FAQ / MYTHS ON SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITION & EXERCISE?

As we mentioned earlier, a person needs to do all components of exercise to achieve balance. A diabetic person, like any other should strength train, do cardio & stretch. Resistance training increases insulin sensitivity thus helping the cause of diabetics.

There is no such thing as the right age for weight training. Ideally the child should want to exercise and not forced into as this forcing will only result in a lifelong hatred for exercise. The need to look better or get stronger generally starts at the age of about 13, this is a good age to start. Pre teens should be put into some kind of sport to increase general activity levels, from the age of 13 to 16 yrs, the child must be given light resistance as the bones are still soft and still in the formative stages. Very young kids also have the problem of short attention spans and thus are much uncoordinated in their movements and must workout under expert supervision.

Yes you can, if you are not in pain. If the volume of blood loss is excessive then it may cause excess weakness during periods & it would be advisable to not workout at least during the first 3 days. Supplementing with Iron & folic acid is a good idea during this time.

First of all you need your physician's clearance. If yes, you can start of with a gradual exercise program. You need to take lightweights and breathe evenly while you rep out. Withholding of breath while lifting is completely contra indicated for hypertensive people. Overhead movements such as shoulder presses & inverted leg presses should also be avoided. If on medication, then please take it regularly.

Men and Women look different due to hormonal factors. The predominant male hormone is testosterone (It is an anabolic hormone responsible for muscle build up.) and the predominant female hormone is Estrogen (Actually promotes fat build up.) Women have very low levels of testosterone and men have very low levels of estrogen. This is the main reason why women carry more fat and less muscle than men. Nothing short of hormonal intervention can make a woman look like a man. No activity, let alone weight training can make a woman look like a man.

There is no such exercise that is the best. Your exercise program needs to have all the components, walking for cardiovascular exercise, resistance training for increase in joint strength and muscle strength (This is often ignored by senior citizens and that is a big mistake as strength training becomes all the more important as you age to stem the degenerative effects of the aging process), and flexibility exercises (Stretching) for decreasing stiffness, restoring lost range of motion and avoiding injuries. If you are a senior citizen the idea is that you start exercising gradually. And make sure to get a general medical check up before you start.

A woman is postnatal until almost a year of delivery. There are some basic exercises, which she can start doing as early as a week after delivery. Most physicians' advice to wait for 6 weeks before beginning a strenuous exercise program. So if you have just delivered a baby please consult your obstetrician before starting an exercise program. (A delivery made via C-section might require more time to recover as the wound has to heal completely.)

So what! It's never too late to start. If you have never exercised you need to start your exercise program by simple exercises and not workout too hard initially no matter what your goal. You cannot start vigorously all of a sudden or you might injure yourself or at best get very uncomfortably sore. So begin gradually and in time your strength, endurance and stamina will improve and you can and should increase training intensity.

If you have had a break longer than 10-15 days then you need to exercise at a lesser intensity for the first week at least, to prevent your body from getting excessively sore. If you have had a break for as long as a month or more then your fitness program (Training split) needs to be reviewed again. After the break you will start at a lesser intensity than what you were doing before.

If you do not like your program for whatsoever reason, you can approach a trainer or a front desk executive who will fix up an appointment with the fitness programmer. Or you can approach the fitness programmer directly if he/she is available at that time. Feel free to discuss whatever apprehensions or problems you have with your current fitness program. The main thing to remember is that you should do exercises that are effective rather than doing only the ones that you enjoy. But if the program is too hard or too easy for you then give the necessary feedback to the programmer.

You can start expecting results after about 3 months at least. Give your body some time. You did not get out of shape instantly so do not expect to get into shape instantly. The first month goes in just learning correct form. Only after that can we increase intensity to make a difference.

Cardiovascular exercise improves the health of your heart, improves your endurance, stamina and improves your vital capacity.

There is no such thing as the best equipment. All exercise equipments have their own benefits. Some improve lower body endurance; some exercise the whole body such as rowing. The objective of a cardiovascular machine is to allow you to increase your heart rate by continuous movement. So whatever machine you do, if you put in effort for a certain period of time, you will land up burning adequate calories and improving your cardiovascular system. You need to exercise with proper intensity – it has to be tough, not a walk in the park.

Increased bone and joint strength, improved muscle fitness, decreased chances of osteoporosis. Improved neuro-muscular coordination and decreased chances of injury.

First of all a sport may not cover all the components of fitness. Secondly fitness is a prerequisite of playing a sport and not the result of playing. You need to address all the components of fitness such as cardiovascular workouts, strength training, stretching to be good at playing a sport and to see to it that you do not injure yourself while playing a sport. Going to the gym will also ensure that you stay strong and youthful enough to continue playing your chosen sport even through the later years and not just limit it to your youth.

For weight training ask for Cross trainers & for walking, jogging, running ask for specifically running shoes from any reputable brand.

The post workout meal is a very important aspect of leading the fitness lifestyle. This meal should be taken within 45 minutes of finishing your workout. It should consist of at least 50 gms of simple carbs such as glucose and 20-40 gms of fast-absorbed protein, preferably whey protein powder. The simple carbs are always taken first, followed by the protein 10-20 minutes later. This is to replenish your muscle cells with glycogen & amino acids, prevent catabolism due to glycogen depletion & start the muscle repair process.

Compound movements such as presses, rows, squats etc, should always be done with free weights to ensure functional strength transfer. Isolation movements (Movements occurring only at 1 joint such as Flyes, Lateral raises, Leg curls & extensions) have circular pathways & hence don't provide continuous tension throughout the range of motion, if done with free weights.

Hence Isolation movements must be done on Selectorized machines fitted with cams offering continuous tension.

The purpose of cardiovascular training is to improve the working of your cardiovascular system, not to burn fat. In fact, the following attempts to target greater fat burning during cardiovascular training can lead to muscle loss, rather than fat loss;

-Cardiovascular training for prolonged duration, such as more than 1 hour to burn more calories

-This does burn more calories but leads to increased protein use for energy and prolonged muscle breakdown for energy, which does not stimulate muscle repair.

-After weight training, muscle repair is stimulated due to the powerful muscle breakdown (microtrauma) caused by the overload on the muscle. This acts like a powerful 'cut' or 'wound' damaging the cell and forcing the body to repair and heal.

-However, the muscle breakdown for energy during cardiovascular training is too low-grade for the body to feel the need to repair. It may be thought of as a 'scratch' to the body. But the body is still damaged by repeated 'scratching' without healing.

-Thus the muscle breakdown during cardiovascular training (without repair) results in muscle loss. This leads to a lower BMR and reduces calorie-burn and fat burning at rest.

-It may be said that, attempting to increase fat burning for just one hour of the day (during 'cardio') can result in reduced fat burning for the rest of the day (due to lower BMR).

-Cardiovascular training on an empty stomach, when the body is depleted of carbohydrate so that it burns more fat.

-It is true that in the absence of carbohydrates, the mobilization and use of fats for energy is faster.

-But there is also increased use of protein for energy, leading to even greater muscle breakdown.

-The result is greater muscle loss, leading to lower BMR and reduced fat burning at rest.

-Cardiovascular training deliberately at a lower intensity of 60-65% of MHR (maximum heart rate) to 'burn more percentage of fat'

-Training at a lower intensity (such as 60-65% of MHR) does burn greater percentage of fat; but it also burns lesser total calories (and thus lesser quantity of fat).

-It is also of lesser benefit in increasing cardiovascular endurance as it is a smaller challenge to the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system.

No. Avoid raw eggs or egg whites. It's best to eat cooked eggs.

Eggs or egg whites are often consumed raw, mixed with milk, since it's easier to drink a liquid – even if it involves intake of higher number of eggs/egg whites.But raw eggs/egg whites could cause infection such as Salmonella bacteria or virus such as 'bird flu' virus. On cooking eggs, the bacteria and virus are killed.Raw eggs also contain a substance called 'avidin' that interferes with absorption of biotin (a B-complex vitamin). On cooking the eggs, avidin is destroyed.

No. Egg protein quality is the same whether the egg is prepared as boiled eggs, omelet, scrambled, poached, fried eggs, etc.

The only difference between different egg preparations is in the fat content depending on the quantity of oil added.For example - boiled egg whites will be zero-fat whereas other forms may have 1 teaspoon (tsp) oil or more.Protein quality is not reduced by cooking. Cooking only makes the protein easier to digest.

No. Eggs and chicken don't cause pimples or heat boils. There is no such thing as 'heaty' food or 'cold' food. There is no scientific basis for it.

