Design by DivTag Weebly Templates
nutrition by nature
  • Blog
    • Metabolism / thyroid
    • Nutrition myths and health traps
    • Blood Sugar
    • Q&A Mondays
    • Lifestyle tips
    • Beauty
    • Recipes
    • Nutrition 101
    • Resources and links
    • Disclaimer
  • About
    • Media
  • Nutrition Services
    • Nutrition and health coaching
    • Tailored meal plans
    • Cooking classes
    • Price list
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Eat your way to egg-cellent health! (baked eggs in avocado nests)

7/16/2012

13 Comments

 
Picture
That old and dusty hypothesis that dietary cholesterol causes a significant increase in blood cholesterol, thereby correlating with heart disease has long been put to rest. Many studies have confirmed that dietary cholesterol in fact has very little to do with cholesterol seen in the body, and that serum cholesterol levels may not be indicative of heart disease risk as once presumed1. Eggs, like most cholesterol-rich foods, are jam-packed with important nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids.
But eggs are even more unique. In fact, the slew of nutrients in an egg are so comprehensive that a few a day would offer better insurance than perhaps your average multivitamin! And, not only does eating eggs not raise your cholesterol levels2, studies show that the consumption of 3-4 eggs per day, with yolks, actually improvescholesterol profiles3 in healthy people.

The humble egg deserves true ‘superfood’ status. Plus, egg puns make for cracking yolks 

One of best advantages of eggs is that they are a rich source of dietary choline, an essential nutrient most of us don’t get enough of4,5. Choline deficiency manifests most prominently in the form of fatty liver disease and increase in liver enzymes (transaminases)6, as choline is required in order to export excess fats from the liver into the bloodstream for transport to other body tissues for metabolism7. The disappearance of egg yolks and liver – the two richest food sources of choline – from our diets may well account in part for the rise in the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease8,9 (also exacerbated by oxidative stress, leptin resistance, high alcohol, high sugar and high polyunsaturated fat intakes10).

Choline is also important for the formation of neurotransmitters, so plays a major role in maintaining cognitive and mental function11,12. What’s more, it’s an integral part of as part of phosphatidylcholine, one of the most abundant phospholipids in the human brain and central nervous system13, and dietary choline intake may also be protective against cardiovascular disease14,15, cancer 16,17, neural tube defects and cognitive impairment in newborns18,19,20 and Alzheimer’s disease21.

Cracking yolks

Skimping on the yolks and eating only egg white omelettes? Don’t bother. Egg yolks contain 100% of the carotenoids, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, E, D and K found in whole eggs. None of these nutrients are in the white. Furthermore, the yolk also has over 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate and B12 content. By weight (the yolk is only about 75% of the size of the egg white), the yolk even has more protein than the white22. I’d also add that the vast proportion of what tastes good about this superfood resides in the yolk, not the white. What’s not to love?

When choosing your eggs, go for pastured (from chickens allowed to roam free to forage on grass pastures) – they have five times more vitamin D, two-thirds more vit A, three times more vitamin E and seven times more beta carotene23.

Further reading

The incredible, edible egg yolk by Chris Masterjohn
High cholesterol and heart disease – myth or truth? by Chris Masterjohn
How to buy organic eggs: pastured vs. free range eggs by Cheeseslave

And finally, a recipe… an egg-cellent way to start your day:
Picture

Baked eggs in avocado nests

Serves 1-2

1 large, firm avocado
2 organic, pastured eggs
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: paprika, chilli, olive oil, parmesan, feta, chives, parsley… etc.

Preheat oven to 180C. Cut avocado in half, lengthways, and discard the stone. Carefully scoop out a small amount of the avocado to create a larger hollow. This will prevent your egg from overflowing completely (a small amount of overflow is fine).

Turn your avocado halves over, skin side up. Now, slice a little bit of skin off the back of the avocado, enough to make a flat ‘bottom’ for it to sit upright on, so that your eggs won’t fall out of their avocado nests.

Place avocados hole-side up once more, on their flattened bottoms, on an oven-proof tray lined with baking paper. Carefully crack an egg into each half* and season lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Pop into the preheated oven and let bake for approximately 15 minutes – this should be enough time to set the whites of the eggs but produce softly-baked yolks.

