The Truth about EGGS

Well Easter is just around the corner and my mouth is starting to water for the delicious taste of deviled eggs.  How about you?  Every year around this time I begin to crave deviled eggs.  Now I have made the switch to brown eggs and when I can I buy them from a neighbor who has free roaming chickens.  The taste is undeniably better than store bought white eggs.  The problem is during the winter the chickens aren't laying as many eggs so then I purchase the store bought brown eggs.  More expensive than white eggs but I believe worth the benefits.  Now back to my craving for deviled eggs.  I don't think about them in the fall and winter months but come spring I am craving these delectable little treats.  With my focus this year on being more conscious about healthy environments I wanted to explore whether eggs are healthy or not.  It seems like the debate has been going on for a long time now about healthy vs. nonhealthy in the great egg debate. 

Well according to information found at Livestrong.com The Limitless Potential of You

Not True: Eggs make you fat

True: Eggs are a great food for weight loss

 One egg is only about 70 calories, with a great balance of 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat. The protein/fat combination of increases satiety hormones -- the ones that tell your brain you are full. The protein in eggs also causes your body to release the hormone glucagon, which encourages your body to release and use stored carbohydrates and fat.

Not True: Eggs raise your cholesterol

True: Eggs don’t affect cholesterol levels

The problem: Dietary cholesterol doesn’t actually raise cholesterol as much as you might think. In fact, only 30 percent of people experience significant increases in cholesterol levels after following a diet high in cholesterol. Researchers from Harvard looked at the dietary habits of more than 100,000 people and concluded that daily egg consumption in healthy individuals didn’t increase risk of coronary heart disease. What’s more, a study from the University of Connecticut found that eating three eggs per day as part of a low carbohydrate regimen improved HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- without any negative health effects.

Not True: You should only eat egg whites

True: Enjoy the entire egg -- yolk included

Egg yolks contain 240mg of leucine, the amino acid single-handedly responsible for flipping your genetic muscle-building switch .But egg yolks are much more than just a muscle building nutrient. They also include choline -- essential for cell membrane function -- cholesterol, which serves as the molecular framework for multiple hormones in the body, vitamin A , vitamin D and vitamin E. Enjoy the entire egg to take advantage of all the nutritional benefits

Not True: Eating raw eggs allows you access to more nutrients

True: Cook your eggs to ensure you access all the nutrients

Raw eggs contain a compound called avidin, which binds and prevents the absorption of the essential nutrient biotin. Cooking eggs deactivates avidin, rendering it biochemically useless. And while only 1 in 10,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella, properly cooking eggs will effectively kill any salmonella that is present—as well as significantly reduce the risk of any food-borne illness that might exist.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/556213-nutrition-debate-are-eggs-good-for-you/#ixzz2OBO2RCNc

The Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

My husband and I just returned from our first ever cruise.  It was a wonderful way to celebrate our wedding anniversary and a great escape from our "In Like a Lion" March weather.  My husband loves, loves, loves, getting a massage and so of course on this excursion he enjoyed a luxurious massage right on the beach in Cozumel by a massage therapist.  I on the other hand am not that interested in massages so I thought I would do a little investigating to find out what the health benefits of massage therapy include.  According to the Mayo Clinic massage therapy is not only found in spas and upscale heath clubs but can be found at places of employment, clinics, hospitals, and even airports.  Massage can help us unwind but also can be helpful for:

Anxiety

Digestive disorders

Fibromyalgia

Headaches

Insomnia related to stress

Myofascial pain syndrome

Paresthesias and nerve pain

Soft tissue strains or injuries

Sports injuries

Temporomandibular joint pain

Do you know that massage has been practiced for thousands of years?  Today we have an option of choosing from 80 different types of massages.  The most common is a Swedish Massage but check out http://www.webmd.com/balance/massage-therapy-styles-and-health-benefits to learn about all the different types of massages available.

I think on that next trip with my husband I should opt for a massage because you know You are Worth It!