Heat is produced in the body all the time.Whenever the body uses energy, even at rest (for BMR), heat is produced as a waste product. This heat is easily given out and body temperature is maintained.This heat produced is not the cause for pimples or boils on the skin. If it was so, then all persons with a higher BMR (muscular persons and ectomorphs) would have had more pimples, which is ridiculous!Pimples or boils form due to accumulation of sweat and dirt in the skin pores. This can happen due to hot climate, increased sweating (which varies from person to person), poor water intake and lack of skin hygiene.Protein foods have same energy content as carbohydrates (4 calories/gm). They do not generate any other 'heat' production. Any increase in BMR due to protein does not cause any abnormal heat production. Also note; any heat produced normally due to BMR and other activities does not 'heat' up the body. We know that our body temperature rises only in fever.Rashes caused by allergies are different. Allergies are immune system reactions to an otherwise harmless substance. A person can have an allergy to anything possible; a food such as dal, a drug such as penicillin, or even dust.An allergy to a food or food ingredient may cause a red rash on the body. Allergic reactions are highly specific to the food ingredient and to the person. They could develop suddenly and may last for a long time or vanish quickly.

Flaxseeds, called as 'alsi' in hindi and 'alshi' in marathi, are small brown coloured seeds that are a rich source of omega-3 fats.

They have many health benefits such as helping to reduce water retention and other menopause-related problems.They have been used traditionally for respiratory problems such as cold and cough.They may be consumed as flaxseed powder (prepared by roasting and grinding flaxseeds), as flaxseed oil (available in Indian brands but has a typical flavour) or as flaxseed oil capsules (available in foreign brands).

Cooking oils are not good sources of omega-3 fats.

Amongst cooking oils, mustard oil has the highest omega-3 (14.5%) followed by soyabean oil (6.5%). But they are no match for the omega-3 content of flaxseed (58%) and of fish (30%).

Cod liver oil is not enough to meet the daily requirement of omega-3 fats.

Cod liver oil has only 21% omega-3.Compared to fish oil and flaxseed oil capsules available, a single cod liver oil capsule usually has a very low content of cod liver oil.This adds up to a very poor omega-3 supply per capsule.Comparing the commonly available brands, fish oil or flaxseed oil has a daily dose of 3-4 capsules; whereas 15-16 capsules of cod liver oil will be needed daily to meet the omega-3 requirement. Hence, cod liver oil is not practical to use as a source of omega-3 fats.

Sunflower and safflower oil are not bad fats, but they are also not the best choice.

Sunflower and safflower oil is not bad in itself, i.e. they do not directly solidify cell walls or clog arteries like the saturated fats.
They contain omega-6 poly-unsaturated fats that are fluid in nature, and thus 'better' for the heart than saturated fats.

But the cereals and vegetables in the diet already give us good amounts
of omega-6 fats.

The sunflower or safflower cooking oil adds to the excess of omega-6 fats and results in a fatty acid imbalance, especially in the omega-3–omega-6 ratio.

The correct omega-3–omega-6 ratio is a must for a healthy heart, i.e. to maintain lower B.P., lower cholesterol levels, reduced blood clotting and improved blood circulation.

The fatty acid imbalance is worsened by the lack of the good fats such as omega-3 fats and MUFA cooking oils.

Hence, to correct this gross imbalance, it is a must to cut out all high sources of omega-6 fats (such as sunflower and safflower oil) and include MUFA as cooking oil and omega-3 fats as a supplement. Classifying as 'good' or 'bad' is relative. Safflower and sunflower oils are not as 'bad' for the heart as saturated fats; but are not as 'good' for the heart as olive oil and other MUFA-based cooking oils such as rice bran and groundnut.

No. Rotating oils is not necessary. If a person wants to rotate oils, he/she must rotate between oils providing the same type of fats.

-Each oil supplies mainly one or two types of fatty acids. For example - safflower oil supplies mainly omega-6 fats, olive oil supplies mainly MUFA, whereas groundnut oil supplies both MUFA and omega-6 fats.

-Rotating oils regularly, i.e. changing the oil every month or every few months is often advised so that the body gets all types of fatty acids from the different oils.

-However, as explained in the chapter, our body is always getting saturated fats from animal foods and omega-6 fats from plant foods.

-So the body always needs an additional supply of MUFA and omega-3 from the oil and/or supplement.

Thus, rotating oils is not required. The body simply needs a MUFA-based oil all the time; along with an omega-3 fat supplement.

If a person wishes to rotate oils, he/she may do it on the condition that the oil is always MUFA-based (rotate between olive, groundnut and ricebran oils) and the supplement is always of omega-3 fats (rotate between fish and flaxseed oils).

