A key to Good Health

by Donald J. McNamara, Ph.D.

Without question, a healthy diet is important for all of us, but for growing children and seniors, good nutrition is essential in maintaining health and vitality.

Good nutrition in the later years can reduce the risks and effects of disease prevalent in older adults.  Also, it can improve the quality of life by reducing the time of recovery from illness and maintaining independence and vitality.

The basic of good nutrition continue to be balance, variety and moderation.

Achievement of these basic principles depends on both diversity in the diet and the concept of nutrient density.  Nutrient-dense foods are those which provide a variety of essential nutrients at a low calorie cost.

Older American need fewer calories as their activity levels decreases, yet the body's need for high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals remains the same.  High-quality, nutrient-dense foods such as eggs can help provide these nutrients without a lot of excess calories which hamper attempts to maintain a healthy body weight.  And eggs are not only nutrien-dense, they are affordable, convenient and easy to cook, chew and digest.
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But what about all that cholesterol?

Two important points need to be made:  First, studies have shown that for most people, even individuals with elevated cholesterol levels, dietary cholesterol has very little effect on blood cholesterol levels.  In studies from Columbia University in New York and the University of Washington in Seattle, the addtion of two eggs a day to the diet did not raise blood cholesterol levels in men and women with normal or elevated cholesterol levels. 

Seconly, the relationship between blood cholesterol and heart disease risk gets smaller and smaller as we age.  In fact, many studies have failed to find any association between cholesterol and cardiovascular events in persons beyond the age of 70.

 

 
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Magic Bullets

There are only three "magic bullets" for good health:  Don't smoke, eat and good diet and exercise.

A good diet provides essential nutrients and keeps your weight in check.  Eggs can make a good diet even better, as well as more enjoyable.

It's good to know you can eat eggs again.

 

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