#9: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

00Angela00

This is day eight of our education of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Woo Hoo! Some of these you won't be surprised by, some you will. I'll take one out of each food group each day to mix it up a bit.

All information is from the book by jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth".

Day 9: Crustacea (crayfish, prawns, shrimp, lobster)

Crustaceans are one of the two main classifications of shellfish (the other being mollusks). they're a class of arthropods which characteristically have segmented bodies. And they're very, very tasty. Enjoy

CRAYFISH
*also called :crawfish are freshwater cousins of the lobster
* you can prepare them in teh same style as lobster--steamed, boiled, fried, blackened, or baked.

PRAWNS
* basically really large shrimp

SHRIMP
* lean, high in protein, rich in nutrients, and delicious
* low-calorie
* One small 3 ounce serving has 17g of protein and only 90 calories!
* Shrimp have lal nine esential amino acids
* small to moderate amounts of nine important minerals
* with one 3oz serving provides46% of teh daily value for the cancer-fighting nutrient selenium
* same serving also provides129 IU's of the cancer-fighting, bone-building vitamen D (30% of daily value)
* has strong antioxidants

LOBSTERS
* although considered a gourmet food today, lobsterswere so plentiful in the ninteenth century that they were used as bait for fish or even as fertilizer in fields (I thought that was interested so I popped it in here haha)
* ounce for ounce lobsters are somewhat similar to shrimp in nutritional value, with a few differences:
* 3 ounces of lobster meat has about 95 caloried
* 19g of high quality protein
* all nine essential amino acids
* has even higher cancer-fighting trace mineral than shrimp
* additionally it provides 32% of the daily value for zinc
* does NOT have vitamin D, but it's on of the best nonanimal sources for B12.
* both shrinp and lobster have only 1g of fat per 3-oz serving

WORTH KNOWING:
Shrimp and other shellfish have been given a bad rap for their high cholesterol content. But here's the thing: The cholesterol in your food has minimal effect on the cholesterol in your blood, at least for the vast majority of people. trans fat (and to some extent, saturated fat) raises blood cholesterol far more than cholesterol in the diet. One well knwon study, published in 1996 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, actually tested a high-shrimp diet at Rockefeller University. they fed the subjects 300g of shrimp a day. Blood cholesterol went up a bit, but HDL ("good" cholesterol went up far more than LDL ("bad") cholesterol, resulting in an improved cholesterol ration. As an added benefit, subjects on the high shrimp diet saw a significant lowering of their triglycerides (a significant risk factor for heart disease). Bottom line: For the overwhelming majority of people, the cholesterol in shrimp and related specied isn't a problem.

Note: As with mollusks, there is a potential for allergic reaction that you need to be aware of. But it's also worth noting that seafood poisoning frequently masquerades as an allergic reaction. they take-home point: Get all your seafood from reputable sources, eat fresh, and prepare correctly.

day one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57017--1-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day two: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57180--2-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day three: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57278--3-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day four: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57482--4-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day five: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57516--5-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day six: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57602--6-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day seven: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57689--7-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day eight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57791--8-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth

LuckyLeprechaun

you just became my favorite person of the day!!!

imagine lobsters so plentiful they were used as bait.......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmLOL:laugh:

LeanLioness

These posts are fantastic.............

The only thing I have to differ with so far is them saying that eating saturated fat will raise your cholesterol.............

That is absolutely NOT true. I eat a LOT of saturated fat that comes from chicken skin, fat on my steaks, bacon etc.................

My cholesterol has went down tremendously and will probably be even lower next month when I go to the Dr again to have blood work done...........

Check out my bloodwork by clicking on the link in my signature.

LuckyLeprechaun

isn't there something about the chemistry of the missing carbs that doesn't allow your body to use all that fat in the same way? because I think someone who ate atkins-ly(high protein/high fat), and also ate all the bread/carbs they wanted as well, would not see good or healthy results...right?

kpnuts23

I LOVE CRUNCHY KING PRAWNS.... YUMMMMYYYY!!!!! :laugh:

00Angela00

These posts are fantastic.............

The only thing I have to differ with so far is them saying that eating saturated fat will raise your cholesterol.............

That is absolutely NOT true. I eat a LOT of saturated fat that comes from chicken skin, fat on my steaks, bacon etc.................

My cholesterol has went down tremendously and will probably be even lower next month when I go to the Dr again to have blood work done...........

Check out my bloodwork by clicking on the link in my signature.

