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

PARK RIDGE, Ill., Dec. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --  With the New Year just around the corner, people across the country will again be making resolutions to live healthier. Unfortunately, more often than not, the determination to shape up and eat right lasts about as long as it takes the ball in Times Square to drop. Year after year, living healthfully is viewed as being arduous or costly – however, the truth is there are plenty of easy, delicious and affordable ways to stick to those resolutions.

Take, for instance, adding more nutrient dense foods, like eggs, to the diet. In addition to being cost-effective (a single large egg costs just 15 cents),(1) eggs are a good source of high-quality protein, which has been shown to help keep people feeling satisfied throughout the day, leading to fewer calories consumed.(2, 3)

"I often tell my clients that eggs are one of the most perfect foods," says Mary Donkersloot, registered dietitian, author and advisor to the Egg Nutrition Center. "They're full of essential vitamins and minerals, and provide a high-quality source of protein that satisfies your hunger – all at only 70 calories. Eggs are a great part of a balanced diet for people trying to manage their weight in the New Year ahead."

In fact, now more than ever, eggs are a great choice for any breakfast, lunch or dinner table – according to recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, eggs now have 14 percent less cholesterol (down from 215 mg to 185 mg) and 64 percent more vitamin D.(4)  Additionally, a review article in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care challenged the outdated thinking that dietary cholesterol contributes to heart disease risk. The authors suggest that avoiding nutrient rich foods like eggs due to their dietary cholesterol content is unnecessary. Recommendations restricting cholesterol-containing foods, like eggs, should be reconsidered.(6)

More Tips for a Healthy New Year
In addition to focusing on high-quality protein, like eggs, Donkersloot, RD provides a few more tips for making 2012 the healthiest year yet.

• Don't forget Breakfast – Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to help manage weight and help maintain focus throughout the day.(5)
• "Workout" a routine – Schedule working out like other daily meetings or build it into your daily schedule. Set the same time aside each day, and pick a workout regimen that allows flexibility to keep things fresh and exciting. For example, decide to take stairs or carry your groceries to the car.
• Think water – Replacing sugary drinks with water can save hundreds of calories every day. Skip the vending machine and go straight for the water cooler. Placing fresh fruit or cucumbers into ice water can be just as refreshing without the extra calories.

For more nutrition and healthy living tips, visit www.EggNutritionCenter.org The Egg Nutrition Center is a National Strategic Partner of the USDA's MyPlate program which helps Americans follow the Dietary Guidelines by providing resources and tips. For more information visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.

References:
(1) United States Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. Retail data for beef, pork, poultry cuts, eggs, and dairy products (April 15, 2011). Retrieved on April 15, 2011 from http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/MeatPriceSpreads/

(2) Leidy HJ, et al. Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli After a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens: A Pilot fMRI Study. Obesity, published online May 5, 2011.

(3) Leidy HJ, et al. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. BJN, published online September 2, 2008.

(4) US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. Online. Available at: Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-45-00. Accessed October 24, 2011.

(5) Reddan J, et al. Children's perceived benefits and barriers in relation to eating breakfast in schools with or without Universal School Breakfast. J Nutr Education Behav 2002; 34(1):47-52.

(6) Fernandez, ML. Rethinking dietary cholesterol. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2011 Oct 26. [Epub ahead of print]

About the American Egg Board (AEB)
AEB is the U.S. egg producer's link to the consumer in communicating the value of The incredible edible egg™ and is funded from a national legislative checkoff on all egg production from companies with greater than 75,000 layers, in the continental United States. The board consists of 18 members and 18 alternates from all regions of the country who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The AEB staff carries out the programs under the board direction. AEB is located in Park Ridge, Ill. Visit www.IncredibleEgg.org for more information.

About the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) The Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) is the health education and research center of the American Egg Board. Established in 1979, ENC provides science-based information to health promotion agencies, physicians, dietitians, nutritional scientists, media and consumers on issues related to egg nutrition and the role of eggs in the American diet. ENC is located in Park Ridge, IL. Visit www.eggnutritioncenter.org or www.nutritionunscrambled.com for more information.

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SOURCE Egg Nutrition Center