High Cholesterol Foods: Good & Bad

Cholesterol is arguably one of the most misunderstood substances. For decades, people avoided healthy yet cholesterol-rich foods like eggs due to the fear that these foods would increase their risk of heart disease. However, recent research shows that — for most people — consuming healthy foods that are high in cholesterol won’t harm your health. What’s more, some cholesterol-rich foods are loaded with important nutrients that are lacking in many people’s diets.

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Low Carb vs High Carb Diets

When to consider reducing carbohydrates in your diet: (Eating Low-Carb)

• If you want to reduce body fat, specifically trunk and belly fat
• If you are struggling with a metabolic condition such as diabetes or insulin resistance
• If you have troubling staying asleep
• If you have unstable moods or energy levels
• If you suffer from PCOS, endometriosis or fibroids
• If you are suffering from a neurological disease like Alzheimer’s
• If you have been diagnosed with certain forms of cancer
• If you have small intestinal bacterial or yeast overgrowth

 

When to consider upping your carbohydrate intake: (Eating High-Carb)

• If you have a high activity level or participate in daily exercise
• If you have lost your period or have started experiencing irregular periods
• If you have started struggling with sleep issues
• If you experience high stress levels
• If you have adrenal insufficiency
• If you’ve recently started experiencing hypothyroid symptoms, including weight loss resistance
• If you are struggling with infertility or are planning on becoming pregnant
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• If you have been following a low-carb diet for an extended period of time

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Problems With Low-Carb Diet

 The problems with low carb diet include constipation, dehydration, ketosis & loss of nutrients (vitamins and minerals from the foods you are no longer eating).

"Any time you make a fundamental change in your diet your body is going to react -- and when it does you are bound to experience certain symptoms or problems," says Stephen Sondike, MD, director of the Nutrition, Exercise, and Weight Management Program (NEW) at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

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16 Foods to Avoid on Low Carb Diet

1. Breads, Pasta, Cereal & Grains - This is true for whole-grain varieties as well as those made from refined flour. Carb counts vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. Depending on your personal carb tolerance, eating a sandwich, burrito, or bagel could put you near or over your daily limit.

 If you still want to enjoy bread or pasta, make your own low-carb loaves at home. For pasta there are alternatives to use you can find those ideas and recipes here (Keto) and here (Delish).

Both regular and whole-wheat pasta are high in carbs. Spiralized vegetables or shirataki noodles offer healthy low-carb alternatives.

Depending on your personal carb goal, a bowl of cereal could easily put you over your total carb limit — even before milk is added.

Wheat is the worst. Most important is to avoid wheat in any form -- and this specifically includes wheat flour. Wheat is addicting, and of course breaking any addiction is difficult, so for most people the better approach is to go cold turkey.

Note: Rice and corn are not to be consumed or very little of it.  The starches in it can raise your blood-sugar levels quickly.


Most grains, including rice, wheat, and oats, are also high in carbs and need to be limited or avoided on a low-carb diet.  Most breads and grains, including whole grains and whole-grain bread, are too high in carbs to include on a low-carb diet.

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25 Healthy High Carb Foods

1. Potatoes - Potatoes are nutrient powerhouses — they can pack up to 4 grams of plant-based protein, nearly 5 grams fiber, and 25% of the potassium you need for the day. So long as you’re baking, roasting, grilling, or boiling, you’re in good hands with a trusty tater, be it white, purple, blue, or sweet (aka. orange). Choose ½ of a large or one small potato as your serving size, season as you would any other veg, and you’re good to go.

Sweet potatoes get a special highlight here: Cooked sweet potatoes contain about 18–21% carbs. This carb content consists of starch, sugar and fiber. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of provitamin A (from beta-carotene), vitamin C and potassium. They are very rich in antioxidants and may help reduce oxidative damage, lowering the risk of several diseases.

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10 High Carb Foods to Avoid No Matter What Diet

1. Fast Food or Store Bought Pancakes/Hotcakes and Waffles with Butter and Syrup.

Making them from scratch the typical old fashioned way you would make them home are bad enough: a serving of pancakes contains 8.8 grams (g) of fat, and piling on more fat may not work within your meal plan. Roughly half of the fat in pancakes is from saturated fat: 3.9 g. A serving of pancakes contains 27.2 g of carbohydrates, or 8.3 to 12 percent of the amount you need in a single day (on average).

 The cakes are worse in saturated fats and carbs from fast food chains, make at home cakes from a box and the premade frozen packages you can readily get from the grocery shelf.

Let's not forget all the store bought syrup and butter we tend to pile on top of them - who knows what the syrups and butters are made with at the fast food chains or you buy off the store shelf?!

IF you want pancakes or waffles then you should opt to make them from scratch using one of the many low-carb recipes you can find online.  As far as the syrup goes, why not try a Keto Low Carb Sugar-free Maple Syrup you make yourself?! Butter - try whipping it up yourself! Here's a recipe for Homemade Organic Cultured Butter or you can make a simple Homemade Butter.


See: Fast Foods High in Carbohydrates 
Also see: Are Pancakes Healthy?

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Weight Loss Foods

1. Whole Eggs -  New studies show that they do not adversely make any effect in the blood cholesterol and doesn’t even trigger heart attacks. You’ll be surprised that they are included in one of the best foods that you can eat if you want to lose weight.

The reason for this is because they are a good source of healthy fats, protein and even make you feel low in calorie intake. Eggs are rich in high-quality protein, fats and essential nutrients, like vitamin D and choline. It's the protein, and the time of day we tend to eat them, that especially makes them a powerhouse for weight loss. Eating a high-protein breakfast promotes weight loss, because protein increases satiety while regulating hunger and appetite hormones, helping fend off your hunger until lunchtime.

Eggs are very filling and nutrient-dense. Compared to refined carbs like bagels, eggs can suppress appetite later in the day and may even promote weight loss.
 
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Skinny-Fat

This is "me" -- skinny all over but not my belly (like the girl on the left).

Do you have excess fat even though you’re skinny? Well, you have the skinny fat syndrome. This occurs when the body has excess fat & little muscle mass.

Colloquially known as "skinny fat," or, in medical literature, as "normal weight obesity," can have serious health implications. Many people simply look at their girth, body-mass index or number on the scale to determine if they're at a healthy body weight. If you're slender or of normal weight, though, but have excess fat around your middle, you are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and inflammation.

Know that you're not alone in having a plumper tummy and a skinny frame. The Mayo Clinic researchers estimated that as many as 30 million Americans may fall into the category of skinny-fat and not even realize the risk to their health.

Both men and women can be skinny fat. But women are more susceptible to skinny fat syndrome since they have more body fat compared to men.
 middle, you are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and inflammation.
The problem with having excess stomach weight is that it's about the unhealthiest fat you can carry. Called "visceral" fat, belly fat lies deep in the abdominal cavity and seems to be biologically active. Visceral fat releases chemicals known as "cytokines" that increase your risk for heart disease.
Your skinny frame means you're not eating too many calories, because you're not gaining weight. However, the quality of the calories you're putting into your body may not be as healthy as it could be. Eating too many processed foods, including packaged meals, cereal bars, bakery treats and fast foods, and alcohol can cause your belly bulge.

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