I was reading this forwarded mail today about Eggs . Yes Eggs, as in chicken eggs and I thought of a peculiar friend who once told me her family were part of the Egg club. And yes you heard me right again, there is an "Egg Club". I remembered asking her, what do the members of the Egg Club talk about or do when they meet up?
"oh, we talk about different recipes of cooking eggs, and try explain to the new comers that they whole "Too much eggs are bad for you" is a scam of the Poultry Corporate Agenda to get people to eat chicken instead of eggs."
Back to the article I was reading about, the author was talking the grossly misunderstood "egg-yolk" in the health market. If you look at the raw "eggy" facts, he is right, as it is true that Eggs alone, cannot cause you a roof hitting cholesterol. Eggs are WAY WAY healthier than having a bagel or a slice of wholewheat bread. But we don't JUST eat eggs alone, do we? An average American eats at least a whole pizza a month. A regular American, eats fast food as a meal at least 4 times a week. As for Malaysians, a packet of Nasi Lemak contains the same amount of calories as a regular slice of pizza. And two slices of wholemeal bread contains the same amount of carbs as two slices of white bread, just with more fibre content. So is eating a full egg or two for breakfast daily, with the cholesterol ridden yolk everyday a good thing, considering that while we might eat healthy for one meal of the day, and binge on other meals?
This is what I think, he obviously had no right to send out a public message stating that the cholesterol in egg yolk is not detrimental if over-eaten as he was not a medically trained professional. The author is merely a "Certified Nutrition Specialist" and a "Personal Trainer". So I googled his qualifications and realised that, to be a certified Nutrition Specialist, you don't need to be medically trained. In fact, the course encompasses subjects such as preventive nutrition, digestion, metabolism, macrobiotics, soil ecology, herbology and biochemicals, herbs and vitamins and minerals, AND it only takes a person with no prior pre-requisite educational background to complete the course and gain certification in 26 to 76 weeks, depending on the depth a person wants to go into while getting his/her certification. SO, it is safe to say that "Nutritional Specialists" are not specialists at all. They are like beauticians. Beauticians are not dermatologists. They have the raw facts, but they do not study the interaction of human body and chemical and substances and is therefore, NOT qualified to give a professional opinion.
What about the people who work out? Do they get to binge more than the others? The thing is, everyone's body's chemical composition of hormones are different. Some of us have bad fat-hording genes, some have better. Different people have different metabolic rates and there is not one diet plan which is the most healthy and best suited for all age groups. In fact, talking about age groups, let's not forget that age, BMIs, racial genetic composition and gender plays a part in how your body stores fat and where it decides to store fats. Point being, a personal trainer is just a personal trainer. He can guide you and assume you fall within the bell curve, but only you, who are the only one who's fully aware of what you put into your mouth can decide on the proper strategy to lose weight and eat healthy.
However, a few things can help if you are on a weight loss, get fit regimen.
1) Lean white meat
This means either fish, or lean pork, turkey or chicken breast. Eating wings or drumsticks or the thighs, the yummy part of the good ole chicken means that you are also eating ligaments, tendons, and animal fats which are hidden in between layers.
2) Steam, bake, minimize gravy
Sometimes I see people on diet eating large portions of rice with gravy of meat cooked in. This is the thing, balance is everything. You will be getting more protein, less fat, by eating the meat, rather than eating carbs and gravy. They may look less rich, but they are definitely more ladden in oil and cholesterol and salt and sugar. If you are going to have fried chicken, you might as well have the skin as well, because it is already suicide to your diet.
3) Vegetarians are thinner?
Yes and no. If you are going to cook your veges beyond recognition, all you will get is fibre and carbs as the end product. Vitamins and minerals perish in long cooking/high heat. Also, vegetarians who do not take more tofu, beans and lentils which are their only protein, tend to get even fatter than they were, and also weaker. Your body needs protein, and when it doesn't get enough protein to build muscles, it captures whatever fats and converts carbs faster into fats as storage so that it can release sugar when you are low in energy. If you are on a vegetarian diet, then you should be loading up on protein more than carbs to keep you healthy
4) I work out, so I can binge
False, If you are going to run the threadmill for an hour, burn 500 calories, and then binge on a nasi lemak with fried chicken, you have just worked off 3/4 of your nasi lemak, and nothing else of your fat storage. Counting calories may seem destitutional and a form of obsession, but it helps you get onboard on that healthy path, sooner, easier.
5) Cook your own food.
Cooking your own food is a great way to cut back unhealthy food. It wasn't until I started learning how to cook from my mother did i realise how much salt,sugar, and oil was used to make that perfectly tasty curry! If you are conscious over what you put into your food, you would think twice to eat out often. You could also monitor how much of what you eat, and not just finish up portions served outside that might be too big for you for the mere sake of being prudent.
6) Lastly, moderation
A bite of cookie, 5 pieces of fries, or a scoop of icecream isn't going to upset your diet. A big plate of ceasar salad, large plate of healthy tossed pasta and vege in olive oil or a whole meal sandwiched with processed turkey/ham slices IS going to upset your diet. Bulk is never healthy, even when it's healthy food. Eat in moderation, smaller meals, more times a day, and count those calories.
It's the 21st century.. take charge.. Use Google to your advantage for God's sake without relying completely on pigeon looking trainers. It is always alright to question, if even if it is professional help. It is when we don't question, is when we're ignorant.
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