs reveal a bright orange yolk and a white that gels together. They are richer in color, flavor, and nutrients (especially omega-3s, which support brain and nervous-system development, as well as cardiovascular health) than conventional eggs. Both the nutrients and omegas are concentrated in the yolk of the egg.
Yes, eat the yolk — it is packed with good stuff!
I openly admit that I pay between $6 and $8 per dozen for these superior-quality eggs. Find this price hard to swallow? You can easily drop the same amount for a single cocktail at a bar. It’s all relative and a matter of priorities.
I am not a proponent of mass-produced conventional eggs from corn-fed chickens that are raised in inhumane conditions, live in their own filth (sorry to be grim, but it’s true) and never see the light of day. It is really no surprise that eggs from these chickens are inferior in both nutrition and taste.
Conventional eggs typically have a pale yellow yolk and a watery white and contain about 20 times more omega-6 than pastured eggs. Excessive amounts of omega-6 have been shown to promote inflammation (a precursor to heart disease), bog down the metabolism (leading to weight gain) and decrease insulin sensitivity (which can eventually lead to insulin resistance and diabetes).
By contrast, omega-3 fatty acids — found in optimal proportions in pastured eggs — “communicate with your DNA to turn on special genes that help you increase fat burning, improve your blood sugar control, correct insulin resistance and reduce inflammation, … a very important part of weight loss and health,” says Mark Hyman in his book “Ultra-Metabolism.”
If you can not find pastured eggs, the next best thing is free-range omega-3 enriched eggs. How do they get those extra omega-3s in there? Farmers supplement the chickens’ diet with flax seed, which boosts the omega-3 content in the eggs they lay.
What others have to say about eggs
According to Gary Taubes, author of “Good Calories Bad Calories,” “Dietary cholesterol … has an insignificant effect on blood cholesterol. It might elevate cholesterol levels in a small percentage of highly sensitive individuals, but for most of us, it’s clinically meaningless.”
Julia Ross, author of “The Mood Cure,” describes eggs as “…perfectly nutritious: loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and the lecithin that helps us digest fat easily. The yolks contain as much protein as the whites and much more additional nutrition.” She adds that, unless you are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, you do not need to limit egg consumption.
“Natural Defense,” an article featured in the September issue of Runner’s World magazine, identifies egg yolks as a “leading source of lutein and zeaxanthin, a dynamic antioxidant duo that accumulate in the retina, where they protect eye health. … Yolks also provide selenium, vitamin E, high-quality protein and choline, a nutrient that can help improve heart health.”
Rebecca Katz, culinary goddess and author of one of my favorite cookbooks, “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen,” points out a “huge study of 121,000 women (which) suggested that eating three eggs a week during adolescence dropped the risk of breast cancer by 18 percent. Other components of eggs, such as choline and lecithin, improve brain and gallbladder function.”
Health Magazine’s November 2009 article, “Your A-to-Z Guide to a Flat Belly,” had this to say: “Dieters who had two eggs with breakfast whittled their waists more than those who ate the same number of calories but had a bagel instead.”
Susan Allport, author of “The Queen of Fats,” brings our attention to “…the work of William Connor at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and (other) studies that have found no association between egg consumption and either heart disease or serum cholesterol levels.
Sally Fallon, author of “Nourishing Traditions,” informs us that “Many cultures recognize that eggs are a brain food and encourage pregnant and nursing mothers to eat as many as possible.” She also emphasizes the importance of buying eggs from farms that allow their chickens “to eat bugs and graze on green pasture,” as well as the benefits of these nutrient-rich eggs for the development of brain, nervous system, and visual function in babies and children.
You might have heard otherwise, but eggs are a delicious and nutritious choice.
Julia Blanton is a nutrition, fitness and wellness coach. An avid runner, she works at Club One in Scotts Valley and keeps a health blog at www.juliablanton.com.