Thursday, July 30, 2009

Organic Dry Egg Whites

Many of you know that I like to start my day with a fruit smoothie that includes protein, healthy fat, and enough fiber to have my recipe gain the nickname of a Fruit Chewy.

You can access that recipe, including all my suppliers, as well as six other recipes by going to the recipe section of our website: www.LifeTrekCoaching.com/recipes. Recently it was time for me to reorder my egg white protein, and the shipment came with an information sheet that I would like to pass along. First, a word about the nutritional value of egg white protein powder. As a whole food, there is no more nutritionally complete protein powder on the market. Egg white protein powder has no fat, virtually no carbohydrates, and a full spectrum of amino acids, including L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Threonine, L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic Acid, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine, L-Histidine, L-Proline, and L-Serine. 1/4 cup (20 gm, 60 CC) contains about 75 calories, 16 grams of protein, no cholesterol, and more than 25% of the recommended daily value of Riboflavin (B2).

Dry egg whites are a perfect way for vegetarians (but not vegans) to meet their nutritional requirements. Indeed, egg whites contain over 40 different proteins, making it one of the highest-quality proteins on the market. Better than whey, soy, rice, and other vegetable powders. The trick, then, is to find the best quality product on the market with no additives from happy, organic, free-range chickens. It took me many years to find such a supplier, but I eventually located Farmer's Organic Foods International (FOF) in Blair, Wisconsin.

How's this for a naturally simple process: after collecting the eggs they separate the yolks from the egg whites and then they spray the egg whites in a fine mist into a heat-controlled room. When the mist hits the warm air it turns to a powder and falls to the floor where it is sifted through a mesh screen to generate a uniformly small particle size. That's it. There's no more processing, unless you include scooping it up and packaging it. I purchase the 1-pound sample packs, although it can also be purchased in 50-pound cartons. The product is stable up to two years when stored at room temperatures below 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

In addition to putting this protein in my morning fruit smoothies, I also make up my own sports drink, combining the egg white protein powder with HEED, a high-energy electrolyte carbohydrate powder from Hammer Nutrition, in a 1:4 ratio. That 1:4 ratio is proven to enhance endurance over pure carbohydrate drinks, gels, and chews. In case you want to try this yourself, you mix 1 pound of the egg white powder together with 2 large bottles (4 pounds) of HEED. I prefer the Lemon-Lime flavor, although they also have Strawberry, Melon, and Mandarin Orange.

Want to learn more or want to order the FOF egg white powder for yourself? Go to www.organiceggproducts.com for information, and to the Specialty Product area for ordering. You can also email them or call them in the USA at (608) 989-2500. It's a great way to start your day.

Coaching Inquiries: How do you start your day when it comes to nutrition? What are your sources of protein? What do you do for energy when you are exercising for extended periods of time? How could egg white protein become a regular part of your routine? Who else could you tell about these helpful products?

If you would like to learn more about our Coaching Programs and to arrange for a complementary coaching session, Click Here or Email Us.