What Is In Your Protein Shake?

Facts on protein shakes:

Plexus Slim

This product is not even a protein source.  From looking at the nutrition label it contains ingredients to suppress appetite and accelerate fat loss.  We all know that those "too good to be true" claims are just that! 

Shaklee Life Energizing Shake

Designed to increase your energy and help retain lean muscle mass in order to achieve a healthier weight.  It does so by containing 24 grams of protein, the highest of the protein shakes we discuss, and leucine.  With a powerful combination of prebiotics and probiotics it promotes digestive and immune health.  It is also designed to promote heart and brain health by including Omega-3 fatty acids. Protein is provided by non-GMO soy.  It contains 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber in 170 calories.  It is however, higher in sugar than the rest at 10 grams.

Lean Shake

Aavailable at GNC, it’s a good price point but there is a reason for that.  Has a good amount of calories at 180 per serving, fat grams are low at 2 and has a good amount of dietary and soluble fiber.  Where this meal replacement lacks is in the amount of protein it contains, only 9 grams per serving.  

Advocare

Lets just go ahead and say it… this protein shake is probably the worst of the bunch!  Although it is high in protein, 24 grams, it is also high in calories, 220, and 12 grams of sugar!!  At this point you are better of going with one of the other shakes we discuss in this blog.  

TLS Weight Loss Solution from Market America

TLS emphasizes a low-glycemic approach to eating.  This helps keep your blood sugar levels where they need to be and helping you lose weight while doing so.  TLS offers support through certified trainers and provides meal plans to follow a low glycemic diet.  The 190 calories per serving offers 18 grams of whey protein, 6 grams of fat of which 1.5 grams are saturated.  Its got a good carbohydrate, 16 grams, to fiber ratio, 10 grams and only 2 grams of sugar. 

Contact Juli Ennis, one of our Fitness With a View trainers if you are interested in purchasing this particular protein shake.  864-360-7285

Shakeology

One of the most well known and well marketed fitness supplement programs right now.  It provides 160 calories with a good ratio of sugar, 6 grams, and protein 17 grams.  It also has a decent amount of dietary fiber, 6 grams.  And you have to be happy with the fact that it only has 2 grams of fat.  It is sold through network marketing so it is not easily available and it is the most expensive of the bunch.  You’ll be paying more than $4.00 per serving.  One more con is the danger of consuming GMOs which are prevalent around soy and whey products, these are their protein sources. 

Arbonne

This multi-level marketing company does provide a few things that set them apart from the rest.  With 160 calories per serving it provides a whopping 20 grams of non GMO, pea based vegan protein, which provides a complete amino acid spectrum.  It only has 15 grams of carbohydrates but it is cost effective giving it and edge.  It has 3 grams of fat per serving and 2 grams of fiber (that is on the low side.) Their products are free of artificial colors and sweeteners, gluten free, dairy free and soy free.  Its biggest downfall is the amount of sodium, 480 mgs per serving.  This is high for a single protein shake, that said… it is not high for a single meal.  

Contact Tatiana De Angulo, one of our Fitness With a View trainers if you are interested in purchasing this particular protein shake.  

864-354-7313

Vega One

Vega One Nutritional Shake is a plant-based all-in-one nutritional shake that provides you with 20 grams of protein, 6 servings of greens, and 50% of your daily value of vitamins and minerals.  It provides a lot of nutrition for only 160 calories.  Vegan certified and non-GMO Project certified, Vega One is gluten, dairy, and soy free.  It is higher in fat with 6 grams only 1 of those being saturated.  It also has a good amount of fiber with 6 grams.  

Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal

This provides the most amount of nutrition for the least amount of calories, only 120 per serving.  In addition to an incredible amount of protein, 20 grams, Raw Meal contains 21 vitamins and minerals, 5 grams of fiber, and probiotics. Raw Meal is USDA-certified organic and non-GMO Project verified. It is made of all raw and vegan products. Raw Meal is gluten, dairy, lactose, and soy free. A 32-ounce container retails for about $45.00 with 28 servings per container.  This makes it a great deal!

