Egg Nutrition: Are Whole Eggs Healthy?

I want to take a very close look at egg nutrition today with you and prove that whole eggs are better than egg whites.

I want you to know what type of whole eggs you should be eating, why you should be eating them, and where to get your eggs.

Once you read this article on egg nutrition, you'll know exactly how to take advantage of the amazing nutrients within eggs.

Whole eggs have gotten a very bad reputation over the years for some reason, and I want to help put a STOP to this today. You need to know the truth about eggs once and for all.

It Absolutely Kills Me When I Hear Someone Say Eggs Are Bad For You

FACT: Whole Eggs from the right sources are very healthy for you.

Eggs are very nutritious and one of the healthiest foods you can include in your breakfast and in other meals throughout the day.

It's been a normal occurrence throughout my life to hear someone ask: “You eat whole eggs? They are not good for you. You should STOP eating them.”

I have to restrain myself during these times and quietly tell them that eggs are very good for you. But then I have to deal with the…

“My doctor told me they are unhealthy. Are you saying you know more than my doctor?”

And I have to say, “Yes, Yes I do.” And then get a crazy look. But hey, I'm not going to continue spreading the lies. I'm sick of hearing that eggs are unhealthy. Let's look at egg nutrition in detail, back it up with some science, and talk about real life situations as well.

Egg Nutrition in Detail

For 1 medium egg, here's what the calories and other nutrition data look like (source = Dairy and Egg Products):

Egg Nutrition Facts

Serving Size = 44 grams
Calories = 63
Total Fat = 4.4 grams
Saturated Fat = 1.4 grams
Monounsaturated Fat = 1.7 grams
Polyunsaturated Fat = 0.6 grams
Cholesterol = 186 mg
Sodium = 62 mg
Carbohydrates = 0.3 grams
Dietary Fiber = 0 grams
Sugars = 0.3 grams
Protein = 6 grams

Egg Vitamins

Vitamin A = 214 IU
Vitamin D = 15.4 IU
Vitamin E = 0.4 mg
Vitamin K = 0.1 mcg
Riboflavin = 0.2 mg
Vitamin B6 = 0.1 mg
Folate = 20.7 mcg
Vitamin B12 = 0.6 mcg
Pantothenic Acid = 0.6 mcg
Choline = 110 mg
Betaine = 0.3 mg

Egg Minerals

Calcium = 23.3 mg
Iron = 0.8 mg
Magnesium = 5.3 mg
Phosphorus = 84.0 mg
Potassium = 59.0 mg
Sodium = 61.6 mg
Zinc = 0.5 mg
Selenium = 13.9 mcg
Fluoride = 0.5 mcg

So I notice from the above egg nutrition data that whole eggs are a great source of selenium and a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B12, and phosphorus. Whole eggs are also a great source of high quality protein and healthy fats.

Others may notice that a medium egg has 4 grams of fat and 186 mg of cholesterol. Since fats and cholesterol have been portrayed as killers to your health over the years, many people still believe that eggs are unhealthy.

But they aren't! They are an amazing source of vitamins and minerals when you find them from the right source. The fats and cholesterol within a whole egg is very nutritious.

Aren't Egg Whites Healthier Than Whole Eggs?

The egg yolk is the healthiest and most nutritious part of the egg.

Remember all the vitamins and minerals just a little up the page?

A very large percentage of egg nutrition is from the egg yolk.

Throw out the egg yolk and throw out the healthiest part of the egg. You're wasting money and hurting yourself when you throw out the egg yolk and opt only for the egg whites.

If you've been doing this…

STOP NOW. Eat the whole egg with the yolk and start reaping all the benefits.

The egg yolk contains all of the Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) and all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. A large amount of the vitamin B6, folate, B12, calcium, iron, phosphorus, thiamin, and zinc are contained in the yolk and not in the egg white.

You might be asking, “What about the saturated fat and the cholesterol? My doctor says I need to lower my cholesterol!” Let's talk about that in detail so you have no worries.

Won't Whole Eggs Make My Cholesterol Levels Skyrocket???

When you eat a whole egg with a high amount of cholesterol within its egg nutrition, your body automatically turns down it's internal production of cholesterol. Your body is VERY SMART and won't allow an over production of cholesterol.

Your body auto regulates your production of cholesterol when eating eggs. This makes it easier on your body.

Cholesterol is vital to many functions within your body and feeding it cholesterol without the need to produce it on its own is very good. If you don't feed your body enough cholesterol, it's going to start producing cholesterol on its own anyway.

Many scientific studies have shown that whole eggs raises your good cholesterol levels (HDL cholesterol) which improves your overall ratio of good HDL levels to bad LDL levels. I'm telling you that egg nutrition is great for you! Whole eggs help your blood chemistry.

Many people think that high cholesterol is a disease. High cholesterol isn't always bad. Why do you need to lower your cholesterol levels? High cholesterol isn't heart disease. Please remember that and ask your doctor to explain why he/she is so worried about high cholesterol levels.

If you have high cholesterol BUT your ratio of HDL to LDL is good, then you don't have any issues. Check with your doctor and see what he/she says.