No. Avoid margarine, bread and biscuits (baked foods), chicken salami and sausages (processed meats). They all contain bad quality fats.

Margarine, baked foods such as bread and biscuits, and processed meats such as chicken salami and sausages all contain trans-fatty acids.Trans-fatty acids are modified forms of unsaturated fats such that they act more like saturated fats; are semi-solid in nature and increase risk of heart problems.These trans-fats are produced during processing methods such as hydrogenation and processing of meats.Hence, margarine (or 'low-fat butter'), baked foods and processed meats are to be avoided.In fact, margarine is even worse than butter because trans-fats are worse than saturated fats. As 'solidified' forms of unsaturated fats, they have the bad properties of both saturated as well as unsaturated fats.

Rice is a fast-absorbed carbohydrate with a very high tendency to be stored as fat, especially in endomorphs and other persons with low BMR. This tendency for fat storage depends on the person's body type and metabolism, not on the community.

For example - an ectomorph (irrespective of his/her community) will tend to use up fast-absorbed carbohydrates such as rice, if eaten in a limited amount and frequency.But if eaten in excessive quantity daily, an ectomorph too will suffer problems of increased fat storage and yo-yos in insulin level, increasing risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.A fast-absorbed carbohydrate such as rice does not provide lasting energy and protein also gets wasted for energy.

It is also very low in fibre, which is essential for the body in certain amounts.Depending on the person's body type and requirement, rice may be 'stopped' i.e. excluded from the diet, or it may be minimized (limited).

But this decision is based on nutritional requirements, not based on culture, habits and individual likes.One must remember that laws of science are impartial and impersonal. The body will not change its metabolism of rice (or any nutrient) because the person is of a certain community or a 'rice-eater'!

Oats, muesli and 'dalia' are three different types of cereals.

Oats is available as breakfast cereal in 'quick-cooking' or 'slow-cooking forms.

They are small white flakes that swell up when cooked in hot water or
milk.

It can be eaten as a sweet porridge (with milk and sugar) or made as a salty snack.

They are slow-absorbed carbohydrates, high in soluble fibre.

Muesli is available as a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal.

It is a mixture of two or more cereals such as oats and wheat. It does not need cooking.

Commonly, it is flavoured and has added dry fruits, nuts, honey, etc but plain unsweetened muesli is also available.

Muesli is also a slow-absorbed carbohydrate, supplying both soluble and insoluble fibre. In fat loss diets, only plain muesli can be included.

Dalia' (called 'lapshi' in marathi) is the hindi name for broken wheat.’

Dalia' is available in its raw form at the grocer and needs to be cooked.Like oats, it can be eaten as a sweet porridge (with milk and sugar) or made as a salty snack (like an 'upma').It is also a slow absorbed carbohydrate, rich in insoluble fibre. It is cheaper than the breakfast cereals.Wheat flakes is available as the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal option for 'dalia'.

A) No Nutrition = No Results.

Only exercising will not help a person lose fat or gain muscle weight. Results are achieved with combination of training and the correct diet.
Training program is the same for all, whether a person wants to lose fat or gain muscle weight.
Whether a person loses fat or gains weight depends on his/her diet program.

B) A Calorie ≠ A Calorie.
Counting calories is not enough, count the protein and carbohydrate

Traditionally, all Indian diets tend to be high-carbohydrate and low in first-class protein.
The common mistake is; a person wanting fat loss, and a person wanting muscle gain, both eat the same foods – only in less or more quantity.
Everybody tends to eat the same high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet.
Simply eating less calories does not give fat loss.
Simply eating more calories does not help gain muscle weight.
Results will be achieved only if the protein and carbohydrate is strictly balanced as per the fitness goal (fat loss or muscle gain).

A) 'Indian' traditional diet tends to be imbalanced

An Indian diet typically tends to be vegetarian-based.
Even in a non-vegetarian diet, inclusion of first-class protein sources such as eggs, chicken, fish is often restricted to a meal once, twice or thrice a week.
Such a 'normal' diet may contain only 10-20 gm of first-class protein (total in a day) but also give 200-300 gm carbohydrate.
Unfortunately most traditional Indian preparations may either be fast absorbed carbohydrates (e.g. idli, dosa, poha, upma) or high-fat foods, both of which will lead to fat gain.
The result of such an imbalanced diet is the increase in cases of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in India.