Fitness Trends For 2017 - Part II

11) Fitness programs for older adults

Baby Boomers ushered in an unprecedented fitness revolution back in the '80s, and now, they're reaching retirement age and still enjoying the perks of physical activity, the survey suggests. More businesses are tailoring classes to better serve this aging population. “Even the frail elderly can improve their balance and ability to perform activities of daily living when given appropriate functional fitness program activities,” the survey says.

12) Functional fitness

Functional training gives you the type of strength that really matters: the kind that lets you move furniture, lift a suitcase into an overhead bin, or carry your toddler. In other words, it improves your coordination, balance, force, power, and endurance and helps enhance your ability to perform normal daily activities. This trend has moved up and down on the survey ranking since 2007. In addition to being a big part of CrossFit programs, functional fitness is often used in clinical programs to help with rehabilitation and independent living for older adults.  

13) Outdoor activities

Think a personal trainer will only have you working out in a gym? Not so much—these days, they're recommending all kinds of outdoor activities to clients as a way to enhance their overall fitness, the ACSM survey says. The survey considers outdoor activity as anything from kayaking to pick-up basketball to high-adventure excursions like camping and rock climbing. Experts say you can burn upward of 530 calories an hour when hiking, and even more if the wind resistance is high. Outdoor excursions have mental benefits too: greenery elicits a mood-boosting response after just five minutes. Plus, doesn’t a breathtaking mountain view sound much more exhilarating than your gym’s television screen?

14) Group personal training

This trend mixes the effectiveness of a one-on-one personal trainer with the economic sensibilities of a group class. Between two and four people can elect to use a group personal trainer, who can focus on this small group while not charging the same high prices they would for a purely individual session. “In these challenging economic times, personal trainers are being more creative in the way they package personal training sessions and how they market themselves to small groups,” says the survey. That explains why this trend has made the list since 2007 and remained through 2017

15) Wellness coaching

As opposed to personal training, health and wellness coaching focuses on the more mental aspects of wellness, like goal-setting. These coaches provide support and encouragement for clients who want to meet certain goals in their health, like participating in rehabilitation or disease prevention. Recently, personal trainers have implemented the techniques of wellness coaches into their fitness practices, blending the two trends into one.

16) Worksite health promotion

Companies are beginning to realize that a healthy employee is a happy, more productive employee—and that creating programs and services that promote positive behaviors like working out, quitting smoking, and losing weight ultimately controls rising health care costs. If your company already offers things on-site yoga, gym reimbursement, or Weight Watchers, ACSM predicts you'll see more of that in 2017.

17) Smartphone exercise apps

At this point, who hasn't tried MyFitnessPal or Nike+ Training Club? Fitness smartphone apps will continue to be trendy in 2017. Whether you're looking for meal planning help or programs that let you work out in your own home, there's probably an app out there for you. Similar to wearables, these apps have been questioned for their accuracy, but younger gym-goers and fitness lovers don’t seem to mind. It’s projected that as these apps become more accurate, usage will rise too.

18) Outcome measurements

You may have never heard of this trend before, but there’s a chance you’ve used it. It’s quite literally using numbers to measure your progress. It’s a way to hold your instructor or personal trainer or yourself accountable when trying to meet fitness goals.  For example, weight can act as an outcome measurement if your goal is to shed a few pounds. If your personal trainer says he can help you to lose 30 pounds in 3 months and you fall short, it’s a way to check your trainer’s ability to help as well as your own habits. 

19) Circuit training

While similar to HIIT, the survey defines circuit training as a lower-intensity option when compared to its non-stop work counterpart. Typically, 10 exercises are chosen and completed one after another in a circuit with rest between each exercise. Then, the circuit is repeated. For beginners who want to get in a workout but find high-intensity interval training intimidating, circuit training could be the answer. This form of training, which has been around since 1953 according to the survey, can be done on your own or at gyms with more specialized equipment.

