Lindsay Chung

Enter the wonderful world of egg-ercise. From the 15-minute HIIT workouts on YouTube to Planet Fitness regulars, there are lots of different “cultures” hidden within this world. In fact, many eggs-perienced gym rats participate in the egg-citing practice of dieting. This is great in theory, but in reality, diets can turn into eating disorders and malnutrition egg-ceedingly fast. As one may discern from all the egg puns above, one of the prime culprits of the diet discussion is eggs.
Diet culture is the belief that certain foods are “good” and others are “bad” for maximizing the gains in an exercise regime. It has pervaded into much of present-day society while also contributing to beauty standards as someone who eats “good” foods. Veteran gym-goers have embraced diet culture fully. With millions of videos outlining different diets such as keto and carnivore diets, diets continue to gain popularity. One recent breadwinner is the egg white diet.
Many of the so-called “gym gurus” have turned to eggs as a source of protein and nutritional fat. The controversy lies with whether chugging pure egg whites is better than the conventional route of eating the whole egg like a more civilized person. People consider egg yolks unhealthy because they have high amounts of cholesterol and therefore choose to eat low-calorie, high-protein egg whites.
Egg whites are the clear liquid that surrounds the bright yellow yolk. If the egg is fertilized, the egg white serves as a protective layer and provides nutrients for the chicken to grow. Egg whites are 90% water and 10% protein, which means it is a low-calorie, high-protein option. The egg white contains 67% of all the protein in an egg. With the high protein content, egg whites provide all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids provide functions for your body to complete protein synthesis, repair tissue, and absorb nutrients. One egg white is only 17 calories, has zero grams of carbohydrates, and four grams of protein. The concentrated amount of protein leads people to believe that it is the healthier option.
Egg yolks contain all the fat of the egg. It provides vitamins A, D, E, and K along with omega-3 fats, all of which egg whites do not have. The dense bioactive nutrients help with metabolic health, lipid metabolism, immune function, and hematopoiesis. In addition to these helpful nutrients, one egg yolk contains 187 grams of cholesterol. In the past, scientists believed that a high amount of cholesterol could lead to heart disease, but new information disproves this theory. It was found that egg yolks increased the density of lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is known as good cholesterol. HDL helps remove harmful cholesterol, so in actuality, egg yolks have the potential to decrease the chance of heart disease.
The key lies in balance. YouTuber “More Plates More Dates” went viral in 2021 for advocating for a heavy egg white diet. He faced backlash from some but gained lots of supporters and traction for his innovative idea which sounded almost too good to be true. The problem is the over-egg-citement of a new diet gets blown out of proportion when people make egg whites their entire diet. Inexperienced and desperate newbies flock towards the latest trends in hopes of getting that sculpted six-pack within two weeks. However, in their haste to bulk up, they forget the importance of balance. Mainstream media overlooks the importance of a well-balanced diet, which, unlike chugging egg whites, is medically approved.
It is not a yolk when doctors recommend valuing the whole egg, not only the egg white. Diet culture has plagued the United States through the usage of social media promoting trends that are not targeted toward balanced lifestyles. Social media chooses high protein and low calorie before healthy fat every time. Gym bros should egg-splore the value of egg yolks.