The Truth about Eggs and Cholesterol!

The Truth about Eggs and Cholesterol!

 
When I speak to people about what I eat (notice im not calling it a diet!) they are really surprised about how many eggs I eat a day/week. Then I get the "Oh that's really bad for your cholesterol".
 
So many people still believe that eating egg yolks is literally a recipe for high cholesterol, this is NOT the case.
 

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood. If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. It is important to note that there are 2 different type of Cholesterol:
 

1. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known as the bad type of cholesterol. LDL carry cholesterol from your liver to the cells that need it.
2. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the good type of cholesterol. HDL carry cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver to be broken down.

Dietary Cholesterol & Bloodstream Cholesterol

It would make logical sense that if you want to decrease the amount of cholesterol in your blood then you should cut the amount of cholesterol that you eat. This is why eggs (particularly egg yolks) have a bed rep (they contain approx 200 mg per serving).
 
The thing is ingested cholesterol doesn't raise  blood cholesterol as much as you may think.In fact, only 30% of people experience significant increases in cholesterol levels after following a diet high in cholesterol.

A study conducted by Harvard that looked at the dietary habits of more than 100,000 people concluded that daily egg consumption in healthy individuals didn’t increase risk of coronary heart disease. In another study by the University of Connecticut found that eating three eggs per day as part of a low carbohydrate regimen improved HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- with NO negative health effects.
 
 

Its more about Carbohydrate levels!

Researchers found that “carbohydrates, rather than fat, plays a critical role in activating pro-inflammatory processes through their effect on the fatty acid composition of lipids and membranes.”

 

By restricting carbohydrate intake and replacing it with protein and fat, studies show it is possible to lose fat, decrease inflammation, and by eating eggs, you can improve cholesterol too.

 

A study in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism compared the effect of two carbohydrate restricted diets in overweight men—both diets included 18 percent carbs, 26 percent protein, and 56 percent fat, but one group ate three eggs a day. 

• After 12 weeks, the group that ate eggs actually lost slightly more total body fat and saw a decrease in levels of inflammation (significantly more than the group that didn’t eat eggs)
• The egg group also increased their “good” HDL cholesterol levels
• The group that didn’t eat eggs had no change in cholesterol at all.
• The group that ate eggs also experienced better insulin sensitivity and higher levels of adiponectin, which is a hormone involved in fat burning that also decreases inflammation.

For me the benefits of eating eggs far outweigh any negative press associated with them.
 
 
 Sources:
 
http://www.poliquingroup.com/Tips/tabid/130/entryid/1710/Tip-482-Improve-Your-Cholesterol-By-Eating-Eggs.aspx
http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-cholesterol.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/556213-nutrition-debate-are-eggs-good-for-you/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/FAQ-20058468
 
Ratliff, J., et al. Eggs Modulate the Inflammatory Response To Carbohydrate Restricted Diets in Overweight Men. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2008. 5(6).
 

Paleo: Chipotle Chicken stuffed sweet potato skins

Chipotle Chicken stuffed sweet potato skins

Cant wait to try this recipe! Adding here so that I can find it for later! Will let you know how they turn out :)

 Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
• 2 chicken breasts
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
• juice from 1 lime
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle pepper chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
• Grated cheddar cheese
• chopped coriander for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork all around. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until fork tender. Place your chicken in a baking dish and rub with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven with the potatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool and shred the chicken with a fork or your hands. When the sweet potatoes are done cut in half and allow to cool.
3. In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chopped chipotle pepper, basil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If there is liquid in the spinach, make sure you squeeze out all the excess liquid. Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.
5. Turn the oven up to 200 degrees. Remove the flesh out of the sweet potato, leaving a medium size layer of flesh inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own and place in a baking dish. You can use the flesh for another use or to make mashed sweet potatoes. Brush the skins with with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes until nice and crisp. While the skins bake mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the skins are hot and crisp.
6. Serve with fresh chopped Corriander!

3.2.2704

Recipe credit to:


http://www.jocooks.com/healthy-eating/chipotle-chicken-stuffed-sweet-potato-skins/
 

Recipe: Paleo 2 Ingredient Pancakes!

Paleo Friendly Pancakes

I love this really simple recipe for pancakes, they take minimal time to prepare and are great for satisfying that sweet tooth without the post snack guilt!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized banana
• 2 eggs
• 2-3 shakes of cinnamon (optional)
• 2 drops of vanilla extract
• Fruit to serve

Method:

• Mash up the banana in a bowl, then add the eggs and whisk together.
• Heat your pan with some oil (coconut oil or any other paleo friendly alternative)
• Scoop approx. 1/4 of the mixture into the pan and cook until edges are dry- the pancake will be thin.
• Flip and cook the other side briefly.
• You should be able to get 4 or 5 thin pancakes.

I have mine with some greek yoghurt and some blueberries....YUM!

 

How High Protein Diets Help you Shred Stored Fat

How High Protein Diets help you shred stored Fat

As many of you know I have completely cut non fruit & vegetable sources of Carbohydrates from my diet. At first I thought my Personal Trainer was insane for telling me that potatoes are treats but you know what, I have cut rice, bread, potatoes and pasta from my diet and haven't looked back since.

So why would I do that? Well in basic terms when you work out your body first uses its carbohydrate stores (from food you have eaten that day) after about 20 minutes of intense exercise your body has depleted this source and then looks to your fat stores for energy.

This tells us two things:

1. You need to work out longer than 20 minutes or your body wont touch its fat stores!
2. The best way to get your body to tap into its fat stores is to eat a low carbohydrate diet so that it burns your fat stores immediately

Why you do not need the carbs! 

Carbs are pretty tasteless

The first thing everyone asked me was did I find it difficult. I was anticipating it to be very difficult as I ate a very carb heavy diet. However when you think about it pasta, bread, rice and potatoes are quite tasteless and its the things we accompany with them that actually hold the flavour.

I make meals like Bruschetta chicken or mango salsa to have over my meat - delicious!.

Protein keeps you fuller

Foods high in protein take your body longer to digest, metabolise and use. This means that your body burns more calories simply processing them. It also takes your stomach longer to process so they keep you fuller for longer.

I have 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast. This keeps me full and as they are a savoury food they don't peak my blood sugar which is the last thing you want after effectively starving your body for 8-10 hours (while sleeping).

Tip: Ditch the fruit for breakfast, its fine as a snack but not as a first thing in the morning

Help you build lean muscle

Your body used the amino acids found in protein to help build lean muscle. (you can also help this process by taking amino acid supplements called BCAA's - I take them before and after a work out).

It is good to note that not all proteins are equal in terms of nutritional value. For example, nuts and vegetables don't contain the 9 amino acids needed to create lean muscle. That is why animal sources of protein (lean turkey, chicken, eggs) are favoured.

Some additional Reading:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/protein-weight-loss

http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1137/How_To_Lose_Fat_as_Fast_as_Possible_with_Minimal_S.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/527281-does-the-body-store-fat-like-carbohydrates/