Go to Work on an Egg!

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who doesn’t have eggs in the fridge?

Eggs are the easiest, cheapest and most versatile way to keep your protein levels up, and I’m not just talking about eggs for breakfast (nor am I about to try and convince you to go on a boiled egg diet!)

Way back in 2008, a major study revealed that “eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories” and further studies continued to convince us to reconsider our breakfast choices.

Astoundingly, the UK Egg Marketing Board’s request to re-broadcast their extremely successful go to work on an egg series of TV advertisements from the 1950’s were rejected in 2007 as the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre observed that “the adverts did not suggest a varied diet” - how things change over the decades in this crazy world of nutrition!

Our early ancestors depended on bird eggs for protein on the many days when hunting and fishing didn’t go too well and as my hunting and fishing skills aren’t too hot, I feel sure I would have to ask Kirsty Young of Desert Island Disks fame if I could take a couple of beautiful brown hens onto my desert island - sadly the Complete Works of Shakespeare doesn’t offer much in the way of bodily nourishment!

Eggs are packed with goodness - 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, healthy fats, protective antioxidants and they make a brilliant addition to any weight loss diet at only around 70 calories each. Have at least one a day* for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack, opt for free range, organic (or even better, from a local farm or farmers market), find your favourites from some of my egg dishes below (simply click on the images to download the recipes) and go to work, go to lunch, go to dinner, go for a snack or go to bed on an egg and lose weight along the way!

* the jury is still out on how many eggs we should consume in a week but if you are in good health and your diet is rich in plant foods and scant on processed foods, there is no evidence to suggest that 7-10 per week will offer anything other than a nutritional bonus.

Bare All with Confidence - Bone Broth

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Bone Broth is Fabulous for Fat Loss!

And... it needn’t involve hours in the kitchen! Not only are animal bones super-rich in collagen - an essential protein which is vital for healthy bones and muscles and wrinkle-free skin but in combination with a few vegetables, herbs and spices, a good bone broth helps to keep inflammation (one of our major weight loss adversaries) at bay. It is also extremely nourishing whilst providing loads of energy-generating rather than waistline-expanding calories to our day.

My quickest and easiest bone broth involves putting 8 chicken wings (and a couple of chicken feet if you can get them!) into an oven-proof pot with an onion, a carrot, a couple of celery stalks, a few garlic cloves, a bouquet garni (or a bunch of fresh thyme, some parsley and a bay leaf), half a dozen black peppercorns, a teaspoon of sea salt crystals and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, covering the whole lot with water, bringing slowly to the boil then transferring the pot to the oven on its lowest setting for as many hours as you can (overnight works well).

Next day, strain the broth into a bowl through a fine sieve, transfer to the fridge and leave until very cold (this results in the fat and any scum rising to the top, becoming hard and therefore super-simple to remove with a slotted spoon). Simply return the broth to a soup pot and simmer over a medium heat to reduce (the more reduced, the tastier), check the seasoning then bag in portions (small soup bags are great), refrigerate or freeze and heat one through thoroughly in a microwave or on the hob before devouring mid morning, mid afternoon or whenever you need a nourishing pick-me-up.

 

View all my Bare All This Summer Top Tips here.