Here's some info on fat. It's rather cut and dry and boring in places but you need to learn about it if you want to go healthy. It would probably benefit you to copy and paste this and then print it off. You won't be able to remember it all!*!
Saturated Fats
This is the type of fat you should avoid in your diet. Saturated fat contributes to an increased risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. No more than 10% of dietary fat should come from saturated fat. This type of fat is found primarily in animal products, especially red meats, lard, butter, whole-milk products, and the skin of poultry. Two vegetable oils, palm and coconut, also contain saturated fat. (We use olive oil)
Unsaturated Fats
These are the types of fat you should include in your diet. Multiple studies have found that these fats may actually lower cholesterol levels in some individuals, resulting in a decreased risk for heart disease. There are two main types of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These fats are primarily found in vegetable products, such as olive, peanut, and sunflower oils, olives, avocados, etc.
Watch Out for Those Sneaky Trans Fatty Acids
This type of fat is created when extra hydrogen is pumped into unsaturated oil, which chemically transforms it from a normal liquid state (at room temperature) into a solid. This process is basically converting the oil into a saturated fat.
Trans fatty acids can be found in a wide array of processed foods and margarine. Any food with "hydrogenated oils" or "partially hydrogenated oils" on the label contains trans fatty acids. Some researchers believe such foods may actually be more damaging than regular saturated fats.
Eat More Fish with Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Two servings of fish per week may protect against heart and blood-vessel disease and may help prevent several types of cancer, including breast, prostrate and colon. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish, especially mackerel, Atlantic salmon, halibut and herring. Soybeans, flaxseed and green leafy vegetables also contain them. Supplements of omega 3 oil have not been shown to produce the same protective effect as consuming foods that contain them naturally.
How Does Cholesterol Fit In?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is often linked to lifestyle choices, such as poor diet, lack of exercise and/or high stress levels. Coronary heart disease occurs when cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance, clogs the coronary arteries. These small blood vessels carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Cholesterol is found in all cells and is used by the body to make hormones and other important substances. Most of the cholesterol in our bodies is produced by the liver but some also comes from animal products in the diet.
The American diet is high in saturated fats, which tend to be high in cholesterol and may increase the risk of cholesterol building up in the arteries and causing a heart attack. The best way to control cholesterol levels is through a combination of a diet low in saturated fats, to decrease harmful low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and regular exercise, to increase the healthy high-density lipoproteins (HDL). It is important to have your cholesterol levels checked annually. A desirable total cholesterol level is 200 or less. (Mine was only 226 when I had my heart attack at AGE 49)!!
Good luck everyone! If there's anything else you want info on, just let me know.
LET'S EAT HEALTHY! That means no junk food and no fried foods.
I eat hardly nothing with sugar in it. We do buy the Sugar Twin substitute and also that in brown sugar. |