Issue #173: Don't Worry About Cholesterol
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 19th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Food Label Math
Speed Read: Personality Tests
What We’re Reading: Starry Messenger
“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”
The percentage of Americans who are “metabolically healthy.” Criteria includes BMI, waist circumference, blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure, and history of heart disease. (Source)
From the Lab
So beyond the ingredients (Issue #172) - how do we make sense of this arcane food label?
First - don’t fall for the serving size trap.
While the FDA requires brands to set a “reasonable” serving size, think about what you actually eat.
Check out these this cereal example…serving size on the left, what we actually eat on the right.
If you (or your kids) eat cereal you’re probably filling up the bowl on the right.
So that means you’ve got to multiply the entire label by 2.25 if you want to calculate calories, fat, cholesterol and carbs - fun!!
Some other examples - most trail mix serving sizes are the equivalent of a shot glass (umm - I’m always eating handfuls) and peanut butter is 2 tablespoons (I won’t even tell you my daily consumption here).
Be aware of serving size.
What’s next?
Calories matter to the extent that if the energy we eat exceeds the energy we burn off throughout the day, then we’ll struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
But I’d argue it’s much more important to focus on the other macronutrients:
Carbs - not all carbs are bad (Issue #46), it’s just that we eat ‘em too much. That Cinnamon Toast Crunch example above - eating 2.25 cups of that cereal is almost 75g!!
Most of the carbs in packaged food on our grocery shelves today are simple carbs from either sugar or fructose - not complex carbs like you get from veggies.
When we eat carbs without fiber it dramatically spikes our glucose - so we need more insulin to process the glucose. Over time we become insulin resistant - leading to metabolic health problems (see Stat of the Day).
What about fructose? Yes, it’s true that fruit has fructose - but the fiber helps slow down the metabolism of the fructose, which is why it’s important to subtract the grams of fiber from the grams of carbs. (and why apples are better than applesauce, which is better than apple juice).
Fats - let’s start with cholesterol. Cholesterol is actually essential - it forms our cell membranes, helps us digest our food, plus a lot more. And it’s true that too much in our arteries is really bad.
But it isn’t our diet that builds up too much cholesterol - go ahead and eat the yolk. Even the American Heart Association now acknowledges that eating foods high in cholesterol doesn’t affect our internal cholesterol measurements or increase our risk of heart disease.
The food label hasn’t caught up with the science and still lists it out as something we should worry about.
Want more science? Check out this video clip from Dr. Peter Attia:
Too much saturated fat, on the other hand, can be problematic and we should try to keep that within the daily recommended amounts.
Protein - we talked about this in Issues #111-115. It is the most underrated macronutrient, especially as we get older. The recommended daily allowance (0.8g per kg body weight) is really to survive, not thrive. Don’t worry about over consuming protein - but try to make it as high quality as possible.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
When Should You Retire?: Life expectancy is increasing and we know your healthspan is too (thanks to trying out some of our recommendations!). The current age of 65 was selected, of course, because of politics. As always, this age depends on your goals - but it’s a key question to ask yourself, even if you’re 25. (NYTimes)
Event! Aging Resiliently: Connect with brain health experts about the best ways to cultivate resilience as we age, and how to support loved ones with memory loss and dementia. Sign up for the May 17th 3:00pm ET event. (Knowable)
What Your Favorite Personality Test Says About Your Personality: Introvert-Sensing-Thinking-Judging, Miranda vs. Charlotte, Pisces vs. Libra, Swedish Chef vs. Miss Piggy - what does your favorite personality test say about you? Go figure - there’s a test to figure that out. (The Atlantic)
What We’re Reading | Starry Messenger
With the launch of ESA’s JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer last Friday), and the 8 years we’ll be waiting to reach Jupiter, we’ve got space on our minds. So how about a view of Earth from space? With Starry Messenger, Neil deGrasse Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to our polarized political views - focusing on enlightenment through a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science. He outlays a series of truths that apply to all of us, underscoring how precious it is to be alive.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.