Have you ever wondered/googled/read in magazines about celebrity diets? I just googled “celebrity diet” and 134 million results came up. Clearly a fascination.
A couple weeks ago, I was watching the show SMASH (based on the Broadway/musical scene in NYC, in particular one musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe) – kinda like Glee for grown ups. I know the general idea of Marilyn Monroe, but this show made me curious. I naturally googled Marilyn Monroe – 88 million results.
Numerous articles and pictures, but the one thing that stood out…Several articles on Marilyn Monroe’s diet.
Even 50 years ago it was a fascination.
Ms. Monroe’s diet consisted of:
(as per her interview in 1952 issue of Pageant magazine)
Breakfast:
1 cup of warm milk with two raw eggs mixed into it
Lunch:
None
Dinner:
Broiled steak, lamb or liver with 4-5 raw carrots
Evening snack:
Hot fudge sundae
Like most celebrity diets, I get a pretty good laugh, thinking to myself…
- A) that is totally tasteless, depriving, and bad mood inducing – ex: jarred baby food diet.
- B) There aren’t enough nutrients to truly sustain and function – ex: grapefruit diet or watercress soup diet.
- C) You’d get so constipated – ex. Hard-core Atkins.
Now honestly, based on her diet, I’m guessing she was pretty constipated (seriously), but there was one food that I was like “oh hell yes, THAT totally helped her “glow”, hormones, and shiny hair. ” It’s the one that usually gets knocked down and divided (literally).
EGGS
I’m putting my money on whole (yes yolk AND white) eggs as the best nutritional contributor in her diet list above (yeah, yeah, carrots are great too). BUT not just ANY type of egg – grass-fed eggs.
The egg on the left in the picture to the left is conventional farming (light yellow), the egg on the right… now that’s grass-fed at it’s finest. Rich with nutrients, cartenoids (make your skin glow) and the best healthy fats around.Grass-fed simply meanshens that roam freely outdoors on a pasture eating seeds, green plants, insects, and worms. Eating the egg white AND the yolk is some nutritionally dense goodness.I hear you….”But, Katie, what about the cholesterol, fat, calories?” If we choose the RIGHT KIND of egg (grass-fed) then you reap incredible BENEFITS not dangers to stay away from. For instance, research conducted by Mother Earth News compared free-range, grass-fed eggs with commercial eggs.Free-range eggs boasted:
- 1/3 less cholesterol
- 1/4 less saturated fat
- 2/3 more vitamin A (fabulous skin)
- Twice the omega-3 fatty acids (fabulous skin, reduced inflammation and chronic illnesses)
- Three times more vitamin E (again, fabulous skin)
- Seven times more beta carotene (naturally look more tan!)
- Four to six times more vitamin D (fabulous skin, balanced hormones, boosted immune system, and more)
BOTTOM LINE: Add in whole grass-fed eggs several times a week (unless you have a food allergy/sensitivity). Research the brands available at your grocery store, purchase eggs a local farmers market, or find a local farm (or neighbor) who has their own chickens grazing on grass (see our eggs to the right from a friend!). THEN you never have to worry about nutritional content again – you can be the next Marilyn Monroe (in the best way of course :)).
Want to know how a particular brand of “free-range”, “organic”, “grass-fed” eggs stacks-up for benefits and goodness? Checkout the Organic Egg Scorecard HERE by The Cornucopia Institute which rates hundreds of brands across the U.S.
If you want to have “radiant health like a goddess”, take a cue from Ms. Monroe add more eggs (the right kind) into your diet. Try the Quinoa Egg Hash recipe below to get started.
1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 c. broccoli
- 1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive-oil (cold-pressed)
- 1-2 eggs
- ½ c. cooked quinoa
- 1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder or 1-2 cloves minced
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- sea salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 4-6 basil leaves, minced or chopped
Directions:
- Chop broccoli head into bite-sized pieces. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer. (Note: if you don’t have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork.
- While broccoli is steaming, heat small sauté pan over medium heat and add dash of olive oil. Once heated, add 1-2 eggs to the pan. Do not scramble. Cover with lid and cook for 3-4 minutes or until yolk is cooked to your desired consistency (hard vs. runny – either is fine).
- Remove both broccoli and eggs from heat. In a medium sized eating bowl, add cooked quinoa and remaining ingredients. Stir until well-mixed.
- Top with broccoli and eggs. Season to taste. Enjoy!
