Today's Natural Cure: Minimizing Stress

This article is from  mercola.com

How Stress Affects Your Heart and Gut Health

 

 

By Dr. Mercola

As much as you may try to ignore it, you cannot separate your wellness from your emotions. Every feeling you have affects some part of your body, and stress can wreak havoc on your physical health even if you’re doing everything else “right.”

The classic definition of stress is “any real or imagined threat, and your body’s response to it.” Celebrations and tragedies alike can cause a stress response in your body.

All of your feelings, positive or negative, create physiological changes. Your skin, heart rate, digestion, joints, muscle energy levels, the hair on your head, and countless cells and systems you don't even know about change with every emotion.

Stress plays a major role in your immune system, and can impact your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, brain chemistry, blood sugar levels, and hormonal balance. It can even “break” your heart, and is increasingly being viewed as a cardiovascular risk marker.

Women are more vulnerable to feeling sadness and anxiety than men, according to research, and feel the pressures of stress more than their male peers, both at work and at home.

You cannot eliminate stress entirely, but you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for the bioelectrical short-circuiting that can cause serious disruption in many of your body's important systems.

By using techniques such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), you can reprogram your body’s reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life. Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and meditation are also important “release valves” that can help you manage your stress.

How Women Experience Stress

Some stress is unavoidable; mild forms of stress can even be helpful in some situations. A stressor becomes a problem when:

• Your response to it is negative.
• Your feelings and emotions are inappropriate for the circumstances.
• Your response lasts an excessively long time.
• You’re feeling continuously overwhelmed, overpowered or overworked.

According to the featured article in The Guardian,¹ certain themes connect women’s experience of stress. Stomach-churning anxiety, for example, is far more common in women than men. As is feelings of sadness in response to stress, and not being able to stop thinking about that which worries them.

This in and of itself may feed into a vicious cycle that makes matters progressively worse, because when you dwell on negative emotions you internalize the stress, which can make it more difficult to come up with constructive ways to address the problem.

According to Dr. Tara Chaplin, who led a 2008 study² investigating the role of gender and emotion, sadness and anxiety are very passive emotions, so while you’re sitting there thinking and worrying, you’re less likely to assert yourself and engage in active problem-solving.

This could be particularly problematic in the workplace, she warns. She suggests finding other, more active methods of coping instead of ruminating and dwelling on negative emotions. What can you change about the situation to make it better? What can you do to lessen those stressful feelings?

“Take an active role and thinking of healthy ways to cope – which could be anything from exercise, meditating, using some new mindfulness techniques, taking breaks for yourself," she told The Guardian.

"I focus my research on how women and men cope with stress, but we also need to have a conversation about what can be done societally to reduce stress on women... Are there programs that can be in place for subsidizing daycare so you have good daycare? Could we have longer maternity leave? These sorts of things are really important."

How Stress Affects Your Heart

In related news, mounting research shows that people exposed to traumatic and/or long-term stressors, such as combat veterans, New Orleans residents who went through Hurricane Katrina, and Greeks struggling through financial turmoil, have higher rates of cardiac problems than the general population. According to NBC News:³

“Disasters and prolonged stress can raise 'fight or flight' hormones that affect blood pressure, blood sugar and other things in ways that make heart trouble more likely, doctors say. They also provoke anger and helplessness and spur heart-harming behaviors like eating or drinking too much.

'We're starting to connect emotions with cardiovascular risk markers and the new research adds evidence of a link,' said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center and an American Heart Association spokeswoman.”

In one such study, which involved nearly 208,000 veterans aged 46 to 74, 35 percent of those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) developed insulin resistance in two years, compared to only 19 percent of those not diagnosed with PTSD.

Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes and hardening of the arteries. PTSD sufferers also had higher rates of metabolic syndrome — a collection of risk factors that raise your risk of heart disease, such as high body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. More than half (about 53 percent) of veterans with PTSD had several of these symptoms, compared to 37 percent of those not suffering with PTSD. According to the featured article:

“The numbers are estimates and are not as important as the trend — more heart risk with more stress, said one study leader, Dr. Ramin Ebrahimi, a cardiologist at the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center and a professor at UCLA. It shows that PTSD can cause physical symptoms, not just the mental ones commonly associated with it.

