Cheating Can Be Good For You
Prevention, December 2006
11/17/06

Have you cheated on your diet recently—maybe just a little bit? Don’t beat yourself up—it might have been a good thing.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that people who have more choline in their blood have 8 percent lower levels of homocysteine. The lower the level of homocystine, the better protected we are against heart disease, cancer, heart attacks, stroke, and memory loss and dementia.

Choline is found in many healthy foods, such as beans, wheat germ, and some nuts, which all have about 20 to 40mg, but—and here’s the good part—half a cup of vanilla ice cream also has choline . . . as does chocolate cake and brownies!

So when you feel like cheating on your diet, just remember that a lot of those guilty pleasures can increase your choline levels. The recommended daily amount is 425mg. Here’s how to get close to that amount while making your tummy happy at the same time—just remember to enjoy these guilty pleasures in moderation.

Vanilla ice cream, 1/2 cup: 19mg
Chocolate cake, 1 inch slice: 162mg
Blueberry muffin: 59mg
Chicken nuggets, 6 pieces: 39mg
Beef and bean burrito, small: 28mg
Pistachios, 1/4 cup: 22mg
Light beer, 8 oz.: 19mg