Mr ProgFreak wrote: [QUOTE=shivareemoon][QUOTE=Mr ProgFreak] So at least for me, I think that getting leaner also coincides with getting healthier.

Exactly Every person is different What may work for you, may not work for me and viceversa I would not go on a diet without some kind of professional help Doctors have studied to give guidance to people, haven't  they? 

Edited by shivareemoon - January 17 2011 at 12:20

Impressive:

I must quit smoking.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9358000/9358273.stm

This article made me buy kale for a recipe for the first time in my life.

I used to turn my nose up a greens but then the local paper had a kale and white bean recipe.  It's not on this computer, but I will post it when I can dig it up.

I found this one that looks good:

Ribollita

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Barn Warming

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or smoked bacon
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
• 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

Edited by Slartibartfast - January 17 2011 at 18:18

The T wrote: Are hamburguers really so bad? Or are the things that go with them the real culprits? (high sugar soda, high-oil fries)?

Mr ProgFreak wrote: The T wrote: Are hamburguers really so bad? Or are the things that go with them the real culprits? (high sugar soda, high-oil fries)?  The meat in hamburgers isn't really that bad. Neither is fat per se, but there are many different kinds of fat. Sunflower oil for example is high in Omega-6 fat, and it is often used for deep frying (or some other grain based oil). When you're talking about a whole hamburger, the bun is probably the least healthy part of it. Even if you don't buy into the low-carb idea, it's still a bunch of empty calories with little nutritional value (vitamins, minerals - essential stuff).

The T: You could make your own hamburgers if you want to be sure you are eating healthy It's easy

Edited by shivareemoon - January 18 2011 at 10:55

Mike maybe you know the answer to this.

I've read that high cholesterol is much more likely to be caused by fat intake. Since the liver naturally produces cholesterol, and regulates its production according to the body's dietary intake, consuming food high in cholesterol (eggs are what I'm thinking of) is actually not that detrimental . Any truth to this?

Equality 7-2521 wrote: Mike maybe you know the answer to this. I've read that high cholesterol is much more likely to be caused by fat intake. Since the liver naturally produces cholesterol, and regulates its production according to the body's dietary intake, consuming food high in cholesterol (eggs are what I'm thinking of) is actually not that detrimental . Any truth to this?

High cholesterol is a complex topic. For one, it's not all that clear that high cholesterol is always a bad thing. Typically what people are interested in when it comes to cholesterol is the risk for atherosclerosis and cardio-vascular disease. But there are actually much better indicators for that risk than total cholesterol - there's LDL, HDL, LDL/HDL ratio, LDL type (small dense vs. large fluffy), and triglycerides.

As for your specific question: Yes, dietary cholesterol is not really important. If you eat less cholesterol, the liver will simply synthesize more, and vice versa. Cholesterol medication typically works by inhibiting this synthesis in the liver, so if you take those medications *and* reduce dietary cholesterol then your total cholesterol may go down. But, as I said above, that won't help you too much when all those other health markers don't change.

As far as dietary fat is concerned: It depends a lot on which type of fat you eat. Some fats raise LDL, some raise HDL, some raise both, some have altogether different effects. Carbohydrates raise triglycerides and lower HDL (bad), saturated fats lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good).

In a nutshell: Try to keep triglycerides low, and try to maintain a favorable LDL/HDL ratio. You can do this by lowering LDL (e.g. mono-unsaturated fats lower LDL), raising HDL (replacing some carbs with saturated fat raises HDL, but may also raise LDL), or both. My recommendation would be eat more healthy fats instead of some of the carbohydrate in your diet. As I already said, animal based fat is  a combination of saturated fat, mono-unsaturated fat and a little polyunsaturated fat - the saturated fat component would raise LDL and HDL, the mono-unsaturated fat would lower LDL, and the reduction in carbs would lower triglycerides and raise HDL. Sounds good to me. And if you're still skeptical, you can always change your diet for a month and then do a blood panel.

Bumping this thread so that I can share yet another success story:


Edited by Mr ProgFreak - February 10 2011 at 11:00