Questions re: butter, eggs

[LageNomAi]

Apologies for the basic questions, but I've loaned out DANDR 2002 and won't be getting it back for the next month as I travel.

I think I've slipped into too-much-butter territory (I put in on my veggies, both steamed and sauteed, and use when cooking eggs) and was wondering what the guidelines for usage are. How much is permitted?

Second, what does Dr. Atkins say about eggs? I am having bloodwork done tomorrow and in my anxiety over the testing, it's occurred to me that I tend to eat a lot of them. I feel like a kid in school again because I'm actually nervous about my bloodwork! Here's hoping for reasonable cholesterol...

Thanks for any help!

[not2late]

Originally Posted by LageNomAi

Apologies for the basic questions, but I've loaned out DANDR 2002 and won't be getting it back for the next month as I travel.

I think I've slipped into too-much-butter territory (I put in on my veggies, both steamed and sauteed, and use when cooking eggs) and was wondering what the guidelines for usage are. How much is permitted?

Second, what does Dr. Atkins say about eggs? I am having bloodwork done tomorrow and in my anxiety over the testing, it's occurred to me that I tend to eat a lot of them. I feel like a kid in school again because I'm actually nervous about my bloodwork! Here's hoping for reasonable cholesterol...

Thanks for any help!

there is no guideline for how much butter one may eat, because it is rather self-limiting---especially when ketosis kicks in.

As for eggs.....there is no limit to those either on Atkins.There are conflicting recommendations about how many eggs you can eat daily/weekly. you really need to read the opposing views and make a decision for yourself.

[mizski]

Isn't butter glorious? I missed it so and during my first week of Induction I definitely was probably using too much. Was having a couple of whole eggs/day too. After that "party" was over, I also wondered if this would be bad for my already high but controlled by statins cholesterol.

The second week I used more olive oil, a little walnut oil and did my eggs with one whole egg + 1/2 c. liquid egg white. I also scaled down my beef, bacon and sausage consumption and went back to more fish/poultry. Still getting the protein and fats in but in a healthier way.

I wonder if the eggs and butter concerns vary from person to person which is why maybe Dr. Atkins doesn't make specific recommendations on amounts? Good luck with your bloodwork and please post back on how you did.

[not2late]

Well, eggs have about 1 net carb per egg. So if you eat 12 eggs, that's about 12 net carbs. So carb-wise....it's not a great choice to eat a large amount of eggs during Induction (or any other phase) because the majority of our daily net carbs are to come from veggies.

As for butter vs. olive oil or any natural oil.....I think it should all go to what your personal tastes are. So if you like butter, eat butter. If you like olive oil, eat olive oil. If you like coconut oil, eat coconut oil. If lard, eat lard. If you like schmaltz, eat schmaltz.

[LageNomAi]

Originally Posted by not2late

Well, eggs have about 1 net carb per egg. So if you eat 12 eggs, that's about 12 net carbs. So carb-wise....it's not a great choice to eat a large amount of eggs during Induction (or any other phase) because the majority of our daily net carbs are to come from veggies.

As for butter vs. olive oil or any natural oil.....I think it should all go to what your personal tastes are. So if you like butter, eat butter. If you like olive oil, eat olive oil. If you like coconut oil, eat coconut oil. If lard, eat lard. If you like schmaltz, eat schmaltz.

So long as it's low-carb schmaltz, right?

Thanks for the input, ladies. I often do eat egg whites instead of whole eggs, but I got to the end of yesterday and realized that between my breakfast of "pancakes" and my quiche dinner, I ate the equivalent of 5 whole eggs. I don't do that every day, but I do eat some eggs every single day. I can't imagine life without them.

[mizski]

I know but I'm talking about cholesterol, not fat and carbs. Butter has cholesterol and one egg has the recommended cholesterol for one day.

I'm too early in the game to have tests done to see how these will affect my cholesterol but I'm thinking that maybe eating some lower cholesterol foods (i.e., olive oil) couldn't hurt.

[msanjelpie]

Got High Cholesterol? Eat More Eggs

Eat Butter and Lower Your Cholesterol

[SunnySmile501]

It is never a good idea to eat more egg whites than yolks. For beginners, Atkins is high fat, moderate protein. Whites are all protein no fat. The most nutrition is in the yolk. You need essential fatty acids from the yolk to metabolize all the nutrients in the whites. That's why Mother Nature put them together in such a neat little package.

It's when we monkey around with foods from the way nature produced them that we get into trouble. Most obesity and modern diseases came about when we started processing natural foods and then "enriching" them with chemicals from a laboratory to take the place of natural nutrients. We need to eat whole foods as close as we can to how they are found in nature.

[not2late]

I rarely do egg whites for the reasons Sunny mentioned. While eggs do have cholesterol, they also contain a chemical called choline which actually lowers cholesterol. So they cancel each other out.

Plus egg yolks have nutrients (Vitamin A, Vitamin D) that the whites don't have.

[mizski]

Interesting articles on eating eggs and butter. Thanks. I'm sure you can understand my confusion/concern when there are so many conflicting articles and studies about what is healthy and what is not. Re: cholesterol, I guess only my tests down the road will be an indication on what is working for me. I DO believe that low-carb and Atkins is a way of eating that is more natural for us (contrary to what all the "studies" backed by the food industries tell us).

Originally Posted by SunnySmile501

It's when we monkey around with foods from the way nature produced them that we get into trouble. Most obesity and modern diseases came about when we started processing natural foods and then "enriching" them with chemicals from a laboratory to take the place of natural nutrients. We need to eat whole foods as close as we can to how they are found in nature.

Agreed. But how is an egg white processed with chemicals? Although my kitchen sometimes looks like a laboratory, I just separate the yolk and white. I use my hand and the egg shell...no chemicals. My eggs are even farm fresh from right down the road by free range chickens who run around doing happy little chicken things.

This is a wonderful discussion. Lots to think about and learn.