20) Flexibility and mobility rollers

Stretching before and after a workout has been considered useful for some time now, but foam rollers, which offer more deep-tissue massage action, have become popular in the last few years. These tools, which come in smooth or raised-bump cylinders, improve circulation and relieve muscle tension. 

Fitness Trends For 2017 - Part I

1) Wearable technology

Fitness trackers and smart watches have been hot holiday gifts for the last few years, and the ACSM says that trend won't be going anywhere in 2017—and in fact, it will only get bigger. Recent updates from brands like Garmin, Apple, and Fitbit have sent the trend to number one for the upcoming year. Brands have upped their games regarding the accuracy of their technology.  This has helped keep the trend around. 

Today’s wearables track distance, and also provide heart rate readings, GPS route tracking, move reminders, and so much more.

2) Body weight training

It's easy to see why no-equipment workouts are so popular: They're relatively easy to learn, they can be modified to suit any ability level, and they can be done just about anywhere. Plus, body weight body weight exercises are an efficient way to get fit for free. Pushups and pull-ups are classic bodyweight moves, but there are plenty more to choose from, like squats, lunges, and planks, just to name a few.

3) HIIT

HIIT's helps you torch calories fast by alternating quick bursts of high-intensity exercise with short rest periods. It can be found in all types of workouts, from Pilates to CrossFit and boot camp classes. High profile fitness companies are huge proponents of this form of exercise, if they continue to advertise and support HIIT, we don’t see it leaving the trend list anytime soon.

To try a high-intensity interval training workout yourself, spend 20 to 30 minutes total combining repeated shorts bursts of work with short break periods, like 45 seconds of burpees with 15 seconds of rest followed by 45 seconds of squats.  A 20-minute HIIT session can burn around 190 calories per session and will keep your metabolism fired up long after you finish the routine.

4) Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals

The number of people who want to become personal trainers keeps growing, and they have more options than ever to earn accreditation. Overall, people who work in the fitness industry are much more accountable and professional than previously.  This is attributed to clients becoming smarter about who they seek out for fitness-related help.

Not only is there continued growth in college and university programs, but there are more than 250 third-party certification organizations committed to teaching personal trainers best practices. As for the future of personal trainers and fitness professionals, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts these occupations to only increase in popularity, with employment of fitness professionals to rise 8% between 2014 and 2024.

5) Strength training

Gone are the days when the biggest fitness buffs out there stuck to cardio. Today, they know they can't miss strength training's science-backed benefits, such as boosting longevity, building muscle mass, and protecting against diabetes, back pain, and more. Plus, a growing number of women, in particular, have come to realize that lifting weights won't necessarily make them bulky, and in fact will help them burn more fat and boost metabolism.

6) Group training

SoulCycle, PureBarre, Orangetheory, CrossFit—they're all forms of group training, a huge fitness trend that will continue to thrive in 2017. The current group training movement kicked off in 2008 in conjunction with the beginning of the Great Recession, when the expense of personal training became a luxury many Americans could no longer afford. With many people using services like ClassPass to replace a gym membership entirely, we don't see the group training trend dying down any time soon.

7) Exercise Is Medicine

Regular exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, and other chronic diseases, and serves as a powerful stress-reducer and mood-booster. That's why the ACSM and the American Medical Association co-launched Exercise Is Medicine, a global movement that encourages physicians to refer patients to fitness professionals in their communities, and likewise, encourages fitness professionals to make connections with physicians. With health care costs on the rise, and with the future of the U.S. health insurance industry uncertain, using exercise as a preventive health tool is perhaps more important than ever.  

8) Yoga

Your zenned-out yogi friend is onto something: this ancient mind-body practice can be practiced on the go and can boost your mood, improve your sex life, and strengthen your entire body. Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has been a modern fitness trend for at least a decade, so how does it continue to be so popular? ACSM notes that while traditional Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa classes are readily available, fitness pros are also constantly finding new ways to reinvent yoga—think aerial yoga, hot yoga, and rope wall yoga. 

