Protein - Timing is Everything!

Body builders know that protein equals muscle growth. While what you eat is very important, the timing of that is equally a factor in muscle growth. As we mentioned last week, you should consume 1 to 1.5 times your body weight in grams of protein. There is a great protein calculator on bodybuilding.com so you can easily calculate how much protein you should consume. Now that you know HOW MUCH you need, let's take a look at WHEN you should consume your protein.

To maximize muscle growth it is crucial that you eat first thing in the morning, since your body has been in a state of starvation. While you sleep, your body burns your muscle for energy since your glycogen store is low. It's also necessary to consume protein, such as Eggology Egg Whites, between regularly scheduled meals so that your muscles are constantly being fed.

Before a workout, you need to feed your muscles with a protein source and follow up your workout with more protein to repair your muscle cells from your strenuous workout. Don't forget to eat a slow acting protein prior to going to bed too! Muscles experience maximum growth at night, by eating casein proteins , such as an egg white scramble, you encourage them to grow!

Prepare your body for maximum muscle growth by consuming the right protein at the right time!

What is your favorite protein source? Share your favorite combinations!

Ask the Eggology Eggspert: Can You Gain Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?

Eggology's blog is dedicated to recipes and information about our fresh, pure, liquid egg whites as well as information about health, nutrition, body building and more. From time to time we also feature Ask the Eggspert where we answer your questions! Below isn't a question that anyone submitted to us, but it is a question that many personal trainers hear time and time again so we thought we'd discuss it. If you have question for Ask the Eggspert, whether it be about egg whites or weight training, email us and we will be sure to feature it!

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I recently opened a discussion on Eggology's Facebook page and in Twitter where I pose this question to bodybuilders- Is it possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? I hear mixed answers when I ask this question. Some experts say yes- and some say no.

Some bodybuilders put themselves through cycles where they spend several months concentrating their efforts on gaining muscle by intense strength training and increasing their daily caloric intake- this is known as the "bulking up phase". Their goal is to increase muscle mass, weight and size. This is often done during the winter or the colder months so the extra weight can easily be concealed. A typical diet during this phase is still healthy and low in fat, but higher in calories, carbs and protein.

The next cycle is putting the body through a period known as "the cutting down phase" where they will change their diet and reduce the amount of carbohydrates and calories- but maintain the same level of protein. They will still do their workouts- but to maintain their strength; not to gain. In addition to strength training they will add in more cardio during their workouts to lose more fat.

What do you think? Please leave your ideas in the comments section and better yet, add to the discussion in Facebook and Twitter!
Photo Credit: hillcountry.hyatt.com

Ask The Eggspert: How Can I Know My Liquid Egg Whites are Safe?

Question: Are any liquid egg whites safe to eat or drink raw? What is the necessity of pasteurizing egg whites?

Answer: Did you know that Eggology egg whites are the only liquid egg whites safe to consume raw? Who consumes raw egg whites? You'd be surprised! Most of us have an image of bodybuilders drinking down a glass of liquid-y egg whites but raw egg whites can be found in other food items such as royal icing (read about royal icing and see recipe that we blogged about in December), in smoothies, in cheesecake, even in cocktails!

Eggology liquid egg whites are popular among bodybuilders and also utilized by chefs, hotels, restaurants, moms and dads because Eggology egg whites are the only egg whites safe to enjoy raw or cooked! Eggology egg whites are pasteurized and follow a strict USDA inspection process for the safety of our consumers.

Many people are unaware that pasteurization does more than kill the bacteria in an egg. A posting from the forum of EliteFitness.com egg-splains how a non-pasteurized egg/egg white can be potentially a carrier of bacteria and salmonella but also that your body cannot utilize the protein in the egg white until it is pasteurized. Before pasteurization (which is heating the egg/eggwhite enough to kill the bacteria), the egg contains a glycoprotein called avidin. Avidin blocks the uptake of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin H (Biotin) causing a vitamin deficiency. Pasteurizing the egg white neutralizes the Avidin and allows your body to safely digest the protein and utilize all its amino acids.

Eggology egg whites are not only the smartest choice for purity, freshness and taste - they are the smartest liquid egg white choice for safety too. Find out more about Eggology egg whites on our FAQs page.

Ask The Eggspert: What Holiday Recipes Do You Recommend that are Freezable?

Question: Now that the kids are almost back in school, the holidays will soon be rapidly approaching! My plan this year is to have less stressful holidays and part of that means preparing some of the food beforehand so I can enjoy my family and friends during those special days, instead of being in the kitchen. Of Eggology's holiday recipes, which do you recommend as being freezable?

Answer: Thanks for bringing this question up. When it comes to holidays, we know that it can be more hectic and stressful than relaxing for many people. So doing things like making holiday desserts in advance and freezing them until the day, is a great idea. We asked our local culinary expert about which of our Holiday Recipes she would recommend as being freezer-friendly. Here is the list she chose and her notes are alongside:

Plethora of Passover Blintzes
Passover Matzoh Muffins
Eggnog Bread Pudding & Apricot Whiskey Sauce (do not freeze the sauce)
Crispy Cheese Blintzes
Vermont Pumpkin-Cranberry Loaf
Soothing Apple Cider-Carmel Cake (do not put the sauce on prior to freezing-you can reheat the cake slightly then add the sauce)
Banana-Fofana Oatmeal Bread
Fog City Cappuccino Cheesecake with Fudge Sauce (don't freeze the Fudge Sauce)
Easy-As-Sunday-Morning Lemon Squares
Forest Honeyed Apple Torte
Winter Spice Pumpkin Bread
Tea Time Spice Pound Cake

Here are some additional tips to freezing your baked goods:

• Let all baked goods cool completely before preparing to freeze.


