Cheerios claims to be clinically proven to help lower cholesterol: as much as 10% in 1 month! As I don’t hate Cheerios — and they’re far faster to make in the morning than oatmeal — I thought it warranted investigation.
An April 2009 research study conducted by the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition (which is owned by General Mills, the maker of Cheerios) did indeed prove that eating 3 cups of Cheerios per day “as part of a reduced calorie diet low in fat” lowered LDL or “bad” cholesterol about 10 percent in one month.
Measuring progress toward a goal can be oh, so rewarding (or, um, not)… and I recently found myself wondering whether there was an easy, inexpensive way for me to track how things are going with my lowering-cholesterol-with-just-lifestyle-changes ‘program’ in between doctor visits.
It turns out there is: there are several home cholesterol tests available online and in retail stores – and a few of them are even FDA-approved.
Indeed, according to the FDA site, some of these home cholesterol tests are, “about as accurate as the test your doctor uses, but you must follow the directions carefully.” The directions have to do with fasting –
I’ve joked over time about grilling lettuce – I know people do it, but I have never tried it. Partly because I don’t know how. And partly because it just sounds odd.
But in my quest for all things kielbasa, I was reading the New York Times Dining section and came across a Melissa Clark recipe (and you know I love her recipes) for, of all things, Grilled Sausages and Radicchio.
Finally – here was someone I trust telling me how to grill lettuce…and adding sausage to it. What could be better?
With my recent Turkey Polska Kielbasa obsession still going strong (see post: A Stealth Lo-Co BBQ Choice), I thought it wise to get more info about all this kielbasa I’m eating. Specifically: is it a better BBQ choice than a hot dog or hamburger?
And the answer is a resounding YES.
Here’s how Hillshire Farm’s Turkey Polska Kielbasa stacks up lo-co wise with those other BBQ staples: hot dogs and hamburgers. All data is for the protein only — no condiments, no buns. Just the meat. (And yes, sadly, I am now once again singing the hysterical Hillshire Farm ‘Go Meat’
This July 4th, I was pondering a BBQ grilling menu. Yes, of course, grilling fish alongside the hot dogs and hamburgers is the correct lo-co option, but I eat a lot of grilled fish – and I think even my friends are bored of my tasty but predictable fish entrees.
Luckily, a totally NOT lo-co lunch at the house of my bacon-loving friend Chris a few weeks ago fueled my recent kielbasa obsession. There we were, discussing what to eat for an impromptu lunch, when she opened her fridge and said, “I could grill some kielbasa.”
