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.

The Whole Body Nutrition Concept.

The Whole Body Nutrition concept encourages a healthy body, mind and spirit. We encourage you to learn and experiment with different ways to eat and live a healthier life, no matter what dietary path you are following.

With that said these 5 criteria will get you on your way:

1. Live Foods

Choose foods that are real, natural, fresh, seasonal and unprocessed.

Eliminate refined starches such as white flour, sugar and artificial drinks.

Limit canned foods, boxed or frozen meals as often as possible

2. Plant Base

Plant base foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes (peas, beans) seeds and whole grains are essential for a healthy, low fat, and nutrient rich diet.

When choosing plants choose a variety of color, more color means a wider range of nutrients.

Support local farmers markets. Fruits and vegetables are often fresher and cheaper when purchased from local farmers market.

3. Low Fat

Get your fats from lean meats such as fish, chicken, turkey lean beef, nuts, and low fat dairy products.

Avoid margarine and foods made with hydrogenated oils (trans-fat)

Substitute a plant base protein such as seitan (high protein wheat gluten), Tofu, vegetable burgers beans or peas for a meat occasionally

Limit fried and process foods.

4. Nutrient Dense (Nutrition Rich)

Choose foods with high nutrient content. Nutrients are the vitamins and minerals that the foods we eat provide. They are important for growth and development in children and maintenance of our health as we get older. Nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin c, and vitamin d just to name a few are essential to our wellbeing.
Eat natural fresh foods they have fewer calories and are rich in nutrients.
Use food labels to guide you when trying to improve your nutrient intake.

5. Live Active

Having an active lifestyle will keep you in shape, prevent excessive weight gain and help you feel better overall.

Whether it’s exercising, or doing one of your favorites activities such as bowling, dancing, skating being active is not just good for your body it’s also great for your mind.

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.