It has come to my attention that foods kind of have gender.  I mean this as in men tend to typically choose different types of foods than women.  Food psychology and the sociological aspects of food choices are areas of research that some university professors dedicate their careers to.  It's also an area that I may be interested in exploring in the future for a thesis-based Masters.

What are "women" foods?  Women tend to (not always) gravitate towards the following foods:


Does this mean that women are healthier?  Maybe.  I attended a conference in April where a UBC professor discussed the qualitative research that she did in this area of food and gender.  When asking why women chose these types of healthy foods, it was not always because they were healthy choices.  They chose these foods because they were concerned about weight and dieting.  They wanted to fit into their skinny jeans!  You know... women and their calories...

What type of foods do men typically choose?  Not as great:


Why?  It's hard for me to say because I'm not a man.  But my thoughts are that the above pub foods are often associated with sports.  The Superbowl is notorious for some of the worst foods consumed in any single event.  Protein and meat are associated more so with "manly muscles" rather than heart disease, some cancers, and stress on the kidneys.  And then I typically hear the phrase, "grabbing a beer with the guys."  Men may also have less societal pressure to fit a certain body type.  But what do I know; I don't have balls.  You guys tell me!

The bottom line is not that men should eat like women.  Women tend to choose salads because they want to diet and lose weight, but some women are almost always on a diet!  Instead of seeing vegetables, salads, and fruits as "Die with a T" foods or miserable foods that you just have to eat temporarily until you can squeeze into those skinny jeans, these foods should be seen as part of a lifestyle.  Eating these foods daily can make you feel more energized and help prevent chronic diseases.  And if they help you look better, feel lighter, and more happy with yourself, then that's a win-win!

But feeling good come first!

I can't believe I never heard of this woman until now. She was in the Toronto Star recently for apparently consuming a 30,000 calorie Christmas dinner. From previous blog posts, you may know that I am personally against calling other people the word "fat." This woman drives me speechless because she actually wants to gain weight. Her goal weight is 1000 pounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH81IPAzvm4

Some people push the idea of "health at any size," meaning that bigger people can also be very fit. But this woman is not anywhere near health! She can barely move! She points out that she's eating lots of vegetables, but it's just iceberg lettuce (pretty much no nutrients) and tomatoes. And then adds motherload portions of white bread, processed meats, and french fries.

This woman's body mass index (BMI) is reportedly 103.9. BMI only takes height and weight into consideration; however, research studies have shown an association between high BMI and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. A recently published study from the New England Journal of Medicine (1) used other studies to gather data on 1.46 million white adults and identified 160,087 deaths. The study concluded that overall, all-cause mortality was lowest in people with a BMI between 20.0 and 24.9. Although a higher BMI does not cause death, an extremely high weight/BMI generally goes hand-in-hand with an artery-clogging diet.

So I feel really sorry for this woman, especially since she has a young child. I read that she has diabetes and high blood pressure, but I couldn't find any other information about her medical conditions. At least she says that she feels happy. Is she really happy or is she just delusional? Unfortunately she will die at an early age. But her death may set a helpful warning to others to lead a healthier lifestyle.

References:
(1) Berrington de Gonzalez A, Phil D, Hartge P, Cerhan JR, Flint AJ, Hannan L, et al. Body-mass index and mortality among 1.46 million white adults. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:2211-2219. (Abstract)

I am frustrated recently with how the media provides the public with misleading nutrition information. The Toronto Star recently published an article titled "Eggs worse than KFC Double Down," (1) citing an newly published article from the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (2).

Eggs are infamous for being high in cholesterol. And they are. A large egg yolk contains approximately 195-215mg of cholesterol (depending on what type of egg you choose). The Toronto Star article compared this value to the 150mg of cholesterol found in KFC's Double Down sandwich. Based on just one dietary factor, they are calling eggs "worse" than the Double Down? There is so much more to cardiovascular disease risk than just dietary cholesterol! What about overall calories? Saturated fats? Sodium?