9) Personal training

Personal training is a perennial trend (it's been on the ACSM's annual list since it launched in 2006) and not much has changed about it over the years—these professionals generally provide one-on-one sessions that provide a more immersive and personalized experience for fitness seekers. But one important shift is happening in the industry: More education. A growing number of fitness professionals are seeking out formal education in kinesiology and exercise science, and credentialing is becoming more important to the facilities that employ them.  Quality of trainers has increased along with the sheer number of trainers available, because certifications and qualifications weed out the trainers who aren't top-notch in such a saturated market. 

10) Exercise and weight loss

Achieving a healthy weight will never go out of style, and a healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to reach your weight loss goal. In fact, using fitness as a way to shed fat has appeared on the ACSM's annual list since the survey’s inaugural year in 2006. Most of the well-publicized diet plans integrate exercise in addition to the daily routine of providing prepared meals to their clients.

Principles For Training Success & Having Fun

Principle 1: Consistency

Perhaps the largest predictor of fitness success revolves around your dedication to being consistent. Without this turning into some kind of dissertation, the idea we need to get our minds wrapped around is that the body needs a continual stimulus to create change or adaptation.

Fat loss, muscle gain, strength gain, cardiovascular fitness, you name it — they’re all dependent on consistency.  If I want to create measurable change in any fitness variable, I need to expose my body to a very specific stimulus over and over for that change to occur.

No matter what your goals are, here are some general rules of thumb to follow when it comes to the number of times you workout or train each week:

>  One day a week will do nothing but repeat the cycle of getting sore, then taking a step back.

>  Two days a week will reduce the soreness, but will lead to nearly no discernible changes in fitness.

>  Three days a week tends to be the tipping point where your training begins to show reasonable payoffs.

>  Four days a week is usually the sweet spot. You will get continual payoff from your investment and create dramatic change in your body.

>  Five days a week begins to introduce the idea of overkill. Yes, this level of dedication is admirable, and you will see dramatic change, but you must watch for overtraining after some time.

>  Six days a week is typically too much for the average Jane or Joe. Overtraining will likely appear after a short time and you will see injuries popping up from overuse.

>  Seven days a week, the “no days off” approach (yes, this exists), is a great way to get hurt. The cumulative effect of fatigue will become insurmountable and the only thing I can guarantee with this approach is eventual and complete burnout.

My recommendation for consistency is to stay in the zone of three to five training days a week and on your off days, be truly “off.” Recovery is critical for continued progress.

Principle 2: Intensity

There are two great things about intensity. First, you are in complete control of your intensity at all times. Think of intensity as your “effort” level. Second, if you don’t know how hard you should be going for given routine, remember that progression is the key with good form!

Look up CrossFit, kettlebell training, Zumba, spin classes, etc. and you’ll find they all have predetermined levels of intensity prescribed alongside exercises, sets, reps and pace. So the only thing you need to do is to adhere to that prescribed intensity. It’s actually very easy.

Stick with what is prescribed. If you are doing long duration, moderate aerobic work on an elliptical that asks for a heart rate of 130-150 bpm, don’t change the prescription. If you are doing a CrossFit WOD and they want to you to do 3 sets of 3 repetitions at 82% of your one-rep maximum, do exactly that. Intensity is a vital for success and if you find yourself having poor results in your program, look here first.

Principle 3: Technique

This one is a little more involved than the other two, but the payoff is immense. If you are doing a specific routine, especially if it involves weight training, spend the money on a couple of personal training sessions with someone who is certified and have your techniques evaluated. Most training programs assume your technique is spot on. The upside of this is that you can nearly guarantee success if your techniques are dialed.

Technique is also the mother to staying healthy. The fastest way to get injured is to do some big dynamic weightlifting exercise with poor form. If consistency is a critical principle, the easiest way to sabotage this principle is to get hurt. So, take the time and make sure your movement is clean.

Principle 4: Does It Make You Happy?

This one is a no-brainer. The easiest way to see the biggest results is to do something that makes you happy. The easiest way to have an epic fail is to try to do something that you dread, that makes you miserable, or that is not sustainable.

Truthfully, all of us coaches and trainers who genuinely care about you simply want you to move.  

Do you love to run? Do you dream about your next lifting session? Is the happiest place on earth anywhere that you are sitting on your bike? Do you want to try CrossFit?  Give it all a go. These routines, those exercises, and that fitness system all work.

How To Approach New Years Resolutions

Let me guess: You want to lose weight in 2017, or maybe just eat healthier. Perhaps you want to spend less money or spend more time with your friends and family.

Self-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American hobby. It's why so many of us—some estimates say more than 40% of Americans—make New Year's resolutions. 

But for all the good intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions; University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people achieve their New Year's goals.

Why do so many people fail at goal-setting, and what are the secrets behind those who succeed? The explosion of studies into how the brain works has more experts attempting to explain the science behind why we make resolutions—and more relevantly, how we can keep them.

Keep it Simple

Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to make large bucket lists or attempt extreme makeovers, whether personal or professional.

That's a nice aspiration, experts say—but the average person has so many competing priorities that this type of approach is doomed to failure. Essentially, shooting for the moon can be so psychologically daunting, you end up failing to launch in the first place.

It's more sensible to set "small, attainable goals throughout the year, rather than a singular, overwhelming goal," according to psychologist Lynn Bufka.  It is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time.

Make it Tangible

Setting ambitious resolutions can be fun and inspiring, but the difficulty in achieving them means that your elation can quickly give way to frustration. That's why goals should be bounded by rational, achievable metrics.

A resolution to lose some weight is not that easy to follow… It is much easier to follow a plan that says no potato chips, fries, or ice cream for six weeks. Be specific. Don't say you're "going to start going to the gym" in 2017—set a clear ambition, like attending a weekly spin class or lifting weights every Tuesday or Thursday.  If you can't measure it, it's not a very good resolution because vague goals beget vague resolutions.

Make it Obvious

Experts recommend charting your goals in some fashion, although there's no universal strategy for success. For some, making a clear to-do list is enough of a reminder; others rely on vision boards or personal diaries.

An emerging tactic: share your goals with your friends and family. It's another way to build accountability, especially in the Facebook era.

For example, after a woman named Anna Newell Jones ran more than $23,600 into debt, she made a New Year's resolution to work her way out of it--and publicly. As part of that effort, Newell Jones launched a blog, And Then We Saved, to chronicle her attempt to go from shopaholic to spendthrift; in less than a year and a half, she'd paid off her debt.

Rivka Friedman, who authors a cooking blog called Not Derby Pie, used a similar tactic several years ago: She posted her kitchen resolutions. You can still see them on the right-hand side of the blog, as Rivka either crossed off her accomplishments or hyperlinked to blog posts, like her efforts to learn how to make kimchi or fillet a fish properly. Sharing resolutions is a good way to keep oneself accountable and social media can be used as a motivator.

Keep Believing You Can Do It

To be clear: Simply setting a goal does raise your chances of achieving that goal, significantly.  But within weeks or months, people begin abandoning their resolutions as they hit bumps in the road that throw them off their stride.

More often than not, people who fail to keep their resolutions blame their own lack of willpower. In surveys, these would-be resolvers repeatedly say that if only they had more self-determination, they would've overcome any hurdles and achieved their goals.

There is an emerging body of research that points out that willpower is malleable. In one study led by a Stanford University psychologist, scientists gauged whether test subjects believed they could exhaust their willpower, and sought to convince them otherwise. The researchers found that people "performed better or worse [on tests] depending on their belief in the durability of willpower."