B) 'Indian' diet tends to be low in first-class protein

First-class protein sources are so few in the 'normal' or typical diet pattern that just trying to meet protein requirement seems very 'difficult'.
Including 15-20 gm first-class protein in each meal five times a day is the bare minimum to meet requirement, but seems like a 'high-protein' diet.

C) 'Indian' diet tends to be high-carbohydrate

On the other hand, carbohydrate sources are so many in such a 'normal' or typical diet that restricting to 20 gm carbohydrates (or less) in each meal in a fat loss diet seems 'difficult'.
A person aiming for 100 gm protein in a day may struggle and meet 80-90 gm protein; but a person aiming for 100 gm carbohydrates may easily cross and intake 150-200 gm before realizing it.
The protein and carbohydrates need to be balanced as per the body's requirement, not as per tradition, custom or habit. Else the consequence is obesity and all related problems.
If fitness has to be the norm, we need to change our 'Indian' diet.

Yes, it will. That is why we are NOT talking about a high-protein diet. We are just talking about meeting the protein requirement.

Since typical Indian diets tend to be protein-deficient, any increase in protein intake seems like a 'high-protein' diet, which it is most definitely not.A person finds it so difficult just to meet the protein requirement that having excess protein by accident is out of the question.However, if protein is taken in higher quantity than required, the unused protein will simply be converted to fat and stored. Just like the excess carbohydrate.Remember, excess of anything is bad, even water. Excess or 'high' protein is also bad.A high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet also has side effects that we are already facing; obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

No, it can't. A healthy kidney or liver cannot be damaged simply by eating extra protein.

Protein is a nutrient for the body. It doesn't 'load' or 'stress' the kidney or liver.Excreting (throwing out) protein wastes is natural work for the kidney. And metabolizing amino acids is natural work for the liver.It is impossible to even eat the amount of protein that would be needed to damage a healthy kidney or liver. This is because the digestive system is weaker than the kidney.For example - if a person overeats on chicken (protein), he/she may fear a stomach upset, not kidney damage!If there is an existing kidney or liver problem, protein intake may be restricted. But it may still be needed to be higher than that in a typical Indian diet.Liver or kidney can be damaged by other causes, not protein. For example - Alcohol and other drugs are proven causes for liver damage.Unfortunately, many persons fear kidney/liver damage due to protein but they don't think of liver damage before consuming alcohol.

No. 'Lime-water-honey' is no magical combination causing fat loss. Analyzing each ingredient

Lime contains vitamin C, an antioxidant. This has no effect on fat loss, but lime may be taken for the benefits of vitamin C. However, it must be noted that the quantity of vitamin C in lime is small and does not meet its requirement.
Honey is a source of sugar. Its speed of absorption is slightly slower than refined sugar but it can still be stored easily into fat. Hence, honey must be avoided in fat loss.

Water has no effect on body fat. Warm water doesn't cause fat loss; and cold water doesn't cause fat gain. By hydrating the body, water helps in maintaining normal speed of metabolic work (BMR) and thus in fat loss.

Hence, water must be taken for maintaining hydration, as per requirement.

Hence, lime and water are beneficial due to other reasons, not for fat loss. Honey is better avoided.

Thus, the 'lime-water-honey' combination has absolutely no effect on fat loss. Usually taken first thing in the morning, it can only stimulate bowel movements and serve as a laxative. It is a widely believed myth only because it promises an easy shortcut to fat loss.

False. Skimmed milk (available in a tetrapak) is 99.5-99.9% fat free. It also has good quality protein and slow-absorbed lactose. Whole milk has a higher fat content and should be avoided.

False. Rice and bananas contain very little fat. But they are rich sources of fast absorbed carbohydrates such as starch and glucose, which have a great tendency to be stored as fat in the body.

False. Even if they are prepared with less fat, poha, upma and idli contain fast absorbed carbohydrates (starch) due to their low fibre content. These 'light' fast absorbed carbohydrates can be very easily stored as fat. Hence, an idli, poha, upma or cornflakes are equally bad in a fat loss diet as a high-fat fried food.

False. All fruits are pure carbohydrates. Bananas are a good source of glucose and instant energy after intense weight training. But they give no protein.

False. Beef and chicken are both equally good quality proteins. Beef may be thought to be 'better' because it contains creatine. But the creatine content of beef is low; only 5gm creatine in 1 kg edible portion of beef; and its absorption is also poor.

False. Ghee contains saturated fats from milk. It is equally 'bad' whether it is made at home or processed in a factory. It has an equally high heart risk. Definitely, ghee and butter are also sources of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A. But these vitamins can be derived from other foods without increasing heart risk.'

