Posts Tagged ‘Cholesterol’
Truth About Eggs
I remember watching old movies where you’d see body builders consume a dozen raw eggs for breakfast. I mean these guys would be filling up a cup of the good stuff and chugging it down as a source of quick source protein. Since then, with the advent of whey protein powders and shakes and reports of the bad stuff in eggs (cholesterol in the yolks), you see fewer and fewer lifters eating so many eggs. But are eggs that bad for you?
The truth is eggs are good for you but, like many other foods, only in moderation. The concern comes from the cholesterol found in the yolks of the egg. The American Heart Association warns that you should only consume 300 mg of cholesterol per day and the yolk of one large egg contains about 210 mg. So, you can eat an egg a day as long as you control how much other cholesterol you eat.
There are two sources of cholesterol - the food you eat and the amount your body makes. Most of your consumed cholesterol comes from animal fats though there are trace amounts in some plants. Your body’s production (the reason why genetics plays a role) of cholesterol is in reaction to what you eat, so manage that and you can play a small role in controlling your cholesterol.
Bottom line - an egg a day is safe as long as you manage your other cholesterol consumption.
Subscribe to the comments for this postThe Good Avocado Superfood
As a child I never had the opportunity to eat much avocado. I’m Chinese and avocado simply didn’t make its way into many, or any, of the meals my mom prepared so I wasn’t exposed to the delicious treat until much later. I think my first try was sometime in college when I tried guacamole, the delicious nacho topper made mostly of avocado. Since then, while I’m not an avocado fiend, I do enjoy its rich creamy flavor both on salads (it makes a great contrast with the crispness of bell peppers and lettuce) and guacamole.
Later on, I discovered that avocado was remarkably good for you. It’s surprisingly rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, the same good stuff that’s in olive oil. Monounsaturated fatty acids has been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the good HDL cholesterol levels. In addition to those benefits, avocados also contain fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate, and antioxidants.
I don’t know if the creators of salsa and guacamole knew this but combining the lycopene in tomatoes and the vitamin E in avocados heightens the positive health benefits of both (especially enhancing antioxidant effects). You add in some onions and the oligosaccharides will boost the tomatoes’ lycopene benefits. Seems like eating lots of salsa and guacamole is pretty good for you.
So, if you’ve never tried avocado, give it a try. If you love the stuff, good for you because it’s good for you too!
(Photo: avlxyz)
Daily Recommended Values
Do you know what the daily recommended values (DV) are for everything on that nutrition label? It’s like budgeting, you don’t know if you’re doing well or doing poorly unless you have a reference point. Daily recommended values is the FDA’s way of setting reference points and it’s important to know what they are, even if it’s only at a high level.
Here are the high level numbers:
- Calories: 2,000
- Fat: 30% of calories - 65g
- Saturated fat: 10% of calories - 20g
- Carbohydrates: 60% of calories
- Protein: 10% of calories
- Fiber: 11.5g per 1,000 calories
- Sodium: 2,400 mg
- Cholesterol: 300 mg
That’s a ballpark estimate, obviously younger people who are growing will need more calories and those who are older will need less.
‘Daily Values’ Encourage Healthy Diet [FDA.gov]
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Good For You
Olive oil is great. OK, why? 
If you have no idea, welcome to the club because until about fifteen minutes ago I had no idea either. I just knew that olive oil was supposed to be good for you and that you should be buying extra virgin or virgin olive oil if you want the best bang for your buck (the other types suck). So, why is it good for you?
Well, there are two aspects about olive oil that make it healthy for you to consume:
- High content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and,
- High content of antioxidants.
The oleic acid from the olives in olive oil offer good protection against heart disease because they help regulate the “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising the “good” HDL cholesterol. The first pressing, or extra virgin grade, is especially good because it has the highest concentration of antioxidants such as Vitamin E and phenols. Most of the fatty acids in olive oil are the omega-9 group, so it doesn’t affect omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.
It’s been shown that 25 milliliters of olive oil each day for a week reduces LDL cholesterol and increases antioxidant compounds in the blood.
So… that’s why it’s good for you, but 25 mL is enough (don’t chug it!).
