Ron’s Wanderings

Just the other day as I was picking up some groceries, I couldn’t help but notice how many of the food packages were shouting out, “Fat Free” — or — “Lo-Fat” — (wonder why they don’t spell “low” correctly?) — and it started me thinking about whether fat is really the enemy of a healthy diet.

So, I did some research — and I discovered (once again) that fat is essential! Fat aids in the absorption of many important nutrients and helps form the protective barriers surrounding virtually every cell in our bodies.

However, (there’s always a “however”, right?) some fats are really harmful — while other fats are vital for good heart health.

So how do you tell the good guys from the bad guys?

The answer is easy to learn and easy to remember because it isn’t complicated. Simply stated, “The bad fats are the saturated fats and the trans fats!”

Saturated fats, the type found in animal foods like meats and high-fat dairy products, increase the unhealthy LDL cholesterol – and that means you’ll risk the build-up of artery-clogging plaque. A diet high in saturated fat may also make your blood vessels abnormally stiff, which in turn, will increase your blood pressure. You need to limit your intake of these fats by choosing lean meats and reduced-fat milk and cheese, even though these may contain a small amount of saturated fat. The tradeoff is worthwhile because of the important nutrients these foods contain.

On the other hand, trans fats are villains with no redeeming value. And, as I’m sure you’ve heard, there is a major movement in this country to get rid of this awful fat completely. Believe me, this is wonderful news. Let’s all hope that it happens.

Why are trans fats so awful and where do you find them?

Almost entirely a product of manufacturing, trans fats are found in many processed foods like cookies, crackers, potato chips and doughnuts. “Processed trans fats are the ones we want to avoid completely because they’re the worst ones for our arteries,” notes registered dietitian Carol Clarke, a member of the Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Network of Dietitians of Canada. Trans fats are considered four to 10 times more damaging than their saturated counterparts because in addition to increasing the amount of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood, they decrease levels of HDL, the healthy cholesterol that scours away build-up on blood vessel walls. Saturated fats are bad, but trans fats are nasty.

What about good fats?

“The good fats are unsaturated fats,” says Ramona Josephson, a registered dietitian and nutrition coach in Vancouver, B.C. “That includes the monounsaturated fats and the polyunsaturated fats – in particular the subgroup called omega-3s.” These are so important to our heart health.

Almonds, olives and olive oil are just a few foods that contain monounsaturates – fats that improve the balance between good and bad cholesterol and inhibit plaque formation. Polyunsaturates include omega-6s and omega-3s – two groups of ‘essential fatty acids’ the body can’t manufacture. In moderation, omega-6s – found in corn and safflower oils – lower harmful LDL cholesterol, though too much can diminish healthy HDL. But these pale in comparison to omega-3s – found in flax seed, walnuts and fatty fish. (Canola oil, which contains a mix of omega-6s and omega-3s, is a rich source of the latter.)

Some omega-3s help ward off dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities, lower levels of triglycerides (another blood fat linked with gunky arteries), and make blood less prone to forming clots that lead to heart attacks and strokes.

But while all omega-3s are beneficial, the omega-3 fats from fish are the real winners. Most experts recommend eating two servings of fatty fish (such as salmon, trout or sardines) each week.

Now, you need to eat the right foods, but don’t go out and overeat a whole bunch of food full of good fats — you still need to keep your eye on calories in and calories out in order to keep your weight under control.
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Got questions?

Contact me at: http://www.ronrink.com

My email and phone number are at that site. Feel free to contact me. I’m here to help you with your health, nutrition and fitness goals.

Have a healthy and nutritious day!

Shanti,

Ron

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 15th, 2006 at 9:02 am and is filed under Nutrition and Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.