Egg Yolks- They're not the enemy!

I like to eat a lot of protein. I need carbs for my runs, but I need protein to build muscle. I have no problems finding carbs to eat. The easiest way to get protein into my diet is by eating chicken breast. I eat a ton of chicken breast and I really never get sick of it. Yay!

Egg whites are also a great way to get the grams of protein I need for muscle building. This summer I have not been eating as many egg whites as normal, but during this past school year, I always ate an egg white sandwich after my morning runs. I have eaten them from time to time this summer, but I sort of got sick of them.

I had never added the yolk to my eggs. In my mind, the yolks were full of fat and cholesterol and should not be part of my diet.

Source

However, after listening to Jillian Michaels speak on her podcast about how nutritious egg yolks are, and time after time hearing her and others in the fitness industry insist that we should be eating the yolks, I decided to do some research on the topic myself.

I would urge you to read this article by Alex Stewart at bodybuilding.com if you want some excellent information on "the big deal about egg yolks". But if you do not feel like reading that whole thing, I have some highlights from the article below:

"It's true that when you compare egg yolks to other foods they are relatively high in cholesterol. Cholesterol is something that many people should be concerned about, but not so much in the case of eggs. Studies have shown that regularly eating eggs can actually lower your low density lipids (that's "bad" cholesterol to us lay people) and raises high density lipids."

"The dangers of a high cholesterol diet may also have been exaggerated in the media. The benefits of cholesterol, especially from a natural source like an egg yolk, have been down played, while the risks may have been terribly blown out of proportion."

"Limiting dietary cholesterol intake is important but the real danger comes from saturated fats and trans fats. These two are greater factors in increased cholesterol than any typical intake of egg yolks. It doesn't make much sense to separate egg yolks to avoid the cholesterol while eating deep fried fatty foods, pizza and other junk in a normal western diet. Keep the eggs, and lose the deep fried fat and red meats; that should be the more consistent message"

"Cut the yolk and you lose out on iron, potassium, folate, selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, biotin, choline."

"There is a line dividing many people about whether egg yolks are safe to eat, mainly due to the issues with cholesterol. The fact remains that the bulk of the nutrition in an egg comes from the yolk (including 1/5 of the total protein). Logic would dictate that if you are a person who has an issue with cholesterol, you shouldn't eat eggs on a constant basis, but when you do you should eat the whole thing."

Egg Yolks vs. Egg Whites

(You only need to glance at this chart to see where most of the nutrients come from!)

Nutrient	White	Yolk	% Total in White	% Total in Yolk
Protein	3.6 g	2.7g	57%	43%
Fat	0.05g	4.5g	1%	99%
Calcium	2.3 mg	21.9 mg	9.5%	90.5%
Magnesium	3.6 mg	0.85 mg	80.8%	19.2%
Iron	0.03 mg	0.4 mg	6.2%	93.8%
Phosphorus	5 mg	66.3 mg	7%	93%
Potassium	53.8 mg	18.5 mg	74.4%	25.6%
Sodium	54.8 mg	8.2 mg	87%	13%
Zinc	0.01 mg	0.4 mg	0.2%	99.8%
Copper	0.008 mg	0.013 mg	38%	62%
Manganese	0.004 mg	0.009 mg	30.8%	69.2%
Selenium	6.6 mcg	9.5 mcg	41%	59%
Thiamin	0.01 mg	0.03 mg	3.2%	96.8%
Riboflavin	0.145 mg	0.09 mg	61.7%	48.3%
Niacin	0.035 mg	0.004 mg	89.7%	9.3%
Pantothenicacid.	0.63 mg	0.51 mg	11%	89%
B6	0.002 mg	0.059 mg	3.3%	96.7%
Folate	1.3 mcg	24.8 mcg	5%	95%
B12	0.03 mcg	0.331 mcg	8.3%	91.7%
Vitamin A	0 IU	245 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin E	0 mg	0.684 mg	0%	100%
Vitamin D	0 IU	18.3 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin K	0 IU	0.119 IU	0%	100%
DHA and AA	0	94 mg	0%	100%
Carotenoids	0 mcg	21 mcg	0%	100%

Source

So after reading several articles, I have determined that as long as I don't have high cholesterol, incorporating an egg yolk into my omelet or egg sandwich is going to benefit me nutritionally. You will have to decide for yourself, of course, whether the yolks are right for you, but I keep thinking of the quote from Alex Stewart's article: "Keep the eggs, and lose the deep fried fat and red meats."

1 whole egg, 2 egg whites with diced tomatoes, peppers, and a banana protein shake. 

What a great recovery meal!

Look how fluffy my omelet gets when I add a yolk! And it was so much more tastier, too.

(Yes, those little white dots are grains of salt. I did not cut added salt YET but I plan to. Just let me enjoy my added sodium for a few more weeks...)

Do you eat the yolk of an egg?

Share your favorite omelet recipe with me!