To eat, or not to eat questions....

[nopeda]

Hi,

I'm 58 years old and have just recently begun thinking about what I guess is good fat. And good cholesterol? I had though that some fat is less bad than other fat but that all of it is bad...not that any of it is actually "good" for you, and that good fat actually helps reduce bad fat. I never would have guessed that one. So now instead of eating cookies or cakes for desert I'm eating peanuts and a banana, or raisins. And have changed from eating low fat lunch meat to including tuna and salmon and sardines.

Something I'm wondering about now is, is it sometimes better to eat some foods in addition to, not just instead of. Like is it better to eat northern beans and blackeye peas in addition to whatever else I would eat instead of just not eating them? And what about the olive oil? Is it better to eat that than not to? And the clam chowder? And pork and beans and chili beans? And I'm really curious about the minestone and cream of mushroom soup. From my ignorant pov looking at the nutritional info it appears that it would be better to eat those things than not to, and also the clam chowder. And probably the olive oil. Does it have about 12g/12% of good fat even though it's not listed on the label?

A. Cambell's home style clam chowder

B. Cambell's healthy request chunky clam chowder

C. Cambell's healthy request minestrone

D. Cambell's healthy request cream of mushroom soup

E. Betrolli extra virgin olive oil

F. Great Value chunk light tuna in water

G. Double "Q" pink salmon

H. Beach Cliff sardines in water

I. Beach Cliff sardines in soybean oil

J. VanCamp's pork and beans

K. Grea Value blackeye peas

L. Bush's Best chili beans

M. Great Value great northern beans

N. Great Value dry roasted peanuts

O. Jif creamy peanut butter

Other basic questions:

What about when it says 0 fat even though legumes or whatever are supposed to have good fat? How do they not have any?

Can anyone suggest what to eat to help build testosterone back up?

Is one better than the other, peanuts or peanut butter?

Are red grapes the best grapes to eat?

Thank you for any help learning to understand all this!

David

[deejames]

Personally I feel it's better to cook food from scratch then you can add whatever you like to a dish. Watch the peanut butter for its salt and sugar content. Eat a sugar and salt free version but in small quantities.

Dee

[BadHare]

Lots of fats are good, & important for the brain & body to function. I have a very high fat diet including about 100g a day of chia & linseeds, brazils walnuts & almonds, never peanuts. I wouldn't eat peanut butter as it's high in aflotoxins from mould. Healthier nut butters are available, if you need this type of food, although I'm unsure of the quality of the ingedients used.

I use extravirgin olive oil on salads & sourdough bread, & will sometimes sautee with this at a low temperature. I cook with coconut oil or rice bran oil, as these have higher proportion of good to bad fats, & will withstand high cooking temperatures. I also use organic butter & full fat milk, & try to get it from a grass fed source.

As a vegetarian, I eat a diet high in fruit & vegetables. I also eat a lot of legumes, especially lentils, so many of my meals such as soups & stews are low or no fat whatsoever. Some I'll add olive oil, cheese, or sour cream or kefir as a seasoning, which adds fat & flavour. Like the majority of plants, there is no fat in legumes, aside from peanuts, unless they precooked & in some kind of sauce. Some plants are very high in very healthy fats, such as olives & avocado.

Aside from the occasional tin of baked beans, I don't eat processed foods, like most you've listed. They have low nutritional value. It's better to cook your own food from basic ingredients, then they are less likely to be lacking in nutrients from overheating, storing, & adding preservatives & other chemicals, as well as having excessive sugar & salt.

If you have a hormone insufficiency or imbalance, it's important to see a doctor who will refer you to an endocrinologist.