If that doesn’t convince you about the research that suggests beer has the following benefits:

• If you have heart trouble there’s evidence to suggest that a Guinness a day might prevent blood clots.
• If you are at the risk of kidney stones, perhaps you should raise a glass of beer
• Guys: If you are risk at prostate cancer, perhaps beer can help. Unfortunately, it seems like you need to drink 17 beers for this effect. I don’t recommend that at all.
• Gals: Don’t feel left out, scientists are working on menopause beer for you.

If that doesn’t convince you, the great Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” There’s some scientific proof that being happy aids your health. That might be reason enough to have an occasional beer.

Since I’m giving it Food of the Week honors, you can guess that my answer is a “Yes, you should be eating eggs.” It’s not a cut and dry recommendation by me though. I believe some people should think twice about incorporate eggs into their daily diet. Let’s look at the good and bad qualities of eggs.

Eggs (particularly the whites) have a tremendous amount of high-quality protein. Some may believe that all proteins are considered equal, but that’s a case for another post. Protein quality is a whole other topic, but there’s a reason why you find more whey protein in health food stores vs. all the other kinds of protein. Egg white protein is up there with whey, but I don’t think it stays preserved as well. For those of you looking into low carb diets, the egg should be part of your diet there as well.

The yolk of the egg isn’t exactly the best thing for you. It doesn’t have the same protein of the whites, instead being mostly fat and having a lot of cholesterol. It’s this large amount of cholesterol that has caused the controversy with eggs. Excess cholesterol is not good for the heart and the logic would dictate that it should be avoided. Evidence shows that logic fails us in this case. Studies have shown that eating saturated fat is one of the main contributors to excess cholesterol (another is your family history, but you can’t change that).

If you have a high cholesterol problem, I’d definitely look to limit egg yolks – just in case some percentage of digested cholesterol factors in. For everyone else of average cholesterol levels, I’d say that eggs can be part of even a daily diet. And even if you are in the risk factor, egg whites are a great food.

I’ve found that when added to steak and cheese in a low carb, high fiber tortilla, it can make for a tasty meal. They really go well with any kind of sandwich. Next time you find yourself reaching for mayonnaise, think about adding some roasted red peppers instead.

When you look at the nutritional label of those tortillas, it’s not too hard to see what I love about them. At only 50 calories, it’s not going to tip the scales. With 6 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, it’s very healthy. The net carbs, for those on a low carb diet, weigh in at just 3 grams. There are 0 grams of sugar. While there are two grams of fat, there are no saturated or trans fats – you are just getting mostly the good fats. The tortillas are not a significant source of vitamins.

It’s pretty rare that my fiancée and I keep bread in the home anymore. We use these tortillas as wraps and feel healthier because of the decision.

Salsa may seem like an unusual choice. However, with all the unhealthy condiments out there, it’s good to have a healthy option. What makes salsa so healthy? It’s got a lot of naturally good ingredients. Tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chili pepper – these are all good things and work towards the number of vegetables you should have in day. Unfortunately it’s hard to eat enough salsa to count as a vegetable serving.

Salsa is also low-calorie, low-fat way to pack a lot of taste into food. Some people (and many restaurants) are still putting mayonnaise or thousand island dressing on burgers. These are high-calorie, high-fat options. Why not put salsa on that burger instead?

You can read more about salsa’s nutritional benefits here.

What makes chicken so healthy? It’s high quantity of quality protein and low carbohydrate makes it a diet staple. Did you know that if you eat 100 calories of protein, your body burns 30 of them converting them to energy? During that time you feel full and satiated as if you ate 100 calories of any other kind of food. It’s like going on a diet without going on a diet.

Chicken is the best from a vitamin and mineral standpoint, but it does provide a good supply of niacin, B6, and selenium. For more analysis check out the entry at Nutrition Data.