<p>The next Watergate… the next Covfefe… the next New World Order is… coconut oil?</p> <p>It’s remarkable how foods go in and out of fashion. A similar thing has happened with eggs. For centuries folks were eating whole eggs because, well, that’s how they come. Then saturated fat and cholesterol were villainized, and the egg yolks got the boot. Suddenly we were forced to endure the not-quite-right taste of egg white omelets. Then, years later, whole eggs are vindicated, and they are back on the menu again. Come to find out, cholesterol is an important part of building all of your sex hormones. It’s an important carrier molecule to ship critical nutrients from one place to another in your body. Plus, it helps the neurons in your brain to function properly and do things like form memories. So, yeah, it’s kind of important. Unless you don’t want to remember what you just read.</p> <p>The reality is, it’s not cholesterol, but the oxidation of cholesterol that is the culprit behind increased risk of health problems. This study published in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14631863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biological Research</a> is just one of the many sources that have been clear on this for years. The better question is, “How do we reduce the oxidation of the cholesterol and healthy, delicate fats in the eggs?”, not “How do we get rid of eggs?”. But, hey, the chicken crossed the road for lesser reasons, right?</p> <p>One quick tip here is to simply not cook the yolk… have your eggs sunny side up or poached. If that’s not your cup of eggnog, you can opt for adding some potent antioxidants in along with your meal. As the study cites, antioxidants like rosemary oleoresin extract and the flavonoid quercetin efficiently inhibit the thermal-induced oxidation of cholesterol. Even something as simple as mixing the potent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory powerhouse turmeric in with your scrambled eggs can be helpful in preventing the oxidation bi-products from cooking. So, this simple example shows us something important that we need to carry with us always: It’s not just the food itself, it’s also how you use it.</p> <p>After all is said and done, eggs go in and out of the secret spy, not-to-be-trusted list… and the overwhelmed public is tossed in a pool of conflicting information with no floaties, and no experience swimming through the actual clinical research.</p> <p>But, this isn’t like the 1960s and 1970s where you had to just rely on the “experts” who look at the research and then tell you what to do. Today we have this interesting thing on our phones called the internet where you can go and look at the actual studies too. Information is not reserved for the few anymore, it’s available for everyone who’s interested in learning the whole story.</p> <p>That brings us to the American Heart Association’s recent coconut-scented backslap. The internet was abuzz with news that coconut oil is not only unhealthy, but it was never healthy to begin with. Well, at least that’s what the hot, clickbait headline said. Everybody loves a good controversy, but at the end of the day we want the facts to speak for themselves.</p> <p>On learning the whole story, you find out some pretty sketchy things about the AHA, who happens to be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. I bring this up because drugs and today’s conventional diet are salsa dancing together, and it gets real hot and steamy between the two.</p> <p>Obviously, and I mean obviously, the drug company’s goals are not to sell less drugs. They have to have sick people around who are uneducated about what creates wellness. It’s easy to just trust in the foods stamped with the AHA’s approval. The problem is that the AHA puts their heart-healthy stamp on foods like Honey Nut Cheerios and even Subway sandwiches. Yep, not kidding. Not that long ago, the almighty American Heart Association endorsed Subway’s sandwiches even though their bread contained toxic compounds like <a href="https://foodbabe.com/subway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azodicarbonamide</a>, and despite the fact that this chemical is banned in several other countries. The World Health Organization has confirmed that it’s linked it to chronic respiratory issues and allergies. Other studies have found it to be a carcinogen, and the U.K. Health And Safety Executive has recognized azodicarbonamide to be a contributing factor to asthma, specifically. Heart healthy Subway used it as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner, which allowed them to produce bread faster and cheaper. Where else can you find your neighborhood friendly azodicarbonamide? Oh, it’s pretty cool… it’s used to make yoga mats and rubber for shoes. You know, just typical things we love to eat (said no one ever… accept maybe Oscar the Grouch).</p> <p>This doesn’t even bring in the antibiotics used in their food sourcing, the high glycemic nature of the breads, and all other manner of things that defi