OK. I'm coming around to cheese.

As some of you may know, I am not a big fan of cheese. Ok, pizza is cool. Who doesn't like pizza? But aside from that American fast food, what good is cheese? After my wife read my last blog I got a nice little backhand up the side of my head. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH CHEESE?!!!" That being the case, let's say I had some extra motivation to do some research about cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there was a lot more to cheese than meets they eye. And now that I know more--yes, here it comes--I may (note the may!) start incorporating more cheese into my diet (in appropriate serving sizes).

So, below I've listed a number of different cheeses that might tempt your palate and help diversify your food selections when sitting down to your next meal. Please note the recommended selections are for a serving size of an ounce (approximately the size of your thumb).

Best Spread: Goat Cheese
Best with Veggies: Parmesan
Best for melting: Cheddar
Best Snack: Monterey Jack
Best for Pasta: Ricotta
Best in a Sandwich: Provolone
Best for Omelets: Mozzarella

The cheeses list above are rich but according to my research they provide not only protein and fats but they have small trace elements of linoleic acid, which is a free fatty acid (FFA).  This acid is a fat molecule that has health benefits that help your fat cells stay small, preventing them from swelling up with fluid from meals that contain saturated fat. Linoleic acid helps facilitate triglyceride processes (broken-down fat from foods in blood) by binding to them and transporting them across the cell membrane to the mitochondria (cell engine) where it is burned as fuel.

Also I learned that soft,fluffy cheeses have less in fat. because they have a high water content. When dealing with different cheese textures it may be wise to grate or shred it because it appears more plentiful and will help minimize your risk for overeating.

I also found some recommendations for alternatives to some spreads commonly sold at stores. These cheeses are rich in calcium and have minimal amounts of saturated fats.

If you like :                                              Try this:

Cream Cheese                                          American Neufchatel
Brie                                                           Camembert
Gruyere                                                     Swiss
Harvarti                                                    Gouda     


I hope you will find this information as helpful as I did. You may even bump into me at the store sampling some of this creamy stuff. When you do, just smile.


Yours in fitness and good eating.

Dr. Abu
NEXT LEVEL