You have as much willpower as you think you have, essentially. Which means that on some level, your journey toward self-improvement will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Tips To Reduce Holiday Stress

While the holiday season can be a fun and joyous time, it can also be very stressful. The combined effort of shopping, attending social events, and entertaining guests can quickly become too much to handle. A poll by the American Psychological Association shows that 8 out of 10 people  anticipate increased stress over the holidays. In some cases, the increase in stress and anxiety may even lead to depression. The Mayo Clinic reports that depression is often an unwelcome guest during the holidays.

Though the holiday season can be a difficult and stressful time, there are several ways to minimize stress and anxiety so you can thoroughly enjoy this festive time of year.

Set a Spending Budget

The holiday season and spending go hand-in-hand. Between buying gifts for your children, spouse, and relatives, you can drop hundreds of dollars between Black Friday and Christmas Day. A 2015 Galllup poll reported that shoppers around the United States were planning to spend an average of $830 on gifts over the holidays.

Although spending money during the holiday season may be unavoidable, you can control how much you spend. Some of the stress you feel over the holidays may have a lot to do with financial pressure. To help prevent stress over money, plan ahead, review your finances, and come up with a realistic budget for gifts. Buying gifts shouldn’t affect your ability to pay your bills, nor should it result in costly credit card debt. 

Don’t let others pressure you into spending more than you can afford. Using a credit card is tempting, but it can also complicate matters. It might take several months or years to lower the balance. Decide on a maximum amount and stick to that budget. You can even have a discussion with friends and family and agree to only spend up to a certain amount. You can also get creative and think of gift ideas that don't involve money. A friend or family member might appreciate the gift of time better than an actual item. For example, perhaps you can offer to watch a friend’s child for a weekend so she can spend some alone time with her partner.

Get Plenty of Exercise

When you’re running around during the holiday season, exercise might be the last thing on your mind. What you may not realize, however, is that being active can elevate your mood and help you cope with stress.

Exercise and other types of physical activity stimulate the production of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are brain chemicals that function as a natural painkiller. They can trigger a positive feeling in the body, boosting mood and reducing feelings of anxiety and stress.

Understandably, you might be busy and have little time for physical activity during the holidays. However, it doesn't take much time to maintain a calm mental state. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a minimum of three times each week. Find an activity that works for you and your lifestyle. You may want to consider:

• walking

• jogging

• swimming

• biking

• playing sports

• aerobics

Keep It Simple

The holiday season is particularly stressful when you have too much on your plate. This might be the case if you're welcoming out-of-town guests and hosting family festivities. You don’t necessarily have to cancel your plans, but make sure you’re not setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to do everything yourself. Get your family involved and delegate. For example, instead of taking on the responsibility of preparing an entire meal alone, ask everyone to bring a dish. Or, if you feel that hosting an event at your home is too much, don't feel obligated to entertain relatives and friends. Know your limitations and learn how to say “no.”

Pick Your Battles

Being in close quarters with some of your family members for long periods of time can be stressful in itself. You all have your own personalities. Because of your differences, it may be easy to rub each other the wrong way. Remember that if you let every remark get under your skin, you’ll be miserable and stressed out the entire time. Set aside your differences, and agree to disagree. This is easier said than done. But if you can learn how to let go and pick your battles, you’ll have less anxiety. Don’t let the actions of others rob you of your joy.

Even if you’re a calm and collected person, the holiday season can still be a trying time. Your stress level can still skyrocket. These practical tips may minimize your stress and anxiety, and help you cope. However, don’t be afraid to speak with a doctor or mental health professional if you’re having a difficult time. They may help you improve your coping skills so you can get through the holiday season with a smile on your face. 

How Do You LIke Your Eggs?

The truth is that eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Just think of the egg as the ultimate source of life – it contains all the ingredients required to develop a single cell into a live baby chicken.  In order for that to happen, the egg has to pack all of the essential life-enabling nutrients in a very tight space. Isn’t that pretty amazing? Kudos for mother nature.