False. Most 'health foods' such as soya chaklis and roasted chivda are low-fat but high-carbohydrate. A fat loss diet is not only about low-fat foods. Carbohydrates also need to be restricted. Only high-fibre carbohydrates are good for fat loss. But these foods are also low in fibre and the carbohydrates can easily be stored as fat.

False. Rice, potatoes, bananas are fast-absorbed 'bad' carbohydrates. Butter and cheese are saturated 'bad' fats.Even if a weight gain client does not fear the associated fat gain, these foods should still not be eaten in excess because;The energy supply from fast-absorbed carbohydrates will not last till the next meal, and protein will tend to get wasted for energy.Frequent intake of fast-absorbed carbohydrates will lead to yo-yos in insulin levels, increasing risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.High intake of saturated fats will tend to solidify cell walls and clog arteries and increase risk of heart problems and diabetes.Lastly, the client's target is muscle gain, not fat gain.

Wrong. There is no 'good' or 'bad' cholesterol in food.

Cholesterol is only of one type. It is only called 'good' and 'bad' depending on the relative quantity in which it is present in the body as HDL (good) and LDL (bad)-cholesterol. Food simply contains cholesterol. This is used by the body for various functions, depending on the person's requirement.

Wrong. All oils (plant fats) are 'zero-cholesterol' by nature, even coconut.

Advertising or labeling an oil as 'zero-cholesterol' is just a marketing gimmick by oil-manufacturing companies.

It is not false but it is misleading.Advertising an oil as 'zero-cholesterol' is like advertising sugar as 'fat-free'!Oils are not selected based on cholesterol.They are chosen as per the quality of fats needed to balance the diet.For example - Olive, groundnut and rice bran oils are recommended due to the need for MUFA in the diet; sunflower and safflower oils are not recommended due to the excess omega-6 in the diet.

Wrong. High cholesterol levels are not due to merely eating cholesterol in the diet; and cholesterol levels cannot be reduced just by not eating cholesterol.

If it was so, then vegetarians (especially those consuming skimmed milk) would have little to fear because milk fat is the only source of cholesterol in a vegetarian diet. But you still find a lot of vegetarians with Cholesterol issues & a bad lipid profile.

Body's cholesterol comes more from that made in the body itself, rather than from the food. Also, all the cholesterol eaten in food is not absorbed. Its absorption is affected by many factors.

A. Cholesterol levels in the blood depend on

The amount of cholesterol made in the body, which depends on
The quality of the other fats (saturated and unsaturated fats) eaten in the diet.

B. High cholesterol levels are primarily caused by

Bad quality fats in the diet, such as high intake of saturated fats (butter, ghee, whole milk, etc), and
 Lack of good fats such as omega-3 fats and MUFA

C. Cholesterol levels can be reduced by

Cutting out 'bad' saturated fats and reducing excess of omega-6 PUFA
Eating good quality fats; MUFA and omega-3. This is the only way to maintain healthy LDL; HDL-cholesterol levels.

Wrong. Egg yolks need not be cut out from the diet. They can be eaten in limited quantity.

Along with the bad fats (saturated fats and cholesterol), egg yolks also contain good quality protein. This protein is very valuable.
Half the egg protein is found in the yolk, 3.5gm in egg white and 3gm in the yolk. Discarding the egg yolk means throwing half the protein.
The protein quality of the egg drops from a '100' biological value rank to a '75' rank when the yolk is removed.
The egg yolk also contains 6gm of saturated fats, along with cholesterol.This will not be harmful if eaten in a limited quantity.
The egg yolk 'bad fats' must be balanced in the diet with good quality fats (omega-3 fats and MUFA) and high fibre foods.

Good quality fats will maintain the correct balance of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol as required by the body. High fibre intake will reduce absorption of cholesterol and saturated fats from the yolk.

Higher protein quality and lower fat quantity can be balanced by consuming more of egg whites with a limited number of egg yolks. For example, a good ratio is 3:1 or 4:2, i.e. 3 egg whites-1 yolk or 4 egg whites-2 yolks.

This may be modified as per the person's heart risk. For example, only egg whites (no yolks) may be given to a heart patient, whereas 1-2 yolks a day may be included for an exercising senior citizen.
Younger, intensely training persons maintain healthy cholesterol levels even with a higher intake of yolks due to the faster metabolism.