EGGS! How to Boil Eggs & Their Health Benefits….EASY & Delicious!

Do you want eggs that look like this??

ENJOY your nutritous, delicious egg!

How To Boil Eggs:

  1. Fill sauce pan a little more then half way. (I use my filtered water)
  2. Cover pot and bring to a rapid boil.
  3. Use a large spoon or wooden ladle to gently set your eggs, one at a time into the pot. I usually set up the spoon in the pot and then add one egg after another, without removing the spoon and the eggs just move down and around. Just get them in the pot without cracking them, however you do! 🙂
  4. Set timer for 6 minutes. (after ALL eggs are in…it’s okay to go to 6:30 not to be less then 6:00)IMG_4816
  5. After 6 minutes remove from heat, drain the water, add ice and cold water, if the water quickly becomes hot, drain the water and add more ice. (VERY IMPORTANT to cool IMMEDIATELY or they will still be cooking)
  6. Eggs are perfectly soft boiled with a little bit of runny yolk! mmmm…my favorite!
  7. Enjoy eggs or store them for later. I put my eggs back in the carton and label it appropriately so you know which ones are soft boiled.

 

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Eggs are amongst one of the most nutritious foods and I personally find them delicious.

What Are The Health Benefits Of EGGS???

1. Eggs Are Incredibly Nutritious

A whole egg contains all the nutrients required to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.

A single large boiled egg contains:

  • Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA.
  • Folate: 5% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA.
  • Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA.
  • Selenium: 22% of the RDA.
  • Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc.

This is coming with 77 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats.

Eggs also contain various other trace nutrients that are important for health.

Really… eggs are pretty much the perfect food, they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient we need.

If you can get your hands on pastured or Omega-3 enriched eggs, then these are even better. They have more Omega-3s and are much higher in Vitamin A and E.

Bottom Line: Whole eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient we need. Omega-3 enriched and/or pastured eggs are even healthier.

2. Eggs Are High in Cholesterol, But Don’t Adversely Affect Blood Cholesterol

It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol.

In fact, a single egg contains 212 mg, which is over half of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg.

However… it’s important to keep in mind that cholesterol in the diet doesn’t necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood.

The liver actually produces large amounts of cholesterol every single day. When we eat more eggs, the liver just produces less cholesterol instead, so it evens out .

The response to egg consumption varies between individual:

  • In 70% of people, eggs don’t raise cholesterol at all.
  • In the other 30% (termed “hyper responders”), eggs can mildly raise Total and LDL cholesterol.

However, as I will outline later in the article, the situation is a bit more complicated than that and these changes are actually beneficial.

(Exceptions… people with genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolemia or a gene type called ApoE4 may want to minimize or avoid eggs.)

Bottom Line: Eggs are high in cholesterol, but eating eggs does not have adverse effects on cholesterol in the blood for the majority of people.

3. Eggs Raise HDL (The “Good”) Cholesterol

HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. It is often known as the “good” cholesterol.

People who have higher levels of HDL usually have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and various health problems

Eating eggs is a great way to increase HDL.

In one study, 2 eggs per day for 6 weeks increased HDL levels by 10% .

Bottom Line: Egg consumption consistently leads to elevated levels of HDL (the “good”) cholesterol, which is linked to a reduced risk of many diseases.

4. Eggs Contain Choline – an Important Nutrient That Most People Don’t Get Enough of

Choline is a nutrient that most people don’t even know exists.

Yet, it is an incredibly important substance and is often grouped with the B vitamins.

Choline is used to build cell membranes and has a role in producing signaling molecules in the brain, along with various other functions.

Dietary surveys have shown that about 90% of people in the U.S. are getting less than the recommended amount of choline.

Whole eggs are an excellent source of choline. A single egg contains more than 100 mg of this very important nutrient.

Bottom Line: Eggs are among the best dietary sources of choline, a nutrient that is incredibly important but most people aren’t getting enough of.

5. Eggs Turn LDL Cholesterol From Small, Dense to Large, Linked to a Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

LDL cholesterol is generally known as the “bad” cholesterol.

It is well known that having high levels of LDL is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

But what many people don’t realize is that there are subypes of LDL that have to do with the size of the particles.

There are small, dense LDL particles and then there arelarge LDL particles.

Many studies have shown that people who have predominantly small, dense LDL particles have a higher risk of heart disease than people who have mostly large LDL particles.

Even if eggs tend to mildly raise LDL cholesterol in some people, studies show that the particles change from small, dense to large LDL… which is a good thing.

Bottom Line: Egg consumption appears to change the pattern of LDL particles from small, dense LDL (bad) to large LDL, which is linked to a reduced heart disease risk.

6. Eggs Contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Antioxidants That Have Major Benefits For Eye Health

One of the consequences of ageing is that eyesight tends to get worse.

There are several nutrients that help counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes.