But the best part is that all of this nutritive goodness can be also used to complete your healthy diet with a variety of precious vitamins and minerals. And let’s not forget to mention the most famous feature of eggs – they are one of the best sources of high-quality-protein on the planet – and the cheapest one, as well! They provide your body with the whole package of amino acids required for building muscle mass and repairing tissues. Nutrition experts even recommend eating three whole eggs per day for a well-balanced diet.

Worried About Your Cholesterol Levels? There’s No Need For That

While it’s true that the egg yolk contains a high amount of cholesterol, things are a bit more complex than that.

First of all, studies have never found a connection between normal egg consumption and coronary artery disease. And do you even know what cholesterol really is? From a nutritive standpoint, it’s not exactly the one-dimensional bad guy that popular magazines describe it to be. It’s actually a structural molecule that is an essential part of the cell membrane – of every single cell in the body. It’s responsible for the production of testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol, all of which are very important for the normal functioning of the body.

Besides getting it from food, our body produces its own cholesterol in the liver. And when we eat foods that are rich in cholesterol the liver simply starts producing less of it, so the total amount of cholesterol in the body changes very little, depending on our diet.

On top of that, there is the “good” (HDL) and “bad” (LDL) kind of cholesterol – according to the American Heart Association, the second one contributes to the production of thick, hard deposits that can clog arteries and make them less flexible, increasing the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, the “good” cholesterol actually helps remove the LDL cholesterol from the arteries by carrying it back to the liver, where it gets broken down and passed away from the body, therefore protecting the heart’s health.

Eggs actually contain high amounts of HDL cholesterol, while trans fats found in overly processed and deep fried foods contribute to rising levels of LDL cholesterol. So consuming whole eggs will not only bring vital benefits to your health – it can also reverse the negative effects of your junk food choices.

Nutritional Profile of One Whole Egg

• Calories: 77

• Protein: 6 grams

• Healthy fats: 5 grams

• Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA

• Folate: 5% of the RDA

• Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA

• Vitamin B12 9% of the RDA

• Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA

• Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA

• Selenium: 22% of the RDA

In addition, eggs contain significant amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, and Zinc. They also do the following:

Protect Eyesight

The egg yolks are also packed with lutein, a type of carotenoid that helps prevent macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness. Lutein is also found in green leafy vegetables, but research has shown that the body is able to absorb it way better from eggs. In addition, yolks also contain zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that protects your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Protect Bone Health

Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption and maintaining bone health, so if you don’t get enough of it, you might increase your risk of osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Since VitaminD is naturally present in very few foods, many people aren’t getting enough of it on a regular basis – and here egg yolks come to the rescue yet again. If you don’t have enough time to sunbathe or sunny days are rather scarce where you live, eggs can be a convenient way to supply your organism with a decent amount of vitamin D.

Fight Off Iron Deficiency

In case you’re suffering from an iron deficiency, which is characterized by frequent headaches, fatigue, and irritability, eggs can help you a great deal. Two large eggs contain 2 milligrams of iron, and with frequent consumption, you can significantly improve your intake of iron.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Eating eggs can help you increase feelings of satiety and control hunger easily. Having eggs for breakfast will keep you full longer than most types of food, which in turn will limit your calorie intake throughout the rest of the day, resulting in greater weight loss. The protein in eggs provides a steady and sustained source of energy for your body which doesn’t cause a surge in blood sugar or insulin levels.

Healthy Brain Development

As we’ve stated before, egg yolks are rich in choline, which among other things is an important nutrient for the proper functioning of the brain, especially crucial for healthy brain development in fetuses and newborns. Studies have shown that eating more eggs during pregnancy and lactation can stimulate the brain development and function of babies. In addition, a study from the University of North Caroline found that choline can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 24 percent.

In Conclusion

Eggs have long been considered as the perfect food and as you can see, there are plenty of good reasons for that. Making eggs a staple food in your diet is not only safe – it’s actually more than beneficial for your overall health. Everyone can benefit from increasing the consumption of this super food, including bodybuilders, pregnant women, kids and older adults. And don’t just reach for the whites – the yolk is equally important. Three eggs a day can keep the doctor away!