FAT Matters

Why do we go around it, trim it, substitute it, as if it is the cause of all our problems. 

 The truth is FATS are good, it is a necessary part of a healthy balanced diet.  FAT is one of three macro-nutrients, Carbohydrates and Protein being the other two, it is a energy source used to fuel our brains, regulate body temperature, provide cushion for our major organ, maintain healthy cell membranes aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K.  FAT is also needed to absorb carotenoids the antioxidants found in colorful foods that may be beneficial in the fight against cancer and heart disease.

So why do we dread those 3 little words, when the truth is we consume more sugar than we do fat and more people crave sugar than they do fat.  With the low-fat craze of the past we were conditioned to believe fat was the reason behind the rapid increase in weight for many Americans. We were so confident that fat was the enemy that we removed it from foods and replaced it with (drum roll) "sugar"!  Sugar in the form or potato starch, corn starch and tapioca to name a few.

FATS by far yield the highest percentage of calories per gram when compared to the other macro-nutrients therefore, overindulgence of fats and fatty foods can lead to weight gain and other issues such as high cholesterol, heart disease and atherosclerosis. Still, fat is not the blame for the weight issues we face as Americans.  To summarize the blame lies in inactivity, conveniently fast foods, processed foods, artificial fats (trans fat produced by hydrogenated oils) and overeating.

Choose and Eat Healthy FATS

It is recommended that 25-35% of your diet consist of fat energy, less if you are overweight, obese, have heart disease or a condition that requires a low fat diet.  Of this 25-35% saturated fat should constitute less than 7-10% of your daily fat intake. Saturated fats are that fats which increase your risk factors for high cholesterol and heart disease.  These fats are found more in meats and animal by-products such as dairy, butter and cheese.

When it comes to fat you want to eat more foods containing mono and poly unsaturated fatty acids and foods with a good amount of omega 3 fatty acids.

Foods with healthy FATS are: nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados, cold water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna other fish like  sardines, herring , halibut, cod , liquid oils such as olive oil, canola, sesame seed, flax seed and peanut oil. 

Consuming foods high in unsaturated fats and minimizing saturated fats in your diet will protect your heart, decreases instances of high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The next time you reach for a low fat product, read the label, identify the fat content as well as the ingredients in the product. Calories matter, therefore, calories in low fat foods should not equal the calories of that food in its natural state. 

Do We Need Fats?

Do We Need Fats?

Yes, fats are one of the three major sources of energy in our diets. The other two are carbohydrates, and protein.

Fats exist to be used as fuel, help your bodies absorb fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K, cushion for your cells and tissues, as well as to help regulate your body temperature, mood and even your weight.

So, Fats are good for you?

Some fats are beneficial to your health while others may cause harm. Healthy fats such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats help your body remove cholesterol from the blood stream and protect you from heart disease.

What’s all the hoopla about Low Fat Diets?

Low fat diets are just that hoopla. It’s not the fats that harm you, it’s the kind of fats and the amount of fats you eat that may or may not affect your health. Dietary guidelines for fat intake for healthy Americans are 20-35 percent of your diet daily, of which 7-10 percent accounts for saturated fats. Thirty percent total fat intake accounts for 65 grams of fat, of which approximately 13 grams is saturated fats. On average most Americans take in double times the recommended amount. Take into consideration our high intake of fast, convenient foods, processed foods, fried foods and the use of oils and plastic fats such as margarine.

*keep in mind that this is only a recommendation. Actual fat intake varies for individuals based on ethnicity, risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease.

What about Low-Fat and Fat-Free Foods?

Low fat and fat free foods are good substitutions sometimes but are often abused because consumers mistake low-fat or fat-free for calorie free. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Fact is, a food product claiming to be low in fat or fat free does not make it calorie free. Often times the fat that has been removed is replaced with a starch for thickness and to hold the food together. That starch is usually made from a carbohydrate such as flour, rice, corn or starchy vegetables like potatoes. You may not be getting fat calories but you are consuming a higher percentage of starch which essentially breaks down into sugar thus, increasing your calorie intake.

Good Fats and their sources

Monounsaturated Fats:
Oils made from sunflower seeds, canola, olive, peanut sesame and avocado. Nuts (peanuts, almond, hazelnuts etc)

Polyunsaturated Fats:

Tofu, corn oil, soybean oil, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, etc Walnuts an fatty fish (see Omega 3 list below)

Omega 3

Fatty Fish (sardines, salmon, herring, canned tuna, anchovies, halibut shrimps). Flax seeds and walnuts.

