Egg Nutrition Center

Weight Management & Satiety

Obesity is a multi-factorial and complex health issue. Current guidance for weight management encourages physical activity along with consuming an overall healthy eating pattern which includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat and fat-free dairy products. A growing body of research suggests that dietary protein, specifically, can help promote satiety, facilitating weight loss when consumed as part of reduced energy diets.

Several clinical trials have specifically assessed the effects of high-quality protein from eggs on satiety and weight loss. For example:

  • In a study in overweight adults, calorie-restricted diets that included either eggs or a bagel for breakfast were compared; the people who consumed eggs for breakfast lowered their body mass index by 61%, lost 65% more weight, and reported feeling more energetic than those who ate a bagel for breakfast.
  • Men who consumed an egg breakfast versus a bagel breakfast showed that appetite hormones were suppressed following eggs at breakfast, as was energy intake over the course of the day.
  • A study of overweight premenopausal women that evaluated satiety responses to eating a turkey sausage and egg breakfast sandwich versus a low-protein pancake breakfast showed better appetite control and few calories consumed at lunch following the egg-based breakfast.
  • In a 3-month trial among subjects with type 2 diabetes, those who consumed 2 eggs per day for 6 days a week reported less hunger and greater satiety than those who consumed less than 2 eggs per week.

National Women’s Health Week

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This week marks National Women’s Health Week and the theme is appropriately titled “It’s Your Time”. Health Professionals spend endless hours helping others, but we may forget to take “our” time.  Be mindful of what you are doing for yourself and your patients/clients.  This theme resembles the March “Get Your Plate in Shape” but is specifically for women.  Men encourage and support the women in your life to take care of themselves too!  Here are some tips from an article with a few of our own tips added in:

  1. YOUR regular checkups:  There are a variety of articles circulating this week on multiple health issues related to women: preventive care and success rates with early diagnoses of medical conditions.  We often put these visits off, yet we may do them every day for clients.
  2. YOUR nourishment: Eat to live healthy and well. Sometimes it can be hard to know what is really healthy.  A Registered Dietitian can help you and your clients get on the road to good health.  Forget the fads and enjoy healthy choices. Start your day out well with a protein rich breakfast such as an open=faced egg sandwich with veggies on a whole wheat English muffin and a glass of fat-free milk.
  3. YOUR movement:  Exercise should be a part of your day just like breakfast!  If you need fitness ideas consider enlisting a fitness professional (one on one or in a group setting).   Also, if you have a sitting/desk job make sure to get up and move so you don’t sit for hours at a time!
  4. YOUR wellbeing: Sleep, mental health, and more fall into this category.  This area can affect every other area of your health!
  5. YOUR habits:  If eating well and exercise are not current habits, that is a great place to start and as you know health professionals can help you achieve this. You can overcome less healthy habits with other habits, such as smoking cessation, with the help of health professionals
  6. YOUR behaviors-this can include simple safety issues such as using your seatbelt, bike helmets, and more.  We take these for granted but they cannot be forgotten.

I love how our health professional groups can play a part in every area for Women’s Health Week.  I think too often we feel “we are the health professional”, so we can’t turn to other health professionals for guidance in other areas (for our own well-being).  However, we of all people should know that using other health professionals improves our health forecast.  After all, we are not Docstrainersnursedietitianphysicianassts are we? That would be quite the long title 🙂

Balance Your Plate-Sleep

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Sleep is an important part of balancing your life plate. However, as we get busy our sleep patterns tend to be affected. When these patterns are affected, we see that diet and many other parts of the plate are compromised as well.

I saw a great blog post by fellow RD, Joan Salge Blake, about new research regarding sleep and nutrition that I wanted to share with you all.

Don’t forget to get your zzz’s and when assessing your clients don’t forget to ask about sleep patterns. Check out the National Sleep Foundation for more information.

ENC’s Teacher Exchange Program Gaining Momentum

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Mid-December marked the first release of the Teacher Exchange Program to the American Association and Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) teachers. So far more than 330 educators from 30 states have joined the group. Three videos have been released on the website. In the first video Executive Director, Mitch Kanter discussed the details of the program and the second video with Dr. Ron Kleinman discussed the obesity epidemic. The third video highlighted a school with a successful Fit-Nut program combining a nutrition and physical activity class to teach students more about nutrition. This video is a perfect example of some of the tools ENC would like teachers to create as well as other educational materials that can be shared with the group. An additional press release promoting the program was released earlier in February, so we will provide updates as the program continues to expand. View the videos and other information about the ENC Teacher Exchange Program at http://www.encteacher.org/ENC__Teacher_Exchange.html.

Happy 1st Anniversary to Nutrition Unscrambled

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We hope you’ve enjoyed our blogs and found the information useful in your practices and even perhaps your own lives.  Marcia mentioned some of the trends for 2011 in her blog post and I wanted to share some other exciting highlights.

  • Obesity became a top search for our blog which was excellent!  We’ll continue to blog about the obesity story as new research and information becomes available.
  • Research and trends regarding satiety, nutrient density, protein, choline, vitamin D, lutein and zeaxanthin, cholesterol, and other key topics were the highlight of many of our blogs.
  • We had several blogs about cholesterol- including Mythbusters– trying to spread the word that over 40 years of research shows that the same results- EGGS are A-OK!
  • Breakfast was among a top trend although eggs can be enjoyed anytime!
  • We introduced you to some great new programs such as SuperTracker, Healthy Dining Finder, Kids Live Well and more.
  • New MyPlate materials are available for purchasing or downloading!
  • As Marcia pointed out, recipes are very popular right now: ENC Egg Recipes.  You can always visit www.aeb.org for more recipes.
  • We highlighted our health professional audiences with blogs from professional meetings and exhibits we attended.

So now I am asking you, our readers:  What do you want to know more about in 2012?

Healthy Ways to Help Achieve New Year’s Goals in January and Throughout the Year

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This time of year many people start to think of New Year’s Resolutions. We have the best intentions, but many of these resolutions are not kept for more than a few days or even a month. Why not think of this year as the year of health and instead of resolutions, consider making achievable goals. Encourage your clients/patients to do the same. Suggest and make goals that can be built upon throughout the year and are lifestyle changes, not “quick fixes”. Keep record of these goals and when choosing goals consider overall health-nutrition, well-being, physical activity and even goals such as financial ones. It is best to include the whole family and have family goals as well.

The best goal is a SMART Goal.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

An example:
Resolution: I will start exercising.
SMART Goal: I will exercise on the treadmill for 30 minutes 5 days a week.

So while you or your clients are considering you SMART goals, think of making eggs a healthy part of your lifestyle. With all the benefits an egg has to offer, it is an easily achievable goal. Remember eggs are not just for breakfast! We recently released a press release that discussed some of the reasons eggs are a great choice in a healthy lifestyle. Registered Dietitian Mary Donkersloot also provided a few suggestions that can fit in any lifestyle. Take these and make them your own SMART Goals.

Lead yourself in to good health in 2012!