Another Important Fact About Egg Nutrition: “Egg Yolks Contain Antioxidants”

Egg yolks contain many antioxidant properties which helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Researchers have determined that 2 egg yolks have almost twice the amount of antioxidant properties as an apple and 1/2 the amount of 25 grams of cranberries!

To get the most antioxidants out of your egg nutrition, the best way to have them is raw. Cooking does degrade some of the egg nutrition, but you also need to make sure your whole eggs are coming from a healthy source.

Another awesome FACT about egg nutrition:

Egg proteins are converted by enzymes in your stomach and small intestines. When this happens, peptides are produced that act the same way as ACE inhibitors which are used to lower high blood pressure.

I'm telling you — whole eggs are amazing for your body. Don't throw the egg yolks in the garbage! We don't even know about all the benefits of egg nutrition yet either. As researchers continue to study eggs, I will guarantee more and more benefits are discovered.

Where to Get Your Whole Eggs

You want cage-free eggs from a good source. Many groceries out there today only carry eggs that have been mass produced by chickens who are penned up and never allowed to roam free looking for their own food.

Hens who are laying eggs should be allowed to roam around on in the fields and pastures finding their own foods like insects, green plants, worms, and other things that inject nutrition into your whole eggs.

If the eggs you are eating have a thin and weak shell plus a pale yellow center, you DO NOT have a good source of eggs.

If the eggs you are eating have a strong and thick shell plus a dark orange center, you have a PERFECT source of eggs.

Make sure to find a great source of whole eggs for you and your family. I highly recommend you search around your area for a farmer who might have eggs for sale. The local farmer's market might be the easiest place to find healthy eggs with great egg nutrition.

If you get eggs from the right source, the eggs will have an even greater amount of nutrition! The fat contained in the egg will have a higher ration of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6 fatty acids which is what you're looking for in this situation.

Ask the farmer if the hens are allowed to roam free and find their own food — or you can test on your own by looking at the egg once you crack the shell. Remember that a deep orange yolk is what you're looking for here.

I've bought many eggs at grocery stores in the past that say cage-free and that doesn't always mean a healthier egg so be careful with what you're buying.

I also throw whole eggs that are raw into the blender with smoothies and have never had any issues. But, I always get mine from a healthy and reliable source. There's no way I would do that with mass farmed eggs.

What About Whole Egg Powder?

I've heard of some people using whole egg powder because it has this amazingly long shelf life.

Some people keep the canister in their kitchen just in case they run out of eggs. The shelf life for some of the whole egg powder is 3 years.

If any food has a shelf life of 3 years, do you really think it could be healthy for you? Especially whole eggs?

Food wasn't made to last for years.

Most likely, the food company manufacturing this stuff is adding all kinds of nasty chemicals, preservatives, and whatever else is needed to make this stuff last this long.

You can even read some of the reviews on any of the whole egg powder products, and you'll find out how the powder made many people sick.

One reviewer was looking to use it to feed their bees, and the bees wouldn't go near it even with sugar mixed into the whole egg powder. When a bee won't touch it, why would you?

Stick with fresh eggs from pasture raised chickens or other animals that are being raised properly or wild animals are even better. Don't go near whole egg powder! It's not worth it to stick trash in your body.

Side Note: Same thing with fast food. Many wild animals wouldn't touch a fast food hamburger or fries.

What About the Extra Calories in Whole Eggs?

Whole eggs have more calories than egg whites BUT they have more calories because you're getting a much higher nutrient intake from the egg nutrition in the yolk.

You should not worry about the extra 50 calories that an egg yolk gives you.

With the WLC System, I explain that nutrition is what you're after here. You're looking for whole foods that provide the most amount of nutrition possible for the number of calories you are consuming.

Whole eggs fit the profile as a VERY healthy food.

What you don't want is food sources that do not provide a great number of nutrients for the amount of calories you are taking in. Junk food fits this profile of high calories with next to zero nutrition. Junk food actually requires your body to use precious nutrients to get rid of toxins.

Whole eggs are an amazingly healthy food with so much nutrition! You need to be eating whole eggs every day or at least a few days per week.

How to Get Whole Egg Nutrition into Your Diet

Add a raw egg to your smoothies. I do this all the time BUT I trust our source of whole eggs.

Have a couple of whole eggs for breakfast every day.

Egg omelets. Throw in all types of vegetables.

Throw a couple of fried eggs over the top of vegetable and sweet potato hash.

Egg quiche.

Egg frittata.

Huevos Rancheros with black beans and fresh salsa (one of my favorites)!

Here are just a few of the healthy recipes that use whole eggs that you can find right here on Weight Lifting Complete:

– Whole Egg, Bacon, and Veggie Omelet
– Guacamole Deviled Eggs
– Heuvos Rancheros
– Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Hash

I want you to notice the huge number of healthy ingredients in all of the healthy recipes shown above. If you take a minute to look at the recipes, you'll see how I like to flood your body with a HUGE number of nutrients.

This is how the WLC System works. Flood your body with nutrients to build muscle and burn fat. Whole eggs are just one of the amazingly healthy ingredients that I regularly use in our healthy recipes.

I really hope this page on egg nutrition has opened your eyes today. Whole eggs are one of the healthiest foods and that's why they are on the food list for the WLC System. Go get yourself some egg nutrition.