Eating eggs may help overweight adults lose weight and feel more energetic, according to U.S. researchers. Their two-month study of overweight or obese adults, ages 25 to 60, found that those who ate two eggs for breakfast as part of a calorie-reduced diet lost 65 percent more weight, had a 61 percent greater reduction in body mass index, and had higher energy levels than those who ate bagels for breakfast. Blood levels of HDL (considered "good") and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, remained the same in both groups.

"People have a hard time adhering to diets, and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight-loss plan. Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet," lead researcher Nikhil Dhurandhar said in an Egg Nutrition news release.

Dhurandhar is an associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of the Louisiana State University system. The study, funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, was published online in the International Journal of Obesity.

WINNING WEB

Having trouble managing your blood sugars? The Internet could help. An Internet-based blood-sugar monitoring program appears to help people with Type 1 diabetes better manage their condition, according to the August 2008 Diabetes Care journal.

Researchers looked at whether an online program in "blood glucose awareness training" could help Type 1 diabetics better manage the disease. The program, dubbed BGAThome, is an adaptation of a program that uses group sessions to teach diabetics tactics for predicting and preventing blood sugar ups-and-downs-such as keeping daily diaries on glucose levels and recording symptoms associated with sugar lows.

Dr. Daniel Cox and his colleagues at the University of Virginia Health Systems in Charlottesville followed 25 middle-aged adults with Type 1 diabetes, half of whom were enrolled in the BGAThome program, and half of whom were placed a waiting list for the program. The researchers found that patients who used the program became more likely to make wise choices concerning low blood sugar levels.

Participants completed the program in 11 weeks on average, logged on to the program about 30 times, and spent about a half-hour on each lesson. The more often patients logged on, the greater their improvements in diabetes management and knowledge, the researchers found.

WINNING QUESTION

Q: If I order my burger or sandwich without cheese, am I really saving that many calories?

A: Adding full fat cheese to your sandwiches and burgers usually adds an extra 60 to 100 calories and 5 to 7 grams of fat. So, yes, ordering these foods without the cheese can be a good move. However, if you consume less than the recommended amount of calcium each day — 3 cups of milk, yogurt or equivalent calcium-fortified foods — you might prefer to include the cheese and limit other sources of fat.

For example, you can usually cut more fat and calories by choosing a burger that is smaller or leaner (like turkey or veggie burgers) than by omitting the cheese. Leaving off bacon saves about as much fat and calories as skipping cheese, too. You can also balance the fat in cheese by skipping the fries or chips that often come with these foods.

— American Institute for Cancer Research.

WINNING RECIPE

This recipe for Three-Cheese Baked Penne, from Cooking Light magazine, is a great dish to take to a friend or serve to family. The fat is lowered using turkey Italian sausage and the fiber increased with whole-wheat penne.

THREE-CHEESE BAKED PENNE

2 1/2 cups uncooked whole-wheat penne (about 8 ounces)

1 (4-ounce) links sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 garlic clove, minced

Dash of salt

1 (8 ounce) can garlic-and-herb tomato sauce

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese

Yields 6 (1 1/2-cup) servings.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook pasta according to package direction, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add bell pepper and next 6 ingredients (through salt) to pan; saute 6 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Stir in tomato sauce. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat.

Spoon pasta mixture into 8-inch, square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stir in mozzarella and goat cheese; sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 F for 7 minutes or until bubbly and top is browned.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 326 calories, 20.8 g protein, 38.9 g carbohydrate, 10.9 g fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 4.9 g fiber, 641 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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