Sources of Bad Fats and Cholesterol too!

Saturated Fats:

Fried and processed foods

Meats (red meat, poultry with skin and fat, pork, lamb etc)

Whole fat dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cream)

Butter and margarine Lard, palm and coconut oil

Trans Fats:

Processed foods (baked goods, pastries, cake mixes)
Fast foods
Margarine
Candy Bars
Fried Foods
Foods w/partially-hydrogenated oils

Cholesterol:
Animal products (red meat, pork, poultry, shrimp,)
Animal by products (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc)
Eggs
Butter and margarine
Processed and fast foods

A well balanced diet consists of a reasonable amount of healthy fats based on your calorie intake, high fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans) and whole grains. Eating 30-35 grams of fiber daily will minimize the build up of cholesterol in your bloodstream and remove excess cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Choose liquid oils such as olive, canola, peanut or sunflower seed oil in place of butter and margarine. Limit egg intake to 4 whole eggs a week and substitute egg whites to cut cholesterol. Bake, grill or broil instead of frying, choose lean cuts of meats, remove the skin from poultry and eat more fish and non meat protein sources to reduce your intake of unhealthy fats daily.

Quick, Easy and Healthy Breakfast.

Recommending how to eat healthy is one thing, being able to prepare healthier foods is another. Some of the barriers to healthy eating are food preparation. To overcome this I almost always recommend following healthy recipes that can be found on line or purchasing a cook book that offer step by step directions on preparation of healthy foods. Find new ways to prepare foods you are currently eating that will make them healthy or healthier. Easy ways to enhance any food is to add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, replace salt and sugar with a healthier ingredient such as herbs, spices, honey or 100% maple or rice syrup.

Avoid deep frying, sauté, bake or grill your food. Plan, Plan, Plan and Prepare.

Here are a few quick healthy recipe ideas for breakfast

Egg Frittata

2 eggs (whole or whites) beaten

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped onions

1 small plum tomato cut into 4 pieces

2 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper for taste

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add onions, broccoli, mushrooms and sauté on high for about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and beaten eggs and reduce heat cook until egg is no longer wet or runny. Frittata can be finished on stove-top or in oven at 350 degrees.

Frittata can be eaten as is or with whole grain toast, whole grain or blueberry waffles. You can add about an ounce of cheese to the recipe if you like. There are many variations to this recipe including adding potatoes or using spinach or asparagus instead.

Oats

1/2 cup regular oats

1 teaspoon raisin

1 teaspoon dried cranberries

2 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup (more might be needed if you like your oatmeal sweet) the recommendation is less sugar.

Cook oats in about a cup of water until done. 1/2 cup raw oats yields about 1 cup cooked (equivalent to 2 servings of starch based on the Food Guide Pyramid).  Sweeten with sugar or maple syrup. Serve with raisins and dried cranberries.

If you like your oatmeal creamy like I do use 2% milk or soy milk in place of water. For different flavor you can sprinkle cooked oats with brown sugar and cinnamon or add fresh blueberries or other sliced fruits on top.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup complete pancake mix

1 banana

Water for mix

This recipe is pretty easy mix pancake batter, add sliced or crush banana. Pancakes can be made on stove-top in a non-stick frying pan or on a pancake griddle. Non-stick spray such as Pam can be use in place of butter or oil.

Pancakes are great with fruits and you don't always have to put the fruits in the pancake. You can top plain pancakes with heated fruits soaked in maple syrup.

 Yogurt and Fruit Parfait

1 6-8oz plain or strawberry yogurt

1/4 cup granola

1/2 cup sliced strawberries (use 1/4 cup if they are frozen)

1/4 cup blueberries

In a cup or bowl add yogurt. Top with granola then fruits and enjoy

Breakfast does not have to be typical breakfast foods. Left over from previous night's dinner can be a great way to start your day. I have enjoyed spaghetti sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese and heated in the morning. Left over soups are also great substitutes for the typical breakfast foods.

If you have left over chicken from the night before, sauté a few pieces of onions, tomatoes and some vegetables and wrap in a whole grain tortilla wrap for a quick, easy, and healthy breakfast.

Boiled eggs with wheat thins or wheat crackers, sliced cheddar cheese and a half of an apple is not only healthy its filling.

Sardines with sliced jalapenos are a favorite of mines. I often pair it with water crackers and sliced avocados for a protein filled breakfast in the morning.

Eating should be fun and not a chore. Step outside the box and begin experimenting with different foods, and different food combinations. You just might create your family's next favorite recipe.

