Fall Harvest Muffins

Whether you’re looking for a nutrient-dense breakfast or a quick snack, these fall harvest egg muffins do the trick.

The kale, red onion and sweet potato provide a load of skin-loving nutrients like antioxidants and fibre. 

But the superstar ingredients I want to show some love are the eggs. From its high amount of vitamins A, D and choline to its large quantities of protein and healthy fat, eggs are the perfect breakfast choice to keep you full, stabilize blood sugar levels and nourish your skin.

Do Eggs Raise Cholesterol Levels?

Before we dive into the benefits of eggs for your skin, we need to address the elephant in the room – the high cholesterol content in eggs.

Just one large egg contains about 60 percent of the daily value of cholesterol.

However, the high amount of cholesterol in eggs is not the root cause of high cholesterol levels in your body. In fact, more research is showing that the dietary cholesterol found in healthy foods such as eggs has little impact on blood cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol buildup in the arteries is actually the result of arterial wall damage. Factors that contribute to the destruction of the arterial wall are overall inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, metabolic syndrome, smoking, toxins, trans fats, high blood pressure and abnormal blood lipids.

A waxy buildup is then formed as your body aims to repair this arterial wall damage, which can lead to high cholesterol levels.

If you’re worried about your cholesterol levels, another thing to consider is how you cook the egg.

When you fry an egg, the cholesterol within the egg becomes oxidized. And oxidized cholesterol attaches more easily to the artery wall. This can lead to even more cholesterol and other compounds attaching to the artery wall, building plaque and causing calcification of the arterial wall.

Poach, soft-boiling or baking eggs are the best cooking methods to protect the cholesterol from damage.

Moral of the story…Eggs are a healthy food that most people can regularly enjoy. Other people who are at risk of heart disease or have diabetes should consult their healthcare practitioner to determine the safe amount of eggs to eat on a daily or weekly basis.

Finally, those with gallbladder disease should avoid eggs altogether. Studies show that eggs can trigger gallstone attacks.

Skin Benefits of Eggs

Now that you know eggs are generally safe for most people to consume, let’s get back to back to the benefits of eggs, specifically for the skin. Overall, I love that they’re a quick, easy and cheap source of complete protein. For our clients in The Clear Skin Solution, we have a number of simple egg recipes they can include throughout their week.

1. Abundant in Antioxidants

Eggs contain two powerhouse antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin. Both can reduce signs of aging by protecting the skin from harmful UV rays and oxidative stress. This helps to keep your skin looking youthful and who doesn’t want that?

2. Supports Proper Liver Function

Eggs are also a great source of choline, which is needed for your liver to work properly. Research shows that a deficiency in choline is linked to fatty liver disease and poor liver function. 

A properly functioning liver is super important for clear skin because it helps eliminate toxins and filter hormones. If the liver is overloaded with chemicals and hormones, however, skin issues like acne can start to pop up.

3. High in Vitamin D

Just one egg yolk contains 10 percent of your daily value of vitamin D. This nutrient is vital for your immune system, bone health and glowing skin. Vitamin D plays an important role in the growth and maturation of skin cells.

How to Navigate Egg Labels

From free-run to free-range eggs, understanding food labels can be quite a struggle. So let’s break down all of the egg labels you’ll come across during your trip to the grocery store.

Conventional Eggs

This term means that four hens are kept in two-square-foot battery cages inside of a barn with thousands of birds. Due to this crowded and stressful environment for the hens, they are more susceptible to infection and injury. This means the hens are given antibiotics and hormones to increase egg production. Hens are fed leftover animal by-products mixed with grain as well.

Furnished or Enriched Cages

Hens have about twice as much space and also separate areas for perching and nesting. The animals are not allowed outside and there are no regulations on how the animals are treated or the type of environment they’re kept in.

Free-Run Eggs

Hens are loose in an open barn, but not allowed outside. There are no regulations on how the hens must be treated and conditions are often just as bad as being kept in battery cages.

Free-run hens are also given antibiotics and hormones and are fed the same as conventionally-raised hens. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency doesn’t have clear definitions of what “free-run” or “free range” means, making enforcement tough.

Free-Range Eggs

This term means that the birds have been given access to roam and graze outdoors. Unfortunately, there are no specific requirements. The length of time spent outdoors or the type of environment they’re kept in is not regulated.

Once again, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency doesn’t have clear definitions of what “free run” and “free range” means, and so enforcement is difficult. However, their feed doesn’t contain antibiotics or hormones.

Pasture-Raised Eggs

Not a regulated term, but the hens are usually given at least 108 square feet each and consume some feed and lots of grass, bugs, worms and anything else they can find in the dirt. They tend to be let out of the barns early in the morning and called back in before nightfall. Their feed doesn’t contain antibiotics or hormones as well.

Certified Organic Eggs

This term means that hens are given organic feed that doesn’t contain pesticides, fertilizers, hormones or genetically modified organisms throughout their entire life. Hens are able to roam outdoors year-round but when inside, they’re fed organic sprouted grains and each hen is given two square feet of floor space.

Tip: I prefer to purchase my eggs from a local farmer that pasture-raises their hens and uses organic practices. If you don’t have any farmers in your area, the best bet is to opt for pasture-raised or certified organic.

Savoury Breakfast Muffins

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Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

• 10 large eggs
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ¼” cubes
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 1 large kale leaf finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme sub 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped (sub 1 tsp dried parsley)
• Sea salt to taste
• Avocado oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin pan with avocado oil. Set aside.
• In a pan, add additional avocado oil, sweet potato, and red onion.
• Saute until onions are translucent and sweet potatoes have softened slightly (about 10 minutes).
• Add kale, thyme and parsley. Saute until kale is wilted and bright green (about 1-2 minutes).
• Remove from pan and divide mixture amongst the muffin pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, crack and whisk eggs with water and sea salt. Ladle equal amounts of egg mixture into the muffin pan on top of the sweet potato mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.