Most of you know that we’re crazy about eggs here at DUFF. They’re delicious and easy to make…and it turns out that research shows that eating eggs is GREAT for you! In fact, regularly including eggs in a well-balanced diet can actually help your workouts at the gym, your physical fitness and overall health.
Read on to discover why we’re EGG-cited about EGGS!
EGGS ARE EASY
With all of the snow and ice hitting the LowCountry last week, a lot of us around Charleston and Mount Pleasant have been stuck inside and scraping by on the dwindling contents of our refrigerators. And we don’t know about you, but one of the best dinners-of-last-resort has always been to scramble up some eggs! We almost always have them on hand, they’re easy to make, they are an ingredient in many delicious dishes…
…BUT
Unfortunately, eggs have had a bad rap in the health department—especially during the “Low Fat” craze in the late 90’s, where eggs were vilified for their link to high cholesterol and heart disease. Picture a giant burger with a sloppy fried egg on top or a pile of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage.
But it turns out that the EGGS were not the ones to blame for this unhealthiness—consider it guilt by association. According to LiveScience, “Research has shown that we usually have our eggs alongside foods high in saturated fat, such as bacon, sausage and buttered toast. This meal pattern raises LDL levels and makes the effect of eating eggs worse than it actually is.” So while things like Alfredo sauce, fried burgers, sausage and bacon are terrible for your heart, the eggs that accompany them really are not!
EGGS ARE NUTRIENT RICH
According to CNN, “They contain high-quality protein, meaning eggs offer all nine essential amino acids that can’t be made by humans and therefore must come from our diets. Protein in eggs can help build and preserve muscle as well as boost satiety, both of which are important for weight control.” (Read: AWESOME FOR YOUR WORKOUTS AT THE GYM!!!)
Consumer Reports breaks down the facts: “One large egg gives you 70 calories, 6 grams of protein, 2 grams of saturated fat, about 185 milligrams of cholesterol, and a long list of important nutrients.” These nutrients include:
- lecithin (an important component of cell membranes)
- choline (an essential nutrient that aids brain development)
- phosvitin (a protein that maintains healthy skin)
- carotenoids (compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties)
EGGS HELP YOU GET STRONGER
So they’re great for your overall health, but what about at the gym? It turns out that eating eggs also helps you in your workouts. Muscle and Fitness proclaims: “Few things match nature’s great engineering at packing such nutritional power in such a small, but deliciously satisfying package, particularly for those looking to build muscle or burn fat…[they] have long been recognized and appreciated as a great source of high quality protein, both to the average Joe and those who spend lots of time with the iron in the gym.”
Why is this? Men’s Fitness explains, “Eggs are pretty much the gold standard against which all other proteins are judged.” And MF explains that protein is pretty much the golden ticket when it comes to an exercise diet: “All the squats and bench presses in the universe won’t get you very far unless you’re consuming muscle-building material—and that means lean, rich, complete protein.”
BodyBuilding.com continues this sentiment: “A bodybuilder’s diet must be much higher in protein than the average persons [and eggs are the answer]. Eggs contain about 6 grams of high quality protein, so high that it is used as the standard by which other foods are measured…[they] also contain all eight essential amino acids needed for optimal muscle recovery and building valuable minerals like calcium, zinc and iron…[and they] are easily digested and absorbed and are extremely useful in ensuring a balanced diet for us bodybuilders.”
Egg-citing Recipes
While eating hardboiled eggs is a no-brainer (come on! You can actually buy them pre-boiled at the grocery store!), there are lots of fun recipes for before your workouts, after you exercise and for anytime.
Click on these links for great recipe ideas!
Women’s Health Magazine: Post-workout Egg recipes
Fitness Magazine: 6 Easy Egg Recipes
Egg Nutrition Center: Pre and Post Workout Recipes
Follow Us!