I hate how newspapers make dumb health claims to get more readers. It's really misleading and it confuses the public. So here is a quick overall comparison of the two:

Photo by Lucas Richarz

KFC's Double Down (3)
Calories: 540
Fat: 30g
Saturated Fat: 8.2g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 150mg
Sodium: 1740 mg

Photo by kool_skatkat

One Large Egg (4)
Calories: 70
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 195mg
Sodium: 65mg

Of course one egg is much smaller in amount and is not going to fill you up as much as a Double Down sandwich. However, an egg can be paired with healthier choices like whole wheat toast and fruit at breakfast time.

The journal article (2) that the Toronto Star referenced didn't even mention KFC's Double Down. Shame on you, Toronto Star, for using the recent Canadian release of the Double Down to attract more attention. However, the referenced journal article titled "Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: Not for patients at risk of vascular disease" also makes a cheap shot at eggs by comparing its cholesterol with "a Hardee's Monster Thickburger, which contains two-thirds of a pound of beef, three slices of cheese and four strips of bacon." And all that is not heart clogging?

To read more criticisms on this journal article, please see this blog by a Canadian physician. He has a much better background in research and statistical methods. His writing is informative and witty, but he uses a lot of sarcasm.

It is important to note that your body's cholesterol and lipid levels are not just based on the cholesterol you eat in your diet. There are many other things you can do to reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease:

• Maintain a healthy weight and BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
• Daily physical activity
• Decrease saturated and trans fats
• Increase healthy omega-3 fats
• Reduce alcohol intake to less than 1-2 servings per day
• Stop smoking
• Decrease salt and sodium in your diet
  

What about cholesterol?
Here are the current dietary recommendations (5) on cholesterol:

• For healthy individuals, consume less than 300mg of cholesterol per day
• For individuals with high cardiovascular risk (ie. coronary heart disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia), consume less than 200mg of cholesterol per day

Cholesterol is only found in animal products (ie. meat, eggs, dairy). Some food products love to label "no cholesterol" on their packaging, but the truth is that the product never had cholesterol in the first place!

What kind of eggs should you choose?
A typical egg (large to extra-large) can contain approximately 215-275mg of cholesterol. In the above comparison of one egg to one Double Down sandwich, it says one large egg has 195mg of cholesterol. That source was from the Egg Farmers of Canada, so I'm sure they're going to use the lowest value possible to support their business.

Omega-3 eggs tend to have a lower level of cholesterol than normal eggs. One large omega-3 egg has 70 calories and 195mg of cholesterol. The hens of these eggs are fed flax seeds and this helps them to produce eggs that have less cholesterol and are higher in omega-3 fats.

Are eggs healthy and safe to consume?
Studies have shown that eating one egg per day has no adverse effect on your risk for heart disease and stroke (6, 7). However, keep in mind the guidelines above. Because consuming more than 300mg of cholesterol per day is no good. One egg per day is safe if you keep to these guidelines! Someone with diabetes or who is at risk for diabetes should take caution though because they have a more restricted guideline. It is difficult to consume less than 200mg of cholesterol if you eat one egg every day.

Check your food labels. Try omega-3 eggs or small/medium-size eggs for less cholesterol. Eggs are still a great source of protein, vitamin E and vitamin B12. They are low-calorie and can help control hunger and weight. When you look at the whole picture with total calories, saturated fats, and sodium, an egg is most definitely a better choice than the artery-clogging Double Down!

References:
1) Toronto Star - http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/11/03/15935426.html
2) Spence JD, Jenkins DJ, Davignon J. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: Not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Can J Cardiol. 2010;26(9):e336-e339.
3) KFC® Canada Nutrition Information - http://www.kfc.ca/home/en/downloads/nutrition.pdf
4) Egg Farmers of Canada - http://www.eggs.ca/AllAboutEggs/Nutrition_WhatsIn.aspx
5) Dietetics at Work - PEN Pathways - http://www.dieteticsatwork.com/Pen/KnowledgePathway.asp?kpid=2671&pqcatid=144&pqid=14358
6) Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB, Manson JE, Ascherio A, Colditz GA, et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA. 1999;281:1387-1394.
7) Qureshi AI, Suri FK, Ahmed S, Nasar A, Divani AA, Kirmani JF. Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Med Sci Monit. 2007;13(1):CR1-8.