Eggs are a pretty simple food. And like nearly all things that come straight from Mother Nature, they are also extremely versatile and high in essential nutrients our bodies need. The average American eats about 250 eggs per year, meaning a total annual United States consumption of 76.5 billion eggs per year!
4 things you need to know about eggs:
This may seem pretty straightforward because eggs are fairly easy to prepare. However, there are SO many recipes available when it comes to what to do with eggs. Since summer is around the corner, here’s a refreshing egg recipe perfect for a warm sunny day.
Pickled Beets and Eggs Recipe
Freezing eggs is a great way to store a large number of eggs without having to worry about their shelf life. How
ever, freezing eggs can be a tricky business, so we’ll break it down for you.
You can freeze either just the egg white or the whole egg, but the way you go about it differs depending on which you plan to do.
The Whole Egg: If you whisk the egg where the whites and yolk are combined, the process is fairly simple. Just beat the eggs until the yolk is combined with the egg whites, but not so much that the eggs foam. Then, pour the egg mixture into a plastic bag or even a fun mold! For example, ice strays work great.
If you use a plastic bag, make sure you place the bag on a tray or another flat surface so it freezes flat and can lay flat in the freezer. If you are using a mold, make sure to transfer the eggs out of the mold into a sealable bag once they are frozen all the way through.
Just the Whites: Freezing just the egg whites is really similar to freezing the whole egg, just remove the yolk! You can then pour it into a plastic bag or mold.
Just the yolk: The yolk of the egg is tricky. The texture won’t be as good as a fresh yolk, but it is still possible. Egg yolks do not contain any water, and since it’s the water in the egg that freezes, the yolk becomes solid even after thawed if not done correctly. The trick is to beat the egg yolk until smooth and add salt, sugar, or corn syrup before you freeze them. For example, you can add one-eighth of a teaspoon of salt to every 4 egg yolks or 1 ½ teaspoon of sugar or corn syrup.
It may sound weird, but eggs actually have a lot of benefits when it comes to your skin and hair. You can use eggs to treat acne, treat oily skin, reduce stretch marks, rejuvenate the skin, and condition your hair.
Treating Acne: Eggs have retinol- vitamin A. Retinol is commonly used to treat acne and wrinkles as well. Another key ingredient to combat acne is Lecithin, which is found in the egg yolks and helps the body bind and remove toxins.
DIY Egg White Facemask:
Combine 1 egg white (include the yolk if you’re looking for a more moisturizing treatment) with 1 tablespoon of honey. Leave it on your skin until it begins to dry and tighten, then just rinse with water! You can do other variations of this with tea tree oil, yogurt, green tea, oatmeal, lavender, and even milk (or a combination of ingredients).
Treating Oily Skin: The main component of egg whites that is beneficial for treating oily skin is protein. The protein in the egg white helps tighten the skin and shrink pores.
Watch this fun video of how to prepare your facemask:
DIY Lemon Egg White Facemask:
Combine 1 egg white with only 3-4 drops of lemon juice. Make sure to go easy on the lemon juice, since too much can be a skin irritant. Massage the mixture onto your face and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Then, wash and pat dry.
Reducing Stretch Marks: In addition to protein, egg whites contain collagen, which helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and vitamin A, which enhances skin elasticity!
DIY Stretch Mark Treatment: You only need two ingredients: Egg whites and Olive Oil. Olive oil has phytosterols and polyphenols which both help improve the production of collagen and increase the skin’s elasticity. Simply mix egg whites with a few tablespoons of olive oil and whisk until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Then, apply over stretch marks and leave it on for 20 minutes, and rinse.
Condition Your Hair: The protein in eggs helps nourish and strengthen your hair to decrease breakage.
DIY Hair Mask: Combine one egg yolk with a tablespoon of olive oil and whisk until well combined. You can also use other oils such as avocado, argan, or coconut. Add in one cup of warm water and mix well. Then, wet hair completely and thoroughly coats from root to tip. Let sit for 5 minutes and rinse. (Make sure the water isn’t so hot that it would cook the egg, making it hard to wash out of your hair.)
The usefulness of the eggshell goes beyond just being a natural package for the egg; they are high in nutrition and can be used in a variety of ways. Eggshells have a lot of calcium! While you can crush boiled eggshells up into a fine powder to add to smoothies and other beverages, you can also make eggshells into things like compost, chicken feed, bird food, as a pest deterrent, garden mulch, and even as a seedling container.
We hope you enjoy these creative ways to naturally enhance your health and beauty with one of nature’s most incredible food items.