FAQs

What's the deal with trans fats?
Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been processed (hydrogenated) to make them more solid at room temperature and less perishable. Unfortunately, trans fats seem to act more like saturated fats (the fats in meat, cheese, and milk) in the body and clog arteries.

Trans fats are often found in snack foods and fried foods. Starting in 2006 food manufacturers must specify the amount of trans fats in their foods. Some manufacturers are already providing this information and others have reformulated their products to remove the trans fats. Visit Fat Facts for more information.

Which is better...butter or margarine?
The American Heart Association recommends liquid or tub margarines, particularly brands that are free of trans fats. Stick margarines are not recommended, because they contain trans fat. However, if you prefer the taste of butter, have some butter. Keep in mind that it's high in calories and saturated fat, so just use a little. I use whipped butter, because a little bit goes further than regular butter.

Which foods have cholesterol?
Dietary cholesterol is only found in foods from animals. This includes meats, fish, and poultry, egg yolks, and dairy products.

Is it OK to eat eggs?
There's a funny advertising campaign where eggs are being let out of prison. I'd say it's more like eggs are on parole. The recommendation for cholesterol intake is less than 300 mg per day. One egg has 200 mg, but keep in mind that other foods in your diet (meat, cheese, milk) have cholesterol. So you can't eat many eggs and still remain within the cholesterol recommendation. On the plus side, eggs are a good source of protein. Guidelines are to limit eggs to 3 per week, so a nice Sunday omelet is fine.

Why is everyone pushing fish?
Fish is a good source of protein and it's generally low-fat. Even high-fat fish (tuna, salmon and mackerel) are considered healthy, because they contain unsaturated fats. Baked or broiled fish is preferred and deep fried fish should be avoided.

There is some concern about eating a lot of fish, because of potentially high concentrations of heavy metals. For example, the FDA recommends that pregnant women not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish due to potentially high mercury levels.

There's also concern about bacterial contamination and spoilage, because fish is highly perishable and sometimes eaten raw. Buy the freshest fish possible (if the raw fish smells fishy or like ammonia, it's not fresh) and cook it thoroughly.

Do I really need to eat tofu?
Cultures that eat a lot of soy typically have lower incidences of heart disease and many cancers than Americans. However, the problem with these types of comparisons, is that there are a lot of other differences in diet and lifestyle that could effect health risks.

Soy foods, including tofu, are high in protein. Soy foods don't contain cholesterol and are low in saturated fat, although they can contain quite a bit of unsaturated fat.

If you really don't like the taste of tofu, don't go out of your way to eat it. However, if you need to cut back on the fatty meats, soy meats are a good option and they've gotten much better tasting in the past few years. My personal favorite is Boca Italian sausages. I eat them for breakfast with a frozen waffle and crumble them into spaghetti sauce. The Boca "chicken" nuggets are pretty good, too.

I know a lot of people on low-salt diets. Why?
If someone's blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, they are considered to have high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Approximately 60% of individuals with high blood pressure are salt sensitive, meaning that the more salt they eat the higher their blood pressure goes. Many of these individuals are told to adopt a low salt diet (less than 1 teaspoon per day).

Individuals on low-salt diets not only have to avoid obvious sources of salt like table salt, soy sauce, and salty snacks, but also have to be careful about canned and frozen foods that often have added salt to make up for the flavor lost during processing.

Why is fiber good for me?
Fiber is filling and low in calories. Soluble fiber like that found in oatmeal has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber basically keeps your intestines in good working order and has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Most Americans consume less than the recommended 25 grams of fiber. Most fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains are good sources of fiber. Particularly good sources include lentils, black beans, whole grain flour, dates, avocado, black eyed peas, garbanzo beans, cornmeal, and pears.

Is coffee bad for me?
The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and a diuretic, so it's not something you want to drink buckets of. However, most people can tolerate 2-3 cups per day without problems and research hasn't shown ill effects at this level.

Are diet sodas better than regular sodas?
Diet sodas have much fewer calories than regular sodas (usually 0-2 calories compared to 160 calories). However, diet colas still have caffeine. Non-colas like lemon lime and orange sodas usually don't have caffeine regardless of whether they're regular or diet.

A regular or diet soda now and then isn't a problem, but many people drink a several sodas a day. Plus, most people usually want something to eat with their soda and it's usually something like potato chips or a candy bar.

Water is your best beverage choice... no calories, sugar or artificial sweeteners. Juice and low-fat milk have fewer calories than regular soda and provide important nutrients.

Are food additives safe?
Technically, Yes. The food additives in our foods have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Do I eat them? No! I just don't like a bunch of chemicals in my food. Plus, there have been some additives the FDA deemed safe, that turned out not to be... oops.

If I shopped at a regular grocery store, I'd have trouble avoiding food additives. However, I shop at Whole Foods Grocery, so I can pick a box of crackers off the shelf and the label doesn't look like a chemistry experiment. Check our this WebMD's Food Additives page for more information.

Are foods with fake fats OK to eat?
Fat substitutes seem like a dieter's dream... the taste and texture of fat, but with fewer calories. Some fat substitutes are made from carbohydrates (modified starches, dextrin, cellulose and gums) or protein (Simplese from skim milk). The substitutes are fully absorbed, but provide only 4 calories/gram instead of the 9 calories/gram in fats.