• For cookies, wrap each individually in plastic wrap then place in freezer storage bag.


• For brownies and other types of bars, do not cut into individual servings. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil.


• For cakes, muffins and breads, use freezer storage bags.


• Do not frost or cover with sauce any of the baked goods. That can be done when they are thawed and you are ready to serve them.


• Most of these items can be frozen for as long as three months except cookies - those can be frozen for about one month.


• To thaw, place on serving platter and let sit out at room temperature for about one to two hours.

See all of Eggology's Holiday Recipes here! See other Eggology baked goods recipes in the Dessert Recipe section!

Ask The Eggspert: How can I get the hotel I'm staying at to serve Eggology egg whites, not other brand egg-whats?!

Recently we had a post from an Eggology customer about hotels and egg whites. We thought this made an eggcellent "Ask the Eggspert" question:

Question: I am a disgruntled traveler at a Sofitel hotel who asked what brand the egg whites were and was told that the egg whites were eggbeaters, which is not what I buy at home. i can't believe that a high end hotel like this doesn't carry eggology. i am really careful about my diet and exercise and believe that you are what you eat...who can I contact at Eggology to see what hotels carry Eggology??

Answer: Great question. Most hotels (even the upscale ones) don't think their patrons care about the differences in quality food items. I recommend you voice your opinion to the head of dining or hotel manager.

For a list of hotels who use Eggology, please contact our Customer Service department either by phone at (888) NO-YOLKS or through email.

Ask The Eggspert: This question is so great, we can hardly "contain" ourselves!

Question: Why are Eggology egg whites packaged in plastic jar containers? Why not use cartons, like other egg-substitute products?

Answer: Eggcellent question and there are many answers, all equally important! First of all, Eggology is simply not like those "other egg-substitute products" and it's not just our packaging that sets us apart.

When Eggology was created, the only egg-white product available came in a carton that contained chemicals, coloring, gums, preservatives, oh, and egg whites. Eggology's first goal was to create a product that was a pure egg white, safe for eating and drinking, with no artificial ingredients. And Eggology made the goal: the egg whites are fresh, organic, cage free, tested for salmonella & listeria, kosher, pasteurized and USDA approved.

The second goal was to make sure the product stayed like that. Not wanting to put such a pure product in one of those bacteria-prone cartons, Eggology developed easy-to-handle clear plastic jars that can be sterilized. No coincidence that these clear containers also show the purity of the product. You can see what you are buying!

Both the egg white and the container are designed to insure that you, the consumer, receives a top quality product! Eggology would have it no other way.

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Find a store near you that carries Eggology products or order online!

Are Egg Whites Safe To Drink Raw ?

This is a great question and we get emails about this all the time. The truth is, that only Eggology brand egg whites are safe to drink raw because they are continuously tested for salmonella and listeria. The USDA requires that all eggs (out of the shell) be tested, but only one in eight production days. That means, that a company may test their eggs today, and then not again until over a week from today. Eggology tests all day/every day.

Most people think that pasteurization makes egg whites safe, but nothing could be further from the truth. The USDA does require all egg (out of the shell) to be pasteurized, but this process only heats the eggs to approximately 134°F. This temperature only kills everyday bacteria, but you would have to heat the egg whites to above 174°F in order to kill harmful bacteria such as salmonella and listeria. Unfortunately, this high temperature would fully cook the egg whites, thereby eliminating raw usage. The intense testing makes Eggology the only egg whites completely safe to drink raw.

Keep the eggcellent questions coming! We can take it! You can post your questions on our eggciting egg whites blog contact us via email!

Need to eggamine more info? You can go to our Frequently Asked Questions!

What happens to the yolks??

Q. I have a question: what happens to the yolks?

A. Great question! We sell the yolks to companies that make a variety of products: ice cream, salad dressing, various pastries. Even better is that the eggshells are ground into a powder and sold to companies that use it in dog and cat food, as eggs shells are the perfect calcium for animals...similar to egg whites being the perfect protein for humans.

Have a egg white or health-related question? We receive questions every day and are HAPPY to answer them for you. Feel free to post your questions to us on the blog or contact us!We also post Eggology Frequently Asked Questions on our website!

Where can I buy Eggology Ice Cream?

Q. I had your egg white ice cream when I was visiting a friend in Santa Barbara, but now that I am back home, I can't seem to find it in my grocery store. How do I find out what stores carry the ice cream?

A. So glad you got to eggperience the Simply Sensational ice cream with egg whites and we are even happier you are on the hunt for it! Thanks for contacting us. We created an online store locator that lists stores that carry Eggology.

Have a Question? We receive questions every day and are HAPPY to answer them for you. Feel free to post your questions to us on the blog or contact us!

We also post Eggology Frequently Asked Questions on our website!

So what eggactly are in your egg whites?

Q. What are in your egg whites?

A. Great question, easy answer - NOTHING except 100% pure fresh liquid egg whites!

While other products claim to be 100% pure, none of them offer that same purity from the original all natural state of their product. EGGOLOGY... egg whites are packaged in a clear bottle so consumers who value purity can view our freshness in our unaltered or modified product. While other products endure commercial processing and straining, EGGOLOGY... is exactly as if you separated fresh eggs yourself. The white floating particles (chalazae) is a natural part of an egg white, as is the foam that appears. No chemicals. No coloring. No gums. There is simply no substitute for the true meaning of all natural.

Have a Question?
We receive questions every day and are HAPPY to answer them for you. Feel free to post your questions to us on the blog or contact us!

We also post Eggology Frequently Asked Questions on our website!