Why are there so many eggs in your recommended meal plan? I would normally only eat 2-3 per week.

Eggs feature heavily in the Aussie Bodies meal plans as they are a great source of whole food protein. Unfortunately, for many years, eggs have gotten a bad rap as a forbidden food because of their cholesterol content. The mere mention of cholesterol conjured up fear and was enough to banish eggs entirely from the diets of many people. In the light of newer research, we are realising that the cholesterol content of eggs is not of great concern as it also contains health promoting lecithin and omega-3 fatty acids which assist with combating high blood cholesterol levels. An interesting fact which most people are not aware of is that 75-80% of all cholesterol circulating the body is produced by your own liver. When it comes to cholesterol control, the more important influencing factors are not the amount of cholesterol in the diet, but the type and quality of the fat you eat, as well as the amount of soluble fibre. To control blood cholesterol, make sure that your saturated animal fat is low and that you are eating plenty of omega-3 fats such as those found in fish and flaxseed oil and healthy fats such as those found in nuts, seeds and avocados. Also make sure that you are eating plenty of soluble fibre which can assist the binding of cholesterol in the digestive tract and encourage its elimination from the body. For a more in-depth discussion on healthy food choices, check out Maria Deveson Crabbe's book 'Your Body Your Life'.