Two of these are called Lutein and Zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that tend to build up in the retina of the eye.

Studies show that consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two very common eye disorders.

Egg yolks actually contain large amounts of both Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

In one controlled trial, eating just 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Lutein by 28-50% and Zeaxanthin by 114-142%.

Eggs are also high in Vitamin A, which deserves another mention here. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of blindness in the world.

Bottom Line: The antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin are very important for eye health and can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggs are high in both of them.

7. In the Case of Omega-3 or Pastured Eggs, They Lower Triglycerides as Well

Of course, it doesn’t just matter what we eat… it also matters what the foods that we eat, ate.

In this regard, not all eggs are created equal. Their nutrient composition varies depending on how the hens were fed and raised.

Eggs from hens that are raised on pasture and/or fed Omega-3 enriched feeds tend to be much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides, a well known risk factor for heart disease .

Studies show that consuming Omega-3 enriched eggs is a very effective way to reduce triglycerides in the blood. In one of the studies, just 5 omega-3 enriched eggs per week for 3 weeks reduced triglycerides by 16-18%.

Bottom Line: Omega-3 enriched and pastured eggs contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating these types of eggs is an effective way to reduce blood triglycerides.

8. Eggs Are High in Quality Protein, With All The Essential Amino Acids in The Right Ratios

Proteins are the main building blocks of the human body.

They’re used to make all sorts of tissues and molecules that serve both structural and functional purposes.

Getting enough protein in the diet is very important and studies show that currently recommended amounts may be too low.

Well… eggs are an excellent source of protein, with a single large egg containing 6 grams.

Eggs contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios, so our bodies are well equipped to make full use of the protein in them.

Eating adequate protein can help with weight loss increase muscle mass, lower blood pressure and optimize bone health… to name a few

Bottom Line: Eggs are fairly high in quality animal protein and contain all the essential amino acids that humans need.

9. Eggs do NOT Raise Your Risk of Heart Disease and May Reduce The Risk of Stroke

For many decades, eggs have been unfairly demonized.

It has been claimed that because of the cholesterol in them, they must be bad for the heart.

Many studies published in recent years have examined the relationship between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

In one review of 17 studies with a total of 263,938 participants, no association was found between egg consumption and heart disease or stroke.

Many other studies have led to the same conclusion.

However… some studies have found that people with diabetes who eat eggs have an increased risk of heart disease.

Whether the eggs are actually causing the increased risk isn’t known, because these types of studies can only show statistical association. They can not prove that eggs caused anything.

It is possible that diabetics who eat eggs are less health conscious, on average.

On a low-carb diet, which is by far the best diet for diabetics, eating eggs leads to improvements in risk factors for heart disease. However, there are lots of other things diabetics can eat so if a diabetic wanted to avoid eggs in their diet, they could quite easily.

Bottom Line: Many studies have looked at egg consumption and the risk of heart disease and found no association. However, some studies have found an increased risk in people with type 2 diabetes.

10. Eggs Are Highly Fulfilling and Tend to Make You Eat Fewer Calories, Helping You to Lose Weight

Eggs are incredibly fulfilling.

They are a high protein food… but protein is by far the most fulfilling macronutrient.

Eggs score high on a scale called the satiety index, which measures the ability of foods to induce feelings of fullness and reduce subsequent calorie intake.

In one study of 30 overweight women, eating eggs instead of bagels for breakfast increased feelings of fullness and made them automatically eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours.

In another study, replacing a bagel breakfast with an egg breakfast caused significant weight loss over a period of 8 weeks.

How Many Eggs Can Safely Be Eaten?

The studies clearly show that eating up to 3 whole eggs per day is perfectly safe.

There is no evidence that going beyond that is harmful, it is just “uncharted territory” as it hasn’t been studied.

Nutrition facts from http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs/

DANCING…if you do nothing else! Improved everything + it’s FUN!

 

The best form of working out that I’ve seen…..DANCING!!

https://youtu.be/Vg9gYEYqxcM

Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.

It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:

Increases mental capacity by exercising our cognitive processes
Improved condition of your heart and lungs
Increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
Increased aerobic fitness
Reduces stress and depression
Creates new neural paths
Improved muscle tone and strength
Weight management
Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
Better coordination, agility and flexibility
Improved balance and spatial awareness
Increased physical confidence
Improved mental functioning
Improved general and psychological wellbeing
Greater self-confidence and self-esteem
Better social skills.

AND can even reduce the risk of dementia by 76% if frequently!! WHAT!?!
Other physical activities in comparison:
0% by Bicycling, swimming, playing golf
35% by reading
47% by doing crossword puzzles at least 4 days a week

#DanceYourSocksOff of ellentube

 

Delicious, Healthy, AND Easy to Make “Superfood” Raw Cacao Brownies!

