Post Attributed to Shane Anderson, FAST Facility Manager (North Central Phoenix location).
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Shane Anderson is the facility manager of our North Central Phoenix location. He has a bachelor’s degree in health science, as well as experience playing football for the University of Nevada, and working with ASU sports teams. After years as an athlete and personal trainer, he has learned how to balance an ideal, nutritious diet. Here he explains why eggs are the perfect food to start off your day.
As a strength and conditioning professional, my clients look to me for guidance on weight training, supplementation, and nutrition. I enjoy giving people advice on these subjects, but recently I have been getting some puzzled reactions when I talk about eggs. I’ve come to realize that people have many different misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy breakfast.
Let’s just agree now that breakfast is, indeed, the most important meal of the day. Eating in the morning will give you more energy, help your brain focus and complete daily tasks at work, and set you up for smarter meal choices later in the day. A complete breakfast is more likely to keep you full so you avoid binging on junk, and choose healthy foods throughout the day. When people eat a bad breakfast or no breakfast, they often don’t plan for the rest of the day and can end up eating whatever they want, not what is good for them.
Eggs contain vitamins and minerals, and they are one of the most complete proteins you can consume. Eggs also contain a ton of essential amino acids, which are building blocks for lean muscle. They have the same antioxidant potential as apples, and include a nutrient called choline which helps improve attention span. Not only is consuming eggs healthy, it’s smart!
When people ask me what I eat for breakfast, I do not hesitate to tell them that I have 5-6 raw eggs with 1/3 cup of nuts every morning. Yes, you read that correctly — I eat raw eggs. A few eggs mixed with nuts and almond milk is a great way to get the day going. The nuts provide some protein and (more importantly) good fats, and consuming uncooked eggs actually stimulates dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain that naturally put you in a good mood. It’s how I learned how to become a “morning person.” When you cook eggs, you also lose about 22% of the protein content. I try to get the most bang for my buck when it comes to protein, so raw is a great way to go for me, although it might not be for everyone.
There are many online articles and forums that discourage people from eating eggs, but these are simply not true. Here are some common myths and facts about consuming eggs.
Myth 1: You will get salmonella poisoning
Fact: Salmonella is present 1 in every 20,000 eggs. The key to avoiding salmonella is to avoid eggs that come from a highly industrialized source. Large factory farms stack chickens on top of each other for mass production. This causes more chicken manure to be present and increases contamination of eggs. Opt for eggs that come from cage free hens or organic farms. Be sure to keep your eggs refrigerated, because changes in temperature can increase risk of salmonella as well. Cooking eggs thoroughly also destroys salmonella.
Risk 2: Your cholesterol levels will go up
Fact: Yes, there is cholesterol in eggs. However, there are good and bad types of cholesterol. Eating eggs will increase your HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, and you actually want a higher number of these. High HDL levels decrease your risk of heart disease, and they help your body get rid of bad cholesterol.
Risk 3: Eating the yolks isn’t good for you
Fact: Many people will only eat egg whites, but that leads to getting less nutrition out of your egg. The yolk contains many essential B vitamins, Vitamin D, and iron. Do not miss out on essential nutrients you can get in a natural diet. Eat the whole egg!
Hopefully now you realize how important breakfast is for a healthy and productive day, and you can start to work more eggs into your diet. For more information about nutrition and personal training, feel free to contact us at fast@foothillsrehab.com.