A happy sort of breakfast!

As I was currently beginning the 16th day of a semi Adkins diet (semi, as I was still eating what I wanted, but applied the name Adkins to it anyway), I thought to throw together a low carb breakfast that could at least smile up to me!

Another bad breakfast? Hell no!

Two eggs, sunny side up, some toast and hash browns! What's not to like? Well, just you wait...

A tasty breakfast, is truly in the eye (or more precisely in the stomach) of the eater. I believe that! However, at any given time, nutritionists and other so-called food experts have nixed and then re-supported many foods. Eggs have almost always been on their radar due to the high cholesterol content. And, hash browns! Don't even go there! Fried foods have been a no-no for about ever.... But, ever so often there is a medical reversal that has some import. Take whole milk, it turns out that it ain't so bad as was thought. The 2% stuff is actually worst for you to consume! And those eggs, well some scientists now think that some people naturally produce a boatload of cholesterol – a genetic thing. The real comparison, that must be observed, is the ratio of LDL versus HDL in a given person's bloodstream. As long as that ratio of the two is close, no problems baby... Who knew?

Note: Does not apply to sex!

And, those hash browns! Well, they are much more problematic due to the saturated and carbonized fat content you get after drying in hot oil. I've personally got problem with admitting that eating foods cooked in boiling oil are likely bad for our bodies. Over time, that is! The thing with eating these foods has to do so in moderation. [Hey, you knew I'd get Thoreau in here someplace]. Yes everyone! 'All Things in Moderation', should be a tattoo we get stamped on our foreheads shortly after birth! (It would also have have to be stenciled in reverse so that it would be readable as we stand in front of the bathroom mirror each morning). We'd then out there into the world would DO THINGS IN MODERATION! See! Easy greasy. You'll likely live a great existence as you go forward sampling bacon strips, hash browns and fermented liquids, all in moderate style! But, I'm mentally wandering and need to get back to the business at hand...

When I make this sort of breakfast, I like to use a counter top induction cooking stove because they are so insanely efficient, energy wise! I also make it a point to use stainless steel frying pans as opposed to non-stick as I'm hesitant to use a surface that flakes off with age. And, no, stainless pans do not cause a sticking problem if used properly. That's an old wives tale, in my view. I also generally like to make the hash browns from scratch using potatoes and a method as seen here. (No, I do not like to reinvent what others already have mastered)! And, when I'm not in the mood to mess with making hash browns, I will often simply peel and then slice a potato into thin 'British dollars', flash cook them in oil and then splash on a small amount of A1 sauce! An awesome taste!

That chore done, I'll take my still hot frying pan, cool it down a bit and then break open two farm fresh eggs. To these, I add just a splash of water and cover it using the induction stove top set at the lowest setting. While the eggs are cooking, I'll throw in a couple of slices of white bread into the toaster. Yes, I use white bread! (That goes back to the moderation thing. I'll generally make this meal only a few times a month).

A few minutes later, it's time to assemble the ingredients. Everything then goes onto a microwave safe plate and is nuked for about 12 seconds on high. (This insures the meal will be uniformly hot to trot). [In days gone past, I'd also have a 'Steak and Eggs' meal deal, but can no longer afford buying good meat].

The ETM Core breakfast! It's what's good for you!

Core Ingredients: An egg (made your way), a slice of toast and a cup of 2% milk! Other ingredients: a simple Romaine salad with Catalina dressing and mandarin oranges.

As a highly nutritious breakfast, an ETM Core breakfast has a lot going for it!

Eggs: OK yes, eating an egg brings with it a lot of cholesterol. Is that good or bad? Something that the nutritionists will be debating for ever. So, if you're afraid of consuming eggs, please stop reading and move on. On the good side of things, eggs are almost the perfect form of protein! So good, that little, if any 'detritus' survives the passage through the intestines. About 99% is absorbed and thus utilized by the body's cells...

Quote: “If you're ever stuck on a desert island and you get to pick one food to live on, choose eggs. They're as close to a perfect food as you can get. They contain more vitamins and essential protein building blocks than any other common kind of food, and they won't raise your blood sugar or insulin levels a bit. Don't worry too much about the cholesterol. You don't get high blood cholesterol from eating cholesterol, you inherit it from your parents.”

Toast: We all need some carbohydrates to help jump start our bodies in the morning. However did you know...”Similar to other carbohydrate sources, toasted bread contains significant amounts of starch that provides 'slow' energy. Getting your starch from toasted bread is much better in contrast with getting it from eating normal bread. Actually, eating some kinds of bread alone without toasting them can raise your levels of blood sugar because of their increased GI (Glycemic Index) values. Toasted bread offers sufficient starch without any drawbacks linked to excessive starch intake.” Hmm, that's interesting.

Milk: We're talking 2% milk here. “One serving of milk is approximately one cup (244 grams), and one cup of whole milk has 150 calories and almost eight grams of fat. That's quite a bit of fat – out of that, 5 grams are saturated fat which is not good for you.

But you can get around the saturated fat by drinking low-fat (2%) or non-fat milk. That way, you're cutting down fat and calories while still getting all of the nutrients in milk. For example if you drink eight ounces of skim milk, that's just 90 calories. And, the fat will be minimal, plus it's low in saturated fat!

CPG = Calories per gram

Remembering that we're talking breakfast here, this core meal deal will hit you for only about 277 calories. Ergo: The glycemic impact of this meal is very low, your body is getting slathered with essential nutrients and due to the low calories, you can feel free to augment your custom breakfast plan with the fruit and or salad of your choice! [The meal as pictured above contained ~ 466 calories].

Making the perfect sunny side up fried egg!

While there are a many ways to prepare an egg (boiled, poached, scrambled..etc); sunny side up is the way I happen to like mine prepared. Getting one to turn out well, though, has always been a challenge. In the past, they've often been either too runny or were over-cooked with the bottom blackened and the yolk turned into a solid and unappetizing mass! So, after some research, I came up with a simple procedure that I think works pretty well....

First, try and make sure that you are using a non-stick frying pan with even perhaps a dash of olive oil to insure the egg doesn't stick! Also, allow that egg to come to room temperature before cooking, if possible. Next heat the pan to only medium – not medium-high heat. Carefully crack the egg open in the pan making sure not to break the yolk. After just a moment of cooking, add about a teaspoon of water and then quickly cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low or even low and maybe throw a slice of toast into a toaster. In the time it will take that toast to brown (about 3 minutes or so), the egg will be done to close to perfection!

Now for some other health considerations!

What about all that cholesterol?

Seriously, that debate concerning the harmful effects of cholesterol has raging for decades (research has shown that we manufacture our own cholesterol independent of what we eat). If you're afraid of all the hype, then simply don't eat them. But for those who choose to, here are a few of the benefits of this, one of natures most perfect foods...

The glycemic impact is low!

This nutritional panel tells a story. For a couple of dimes worth of cost, each egg supplies energy (70 calories) and in a way that doesn't spike a person's blood sugar. That's a good thing in an age of obesity...

Will eggs now spike in cost?

With the recent recall of millions of eggs now receding from the collective consciousness, is there still trouble brewing in chicken city? Click here for my somewhat controversial blog entry.