Thursday, March 8, 2012

Eat to Lose….Benefits of Eggs….& High Blood Pressure + Strokes

In honor of National Nutrition Month, I found some interesting facts in this month’s Shape and Runner’s World magazines that I wanted to share.

National Nutrition Month - Get Your Plate in Shape

An article in Runner’s World shared these tips about eating to lose weight (or just maintain a healthy lifestyle):

Plan Ahead. Eat Often. Limit Temptations. Don’t Drink Sugar. Veg It Up. Avoid Condiments (hint: try salsa instead!). Make Fiber Your Friend. Keep Decadent Food Away. Practice Long, Slow Eating. Eat Real Food. Pay Attention to Hunger (don’t snack out of habit). Eat at Home.

So simple, right??

There was another article called Sunny Side Up that I LOVED. I absolutely LOVE eggs!! I prefer them boiled and have an aversion to egg yolks, so I eat around 8 boiled egg whites every day. (Just a personal preference about the yolk….the egg yolks actually have some major health benefits!!)

Yes, I know that many eggs sounds outrageous. And yes, we go through 5 dozen eggs every week and a half or so. (We really need a friend who has chickens.) Here are some of the benefits I read in this article that reminded me why I should be okay with eating all those eggs….

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1. Eating eggs help you slim down. The protein in eggs is easy for the body to absorb, ad the quality protein in them helps control appetite.

2. Eggs protect your heart. Research shows people who eat eggs are less likely to have cardiac troubles.

3. Eggs fight inflammation. I am ALL about using food as medicine and would much rather consume it through food than ibuprofen or some other type of medicine. Eggs help muscle recovery after a hard workout and have even been known to help fight diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

4. Eggs help us maintain bone strength. They are a natural source of vitamin D….

5. And finally, eating eggs help keep your vision sharp. The yolks contain lutein in a very absorbable form, so it helps prevent vision problems.

And some info about blood pressure and strokes….

Did you know…As many as 73 million Americans have high blood pressure. Of the 1 in every 4 adults with high blood pressure, 31.6 percent are not aware they have it. That’s scary stuff considering people who have high blood pressure have more than half the lifetime risk of having stroke compared to those who consistently have optimal blood pressure of 120/80.  Get your blood pressure checked, friends. And if it’s high (and not hereditary), the fastest way to get it under control is through making some healthy diet changes.

2 comments:

Mrs. Pancakes said...

planning ahead is such an important aspect of eating healthy! thanks for the info!

C Mae said...

I love eggs! Only problem is I DO NOT have enough time in the AM to make them every morning!!! :) Weekends though! :)