Get your fats straight and say no to trans fats:
Get Your Fats Straight
The first recommendations related to dietary fat appeared more than 100 years ago. A.O. Atwater, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, suggested in 1894 that we consume no more than one-third of total calories from fat. Science has come a long way since then, but today’s advice is similar. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends we limit fat intake to 20-35% of total calories.
Fat is Not a Four-Letter Word
You need a certain amount of fat to stay healthy. But eating more than you need can be hazardous to your health. High fat diets are linked to heart and gallbladder disease, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and obesity.
Why do you need it?
A rich source of energy, fat is also used by the body to make cell membranes and compounds that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate and blood clotting. Fats help transport certain vitamins from your food to your body. Body fat insulates and protects you from extreme temperatures and cushions vital organs. Fat also provides flavor and texture in food and keeps you feeling full because it stays in the stomach longer than carbohydrates or proteins do.
Fats are not Created Equal
Mono and polyunsaturated fats, the kind you should eat most often, are usually liquid at room emperature. Eating these instead of saturated fats can help lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the amount of low-density (“bad”) cholesterol in your blood. Saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature and are mostly found in animal products, but also in coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils. Saturated fats prompt the liver to make
more total cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol. Most trans fats are created by partially hydrogenating oils to make them more solid (shortening and stick margarine are examples).Trans fats potentially raise “bad” cholesterol levels and lower High-density (“good”) cholesterol levels in the blood. Many processed and fried
foods contain trans fats (look for the term “partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening” in the ingredient list). Concern about trans fat in foods has earned it a place on the food label as of January 2006.
Limit your intake of saturated and trans fat to less than 10 percent of your calories. Keep trans fat consumption as low as possible.
Use the guide to the right to help you choose the right fat.
Invisible Fat
In addition to butter, salad dressing and oils, much of the fat we eat is found in meat, dairy products and foods like biscuits, crackers,
avocados, olives, chips, fried foods and chocolate. Most every food contains a least a trace of fat.
Trim the Fat in Your Diet
Breads and Cereals - select breads cereals and crackers that are low in saturated and trans fat (English muffins instead of biscuits or pastries).
Fruits and Vegetables - Buy frozen vegetables without sauce. Squeeze on lemon or orange juice for added flavor. Eat fruit for dessert with non-fat yogurt.
Milk and Milk Products - Use skim or reduced fat milk or cheese, fat-free or low fat yogurt or sour cream.
Meat - Choose lean cuts of meat, remove visible fat and skin from poultry. Cook meats on a rack so fat can drain off. Select tuna and other canned meats packed in water.
Fats and Oils - Use butter, margarine and oil sparingly, select soft, liquid or spray margarine. Cut back on hydrogenated shortenings and products that contain them. Measure oil before pouring it in the pan, try to use less.
