So you were told to eat more eggs. Why, and how do you proceed!?
Why do we recommend eggs so liberally?
Eggs are an actual superfood, packed with protein, healthy fat, numerous vitamins, zinc, magnesium and more. Not only are they full of nutrients, these nutrients are also easy to digest. Raw egg yolks in particular are often equated with breastmilk in the ease of nutrient absorption basically without any digestion needing to be done first. For people with digestive issues, a food that needs almost no digestion in order to get the benefits is a huge win! Eggs also contain choline which is needed for learning and memory - crucial for people of every age - infants and they grow and develop, children as they are constantly learning, adults as learning continues and memory is key! The B vitamins in eggs are helpful for brain-body connections, sleep and energy. The healthy fat in egg yolks is necessary for brain health, heart health, stable energy and stable blood sugar.
How should we eat eggs?
Any way you want to eat an egg is great. In general, raw egg yolks are best. So, if you separate the egg yolk and put it in a smoothie or in soup or in custard or just eat it as is, you are getting the most nutrients. You can also go over-easy with a cooked white and a runny yolk (my personal favorite). Even scrambled, you will still be getting so many of the nutrients in the eggs so if raw doesn’t excite you, cook them up however you want!
Quality is important though - eggs should be at least organic and free-range. Pasture raised is better. If you can get your eggs from a farm, that is best!
How many eggs should we eat?
This amount is relative to your body’s needs. Usually if you are doing the GAPS diet, we recommend 6-12 egg yolks (with or without whites) every day. This sounds like a lot, but the amount of nutrition provided by the eggs are invaluable, especially when you are working to heal your gut and your digestive system might not be working optimally. Otherwise, I would recommend 2-3 for kids per day and 3-6 for adults per day. This can be all for breakfast, or a few for breakfast and 1-2 yolks in a fresh smoothie/juice later on in the afternoon, or for dinner! There is no need to keep eggs only in the beginning of your day, although they do provide great support as you start a busy day! For more specific guidelines for your body, feel free to get in touch with one of our practitioners!
What if I suspect an egg allergy?
Typically, if you find a sensitivity to eggs, you are sensitive to the white instead of the yolk. Egg whites are predominantly protein, while the eggs are healthy fat. In order to test this, do a sensitivity test:
Before bedtime, separate an egg yolk from the egg whites (make sure it’s totally separate for this to really work).
Take just a drop of egg yolk and place it on the inside of your wrist. Let it dry (you can cover with a long sleeve or bandage if necessary, but make sure you are not allergic to the adhesive if you use one!).
Go to bed.
In the morning (about 12 hours later), check the area for redness, itchiness or irritation.
If you notice any of these symptoms, do not consume egg yolks. At this point I would recommend starting the GAPS healing protocol to heal your body so you are no longer sensitive to eggs. After 2-3 weeks on GAPS try the sensitivity test again.
If you do not have redness, irritation or itchiness, you may try consuming egg yolk - a small amount for the first few days, and then you may advance quickly if you do not notice reactions.
Repeat the test with the egg white to see if you are sensitive to the proteins.
Feel free to check out our recipes that include eggs! Remember that egg dishes can be used at any time during the day, not just in the mornings!
Happy egging,
- Hollie