It’s that time of year when we’ve all pigged out at Christmas (and rightly so) but we’re feeling a little sluggish and ready to cleanse for the new year. There’s no better way to treat your body than to make the change to organic and free range produce.
Switching to free range eggs is a really simple and easy way to increase vitamins in your diet. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the yolk. Eggs are rich sources of selenium, Vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as Zinc, Iron and Copper. Egg yolks contain more calories and fat than the whites. They are a source of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and Lecithin - the compound that enables emulsification in recipes like hollandaise or mayonnaise. Eggs are regarded as a ‘complete’ source of protein as they contain all nine essential amino acids; the ones that we can’t synthesise in our bodies and must obtain from our diet.
One Medium egg contains:
84 Calories - 8.3g protein - 5.7g fat - 1.6g sat fat.
For years eggs were considered more of a health risk than a healthy food. This is because they were considered high in cholesterol. We now know that the cholesterol found in food has much less of an effect on our blood cholesterol than the amount of saturated fat we eat.
Eggs are rich in several nutrients that promote heart health such as betaine and choline. Eggs are a useful source of Vitamin D which helps protect bones, preventing osteoporosis and rickets. You should always shop wisely as the method of egg production can effect the vitamin D content. Eggs should be included as part of a varied and balanced diet. They are filling and when enjoyed for breakfast, may help with weight management as part of a weight loss programme, as the high protein content helps us to feel fuller for longer.
