If you religiously stay away from eggs (cholesterol!), wheat (gluten!), potatoes (carbs!), and the like, dietitian and author Katherine Tallmadge has good news for you. On LiveScience, she outlines seven foods typically seen as "bad" that, in her opinion, you should actually be eating:
- Eggs: Consider this: The Japanese eat lots of eggs, but still have low cholesterol and low rates of heart disease, because they don't eat their eggs alongside the sausage, bacon, and toast with butter that Americans do. One egg a day will barely raise your cholesterol, says one expert, and eggs have other health benefits that counteract that effect.
- Wheat: Unless you know for sure you're sensitive to gluten, there's no reason to avoid such healthy foods as whole wheat, rye, and barley. All of the above are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, among other things, and wheat has tons of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.