Eat The Yolk
"Contrary to popular belief, the cholesterol in the food you eat has virtually no impact on the cholesterol level of your blood. It's sugar and carbs that trigger production of bad cholesterol in your body, not, for example, eggs. So eat eggs (as long as you don't have food sensitivity to them) and eat them whole -- no more egg white omelets. When you eat fragmented foods, your body starts to crave the rest, and that can make you reach for something unhealthy. Egg yolks contain choline -- essential for the functioning of all cells, especially brain cells -- and deliver more of those good fats your body needs."
What Pam knows for sure: 75% of cholesterol is manufactured by the liver, and the rest comes from diet. A bad diet for cholesterol levels means eating unhealthy saturated fats likes fatty beef, too much bacon, and food from animals that have not been fed properly. Most of all bad cholesterol can occur from eating too many processed and refined foods in your diet, and overeating dairy items.
What was once known as 'the cholesterol facts' has now become the stuff urban legends are made of. The bad guy is not the cholesterol in foods; that in and of itself accounts for very little. It is our predisposed genetic factor combined with very poor eating habits that include low quality animal products and those foods which are boxed, bagged, and processed in a number of ways that are not natural that create the problem.
I agree with Dr. Lipman - you can and should eat the egg yolk. However, it seems we've gone from eating whites and the occasional yolk to eating eggs in everything in large quantity. I have this bad habit of saying "everything in moderation" so I recommend limiting whole egg intake to 7 eggs a week or 1 a day. Although the egg alone is a perfect food nutrient-wise, it isn't when you start incorporating it into a traditional American breakfast by combining it with cheeses, bacon, bagels on the side, etc. For weight loss, I like to recommend 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of whole egg combined with egg whites. Sorry I still don't know what to do with the extra yolk, but there are websites that will help you with that; it's just never worked for my lifestyle, so yes, I waste egg yolks!
Another way to judge your cholesterol is to take your HDL # (the Healthy one), and divide it by your total cholesterol. That percentage should come out to be above 24%.
What Pam Proposes: Here is a list of of things that will improve your cholesterol if the LDL - I remember it's the bad one by linking the "L" with the 'Loser' word (and yes, I occasionally make the hand gesture on my forehead), and associate the good HDL by linking the "H" with the word 'Healthy'.
- Get some sun everyday during good weather for about 15-20 minutes. When sunlight lands on our body, the cholesterol in the skin is converted into vitamin D which we need for proper functioning of the body. During winter months take 5000 iu of vitamin D daily unless you know you have great levels all year long. If you are unsure of your vitamin D level, ask your doctor for blood work to determine your number.
- Ask your Doc for a blood test called NMR Lipo Profile. Recent findings indicate that it's not the number of your cholesterol, but the size of the particles. Large particles being healthier than small ones which are dense and can infiltrate causing inflammation and other undesirable results.
- Reduce high gluten and low quality grains and sugars (carbs) or refined and processed foods. These are the culprits which create dis-ease in our bodies. Begin to eliminate some of the bad guys today, especially if you have some health issues.
- Increase Soluble Fiber. Soluble fibrous foods (vs insoluble) become gelatinous in your gut when you eat them rather than passing through your system whole. Eating these foods help carry the cholesterol in your body through to elimination. It is suggested by the experts that we have an intake of about 10-25 grams a day. Begin at the 10 gram mark and gradually increase daily intake over time. This will help you avoid bloat and other gut issues that can occur when you take in too much too fast! Getting fiber through food is the best way, but if you find you have reasons you can't, try the fiber by Garden of Life. It can be purchased at Vitamin and Health food stores locally or ordered on Amazon.
- Quit smoking! Period, the end!
- Limit Alcohol! Ditto above.
- Move!!!!! You don't have to do cross-fit, 30 day challenges or quick weight loss programs to benefit from movement. Move everyday for at least 30 minutes. Jump rope, walk, strength train, or break it up into 3 ten-minute intervals throughout the day. Personally, I have to talk to myself to get moving, but walking seems to work for me. I break it up into slow and fast movement patterns to increase my heart rate and burn some fat, and feel that it makes my 30 minutes a day count!
If you have any questions about your cholesterol be sure to ask your Dr. for his/her help and advice. If you ask your doctor to test your cholesterol through the NMR Lipo Profile, and he/she isn't up-to-date about requesting this test, it might be time to seek out a new health care professional who keeps on the cutting edge of wellness.
