Lifestyle on Hua Hin Today

Reader's Corner: Food hygeine

Q. I read that the protein in eggs helps keep you full. But how many mornings a week can I eat two eggs without raising my cholesterol?

A. Unless you're at increased risk for heart disease, I wouldn't worry too much about eggs. They're not the health hazard they were once thought to be, especially because saturated fat ( low in eggs) is a bigger culprit than cholesterol when it comes to raising blood cholesterol levels. Still, one large egg provides more than two-thirds of your recommended daily cholesterol intake, so I suggest capping your consumption at seven eggs per week.

Q. My husband says it is perfectly safe to scrape mould off food and eat it, I think not! Who is right?

A. Scraping off that layer of green fur doesn't make your food safe to eat. Toxins in mould will have penetrated the food and can cause food poisoning. However, mould in foods such as Stilton cheese have been put thee deliberately and don�t produce toxins, so they are safe to eat.

Q. I love bananas , but I read somewhere that they are packed with sugar and are really not the brain food' that they claim to be. Can you enlighten me on this?

A. On the plus side: bananas are one of the most convenient fruits to carry around with you is the banana. Great for quick release energy, so a good pre-workout snack. One of the higher GI (glycaemic index) fruits, which means it can give you an almost instant pick -me-up.
Rich is potassium, which helps control blood pressure, and magnesium, a mineral that helps the body metabolize and release energy from food. Their sweet, soft fruitiness also makes them a good late-night snack.
On the minus side: They are slightly higher in calories than many other fruits, at roughly 100 calories each. They have a higher GI value than most fruits means that especially overripe brown bananas can give you a bit of a sugar high, which might make you a little wobbly if you are sensitive to sugar changes.

How to eat them: Have no more than one small banana a day.
Quick recipe: Slice a banana onto warm, lightly buttered wholegrain toast and pop a dollop of natural yoghurt on top. The acids, fat and protein from the yoghurt slow down the release of energy from the banana