Are you ready to make the most delicious raw cacao brownies from scratch in only 10 minutes??

If no, please scroll down and read  the AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS of ALL the ingredients in these Superfood no bake brownies.

If yes then bam here’s the recipe:

Raw Cacao Brownie (Jenius Style) Recipe: (10  minutes-TOTAL)

2 cups of organic walnuts (Because walnuts have a lot of pest issues and as such are saturated with pesticides and                                                       more chemicals than any other nut.  Their fat content allows them to absorb these                                                                 chemicals..so ORGANIC is very important when it comes to buying walnuts.)

1/2 cup of raw cacao power

**1/3 cup of maca***add in

pinch of  real salt

1 cup of de-pitted dates or date paste

(Yes only 4 ingredients unless you add maca and cinnamon..which are both new additions!) **Note you could add some cinnamon as well for some additional health benefits….what ever amount you want..the more you add the more it taste like gingerbread cookie.**

You will also need a food processor..and that’s it!

1. Put 2 cups of walnuts into food processor and grind until fine.

2. Add 1/2 cup of raw cacao powder (maca if adding) & pinch of salt into food processor….30 seconds or until blended. If not blending properly then use a spoon along the side to loosen. (while food processor is OFF of course.)

3. De-pit 1 cup of dates and slowly add them into the food processor..between each addition wait for food processor to “calm down.”

4. Once well mixed remove and shape as desired. I like to make small balls (the size of a whole date.)

5. Eat! Try not to eat all of them…SHARE!!

(6.) If you don’t eat them all, put them in a sealed container and put them in the refrigerator, then when wanting to eat again, remove from refrigerator and sealed container for 1-2 hours. FYI: They’ll never be as good as they were when first created but pretty close!

Health benefits of these easy to make, raw cacao brownies:

Walnuts

1. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids. A diet rich in omega-3s is beneficial in reducing depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and there’s also strong evidence that omega-3s counter inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

2. They can reduce risk of diabetes Women who reported eating one ounce (30 g) of nuts at least five times per week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in nuts are good for insulin sensitivity.

3. They contain antioxidants that boost heart health. A new study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania shows walnuts have higher quality antioxidants and a mix of more healthful antioxidants than any other nut.

4. They can help you deal with stress. A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body deal better with stress. Research published last year in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that walnuts and walnut oil lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. The researchers said the study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.

5. They can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Eating about 28 walnut halves a day provides antioxidants and phytosterols that may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study at the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia. Mice were fed a daily diet with the human equivalent of two ounces (60 g) of walnuts. Compared to mice fed a control diet, the walnut eaters had significantly decreased breast tumor incidence and a slower rate of tumor growth.

Raw Cacao Powder

1. Raw chocolate can lower blood pressure & improve circulation. Flavanols, theobromine, and other components found in cacao may lower blood pressure and enhance circulation by promoting dilation, strength, and health of blood vessels

2. Raw chocolate can promote cardiovascular function & health. The antioxidant power of flavonoids and essential minerals and vitamins found in cacao can support healthy heart functioning5 by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, lowering LDL cholesterol, and reducing plaque buildup on artery walls.6

3. Raw chocolate Can Neutralize free radicals/ Shields nerve cells from damage. High levels of antioxidants protect the body from a buildup of free radicals from sun exposure, pollution, cigarette smoking, etc., which may damage healthy body tissue giving rise to cancer and cardiovascular disease. So basically cacao also reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease & stroke.

4. Raw Chocolate can improve digestion. A sufficient amount of fiber delivered with each serving of cacao supports digestion while cacao stimulates the body’s production of digestive enzymes.

5. Raw chocolate can enhance physical and mental well-being. There are many components of cacao including alkaloids, proteins, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic, lipase, lysine, and theobromine, that all work together to improve physical and mental health.  For example, theombromine helps to stimulate the central nervous system, relax smooth muscles, and dilate blood vessels, giving the body a boost of energy;  “bliss” chemicals found in cacao help to increase circulation and availability of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in brain, improving mood and combating depression. Cacao can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being, which is the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine.

6. Lowers insulin resistance (great for diabetics)

7. Protects your nervous system: Cacao is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant also found in red wine, known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system

8. Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease: The antioxidants found in cacao help to maintain healthy levels of Nitric Oxide in the body. Although Nitric Oxide has heart benefiting qualities, such as relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, it also produces toxins. The antioxidants in cacao neutralizes these toxins, protecting your heart and preventing against disease.

9. Guards against toxins: as a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. In fact cacao contains far more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. Antioxidants are responsible for 10% of the weight of raw cacao.

10. It is rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.

 

Real Salt or himalayan sea salt or any health salt (but NOT table salt)

Real Salt® brand sea salt comes from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah, where for more than 30 years we’ve delivered completely natural sea salt — nothing added, nothing taken away. That means you get more than 60 trace minerals in a delicious, healthy salt that is never chemically treated, bleached, or kiln dried.

