So What Can You Eat?
Nosh on the Latest Nutrition News

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Are you confused about nutrition and don’t know what to believe? Do you wonder what you can eat? Get ready to nosh on the latest nutrition news this month.

Have you heard that if you have high cholesterol you can’t eat eggs? This is no longer true. I have some new reasons for you to love eggs. Previous nutritional thinking was that the cholesterol in food increased your blood cholesterol. Now with better nutrition research, we know that it’s the amount of saturated fat and trans fat in the diet that elevates your cholesterol level. Eggs do not have that much saturated fat and can be included in your diet several times per week if you have high cholesterol or more often if you don’t.

Even better, there are eggs on the market now where the hens are fed a vegetarian diet rich in vitamin E and omega-3 fats. Eggland’s Best eggs are a brand you may be familiar with. A change in feed can produce a different egg, one fortified with omega-3 fats and another reason to love eggs. And yet another reason to love eggs is that the yolks contain the phytonutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin that research links with a reduced risk for age-related macular degeneration (called AMD). Macular degeneration is a major cause of blindness in folks over 50 and has to do with the deterioration of the macula or central retina. Now remember, I’m talking about the yolk, the part of the egg you use to throw away because it contained cholesterol!

Veggies, particularly the yellow and green ones such as corn or spinach contain the lutein and zeaxanthin that we just talked about. Hens absorb these phytonutrients and guess what; they concentrate in the egg yolks.

Did you hear about a film, kind of like a Listerine strip or cough syrup strip that might be sprayed on food or line bags of produce to prevent illness? In the works but not yet available is edible film which is kind of like a cross between plastic wrap and a strip like Listerine.

Edible film has been in development for some time but the interest in it has taken off because of the food poisoning issues we’ve faced in this country lately with produce like spinach, baby carrots and products like chili sauce. People are clamoring for real food with ingredients they can pronounce.

Basically edible films are natural bacteria fighters such as the herbs oregano or thyme, the spice cloves or crab shells that are being turned into edible films and powders. These films and powders may one day soon line the bags for spinach and other greens or be sprinkled on packages of chicken all in the name of fighting bugs such as salmonella and botulism or even mold. The films and powders would be invisible, edible and tasteless yet made from natural ingredients instead of chemicals. The concept is to use everyday ingredients that have a bacteria-blasting ability to protect our food supply as well as for military MREs and space missions.