Eggs are rich in protein, nutritional powerhouses and considered superfood. While relatively high in cholesterol (about 212 mg in a hard-boiled egg), in moderation, they won't do any harm. In fact, research has shown that eating up to seven eggs in a week doesn't increase your risk for heart disease.

A hard-boiled egg is a convenient and energy-boosting snack. But how many calories are in a hard-boiled egg?

I just think Paula Deen is the best. She's sweet, funny and the epitome of southern charm. It's a rare day that Paula claims any of her recipes are light and healthy -- after all, butter is The Lady's favorite ingredient. But I'm OK with that. I've tried a few of her recipes, and so far they've all been yummy; they just need to be served in small portions and paired with very light and nutritious sides.

But Paula really takes the cake with her recipe for Brunch Burgers. Or should I say she takes the doughnut? She makes a basic burger and tops it with bacon and a fried egg. It's a little non-traditional, but I can get on board with that. In fact, it might be quite tasty. But then she pulls out glazed doughnuts and uses them in lieu of a hamburger bun. I swear to the Gods of Food Network, my arteries started to clog just watching her do that.

If you're a fan of burgers, try some of these healthier burger recipes.

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Baking up goodies for parties, gifts and Santa is a terrific part of this festive holiday season -- even for me, your loving fitness trainer. Baking doesn't have to be bad for your body though, nor does it have to contribute to that traditional December weight gain.

If I weren't a fitness professional, I'd be a baker. It's fun and allows me the ability to be creative while making people happy. I love making people happy. I don't, however, enjoy putting fat on my hips or the hips of others. This has lead me to be really creative.

I've got a few suggestions for you to follow and a link here to my favorite baked treats in my online recipe book at Fitzness.com.

• Substitute eggs for an egg substitute like Egg Beaters.
• Substitute butter/oil for a sugar free syrup like the ones sold a DaVinci Gourmet. (Use equal amounts as the ones given for the oil/butter.)

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Happy Holidays Fitz! I'll be hosting a Christmas party for some friends and family members next week and I need some help. I'm providing a healthy dinner buffet, but am stuck on a "not so awful for you" dessert. I could stick with fruit, but I think I should provide something more traditional. Have any ideas? Thanks in advance. Nina

A. Merry Christmas, Nina! I love your question because I am an expert on super substitutions. I can and do make almost every type of dessert in a more nutritious way. And! I do it without sacrificing flavor. Isn't that fancy? Oddly enough, if I weren't a fitness professional, I'd want to be a baker. I love baking! I'm just the weird kind of baker who hasn't owned oil or butter for more than 10 years. This forces me to be creative.

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We all know the benefits of breakfast -- it can help you control weight by managing your hunger, it improves focus, and it can give you the energy boost you need to get moving. But what if you're just not a morning person? The idea of pulling together a balanced breakfast when you can barely keep your eyes open isn't exactly realistic, is it?

Cranky Fitness has a great post about how those of us who are much more like slugs than chipper birds in the morning can still get our healthy morning meal. Some of the tips:

• Make a batch of steel cut oats ahead of time, then just warm it in the microwave. Add some low-fat milk and some sliced bananas to sweeten it up.
• Hard boil a few eggs and keep them in your fridge for quick access.
• Fresh fruit is about the simplest and quickest breakfast you can have -- just grab and go.

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Eggs have been the subject of a couple studies lately, and the reviews are mixed. First, there was a study telling us that eating eggs for breakfast can aid in weight loss. Now a new study states that eating eggs can raise your risk of type II diabetes. Nothing like a little bit of bad news with the good, huh?

In the more recent study, researchers reviewed data on both men and women for many years (20 years for the men, 12 years for the women). During the follow up period, more than 4,000 participants developed type II diabetes. It was found that the development of type II diabetes was more likely in those who frequently ate eggs. For example, men who ate one or fewer eggs per week were 9 percent more likely to develop the condition; men who ate more than seven eggs per week were 58 percent more likely to develop type II diabetes.

So which is it? Do you eat eggs more frequently in hopes that they will help you lose weight? Or do you avoid them for fear that they'll contribute to your diabetes risk? Like most things, it's best to enjoy eggs in moderation. Maybe they do aid in weight loss -- but so do lots of other healthful foods.

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One would think that celebrity chef Nigella Lawson would have no trouble coming up with healthy, low-cal meals to help her hubby shed some pounds. But her significant other, Charles Saatchi, decided to lose weight the monotonous way -- by eating the same thing day in and day out. For every single meal. His food of choice? Eggs.

According to reports out of the UK, Saatchi ate eggs for every meal, three eggs per meal. That works out to nine eggs a day. As for results? He's lost an impressive 56 lbs on the diet.