'Twenty or 30 years ago PTSD was a term reserved for combat veterans. We have come to realize now that PTSD is actually a much more common disorder and it can happen in veterans who did not undergo combat but had a very traumatic experience such as losing a friend,' he said. That goes for others who suffer trauma such as being raped, robbed at gunpoint or in a serious accident, he said. Nearly 8 million Americans have PTSD, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates.”

Is It a Heart Attack, or 'Broken Heart Syndrome?'

Extreme grief, regardless of the cause, can actually "break" your heart according to previous research. In comparing how grief affects your heart disease risk within a period of time, researchers found that losing a significant person in your life raises your risk of having a heart attack the next day by 21 times, and in the following week by 6 times.⁴ The risk of heart attacks began to decline after about a month had passed, perhaps as levels of stress hormones begin to level out.

The study did not get into the causes of the abrupt increase in risk of cardiovascular events like a heart attack, but it's likely related to the flood of stress hormones your body is exposed to following extreme stress. For instance, adrenaline increases your blood pressure and your heart rate, and it's been suggested it may lead to narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to your heart, or even bind directly to heart cells allowing large amounts of calcium to enter and render the cells temporarily unable to function properly.

Interestingly, while your risk of heart attack increases following severe stress, so does your risk of what's known as stress cardiomyopathy -- or "broken heart syndrome" -- which is basically a "temporary" heart attack that occurs due to stress. The symptoms of stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome are very similar to those of a typical heart attack -- chest pain, shortness of breath, low blood pressure and even congestive heart failure can occur. There are some important differences, however.

In broken heart syndrome, the symptoms occur shortly after an extremely stressful event, such as a death in the family, serious financial loss, extreme anger, domestic abuse, a serious medical diagnosis, or a car accident or other trauma.

This stress and the subsequent release of stress hormones are thought to "stun" or "shock" the heart, leading to sudden heart muscle weakness. This condition can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention, however it is often a temporary condition that leaves no permanent damage.⁵ In most cases a typical heart attack occurs due to blockages in the coronary arteries that stop blood flow and cause heart cells to die, leading to irreversible damage. But people with broken heart syndrome often have normal arteries without significant blockages. The symptoms occur due to the emotional stress, so when the stress begins to die down, the heart is able to recover.

How the Stress Response Affects Your Digestion and Health

Your heart is not the only organ that takes a beating when you’re stressed. While under stress, your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure rises, and blood is shunted away from your midsection, going to your arms, legs, and head for quick thinking, fighting, or fleeing. All of these changes are referred to as the physiological stress response.

Under those circumstances, your digestion also completely shuts down, which can have severe ramifications for your overall health. Americans are notorious for “eating on the run,” which can negate the benefits you’d otherwise reap from eating a healthier diet (or make the effects of a poor diet worse). The stress response causes a number of detrimental events in your body, including:

Decreased nutrient absorption	Elevated cholesterol	Increased food sensitivity
Decreased oxygenation to your gut	Elevated triglycerides	Heart burn
As much as four times less blood flow to your digestive system, which leads to decreased metabolism	Decreased gut flora populations	Decreased enzymatic output in your gut – as much as 20,000-fold!

Perhaps most importantly, when your body is under the stress response, your cortisol and insulin levels rise. These two hormones tend to track each other, and when your cortisol is consistently elevated under a chronic low-level stress response, you may experience difficulty losing weight or building muscle. Additionally, if your cortisol is chronically elevated, you’ll tend to gain weight around your midsection, which is a major contributing factor to developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Many nutrients that are critical for health are also excreted during stress, particularly:

• Water-soluble vitamins
• Macrominerals
• Microminerals
• Calcium (calcium excretion can increase as much as 60 to 75 mg within an hour of a stressful event)

Tending to Your Gut is Important to Help Combat Mental Stress

What this all boils down to is that when you eat under stress, your body is in the opposite state of where you need to be in order to digest, assimilate nutrients and burn calories. You could be eating the healthiest food in the world, but if your body cannot fully digest and assimilate that food, then you will not reap the benefits from it, nor will you be able to burn calories effectively.

Interestingly, neurotransmitters like serotonin are also found in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and suppressing aggression, is found within your intestines, not your brain. It’s no surprise then that scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with the friendly bacteria with fermented foods or probiotics is extremely important for proper brain function, including psychological well-being and mood control. For instance, the probiotic known as Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 has been shown to normalize anxiety-like behavior in mice with infectious colitis.⁶

Research published in 2011⁷ also demonstrated that probiotics have a direct effect on brain chemistry under normal conditions -- in such a way that can impact your feelings of anxiety or depression.

In short, the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus had a marked effect on GABA [an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is significantly involved in regulating many physiological and psychological processes] levels in certain brain regions and lowered the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior. The authors concluded:

"Together, these findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the bidirectional communication of the gut-brain axis and suggest that certain organisms may prove to be useful therapeutic adjuncts in stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression."

For Optimal Health, Take Stress Management Seriously

You cannot eliminate stress entirely, but you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for the bioelectrical short-circuiting that can cause serious disruption in many of your body's important systems. By using energy psychology techniques such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), you can reprogram your body’s reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life. EFT stimulates different energy meridian points in your body by tapping them with your fingertips while tapping on specific key locations, custom-made verbal affirmations are said repeatedly. This can be done alone or under the supervision of a qualified therapist.⁸

Seeking the help of a licensed therapist is particularly recommended if you’re dealing with trauma-based stress such as PTSD or grief following the loss of a loved one. There are also many other stress-management strategies you can employ to help you unwind and address your stress, including:

• Exercise. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals (endorphins) are released in your brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation, and has been shown to help protect against the physical effects of daily stress
• Restorative sleep
• Meditation (with or without the additional aid of brain wave synchronization technology)
• Schedule time to eat without rushing, and make sure to maintain optimal gut health by regularly consuming fermented foods, such as fermented vegetables, or taking a high-quality probiotics supplement

Today's Natural Cure: Green Tea

This article is from  naturalhealth365.com

9 health benefits of green tea

 

 

(NaturalHealth365) The health benefits of green tea are (almost) endless. Cultivated for hundreds of years, green tea is loaded with antioxidants; saccharides (sugar); chlorophyll and some vitamins like, A, B1, B2, B3, C and E. Naturally, millions of people drink green tea for the health of it – but what does it really do for us?

1. A great way to prevent cancer

Research shows that green tea helps inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent cancers such as, pancreatic, prostate, breast, esophagieal, colorectal, stomach and lung cancer. A current analysis of 22 studies proved that drinking (2) cups of green tea per day can reduce the risk of lung cancer by 18 percent.

Studies associated with China showed that the more green tea was consumed, the lower the risk for cancer.

2. Protect yourself from cellular damage

The antioxidants in green tea guard your cells from free radical damage. The daily stress of living can (potentially) bombard the cells with too many free radicals which can damage our DNA – causing an increased risk for cancer, atherosclerosis and blood clots.

Unlike black tea, green tea leaves are not fermented and are given minimal processing time. That’s why green tea has more nutrition than other types of teas or coffee.

3. Promote healthy teeth and gums

Green tea contains catechins and polyphenols that help us kill (unwanted) bacteria and thus prevent bad breath and tooth decay. Most people lose their teeth because of poor gum health. Drinking green tea; a diet rich in all the essential trace minerals and, even oil pulling with coconut oil are great ways to have a clean mouth.

4. Green tea will help strengthen your bones

Regular consumption of green tea can dramatically reduce your risk for osteoporosis and arthritis. There has been lots of scientific research, in recent years, to indicate that a combination of green tea and healthy vitamin D levels can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress within the body. All of this will greatly reduce your risk for bone damage.

5. A simple way to improve your heart function

The antioxidants contained in green tea act as chemical dilators – which enhance the flexibility of the blood vessels, thus making them less prone to getting clogged. Green tea shares similar properties with pomegranates and blueberries – when it comes to helping the heart do a better job.

Again, many studies suggest that around 3-4 cups of green tea daily can immediately provide a heart healthy benefit by dilating the blood vessels and offering free radical protection.

6. Green tea will help balance your blood sugar levels

Having a cup of green tea after your meal can greatly improve your ability to enjoy stable blood sugar levels. Many studies have found that EGCG (also known as epigallocatechin gallete) – one of the polyphenols in green tea – influences the way glucose is absorbed. Researchers have suggested that EGCG may reduce the amount of glucose that passes through the intestine and into the bloodstream.

7. Green tea is good for the brain

Studies have shown that a daily consumption of green tea will reduce your risk for developing age-related cognitive disorders such as, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

If you want to prevent brain dysfunction like, memory loss – take lots of antioxidants; reduce the stress in your life and eat plenty of healthy fats – on a regular basis. The key is to reduce the inflammation within the body.

8. A delicious way to improve skin tone

The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of green tea help to prevent wrinkles and sun damage. After all, let’s not forget, the rays of the sun can produce free radical damage under our skin. But, interestingly enough, a 2000 study by Case Western Reserve University – showed that green tea protects against sunburn.

Volunteers had green tea extract applied to the skin on their buttocks, which was then exposed to solar radiation. At a concentration level of 4 milligrams per 2.5 cm square of skin area, the subjects obtained complete protection from sunburn.

9. Eliminate excess body fat – drink green tea

Many studies suggest that the catechins, in green tea, may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat. Obviously, green tea is not the only way to lose (unwanted) body fat – but ought to be considered part of a sensible diet.

Don’t forget to always buy organic and enjoy!

About the author: Jonathan Landsman is the managing director of NaturalHealth365.com and host of the NaturalNews Talk Hour – a free, weekly health show sponsored by NaturalHealth365.com and NaturalNews.com. Jonathan is helping millions of people worldwide create health and physical fitness through a variety of educational and entertaining articles, teleconference calls, live shows and special events.

References:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/green-tea
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm

Today's Natural Cure: Natural Anti-Biotics

This article is from  naturalsociety.com

5 Natural Antibiotic Solutions for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

 

 

Our dependence on antibiotics has helped us to create some monsters—these monsters are antibiotic-resistant infections like superbugs being transmitted in hospitals, certain strains of E coli., and MRSA. The infections, if you went the traditional route, would be hard (if not impossible) to kill. But, there are foods that act as natural antibiotics that may prove effective where modern medicine is failing.

As a whole, doctors have been prescribing antibiotics at the slightest sign of illness, even for things they simply won’t help like the common cold. These prescriptions have been routinely handed out like candy despite the fact that illness, including common infections, can be successfully treated with a healthy immune system and a few natural helpers. All of this over-prescribing has led the bacteria which causes these illnesses to morph, evolving in the interest of self-preservation, into strains that will not be stopped with antibiotics, even those antibiotics largely considered to be the last resort.

It might be time to try some natural alternatives – and stick with them.

5 Natural Antibiotics

You need foods, natural foods that will help foster a healthy immune system while annihilating bacterial invaders. Fortunately, there are several solutions that may just be in your kitchen right now.

• Garlic - Garlic has known antibacterial, antifungal, and even antiviral properties. It has successfully be used to treat infectious diseases like pneumonia, MRSA, and even the black plague. It can also kill intestinal parasites—which can wreak havoc on your immune system.

• Echinacea - People usually reach for the Echinacea tea to ward off a cold or the flu, but this powerful herb is a known infection-buster as well. The herb fights infections by strengthening the body’s own defense system, helping you to fight the bacteria rather than just coming in and killing everything in sight (like Big Pharma’s antibiotics).

• Honey – Also among the many amazing natural antibiotics, honey is a well known food harnessing antibacterial properties (along with a bunch of other beneficial properties). One study published in the journal Microbiology found that honey – particularly that derived from bees foraging on manuka flowers – halted one type of streptococcus pyogenes from inhibiting the healing of wounds. Other research shows that honey could be a potent answer to drug resistant bacteria like MRSA. Honey is a great natural antibiotic.

• Turmeric - The bright yellow spice that gives curries their rich color and smoky flavor, turmeric is far more than a culinary tool—it has amazing healing properties. MRSA typically forms in wounds or boils. Turmeric acts as an antibacterial agent and can be taken internally or applied directly to the skin. Try making turmeric into a paste by adding water or even manduka honey and applying to the infection.

• Oregano -Oregano, and specifically oil of oregano, has potent antibacterial and infection-fighting properties. One study in particular found these properties to be as effective as antibiotics and offering great promise particularly in the fight against antibiotic-resistant infection. You can find this oil in health food stores or you can make your own.

The body is a miraculous machine and when properly maintained, it will fight off infections without assistance. Even when an extra boost is needed, we needn’t run to the doctor for a prescription. Instead, rely on natural antibiotics and healers to help maintain optimal health.

Today's Natural Cure: Turmeric

This article is from  naturalnews.com

Turmeric - A fierce superfood spice that melts away body fat and defeats insulin resistance



(NaturalNews) Besides garnering attention as a a veritable fountain of youth, cancer tamer and fibromyalgia remedy, turmeric has proven itself to be a formidable weight loss superfood as well. Easing inflammation is just one benefit of this golden beauty. It also mitigates insulin resistance and balances blood glucose levels while helping to prevent the spread of fat tissue - providing a powerful tool in the battle of the bulge. A staple in Asian cultures for centuries, turmeric is a safe, flavorful and nutrient-packed addition to any diet or weight loss plan.

Colorful fat fighter

Research at Tufts University in Boston discovered that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) reduced weight gain and total body fat in mice that consumed the compound. Eighteen mice divided into three groups were fed either a low fat, high fat or curcumin enhanced high fat diet. At the end of the study, body weight of the mice and fat distribution were measured. For those that ingested the diet with curcumin, both total body fat and weight gain were reduced -- even though food intake was not restricted. Blood glucose, cholesterol, fatty acid, triglyceride and liver fat were lower as well.

Another study at Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine in China also found turmeric intake to be beneficial for weight loss. As stated by Anthony Gucciardi of Natural Society:

"... curcumin (once again, a compound within turmeric found in extracts and the food itself) consumption directly decreased levels of insulin resistance and leptin resistance - two factors heavily linked to fat gain. In the conclusion of the research, study authors state:

"By diminishing the sediment of fat, relaxing the lymphatic return, and refraining the apoptosis of beta cells, the curcumin might significantly decrease the level of insulin resistance and leptin resistance caused by the high fat diet."

Similar findings were observed at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center -- Columbia University. Dr. Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist, found that "turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls." He suspects "the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity," according to Science Daily.

Happily, researchers believe these results can be applied to humans too. With such a profusion of healthy benefits, all you really have to lose by enjoying this vibrant spice is excess weight.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522181238.htm

http://naturalsociety.com

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620195436.htm

Today's Natural Cure: Eggs

This article is from  truthaboutabs.com

Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better for You?

I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this...

"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is".

And I replied something along the lines of... "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, theYOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!  It's a shame at how many restaurants you can walk into these days and see that the "healthy" breakfast menu always has egg white items instead of whole eggs.  Are we really still in the "fat-phobic" 80's? 

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...

"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more interesting...

There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises yourgood HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease!  Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT.  Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions... it is DEAD WRONG to try to "lower your cholesterol" just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.

If you're interested in this topic of cholesterol specifically, I have another article listed at the bottom of this page about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are.

In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.

To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study.  However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did. 

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

But what about the extra calories in the yolks?

This is actually a non-issue and here's why... even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume.  Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall.  In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.

Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet.  Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level.  On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids... and just a healthier egg in general.

This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy.  It's a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their "fat-phobic" mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk... If you want real taste and real health benefits, we'd all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the delicious nutrient-dense yolks.

After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites?  NOT A CHANCE!  They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks.  But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.

Another interesting study about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts.  The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight. 

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Oh, one last thing I almost forgot... I personally eat 4 whole eggs almost every day with breakfast, and I maintain single-digit bodyfat most of the year. 

Enjoy your eggs and get a leaner body!