People who have trouble getting rid of excess cholesterol in the body, may have to reduce their intake of eggs. However, for healthy individuals, eggs do not increase your chances of heart disease. This is because a healthy person has the ability to regulate cholesterol production and elimination depending upon dietary intake. In terms of heart disease the main concern is saturated fat NOT cholesterol.

•  Heart Foundation 2005, 'Eggs, the heart foundation and the tick - the facts.' www.heartfoundation.com.au/downloads/tick_eggs_thefacts_0509.pdf

The Body Mass Index (BMI) incorporates height into the weight assessment. However it does not take into account the influence of body shape and composition. Muscle weighs more than fat and BMI measurements cannot incorporate that distinction. For example: people with large bulk, muscles may have BMIs that classify them incorrectly as overweight or obese. On the other hand, people with small frames may fall into the healthy weight range, even if they are carrying too much weight.

•  International Obesity Taskforce 2000, 'The Asia Pacific perspective redefining obesity and its treatment.' WHO

In the past vegetarians were believed to be healthier and live longer lives than those who ate meat. However, their longer life spans were not due to the lack of meat in their diet. It was due to their acceptance of a healthier lifestyle generally for example, not smoking and participating in exercise. Therefore vegetarian diets are not necessarily healthier than meat-based diets. Those who eat meat and are health conscious can live just as long as vegetarians. It is important to note that animal foods such as lean red meat contain essential nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega 3s. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that we consume red meat 3-4 times a week because they consider it an important part of a healthy diet.

•  NHMRC 2003, 'Dietary guidelines for Australian adults', Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra
•  Bedford JL et al 2005, 'Diets and selected lifestyle practices of self-defined adult vegetarians from a population-based sample suggest they are more 'health conscious' International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol2(1):4

(in moderate amounts) - Red wine contains flavonoids which help reduce the risk of heart disease. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends men should not drink more than four serves of alcohol a day (300ml) and women two standard drinks each day. Consumption above these levels has been linked with increased risk of disease, injury and death.

•  Nijveldt RJ et al 2001, ' Flavonoids: a review of probable mechanisms of action and potential applications', American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol 74(4), 418-25
•  NHMRC 2001, 'Australian alcohol guidelines - health risk and benefits', Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra

Breakfast is needed to break the 12 hour fast from your previous meal and kick start your metabolism. Good breakfast choices include:
• wholegrain varieties of breakfast cereals, breads or crumpets 
• protein foods such as eggs, nuts, low fat milk or yoghurt
• fruit

Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin including red meat, fish, eggs and milk. Any vitamin B12 found in mushrooms is due to the animal manure used in fertilisation and is in the inactive form which the body cannot use.

This is not always the case. Frozen vegetables can contain just as many nutrients as fresh vegetables. This is because vitamins found in vegetables are retained throughout the freezing process from blanching, freezing, thawing to cooking.

•  "Frozen Vegetables- Do they Count?", 2000, Heinz Wattie's Australasia/ New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research/ Nutrition Australia/ New Zealand Nutrition Foundation.

Studies have shown that diets rich in lean red meat in fact help to reduce cholesterol in people with high levels. This is because lean red meat is relatively low in saturated fat which is associated with increasing cholesterol levels. The National Heart Foundation has approved over 40 cuts of lean beef and lamb with their tick of approval which means they have less than 4% saturated fat. Also lean red meat contains omega 3 fats which play an important role in maintaining a healthy heart.

•  Li D et al 2005, 'Lean meat and heart health', Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition , vol 14(2):113-19

Meat is made up of protein and some fats and is easily digested. It will generally leave the stomach within 2-3 hours. Meat is fully digested within 4-6 hours compared to the dietary fibre found in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains which take more than 2 days. The human digestive system is well designed to digest a variety of foods including meat which contains a wide range of essential nutrients.

Vegetarian dishes are not always the healthier option. They may be high in fat, particularly if they have been fried or include: cheese, cream or pastry. So they are not always the healthier option. Dishes which include lean red meat, skinless chicken and fish can be relatively low in fat and therefore a healthier option particularly when grilled and combined with vegetables.

During colds and flus, many people will avoid milk and other dairy foods, thinking they increase mucus production. Studies have shown that this is not true.

•  Wuthrich B et al 2005, 'Milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma' Journal of American College of Nutrition , vol 24: 547S-55S

Not all vegetable oils are healthy. For example palm oil contains 50% saturated fat. Saturated fat has been associated with increased cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes. Better choices include the unsaturated vegetable oils canola and olive oil.

•  NHMRC 2003, 'Dietary guidelines for Australian adults', Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra

Protein-rich foods, such as lean red meat and fish are very filling, so you feel satisfied for longer and do not need to eat as much.

•  Halton et al 2004, The effects og high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review', Journal of American College of nutrition, vol 23(5), 373-85

Olive oil and butter have the same amount of fat and kilojoules per gram therefore both have the same effects on weight. However olive oil is healthier for the heart than butter because it contains monounsaturated fats rather than saturated fats which have been found to have a link with increased cholesterol and heart disease.

•  NHMRC 2003, 'Dietary guidelines for Australian adults', Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra