Is there a healthier version of Ritz?

I love Ritz. So last Saturday when I went for grocery shopping I decided to buy some. Then I noticed there are multiple versions of Ritz available. In particular, the one said 'Reduced fat Ritz' just caught my eye. Who does not want to have great taste without feeling guilty of fat?

But when I paid a little bit more attention to the nutrition table, I was not so sure...

Based on the nutrition information on the package, the reduced fat version of Ritz has about 2 .5 g fat less than the original Ritz. However it is achieved with the cost of much higher sodium. 160 mg vs. 105 mg. As we know "...for the estimated one in three Americans  who will develop high blood pressure, a high-sodium diet may be to blame..." (from American Heart Association). Also as we look more closely on the fat component reducted, we may noticed that in the 4.5g of fat the original Ritz contains only 1g is saturated fat and 3g is Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Some studies have shown that these latter two types of fat may help lower LDL cholesterol when the total fat consumption is controled.

I think the better choice is probably the low sodium version of Ritz, which has significantly reduced salt content and slightly reduced fat content. Besides, after all this, the taste is not sacrificed. You still can taste the wonderful butter like flavor and nice crunch which I always love. A little bit salt just enough to have good balance.

It is great to have a healthier choice of snack.

Is Cauliflower bad for gout?

There are many contradictory information on the internet regarding if cauliflower is bad for gout.

Many doctors/people think cauliflower should be avoided and it can make existing gout condition worse because cauliflower is naturally moderately high in purine.

However, based on results from a study led by Dr. Hyon K. Choi, reported in the March 11, 2004 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, there is no increased risk by eating cauliflower. Here is the link to the report.

The cases reported:
1. In Johnny Bowden's book: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why, it said "... Though cauliflower isn't as superhigh in purines as some other foods, the amount is moderately high, and you should be aware of it. Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa has reported that one of his patients had a worsening of gout when he ate too much cauliflower."
2. Liam wrote a post stating "..."I had quite a big weekend and I remember eating cauliflower the night before, not knowing that it was a trigger. ".

The regular sized head of cauliflower is weighing around 575g. Purine level in cauliflower is  51g per 100g. It is suggested that purine intake in gout diet should be limited (113g to 170g daily). Which means for people with gout condition, the intake of cauliflower in a meal should be no more than 1/3 of the cauliflower (considering cauliflower is not the only food eaten in a day).