FATS: Part 2(The truth about low fat and fat free foods)

So I mentioned in my previous post how supermarkets and food makers are still marketing low fat and fat free items as a healthier alternative to higher fat products or foods with their natural fat content. If you are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle my advice would be to thread lightly when it comes to consuming products made with less calories because sugar or fat has been removed. Most whole foods should have some fat and some sugar in it. As I mentioned before fats are just as important in our diets as are protein and carbohydrates. The problem is usually the source of fat and how much we take in on a daily basis.

Low fat and fat free does not mean HEALTHY.

Fats are not bad for you, but fat free and low fat may be. The reason being we tend to over eat a particular food if we think it's healthier. When the whole concept of fat free diet came on the scene in the late 80s every one that wanted to lose weight jumped on the bandwagon. It was advertised to sound like as long as fat was missing the pounds would miraculously fall off. So we ate and ate only to find out years later that we were still indeed fat and gaining even more weight on top of what was already there. It happened because fats were replaced with sugars or as they like to call them carbohydrate additives. So instead of learning how to balance our daily food intake, we learned how to add more sugar to a diet that was already filled with refined carbohydrates (which is basically sugar in the form of a starch).

Next time you visit your local grocery store do a cross comparison. Compare the calorie content of a regular 8oz cup of yogurt to that of a fat free or low fat kind. Look at the ingredients, and the sugar contents. You will find that the two products are very similar in calorie content and that shouldn't be. Low fat or fat free should have a lot less calories than a regular cup of yogurt made with whole milk. That is not usually the case because the fat has been replaced with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates break down into sugar once digested and sugar amounts to calories. Empty calories. Another reason why these products are not the healthiest is, once you have altered a food you have also altered the nutrient content of that food. Removing fats from foods decrease the absorption of other nutrients. Nutrients like fat soluble vitamins, calcium and even protein all of which are important for proper functioning of our bodies systems.

Learn your foods, as consumers you should know what you are eating. One of the easiest ways to begin this process is to read food labels. Foods with all their natural ingredient and nutrients and have not been altered in any form are what we should all aim for.

FATS: Part 1

When it comes to healthy eating and the proper intake of fats the debate rages on. In the 90s the big trend was low fat and fat free and practically everyone trying to lose weight went for it. While browsing the supermarket the other day I realized that fat free and low fat items are still very prominent and are still being marketed to consumers as a healthier alternative to foods containing regular amounts of fats or higher fat content. Part one of this segment will focus on Fats and the importance of them in our diets. Part 2 will follow shortly and will focus on the truth about fat free and low fat foods.

Every thing we eat has some importance in our lives even FATS. It is when we are eating in excess that we encounter problems and ailments that debilitates us.
Fats are one of three nutrients used by the body as an energy source protein and carbohydrates are the other two. Fats are also important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, and should comprise 20 to 30 percent of your daily dietary intake. Some health professionals will recommend as low as 10 to 15 percent.

What’s wrong with eating foods with its natural fat content? The answer is simple there is nothing wrong with eating foods that contain fats, but there is a problem with eating too many fats and eating too many of the wrong fats especially if you already have health problems associated with a high fat diet such as high cholesterol, heart disease and kidney disease among others. There are fats that are beneficial to your health and there are fats that are disadvantageous. For example trans-fats found in margarine, fast foods, deep fried and most process foods are said to raise total cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats found in dairy products, butter, heavy creams, meats and plant sources such as coconut and palm oil are high in cholesterol and can also contribute to heart disease.

Fats that are beneficial to your health are those found in foods such as coldwater fish, plant base oils that don’t thicken when cooled, nuts and seeds. Fats found in coldwater fish are known as Omega-3 fatty acids and they are prevalent in salmon, mackerel, herring flaxseeds and walnuts. Poly and Monounsaturated fats are two other fat source that offer health benefits and they are found in plant base oils such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. These fats promote heart health, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

In your attempts to eat healthy you do not need to eliminate all fats from your diet. Use the healthier types in moderation along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

SUMMARY
Consume less than 10% of your fats from saturated fat sources and even less from trans-fat sources.
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 30% percent.
Try to consume less than 300mg of cholesterol daily (that’s about 1 and ½ egg scrambled)
Bake or grill meats instead of frying.
Choose healthy fats like olive oils, peanut oils and not plastic fats such as margarine
Limit dairy food intake to 3 servings daily (8oz of whole milk, 1oz cheese and a 8oz container of plain yogurt is approximately 3 servings and total 90.5mg of cholesterol for a whole day) lower if you choose the low fat versions of these foods.