As I mentioned in a recent article about coffee, knowing what’s good to eat and what’s not can be really tricky. Another controversial food is eggs.

One year they’re good, next they’re bad, your doctor says one thing, your trainer says the opposite.

Well now I’m jumping into the fray too, to again provide a logical approach to making food choices based on the body’s requirements and the available research and evidence (strap in).

Eggs’ nutrient profile is close to mother’s milk.

First, there is no dispute over the fact that eggs are extremely nutritious.

Eggs contain a lot of nutrients vital to human function. They are a good source of iron, folate, zinc, choline as well as vitamins A, B2, B12, D and E.

Most of the nutrition of an egg is contained in the yolk, so please, please forget those egg white omelets.

Conventional wisdom has told us that because the yolk is high in fat we should avoid it: when the truth is fat is an essential part or the human diet – it is a highly efficient source of energy, and the breakdown products of fats are needed for a vast range of biological processes, from building cell membranes, to insulating nerves.

Cholesterol…

But wait! Aren’t eggs high in cholesterol?

Yes, eggs are relatively high in cholesterol, but this isn’t how it looks…

For a long time, saturated fat, especially cholesterol was demonized as a harbinger of death, hiding inside your favourite foods. When in fact, cholesterol is constantly produced by your body, and plays a vital role in hormone production, energy production, and makes up the protective lining of every single cell in your body.

Another important thing to understand is that your body doesn’t absorb the cholesterol in the food you eat – dietary cholesterol has very little, if any effect on the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood. Chris Kresser wrote a great article about the cholesterol-diet myth (for all you science nerds out there.)

Even so, isn’t cholesterol what clogs up your arteries?

Well, kinda.

Blaming cholesterol for arterial disease is like blaming the fire department for house fires – they’re present in the wake of every house fire, so they must’ve done it right?

Actually, cholesterol plays a specific role in the healing process and is attracted to sites of inflammation or damage to the inside of arteries. The more inflammation, the more signals are sent out to the body that something is wrong. Cholesterol acts like a bandaid in this situation, latching to the inside of the arterial wall and patching up damaged/weak points. Often this damage is a result of chronic inflammation, which we know is really at the root of most if not all chronic illness, from heart disease to cancer.

Over time, if the PRIMARY PROBLEM (poor lifestyle/environment) isn’t corrected, the SECONDARY issues continue to get worse and worse.

Sourcing matters.

As with any By Design food, the quality and sourcing of eggs really matters.

Organic, free range eggs have been found to contain dramatically higher levels or micro-nutrients, including double the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids (the healthful fatty acids that are in fish oil and other healthy fats). The chickens those eggs come from also tend to be healthier and have stronger immune systems, meaning the eggs they produce have a lower toxic load as well as a lesser chance of other contaminants.

For the healthiest possible eggs, the best choice would be free-range, pasture raised, organic eggs. The chickens these eggs come from are far healthier and closer to their life by design compared to conventionally raised chickens. Right now in Ottawa there are a TONNE of farmer’s markets where you can find healthy produce, including healthy eggs.

One of the many Life By Design Approved partners is Beking’s Poultry Farm, which raise organic, free run chickens and can be found at the Kanata Farmer’s market, as well as the Landsdowne farmer’s market.

For more nutrition myth busting join us at our next live Eat By Design Seminar.

Dr. David Hawkes is a wellness expert and martial arts enthusiast. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Dr Hawkes’ passion for health and wellness has led him here to Kanata, literally halfway around the world. After graduating from Murdoch University, Dr. Hawkes ran a successful practice in Perth’s western suburbs before moving to Ottawa. Dr. Hawkes has a special interest in family wellness, as well as Peak Performance. He is passionate about helping individuals and families lead their extraordinary lives.