Raw eggs and my smoothies

Considering the uncertainties of how to best eat eggs reminds me of the many uncertainties on how to maximize the release of human growth hormone; there are seem to be almost endless possibilities and combinations. 

I eat eggs in many different ways, but I don’t eat fried eggs because I want to avoid eating oil and protein that have been heated to high temperature.  I eat most of my egg yolks raw and I eat most of my egg whites after barely heating them which is supposed to neutralize avidin.

Eating raw eggs is controversial for 2 reasons:

1. There is a chance to contract salmonella from eggs unless they are cooked. 
2. A raw egg white has a substance called avidin which can bind to the “B-vitamin biotin”.  Some people say that avidin can significantly affect levels of biotin and others say that it doesn’t.

The rate of salmonella in eggs is said to be 1 in every 30,000 and since I am in good health, it is a risk I am willing to take.  In the last year, I have probably eaten about 400 eggs and I have not had any problems.   Heating the egg white neutralizes avidin, so  I separate the egg white from the yolk and heat the egg whites to a low temperature; below is a picture of what my 2 egg whites look like after being in my microwave for 2 minutes at power level #1.  Avidin is apparently neutralized at a low temperature.

Other egg factors:

• Cooking supposedly alters the value of fats and proteins so many people advocate eating either eating eggs raw or cooking them at low temperatures.  Occasionally I will cook egg whites in my Oster steamer.
• Omega 3 eggs:  I have been purchasing Omega 3 eggs for a couple of years.  Usually I purchase Christopher brand eggs because they have more DHA and EPA than most other brands of Omega 3 eggs.  I don’t know if there is greater food value in Omega 3 eggs or if it is mainly advertising hype, but I am able to easily pay the increased cost so I buy them.
• Since the yolk contains most of the fat in an egg, if I want to only eat egg whites I’ll hard boil inexpensive eggs that aren’t Omega 3 eggs and just eat the egg white.
• Some people feel that some value of the amino acids is lost when an egg is blended because some long chains of amino acids are broken up; therefore they eat eggs “Rocky style” by swallowing the yolk and egg white right out of the egg shell; (in one of the Rocky movies, Rocky eats a bunch of raw eggs first thing in the morning before training).  I don’t eat my eggs “Rocky style” because it is unappealing to me, but I try to avoid blending them for more than 5 seconds; when making my smoothies, I mix everything else first and then after adding my raw egg yolks and heated egg whites, I blend for only 5 seconds.

My usual smoothies (I have a smoothie about 4-5 times/week):

• 1/2 cup plan yogurt
• 1/2 cup frozen fruit (usually blueberries or blackberries)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 to 1/2 of a banana
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut (I buy “Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut” from a health food store)
• a handful of pecans, almonds, walnuts, and/or Brazil nuts
• sometimes I add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• after the above ingredients are mixed thoroughly, I add 2 egg whites that have been heated in my microwave for 2 minutes at power level #1and 2 raw egg yolks; I blend the eggs into the smoothie for 5 seconds. 

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