Listening to experts in the media, foods can earn a reputation as bad for you, then suddenly get rediscovered as a source of health.
So is the case with these choices, as reported in the venerable publication, Men’s Health. Th key? Eat smaller portions of the foods that contain healthy ingredients but may be damaging in larger quantities – if you know what we’re saying…
Alcohol
Alcohol is not nutritious. BUT a Harvard study found that men who drink one to two drinks five to seven days a week, had the lowest risk of heart attack. And a U. of Buffalo study found, moderate drinkers have lower levels of abdominal fat than those who drink only once or twice a week but who consume larger amounts per session. Of the alcoholic beverages out there, pinot noir.is reported to have the highest level of antioxidants. Cheers!
Pork rinds are deep-fried for Heaven’s sake! But one ounce contains no carbs, 17 grams of protein, and 9 gram of fat. That’s much better than potato chips. Better yet, 43 percent of pork rind fat is unsaturated, and that is mostly oleic acid—found in olive oil. Another 13 percent of its fat content is stearic acid, saturated fat that’s considered harmless, since it is not suspected of raising cholesterol levels. So snack this in moderation for a protein boost, unless you keep kosher, of course!
Perceived as unhealthy meat stuffed with preservatives, jerky is actually high in protein and doesn’t raise your insulin level — a hormone that signals your body to store fat. Seek out versions that contain little or no preservatives, grass-fed beef and lower salt content.
Sour Cream is perceived as high in fat because of the percentage, but actual fat is not so high. 2 tablespoons is just 52 calories, so don’t discount a dabble of sour cream as a topping for borscht, fruit and more.
Coconut
By the measure, coconut packs more saturated fat than butter does. But it also appears to have a positive effect on heart-disease risk. That because more than half its saturated-fat is lauric acid. A review of 60 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that even though lauric acid raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, it boosts HDL (good) cholesterol even more. Overall, it decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. The rest of the saturated fat is almost entirely composed of ‘medium-chain’ fatty acids, which have little or no effect on cholesterol levels. Try it as a snack!
Chocoate, especially milk chocolate, can be high in fat and sugar. BUT cocoa contains flavonoids, found in red wine and green tea. According to many studies, dark chocolate containing flavonoids relaxes blood vessels, which improves bloodflow to your heart. And the fat – it’s mostly stearic and oleic acids.
Junk food is a derisive slang term for food that is of little nutritional value and often high in fat, sugar, salt, and calories. It is widely believed that the term was coined by Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972…Read more at Wikipedia