I don't know of any doctor that would say that eating lots of saturated fat will lower your cholesterol. You're blood work may be improving from other things you are doing as well (other diet changes, exercise, etc) but I don't think it's safe to say that a high saturated fat diet is healthy. It's awesome that it's not affecting you though! everyone's bodies are a little different!

00Angela00

I LOVE CRUNCHY KING PRAWNS.... YUMMMMYYYY!!!!! :laugh:

coconut prawns! mmmmm

LeanLioness

These posts are fantastic.............

The only thing I have to differ with so far is them saying that eating saturated fat will raise your cholesterol.............

That is absolutely NOT true. I eat a LOT of saturated fat that comes from chicken skin, fat on my steaks, bacon etc.................

My cholesterol has went down tremendously and will probably be even lower next month when I go to the Dr again to have blood work done...........

Check out my bloodwork by clicking on the link in my signature.

I don't know of any doctor that would say that eating lots of saturated fat will lower your cholesterol. You're blood work may be improving from other things you are doing as well (other diet changes, exercise, etc) but I don't think it's safe to say that a high saturated fat diet is healthy. It's awesome that it's not affecting you though! everyone's bodies are a little different!

Well, my Diabetic Endocrinologist told me to do Atkins for Life and Atkins is known for being high in saturated fats due to being able to eat the skin on chicken, fat on your steaks, have REAL butter, etc.........

So, yes my Doctor told me my cholesterol and triglycerides would lower with a high fat / protein and lower carb eating plan.

LeanLioness

isn't there something about the chemistry of the missing carbs that doesn't allow your body to use all that fat in the same way? because I think someone who ate atkins-ly(high protein/high fat), and also ate all the bread/carbs they wanted as well, would not see good or healthy results...right?

From the research I have done, your body can process fat or carbs, but not both...................


The higher you go on the carb ladder on Atkins, the lower the fat and protein goes, it happens naturally on its own so by the time you get to maintenance, it is sort of balanced out..............

When I did low fat (not eating saturated fats or really any fat) and low calorie..............I gained excessive weight, dry skin, hair and nails, and very high cholesterol and triglycerides...............

00Angela00

These posts are fantastic.............

The only thing I have to differ with so far is them saying that eating saturated fat will raise your cholesterol.............

That is absolutely NOT true. I eat a LOT of saturated fat that comes from chicken skin, fat on my steaks, bacon etc.................

My cholesterol has went down tremendously and will probably be even lower next month when I go to the Dr again to have blood work done...........

Check out my bloodwork by clicking on the link in my signature.

I don't know of any doctor that would say that eating lots of saturated fat will lower your cholesterol. You're blood work may be improving from other things you are doing as well (other diet changes, exercise, etc) but I don't think it's safe to say that a high saturated fat diet is healthy. It's awesome that it's not affecting you though! everyone's bodies are a little different!

Well, my Diabetic Endocrinologist told me to do Atkins for Life and Atkins is known for being high in saturated fats due to being able to eat the skin on chicken, fat on your steaks, have REAL butter, etc.........

So, yes my Doctor told me my cholesterol and triglycerides would lower with a high fat / protein and lower carb eating plan.

I believe the whole point he was trying to make in the book was that saturated and trans fats are more likely to raise your cholesterol than cholesterol in food. Not that it absolutely will, and as I previously said every body is different and for someone who is diabetic their needs may be different than someone elses. I absolutely believe that one diet will not work for every person. Everyone's body burns fat, matabolises food, etc different which is why it's important for people to find what works for them. It's amazing how much your blood work has improved and that's wonderful! Good job with the hard work!

ctmom1

Thanks for the info, especially about the shrimp!

Mary

isadoraworkman

My grandfather used to take lobster in his lunch at work and was horribly embarrassed...since it marked him as someone living in poverty...how times change.
I get that people lose weight on the Atkins and the cholesterol issue is very complicated...however, I work on a stroke unit...and lifestyle..high fat diet, smoking..etc...are huge factors in stroke risk...just what I've observed...
A.

00Angela00

My grandfather used to take lobster in his lunch at work and was horribly embarrassed...since it marked him as someone living in poverty...how times change.
I get that people lose weight on the Atkins and the cholesterol issue is very complicated...however, I work on a stroke unit...and lifestyle..high fat diet, smoking..etc...are huge factors in stroke risk...just what I've observed...
A.

I find it so interesting how mauch changes in a persons life time! Even myself! Computers were not something people had at home and now everyone has internet! cell phones weren't used, then they were HUGE, and now you can do anything you want on them! I wonder what life will be like in 60 years? hmm ... will cow products be a specialty? Chicken? haha so weird to think about