Hello

So I'm trying to familiarize myself with the Atkins nutritional approach, eager to start my induction really soon. I've noticed that eggs play a areally big role in the LC lifestyle, for instance - the Atkins induction contains eggs for breakfast everyday! That can't be good for a person's cholesterol?

I was always under the impression that more than 4 eggs a week isn't good for your health? Is that a myth? Do you sometimes just have the egg whites?

Thanks

Good morning, bbon.

Eggs are not a problem in terms of cholesterol. I highly recommend that you read some of the low carb books that are out there. For instance, you'll find a lot of good information in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Protein Power.

For a very comprehensive look at all the research on various issues, including cholesterol, I recommend Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.

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or, go ahead and do whites...makes lovely scrambled...although - i do so love a yolk!

but yes, those books will explain the whole cholesterol thing for you i'm sure......in the meantime, if you're worried, do whites sometimes

If I recall correctly, Protein Power has a couple of chapters on cholesterol that is the best I'd ever read. It was a couple of years ago, but it did the best job of explaining the workings of cholesterol in the body, and how our diet affects it.

The basic crux of it was that our livers make 90% or more of the stuff, and consuming it has little impact. What ELSE we eat does, however, in that insulin impacts our bodies cholesterol much worse.

As far as my history of cholesterol and low carbing goes, refer to this post:

Blood test results - Check it out!

I had a screening done about 3 weeks ago, and my total was 156, HDL was 56 and my blood sugar was, of course, 98.

I am a hardcore believer in protein and fat breakfasts, and at least 5 days a week have 3 strips of bacon and 3 fried eggs for breakfast. On my "off days" I make the "Real Pancakes" recipe (2 eggs) or have a OMM (1 egg). I eat lots of hard cheese, use real cream in my coffee, and cook with real butter. According to those who believe the myth that fat makes you fat, and eggs clog your arteries, I should be dead or on statin drugs or something, but I'm fine.

The key thing in the post in the link is how my blood numbers improved so well over time, and I was still eating like this daily. I will qualify my story with the statement that this is what works FOR ME. I know lots of people can't handle the calories I list here in my diet and lose, its ALL YMMV. But I do believe we must dispense with the myth that eating eggs and red meat automatically = high cholesterol. Its just not true. And, to add to this, when the doctor put my cholesterol-laden father on a low-fat, low cholesterol diet with lots of "healthy starches, etc." he continued to buy more and more pills. When his liver upchucked, another doctor put him on a "diabetics diet" with no sugar, few starches, lots of healthy veggies and even a few "healthy fats" and a good portion of protein, his numbers improved and he even got off the statins... Hmmm.. sounded suspiciously low-carb to me.

The only way to know how you will be impacted is to educate yourself (read Atkins and Protein Power asap) and to test in a controlled and regular manner.

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Mikeyrat

And check out Jonny Bowden's blog on the value of eggs:

Dr. Jonny Bowden's Blog: March 2008

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Nita

Thank you all for your replies!

I'm so glad to know I can have eggs regularly; I love them and I used to hold myself back from eating them often because of the cholesterol issue.