Dear Dr. Gourmet,
Q: Is there a substitute for red wine? Perhaps grape juice made from grapes rather than concentrate? I do not drink alcohol at all and would not do so even for the benefits of red wine.
A: There is good evidence that drinking grape juice has many of the same benefits as drinking red wine. The antioxidant polyphenols in red grape juice have been shown to have positive effects on cholesterol in the same way as red wine. Is Grape Juice a Substitute for Red Wine?
Q: When I look at some of your recipes I see some of them are way over 250mg cholesterol, for instance your Eggs Benedict with 283mg. I understand eggs are considered a high source so that doesn’t surprise me with the figure. But…..
I have a cholesterol problem and am trying to lower it without medication. I came across your recipes by doing a search. What is considered HIGH cholesterol content in food when looking at a Nutrition Fact section? Just curious as my doctor really wants me on medication. But every time I take it I feel like crap AND it is so expensive compared to just looking after your dietary intake.
A: This can be a confusing issue because your cholesterol is high and the first thought is to eat less cholesterol. Researchers used to think that eating about 300 mg of cholesterol per day was the key to lowering cholesterol. While it is important to be careful, we understand a lot more about this now.
Even though you eat things with cholesterol in them, it’s important to know that your body makes its own cholesterol — about 300 mg per day. Some people make more but most folks with cholesterol problems have difficulty with how the cholesterol is handled in the body. Eating for High Cholesterol
Q: Are there any foods or food groups that contribute to migraine headaches? Are there any foods or food groups that assuage migraine headaches?
A: There are no foods that have been definitively shown to help relieve migraines. We do have some evidence that foods that are high in tyramine can provoke migraine. Here’s a list of some foods that are high in tyramine. In general if it says aged, dried, fermented, salted, smoked or pickled, you should suspect that this is high in tyramine.