(*Note: if you’re avocado halves aren’t big enough to accommodate a full egg, skip the whites and just use the egg yolk, it’s the more delicious and nutritious bit anyway (see above)! Just put the whites aside or freeze for future use.)

Enjoy these in their naked state, or with toppings of your choosing – paprika, chilli, olive oil, macadamia oil, parmesan, feta, smoked salmon, scallions, herbs, lemon…  customize these little beauties as you see fit.
Picture
You may also like... 

Love your love handles ladies! 

13 Comments
acid reflux remedies link
5/29/2013 05:29:47 pm

This publish contains many useful information and facts in every aspect. however one has to follow this details for better output.keep publishing such type of articles.

Reply
dieta hcg link
8/21/2013 06:31:44 pm

Excellent and helpful post… i am so glad to left comment on this. This has been a so interesting read, would love to read more here….

Reply
augmenter poitrine naturellement link
9/30/2013 07:53:37 pm

Many thanks for the exciting blog posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you are a brilliant writer. I actually added your blog to my favorites and will look forward for more updates. Great Job, Keep it up..

Reply
samsung galaxy note 20 ultra 5g link
8/31/2020 12:36:23 am

Your thing with respect to making will be for all intents and purposes nothing hard to come by of amazing. This instructive article is unimaginably valuable and contains offered myself a superior answer for have the option to my own issues.

Reply
Hemp oil buy India link
6/16/2021 08:30:04 am

Fine way of explaining, and pleasant paragraph to obtain facts on the topic of my presentation focus, which i am going to deliver in institution of higher education.

Reply
Blink Mini Indoor Camera link
8/8/2021 09:12:00 am

Hello, by utilizing Google I discovered your site even as chasing down a practically identical subject, your site came up, it looks truly intriguing. I bookmarked it.

Reply
Sales Process to Close Deals link
8/13/2021 02:06:30 am

I was extremely satisfied to discover this site. I needed to thank you for ones time for this especially awesome read!! I unquestionably liked every single piece of it and I have you bookmarked to take a gander at new data in your web.

Reply
Rehabilitation Centre in Raipur link
8/15/2021 02:11:21 am

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly that love and read more on this topic.

Reply
SSC MTS mock test 2021 link
8/20/2021 04:33:12 am

Wow, this piece of writing is fastidious, my sister is analyzing such things, so I am going to inform her.

Reply
dog beds dubai link
9/8/2021 07:41:57 am

I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly

Reply
https://cse.google.com.ai/url?sa=t&url=https://www.thepostzilla.com/%2F link
9/15/2021 10:03:54 am

I truly thank you for the profitable information on this magnificent subject and anticipate more unfathomable posts.

Reply
Why Your Ads Are Not Converting link
1/3/2022 11:16:16 pm

I trust all of you are having an incredible end of the week. I added another rundown. This one is more modest, yet at the same time valuable. I think the following one will be greater.

Reply
smart hotel technology link
1/4/2022 12:15:06 am

For latest news you need to visit internet and on internet I observed this site as a best site for latest updates.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Kate Skinner Nutrition

    Kate Skinner

    Nutritionist, Health Writer
    Adv Dip Nutr. Med. (ACNT), 
    BDesArch (USyd)

    About Kate 

    Follow @nutrition_kate

    Top posts

    • Nutrition tips for sleep
    • Salt myths & truths: the value of dietary salt
    • Nuts & seeds are for birds & squirrels
      (not humans!)
       
    • Polyunsaturated vegetable oils: toxic
    • Gelatin: a beauty food
    • Super snack ideas
    • Weight loss 101:
      the dangers of
      under-eating and
       
      over-exercising
    • Love your love handles, ladies!
    • Will going vego really save the planet? 

    Hot topics

    All
    Blood Sugar
    Children's Health
    Delicious. Magazine
    Ethical Eating
    Events
    Exercise
    Fats
    Health Myths
    Health Traps
    Hormones
    Lifestyle Tips
    Metabolism
    Nutrition Myths
    Pregnancy & Fertility
    Q&A Mondays
    Real Food
    Recipes
    Skin & Beauty
    Sleep
    Sugar
    Thyroid
    Traditional Diets
    Weight

    RSS Feed


Website design copyright Kate Skinner. All images and content copyright Kate Skinner.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.