I eat 1000 eggs a year.

Before going into all the compelling reasons why eggs are the absolute best food nature provides, let me deal with a destructive myth—outright lie really, that eggs are bad for you because they contain cholesterol.

A large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, which may seem like a lot, but it has been proven time and time again, cholesterol in food does not adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood. The minimal impact eggs have on cholesterol is actually positive—eggs raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and they change LDL (so-called “bad”) cholesterol from small, dense LDL molecules (really bad) to large LDL molecules (benign).

When researchers at Harvard Medical School analyzed data from almost 120,000 men and women, they found an equivalent of an egg a day did not increase blood cholesterol levels. Another Harvard Medical School study found that otherwise healthy men could eat up to seven eggs a day with little risk.

Researchers who have compared blood cholesterol levels to egg intake have found those who eat few or no eggs are virtually identical to those who consume bountiful numbers of eggs.

So much for the eating-eggs-raises-your-cholesterol myth—now for some really good reasons you should eat eggs, a lot of eggs, on a regular basis.

Eggs contain only trace amounts of carbohydrates, which means they do not raise blood glucose levels. As we now know, carbohydrates, particularly the simple carbs found in pasta, bread and white rice, and not fats are the real culprits in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. If you want to lose weight, a low carb diet is much more effective than a low-fat diet.

Eggs rank high on the Satiety Index, they make you feel full so you eat less overall calories. In a study of overweight women that ate either a bagel or eggs for breakfast, the egg group ended up eating less during lunch, the rest of the day and for the next 36 hours. A egg contains only 74 calories.

Three eggs, which I eat most mornings, pack about 21 plus grams of high-quality protein and a balance of good fats: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Just one egg yolk provides 245 IUs of vitamin A, 37 IUs of vitamin D, 13 mg potassium, 25 mcg folate, 22 mg calcium and 300 mcg of choline.

The protein in eggs is considered the gold standard other proteins are measured against. Egg protein contains an almost ideal mix of amino acids, so it is easily and efficiently absorbed by the body.

The choline in eggs is both heart and brain healthy. It lowers homocysteine (a risk for heart disease) and helps make phosphatidylcholine which benefits the brain as well as the nervous system.

Eggs also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that improve vision and prevent macular degeneration. In one study, eating an average of 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4-5 weeks increased blood levels of lutein by 28-50% and zeaxanthin by 114-142%.

The biggest downside to eating eggs is what you eat with them. The most common breakfast with eggs includes bacon, fried potatoes and toast, often with butter and jam. Most bacon contains nitrates, which have been linked with colon cancer. Potatoes are high in carbohydrates and starch. Bread contains glucose and is also high in carbs—and unless it is whole grain, it has very little fiber.

My recent breakfast, pictured here, included a 3-egg omelet with sweet peppers, tomatoes, and a little cheese; Italian beans cooked in a pad of butter, seasoned with black pepper and a dash of salt; and a few blueberries. A lot of food, perhaps, but it kept me going until dinner time. I like soft-boiled eggs and baked eggs the best. When I fry them I use olive oil and a bit of butter—never vegetable oil.