Carbohydrate and protein based fat substitutes are considered safe, but it's important to remember that these are not calorie free foods and can still contribute to weight gain if over consumed.

Other fat substitutes, such as Olean (Olestra in potato chips) are not absorbed and therefore provide no calories. This may sound even better, but when food goes through your system unabsorbed it can cause some unpleasant side effects, including cramping and loose stools.

In addition, these fat substitutes reduce the absorption of fat soluble vitamins as they pass through your system. For this reason, foods that contain unabsorbable fat substitutes are required to be fortified with vitamins A, D, E and K.

My general preference it to eat a smaller quantity of the real thing (with some real fat) than a larger quantity of the fake fat product, but do what works best for you.

Are artificial sweeteners OK to eat?
By now you've probably figured out that I'm not a fan of food additives and fake foods. Partly, because I'm not convinced they are safe and partly because I think they taste yucky. Plus, I have this crazy bias for fresh, real foods.

However, the artificial sweeteners in foods have been approved by the FDA and are considered safe. Artificial sweeteners can help diabetics control blood sugar and in theory could help individuals manage their weight.

Like most things, a reasonable amount of artificial sweeteners probably isn't going to cause you any problems. Just don't go crazy with the stuff and forget to eat real food.

Should I take vitamin supplements?
It's always best to get nutrients from food, because foods contain a package of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can't be duplicated in the lab. However, the way I look at is that a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good insurance policy. If your diet is short on some nutrients, you'll get them from the supplement. If you don't need them, the extra won't do any harm.

However, this only applies if you take reasonable doses of a balanced vitamin and mineral supplement. If you start taking mega-doses of any one vitamin or mineral, it can cause problems.

Water soluble vitamins (B&C) aren't too risky, because you pee out what you don't use. Fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E&K) are bigger concerns, because your body stores these vitamins and you can potentially end up with toxic amounts.

Minerals compete with each other for absorption. If you take large amounts of one mineral, it can cause a deficiency of another mineral.

Are there any foods or supplements that protect against prostate cancer?
It's been suggested that tomatoes protect against prostate cancer and it's though that lycopene may be the compound responsible for this effect. However, research has been inconclusive and to date the FDA has not approved the claim that lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

One of the problems that comes up over and over again is that it often takes large quantities of a particular food (more than would be reasonable for a person to eat) to achieve the protective benefits. For this reason, researchers attempt to identify the compound in the food that is responsible for the beneficial effect, so that a supplement can be made containing a large enough dose. However, the single compound often doesn't provide the expected level of benefit, indicating that there are probably several compounds in food that provide the benefits.

Are there any foods or supplements that prevent hair loss?
Unless the hair loss is the result of malnutrition or toxicity, dietary changes and supplements won't make a difference. It's been suggested that certain fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals can reduce hair loss, but there's no valid research to support these claims.

I frequently get indigestion and heartburn after I eat. Would changing my diet help?
Eating less at a sitting (more smaller meals spread throughout the day) might help. You may also want to try chewing thoroughly and eating slower. Also, make a note of any trigger foods, such as spices or alcohol, that make your symptoms worse and avoid these foods.

I'm lactose intolerant. What nutritional problems will I have, if I don't eat much dairy?
The most likely possibilities are calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, because milk is a major source of these nutrients in the American diet.

Fortified soy milk, fortified orange juice, tofu, spinach and most "greens" (collard greens, turnip greens, and kale) are good non-dairy sources of Calcium. Also, many people who are lactose intolerant can eat small quantities of dairy and also tolerate yogurt and ice cream pretty well.

I don't have to worry about osteoporosis right?
Osteoporosis is one of the diseases men get a break on (breast cancer is another one). Men are less likely to get osteoporosis than women, because men have larger bone mass and don't have the hormonal shifts that contribute to post-menopausal bone loss in women.

However, men do lose bone mass as they age and this can contribute to hip and vertebrae fractures. Strategies to prevent osteoporosis include regular weight bearing exercise and eating a diet rich in calcium, like low-fat dairy products, fortified juices, and dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, and collard greens).

Do men have eating disorders?
The official statistic is that approximately 10% of the individuals with eating disorders are men. However, it is believed that the actual prevalence may be higher, because men are less likely to admit to an eating disorder and seek help for it.

What should I eat if I exercise a lot?
Pretty much the same things as everyone else (a balanced diet consisting of a variety of healthy foods), you just may need more of it to maintain your weight. You probably don't need to make an effort to consume more protein. Most Americans consume more than enough protein and your body is good at conserving protein stores, especially when you're active.

Do make an extra effort to consume enough water. The recommendation is six to eight 8 ounce glasses of water, but you may need more.

I gained a lot of weight after I got married?
Welcome to the club... many men gain weight after they get married. It just comes down to eating more than you use to, probably because someone is cooking or you have someone to eat with.

By the way divorce is not a good diet strategy! Turns out married men are generally healthier than single men, even with the love handles. Married men get more sleep, take fewer risks, are less likely to drink or smoke, and go to the doctor more than their single counterparts. Getting rid of extra post-marriage weight is the same as for everyone, cut back on calories and up the activity. Visit Losing Weight for more information.