Comments on: A few thoughts about eggs. http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/ A big hot tasty mess. Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:49:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Matt Brubeck http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Matt Brubeck Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:01:06 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/#comment-256 At my favorite <a href="http://www.bethscafe.com/" rel="nofollow">all-night diner in Seattle</a>, the omelettes come in only two sizes: 6-egg and 12-egg. With all-you-can eat hashbrowns, and toast! I have never attempted to eat an omelette at Beth's. At my favorite all-night diner in Seattle, the omelettes come in only two sizes: 6-egg and 12-egg. With all-you-can eat hashbrowns, and toast! I have never attempted to eat an omelette at Beth’s.

]]> By: Tracy http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Tracy Sun, 11 Mar 2007 03:00:16 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/#comment-234 Dear Cj: You NEED to read the works of Marion Nestle, starting with <i>What To Eat</i>, which contains a brilliant 2.5 pages on the politics of cholesterol, followed by another page and a half or so about the science. If you do not, I may be forced to condense them into a TracyFood post in your honor --- not that there's anything wrong with that, but you still need to read Dr. Nestle's books (and that goes for everybody else reading this who hasn't already done so already). Liz: You are making me hungry. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Dear Cj:

You NEED to read the works of Marion Nestle, starting with What To Eat, which contains a brilliant 2.5 pages on the politics of cholesterol, followed by another page and a half or so about the science. If you do not, I may be forced to condense them into a TracyFood post in your honor — not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you still need to read Dr. Nestle’s books (and that goes for everybody else reading this who hasn’t already done so already).

Liz: You are making me hungry. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

]]> By: Liz http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/comment-page-1/#comment-221 Liz Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:43:22 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/#comment-221 One of my favorite alone-for-dinner tricks is to put an egg on any readily available starch. There's nothing like a barely fried egg on pasta. Well, ok, that would be a barely fried egg on pasta with parmesan. One of my favorite alone-for-dinner tricks is to put an egg on any readily available starch. There’s nothing like a barely fried egg on pasta. Well, ok, that would be a barely fried egg on pasta with parmesan.