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Eggs, the old standby breakfast food, are a fantastic source of protein. But figuring out what kind of eggs to buy is becoming more and more daunting. Labels boasting free-range, cage-free and fortified might leave you scratching your head -- luckily The New York Times in shedding some light on what they all mean. Here are a few pointers:

• Cage-free means the bird was kept out of a cage, but this doesn't mean they ever saw the light of day
• Free-range means they had regular access to the outdoors, but 'outdoor' could mean a parking lot.
• Pasture-raised means that at least some of their diet was natural (like greens and bugs.) But there's no regulation on how much of their diet needs to be natural.
• Animal Welfare Approved means they spent all their time outdoors in a pesticide-free pasture. They are bathed and not fed any animal byproducts.

Intrigued? Read more here.

(via Well)

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One of my favourite things to do on a lazy Sunday morning is head out for brunch with my friends. The way I see it, it's the perfect way to start a day because not only do I get the company of my closest pals, I get to eat a yummy, reasonably-priced meal without having to worry about cleaning up the kitchen afterwards.

But although brunch at a restaurant is oh-so-convenient, it's also important to most of us to have healthy options available, options that won't mean having to starve ourselves for the rest of the week to break even on the caloric intake.

What's a healthy brunch option? Pancakes and waffles are questionable -- too much sugar in the syrup and whipped cream. Eggs Benedict is far too rich, and bacon is far too fatty. Cottage cheese, fruit and/or oatmeal is a good choice but not satisfying enough, especially when everyone else at the table is having a feast. What about ... an Omelet?

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It's no secret that a traditional English breakfast isn't healthy. That's just what happens when a meal is made up of fried eggs, fried bacon, fried hash browns, fried tomatoes and--good lord--fried bread (though to be fair, the breakfast is also served with baked beans, which are hopefully not fried as well).

But while proponents of the fry-up may look towards any kind of benefit in the menu -- protein! healthy egg whites! -- it's clear that the full English does more harm than good. Here's what's wrong with it:

• It increases your risk for bowel cancer by 63%, according to recent reports.
  
• It also significantly increases your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and a number of other killer ailments.
  

I'll say it again: Moderation. No one died from eating a full English fry-up once in their life, but having a meal of these proportions every day can literally kill you. Proceed with caution.

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Many studies show that people who eat breakfast have a better chance of losing weight. When you consume a balanced breakfast including foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, you're fueling your body with slow-burning foods that will keep you energized throughout the day. In addition, healthful breakfast choices will help you feel full longer.

A new study narrows down the healthful breakfast recommendations. The study found that dieters who ate two eggs for breakfast had better weight control than those who ate bagels. (The overall calorie intake of all study subjects was controlled.) In detail, those who ate eggs lost 65% more weight, had 61% greater reduction in BMI, and had higher energy levels.

It's important to note that the study was funded by the Egg Nutrition Center. I have to wonder what the results would be if the non-egg eaters in the study had eaten something more nutritious than a bagel (the report doesn't specify if the bagels were whole grain and if they were topped with anything).

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For kids with allergies to eggs, the best medicine might just be cake. Yes, cake.

Here's the deal: Heat modifies certain egg allergens and allows some kids to be treated by feeding them increasing amounts of egg baked in cake. After six months of this cake desensitization process, 90 percent of kids in a University of Athens study had effective tolerance.

The bad news, besides the amount of sugar these kids will ingest while attempting to kick their egg allergies, is that this is not something you should try at home. Kids with known food allergies should be treated under the supervision of a physician only. So, hand over this issue to your kids' doctors and see what the professionals have to say. In the meantime, mull over this topic here.

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Looking to pump up your protein intake but aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of eating canned tuna? Fear not, you chicken of the sea -- there are plenty of much tastier foods out there that offer a heaping helping of this macronutrient.

The current issue of Maximum Fitness magazine serves up these fine alternatives to the usual protein suspects:

Beans. Score a solid 18g of protein from a cup of kidney beans, which take only a few minutes to cook up in a saucepan or microwave.

Eggs. Large eggs contain about 6.5g of protein each. Not a whole bunch, but most people don't just eat a single egg. It doesn't take a degree in advanced mathamatics to figure out that a hearty egg breakfast can hook you up with a healthy dose of pro.

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Got tangles in your favorite necklace? Use a little butter and a needle and see if you can get them out. Probably not, according to this MSNBC video. After this oddball food remedy was tested, the tangles did come out, but it took 20 minutes -- probably not that much easier than using a needle alone.

Food is apparently not for consumption alone. It also works for some of life's little annoyances -- like removing crayon marks from walls and furniture. Just rub on a glob of mayonnaise, let sit for 10 minutes, and wipe off. Hey, it works. This also works: Use a piece of bread and dab it on small pieces of broken glass -- it will pick them up with ease.

How about egg yolk for super shiny hair? Nope. Stick with your usual conditioner. Does milk work for ink stains on shirts? No. How about salt for grease stains? No again.

Two out of six. Not so great in my book. I say save your food for fuel and forget the shot-in-the-dark frustration fixes.

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Put down the eggs, men! Well, not all of them. For some of you, anyway.

Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs per week had a higher risk of earlier death, say U.S. researchers reporting on the 20-year-long Physicians' Health Study. And men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death.

Eggs have long been controversial -- and this research adds to a growing body of evidence about the safety of the possibly-forbidden food. Here are some initial conclusions:

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