There really is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to eggs. Mainly the difference between egg whites and the yolk. Most people believe, and have been told time and time again that egg yolks are bad for you. They’re loaded with cholesterol, and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other bad things.

Well, I’m here to tell you differently. Eggs are one of my favorite foods. They are probably the world’s most perfect food. As a natural food item they pack the best protein source in the world. And without a shadow of a doubt are extremely healthy for you. And the yolk is actually the healthiest part of the egg.

If you throw out the yolk, you’re pretty much throwing out the nutrition. The egg white is almost completely devoid of any vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You get calcium, iron, riboflavin, B12, selenium (huge cancer fighter), phosphorous, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, all the fat soluble vitamins, and a whole lot more super powerful nutrients.

But what about the cholesterol? Before I get into that, let’s talk about an essential nutrient that eggs are a superstar provider of—Choline. It’s an essential nutrient because you must obtain it from the diet, much like essential fatty acids. It is essential for brain, cell membranes, and cardiovascular function. It’s part of a phospholipid that I can’t pronounce and you need not worry about knowing the name of. But without adequate amounts of it, both cholesterol and fat will accumulate in the liver. So the choline in eggs actually stops the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the liver!

Many studies have come out saying that dietary cholesterol doesn’t raise cholesterol levels significantly. It is much more affected by saturated and trans fats. You should be getting less than 10% of your total calories from saturated fats, and 0% from trans fats—Yes, they are that evil!

Many people don’t know this but the body actually makes cholesterol in the body. If you don’t eat enough cholesterol in your diet, the body produces more. If you do eat foods high in cholesterol, like whole eggs, then the body lessens the amount it will produce. Cholesterol plays a hand in many important functions in the body. You actually can’t live without it.

So don’t be afraid of the yolk. It’s good for you. Each large egg contains 70 calories and 6.3 grams of protein. So add some vegetables, or fruit, and it makes a great snack. You should be getting protein with each of your meals throughout the day anyway, and there is no natural food item protein better than whole eggs.

Another great thing about eggs is the variety you can use them with. There are so many different ways to prepare eggs. I must confess I do eat my eggs raw some time. Rocky! Rocky! The question of salmonella comes up then. Actually a study done by the USDA found that of 69 billion eggs produced annually only .3 percent are contaminated at all. Salmonella appears only when the eggs come from sick birds. If you’re buying your eggs from a reputable company the chances are super slim of getting bad eggs.

Back to egg whites. These are fine if you are trying to watch your fat intake or calorie intake. But unless you’re a professional body builder preparing for a show, you don’t need 100% egg whites. You’re missing out on super important brain, eye, and overall health food nutrition. Plus it tastes a whole lot better.

Jason Yun, a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Sports Nutritionist, is a Columbus fitness bootcamp and weight management teacher. To book him to speak at your local Columbus organization please contact him by email at jyun@yunbootcamps.com or by phone at 614-432-9703. For a free 2-week trial to his Bootcamps go to: http://www.yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or http://www.yunnutrition.com

When you eat breakfast you want to include foods from at least three of the four food groups. When combined this meal should make up about one-quarter to one-third of your total day’s nutrients.

Some days you might notice that breakfast is the only meal you eat at home. This means that your breakfast should be loaded with good amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Most importantly, your meal should also contain some of the following:

Milk and Milk Products

From this group choose low-fat foods like a tall glass of skim or 1 percent milk or a cup of low-fat yogurt. As an added bonus you can easily add these ingredients into a blender along with some fresh fruit to create some amazing and healthy breakfast drinks. Low-fat cheese can also be considered as a serving from this group.

Meat, Fish, Poultry and Alternates

Once more, choose a low quantity of fat food and be bold. The egg isn't the only protein food that you have to place on the breakfast table, even though it's a popular favorite for many families. It's important that you watch your egg-yolk intake because of the cholesterol content, but you can easily extend your intake by incorporating plenty of egg whites, particularly in omelet's and scrambled eggs.

Bacon and sausages should be eaten in moderation as well. You should keep an eye on the fat content of the bacon as well as the sausages.

Side bacon is pretty much saturated fat, salt, and nitrites. Back, or Canadian, bacon is a much healthier and leaner choice. It's okay to eat this bacon occasionally. The same principle can be applied to sausages, which are high in fat. A great cooking tip to know when you're cooking these meats is to cook them so that the fat drips off.

Have you ever tried fish for breakfast?

If you want some great fish with Omega 3 fatty-acids try different fish like kipper, or albacore tuna. Combined with a thin layer of cheese, or a whole-wheat pita they make an excellent breakfast meal.

Breads and Cereals

As always choose the whole-grain breads and cereals whenever you can. If that's not an option your second best choice would be to get the enriched versions of refined breads.

Here's a quick word of word of advice when you're selecting muffins, quick breads, and breakfast pastries. That mouth watering Danish that you see in the cake section is probably overflowing with fats as well as sugar. This can also be true with many store-bought granolas and for the ridiculous amount of butter you might be tempted to smear on that healthy piece of whole-wheat bread.

Remember, breakfast is supposed to rejuvenate and give you loads of energy for your day. Consuming lots of fat and sugars will get your day off to a sluggish start.

Fruits and Vegetables

A piece of fresh fruit is the supreme choice from this food group. Raw fruit is actually better than juice because of the fiber that you'll get. If you really can't start your day without a glass of juice then it'll be your second best choice. Dried fruits are great to add as toppings to hot or cold cereals, especially for women who are trying to boost their iron intake.

Marci Lall is a Womens Weight Loss & Body Sculpting Specialist. visit his website to get his FREE report "16 tips on how to get maximum weight loss and fitness results in minimum time" http://www.lallpt.com

Whether you are a newcomer to weight loss or a seasoned pro, there is always something to learn when you go back to the basics. Many people think that losing weight is this daunting task that takes a lot of time in the gym, or the reduction in calories or even worse eating nothing but cottage cheese and carrots.

All of that is the furthest thing from the truth. What it takes is knowing what to eat, when to eat it, and how much of it you should eat. You see there really are power foods out there and when combined together in a meal they help increase your bodies metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns fat) and make you healthier.

Let’s start with what you should be eating. It goes without saying that eating cupcakes, cookies, pies, and other high fat no nutrient content foods are bad for you. Now that does not mean you can’t have one on occasion, but you can overdo it quickly. There are three food groups you need to acquaint yourself with. They are proteins, carbohydrates and green vegetables. If you can remember these three then you will be well on your way.

In each of these three food groups you want to pick out quality sources. For example, your proteins should consist of lean meats, chicken breast, fish, egg whites and/or egg substitutes. Your carbohydrate sources should be multi-grain breads and cereals, brown rice and potatoes. The last group, green vegetables, is an easy one. Your vegetable sources should be green. Good examples would be spinach, broccoli, asparagus and salads.

Knowing what the right foods to eat are will lead you a long way to your weight loss goals; however we are not done yet. There is more information you need. Simply knowing them is not enough. You need to know how much of each you should eat and how often.

To make it simple and eliminate the need for weighing your food, counting your calories and so on you can remember this simple rule of thumb when it comes to portion size. Each food group portion should be the same size as your clenched fist. So if you were to go ahead and make a fist that is the size of food portion you should put on your plate for each food group for each meal.

One final step is to know how often to eat. The idea is that when you are eating healthy you want your body to get a continuous supply of this food but not overeat. Therefore the best method is to eat many smaller meals throughout the day. You should be eating one meal every two and a half to three hours for a total of six meals each and every day. This keeps that metabolic rate running at high levels and gives your body the nutrients it needs to run at a healthy level.

Are you looking to lose 5, 10, or 15 pounds? It doesn’t matter. With the information above you are equipped with the knowledge you need to lose as much or as little weight as you so desire. Just remember that before you start any type of fitness or nutrition program you should always get a complete physical from your primary care physician.

About the Author:
Mr. Tucker is a regular contributor on Bukisa, an online community for writers where writers can submit their articles. You can also follow him on Twitter.