News Taffy

For years doctors and scientists warned Americans not to eat eggs, shellfish and other high cholesterol foods. At the time, they believed that foods high in cholesterol like eggs raised the cholesterol amount in our own bodies to unhealthy levels, contributing to heart disease. Recent research does not support that theory and sometime later this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to issue new dietary guidelines reversing that harsh stance on eggs and other high cholesterol foods.

The new research shows that the food you eat only contributes about 20% of your body’s total cholesterol level. The rest is determined by genetics, with some people being predisposed to produce unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Unfortunately, the old dietary advice from the 1970’s to avoid foods high in cholesterol led many Americans to switch to foods higher in calories and processed carbohydrates, especially sweeteners. As a result, we are fatter and have higher rates of diabetes.

There are other studies that suggest saturated fats may not be as bad as previously thought but once again, that does not mean you should eat all the steak and cheese you want. It is obvious that the switch from the American diet pre-1970’s to the carb heavy diet we eat now has had disastrous results as we are fatter and sicker than ever. Heart disease is still the number one killer and diabetes has skyrocketed.

Before you get too excited and think this new research means you can eat whatever you want, put down that hamburger and milkshake and read a little further. Doctors still advise that eating saturated or trans fats and processed carbohydrates are a problem for your health. Saturated fats, which come mainly from animal products like meats and dairy products, have been shown to raise your cholesterol. Processed foods like soups, salad dressing and pasta sauces often contain too much saturated and trans fats and carbohydrates while offering little nutritional value. Having a high LDL level, or the bad cholesterol, puts you at greater risk for heart attacks. Foods high in carbohydrates raise your blood sugar and over time, can wreck havoc with your body’s ability to regulate insulin, leading to diabetes. Bottom line: more research is needed to better understand how foods affect our bodies.

The best advice if you want to be healthy and maintain a normal weight is to eat a diet of real, whole foods. Eat a whole, raw apple and a handful of almonds. Roast some chicken and a panful of vegetables like I did last night. Have a couple of sunny side up eggs with half a grapefruit for breakfast! Avoid foods that come in box, bottle or jar. Make your own salad dressing, cut back on wheat based products and granola bars. Buy foods that grow on bushes, trees or that once ran or swam around. The more you cruise through the drive thru, grab some peanut butter crackers from the vending machine or stuff some Hot Pockets in your face, the more likely you are to have some sort of health problems and an expanding waistline.