]]> By: Cj http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/comment-page-1/#comment-220 Cj Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:54:58 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/03/09/a-few-thoughts-about-eggs/#comment-220 I use to hate eggs, but now I like them. What I am not sure I like at all is the hodge-podge that is the medical community in the United States, especially when the news seems to revolve around what is popular and/or profitable. I believe the Farmingham heart study's conclusion was that they could find no corollary between a high fat diet and increased cholesterol in the 40-plus years the study has been going on. On the flip side, Dr. Roy Walford has seen very interesting results with regards to cardiac health and longevity (considering that is the point of keeping the heart healthy) by using calorie restricition. But what alarms me most is that most people haven't heard of either of these people. Roy Walford is a bit obscure, but the "Farmingham" and "cholesterol" should be mentioned much more often together. I have no idea what the truth is because every few days new information is being thrown at me in sound bytes. The egg scare of the 80's is a perfect example of what I am unhappy about concerning medical "research" and the media. As you noted, eggs are very popular as a breakfast food. It seemed that everywhere you looked for awhile eggs were being villanized. Then, a couple years went by and eggs became okay to eat again in moderation. What I am curiouse about is how profitable is the egg industray, and what motivated such obvious interest in providing proof that eggs were healthy again? Not that I make a career out of doing this, but I still haven't found one research article that indicates a diet of high cholesterol will promote cholesterol in the blood stream (leading to c.v.d.). There could be one out there, but I would really like to see it or at least have it refered to. I am sick to death of just having to take things on faith. If someone is going to make a claim, I want more than a talking head's word for it. About ten years ago the ammino acid tryptophan was banned. It had lead to some sort of nasty disease, or, so the media sensationally claimed. Based on what I have read, it seems that the batch of tryptophan that caused the disease was contaminated, but-- as far anyone can tell-- normal tryptophan use is very safe. In fact, it might be even more effective than prozac for easing depression. Interestingly, at the time tryptophan was yanked off the shelves, prozac was introduced. Prozac is much more commerically viable. Tryptophan is reasonably cheap and easy to make, while Prozac is a cash cow for the pharmacuetical industry. Some claim conspiracy theory-- that Tryptophan took a fall, so Prozac would have no competition. I'm not really into conspiracy theories, but I do believe that the medical industry, as a whole (and there are always exception), seems to be more interested in commerical viability then providing good, solid information to the public. I also believe the masses (being asses) are more interested in quick fixes than facts. Consider it, to me the equavilent of Fox News (I sometimes wonder if cholesterol is sort of a weapon of mass destruction hidden somewhere. I bet most people can't even tell me what it is! Only that it is bad!) This is a nasty combo. Personally, I believe cholestrol in the blood stream is the dead canary to let us know there is a problem, but isn't itself a problem. I believe (except in those rare individuals with a genetic predispostion towards heart disease) there is more an imbalance of sugar intake in the form of too many carbs (primarily processed foods) gluting the system and causing insulin imbalances (especially since most people aren't burning half the calories they consume). How this all leads to clogged arteries, I don't know, but I know my grandparents ate-- what today would be considered-- artery clogging diets. All of them lived to very respectable ages. All of them were very, very active-- they seemed to burn very effeciently all the calories they consumed. And growing up they did not have ready access to Dorritos. Dorritos! Truly a black death-like plague, coated in cheese and with a very satifying crunch!-- I love crunchy food. If my theory on excessive calorie consumption is correct my arteries are clogging at the mere thought. Hmmm...that was a bit lengthy. Sorry about that. ; ) I use to hate eggs, but now I like them.
What I am not sure I like at all is the hodge-podge that is the medical community in the United States, especially when the news seems to revolve around what is popular and/or profitable. I believe the Farmingham heart study’s conclusion was that they could find no corollary between a high fat diet and increased cholesterol in the 40-plus years the study has been going on. On the flip side, Dr. Roy Walford has seen very interesting results with regards to cardiac health and longevity (considering that is the point of keeping the heart healthy) by using calorie restricition. But what alarms me most is that most people haven’t heard of either of these people. Roy Walford is a bit obscure, but the “Farmingham” and “cholesterol” should be mentioned much more often together.
I have no idea what the truth is because every few days new information is being thrown at me in sound bytes. The egg scare of the 80′s is a perfect example of what I am unhappy about concerning medical “research” and the media. As you noted, eggs are very popular as a breakfast food. It seemed that everywhere you looked for awhile eggs were being villanized. Then, a couple years went by and eggs became okay to eat again in moderation. What I am curiouse about is how profitable is the egg industray, and what motivated such obvious interest in providing proof that eggs were healthy again?
Not that I make a career out of doing this, but I still haven’t found one research article that indicates a diet of high cholesterol will promote cholesterol in the blood stream (leading to c.v.d.). There could be one out there, but I would really like to see it or at least have it refered to. I am sick to death of just having to take things on faith. If someone is going to make a claim, I want more than a talking head’s word for it.
About ten years ago the ammino acid tryptophan was banned. It had lead to some sort of nasty disease, or, so the media sensationally claimed. Based on what I have read, it seems that the batch of tryptophan that caused the disease was contaminated, but– as far anyone can tell– normal tryptophan use is very safe. In fact, it might be even more effective than prozac for easing depression.
Interestingly, at the time tryptophan was yanked off the shelves, prozac was introduced. Prozac is much more commerically viable. Tryptophan is reasonably cheap and easy to make, while Prozac is a cash cow for the pharmacuetical industry. Some claim conspiracy theory– that Tryptophan took a fall, so Prozac would have no competition.
I’m not really into conspiracy theories, but I do believe that the medical industry, as a whole (and there are always exception), seems to be more interested in commerical viability then providing good, solid information to the public. I also believe the masses (being asses) are more interested in quick fixes than facts. Consider it, to me the equavilent of Fox News (I sometimes wonder if cholesterol is sort of a weapon of mass destruction hidden somewhere. I bet most people can’t even tell me what it is! Only that it is bad!) This is a nasty combo. Personally, I believe cholestrol in the blood stream is the dead canary to let us know there is a problem, but isn’t itself a problem. I believe (except in those rare individuals with a genetic predispostion towards heart disease) there is more an imbalance of sugar intake in the form of too many carbs (primarily processed foods) gluting the system and causing insulin imbalances (especially since most people aren’t burning half the calories they consume). How this all leads to clogged arteries, I don’t know, but I know my grandparents ate– what today would be considered– artery clogging diets. All of them lived to very respectable ages. All of them were very, very active– they seemed to burn very effeciently all the calories they consumed. And growing up they did not have ready access to Dorritos. Dorritos! Truly a black death-like plague, coated in cheese and with a very satifying crunch!– I love crunchy food. If my theory on excessive calorie consumption is correct my arteries are clogging at the mere thought.
Hmmm…that was a bit lengthy. Sorry about that. ; )

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