Dates

1. Promotes Digestive Health, Relieving Constipation – Fiber is essential for promoting colon health and making for regular bowel movements. The insoluble and soluble fiber found in dates help to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency. Some other benefits relating to fiber and colon health are reduced risks of colitis, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids. (Dates could even be coupled with other home remedies for hemorrhoids.)

2. Boosting Heart Health – In addition to promoting colon health, fiber is also known to boost heart health.

3. Anti-Inflammatory – Dates are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. One study found that “inflammatory indicators in the body such as CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL6 (interleukin 6) were all reduced when magnesium intake was increased.” Further, inflammation in the arterial walls was also reduced with magnesium intake. Based on magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties and the findings of this study, magnesium can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other inflammation-related health ailments.

4. Reduced Blood Pressure – Magnesium has been shown to help lower blood pressure – and again, dates are full of the mineral. Additionally, potassium is another mineral in dates that has several functions within the body, aiding with the proper workings of the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure.

5. Reduced Stroke Risk – After evaluating 7 studies published over a 14 year time period, researchers found stroke risk was reduced by 9% for every every 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumes per day. The research can be found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

6. A Healthy Pregnancy and Delivery – Further adding to the health benefits of dates, one study performed by researchers at the University of Science and Technology set out to discover how the date fruit impacted labor parameters and delivery outcomes. After studying 69 women for a year and 1 month, the researchers found that “the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labor, and produced a more favorable, but non-significant, delivery outcome. The results warrant a randomized controlled trial.”

7. Boosting Brain Health – Some studies, such as one found in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that sufficient vitamin B6 levels are associated with improved brain performance and better test scores.

Basically these are the best thing ever and good for diabetics, pregnant women, and pretty much everyone! ENJOY!!

Love, US!

Ashley & Jenius

@ashleyiocco & @jeniuslife

@shopashleylove & @jeniushealth

Does Size Matter?

….when it comes to cucumbers??

Well I guess it depends what you’re wanting out of it…the bigger the cucumber the more water it has..so if you’re eating it for hydration then YES! If you’re eating for nutrition then NO but make sure you eat the peel!!! The peel doesn’t have all the nutrients but it has the most.

I also think it’s important to BUY ORGANIC CUCUMBERS..they are a part of the “dirty dozen” which basically means that non organic cucumbers have a high chance of having a lot of pesticides which are harmful to your health.

More info on what other fruits/vegetables you should buy organic. 

Personally I’ve loved cucumbers for many years…I’m usually made fun of in social situations because I just eat a cucumber like it’s an apple..wash it off and bite! So refreshing! So good! If you don’t like cucumbers it’s one of those foods that are worth ‘learning” to like! If at first you don’t love cucumber…try it again, and again, and again…eventually you’ll love them! 🙂 I pretty much do that with all foods that have amazing health benefits. You all learned to like alcohol that way right? I mean who naturally loves alcohol??? YUCK! Obviously cucumbers are WAY better for you!

Here are some of the proven benefits of cucumbers:

Helps digestion. Cucumbers actually have fiber which is great for digestion.

Contains a compound called sterols that help reduce bad cholesterol.

Flushes out toxins. All that water in cucumber acts as a virtual broom, sweeping waste products out of your system. With regular use, cucumber is known to dissolve kidney stones.

Keeps you hydrated. Cucumbers are 96% water!

Reduces your risk of several cancers. Several studies have shown that cucumbers have cancer-fighting properties.

Stabilizes blood pressure. Whether yours is too high or too low.

Cucumber juice helps to heal diseased gums…or just keeps them healthy, refreshed, even smelling good!

Fights heat, both inside and out. Eat cucumber, and your body gets relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin, and you get relief from sunburn.

Soothes muscle and joint pain. All those vitamins and minerals in cucumber make it a powerful enemy of muscle and joint pain.

Keeps kidneys in shape. Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system, keeping the kidneys happy.

Good for diabetics. Patients of diabetes can enjoy cucumber while also reaping its health benefits: cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.

Beauty Benefits:

Contains Silica, which is the wonder mineral in cucumber that makes your hair and nails stronger and shinier. YES!

Enriches you with vitamins. A, B, and C, which boost immunity, give you energy, and keeps you radiant.

Supplies skin-friendly minerals: magnesium, potassium, silicon.

Revives the eyes. Placing chilled slices of cucumber on the eyes is a clichéd beauty visual, but it really helps reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.

How I eat my cucumbers:

Like I said up top..raw..just wash and bite! But if that’s not what your into(yet) they are great sliced with greek dill dip(recipe coming soon.)

-in morning smoothie ( I ususally put half a cucumber)

-cut up and added to salads

-cucumber salad (sliced cucumber with squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinager