Are they egging you on?

Quebec City is a fortified city with a great wall, originally designed to protect its inhabitants from harm. Kind of like how fortified foods are constructed these days. For example, highly processed white bread is often fortified with added vitamins B1,2, and 3, folic acid, iron and calcium. That’s supposed to protect you from the health risks of eating the nutrition-stripped, fiber-lacking concoction that passes for bread. It doesn’t. You’re still eating food that boosts blood sugar and alters the healthy balance of your gut biome. Doesn’t it make more sense to eat 100% whole-grain bread that naturally delivers those health-boosting nutrients? Yes!

The same is true for eggs -- despite recent headlines declaring “eggs may not be bad for your heart after all.” They’re referring to a study that found that eating 12 eggs a week wasn’t more likely to raise lousy LDL cholesterol than eating two or fewer eggs weekly. But those eggs were super-fortified with iodine, vitamin D, selenium, vitamins B2, 5 and 12, and omega-3 fatty acids, with reduced saturated fat. Plus, the researchers didn’t evaluate the impact of egg yolks on inflammation -- the main risk of eggs. Wouldn’t it be healthier to have an egg white omelet or steel-cut oats, oat milk, and blackberries for breakfast? They naturally deliver those nutrients along with gutfriendly fiber and virtually no saturated fat.

Foods are fortified to compensate for some of their -- or your own -- nutritional deficiencies. Better yet: Get your nutrition from minimally processed, fiber-rich foods with no added sugars or unhealthy fats.