Low-Fat Diet
Eat a Low-Fat Diet and Maintaina Desirable Weight
The American Heart Association (AHA) published its "Dietary Guidelines for the Healthy Adult" in the Fall of 1996. The main goal of the AHA diet is the prevention and control of heart and blood vessel disease. Unlike many nutrition studies published annually, the AHA guidelines provide sound, consistent advice on "heart-smart" eating.
What does the AHA recommend?
The AHA recommends a diet in which 30 percent of calories come from fat. Fifteen percent of that fat allotment should be in the form of monounsaturated fat. Saturated fat should account for no more than 10 percent of calories from fat. The remainder can be accounted for by polyunsaturated fats. Though these guidelines are very specific, we don't need to go overboard calculating fat percentages on every mouthful of food we consume. The general idea is that we ALL should use fat sparingly. Read labels and choose foods and cooking methods that provide 30 percent or fewer calories from fats.
What is the difference between polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats?
Saturated fat is the bad fat and should be avoided as much as possible. You may not believe it, but the saturated fat in foods has a far greater effect on your blood cholesterol level than does the cholesterol in foods. Saturated fat is derived from all animal sources (meats, butter, whole milk and other dairy foods) and from cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil.
To make matters more confusing, many food manufacturers have responded to all the negative publicity surrounding saturated fats by switching from butter and beef fat to vegetable oils. But, to give the vegetable oil a firmer, more butter-like consistency, hydrogen is bubbled through it, producing a hydrogenated oil. Hydrogenated fats, or "trans" fats, as they are sometimes called, are just as bad for your health as saturated fats. These fats are found in margarine, in commercially prepared baked goods (cookies, crackers, cakes) and in many deep-fried foods. The best way to avoid hydrogenated fats is to read the ingredient lists on foods and avoid ones listing hydrogenated or "partially" hydrogenated fats.
Polyunsaturated fats are a better choice of fat in the diet. Although it is not clear whether substituting these fats for saturated fats brings about lower cholesterol levels, polyunsaturated fats can reduce plasma triglyceride levels. Sources include fish oils, corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oils.
Monounsaturated fats are the best choice. Studies have demonstrated that they can actually help the liver reduce blood cholesterol levels. Sources include olive and canola oils. When using oils in food preparation, olive oil and canola oil are your best bets.
What else can I do to reduce already clogging intake of fat?
- Use fat sparingly.
- Practice, practice, practice reading labels, determining the amount of fat and type of fat per serving (watch your serving size!)
- Always know what you are eating. Don't throw caution to the wind at a restaurant or a party by eating rich desserts or using high fat condiments.
- Try new recipes that are already low in fat. Buy a low-fat cookbook.
- Alter recipes by using less total fat and more unsaturated fat. There are plenty of non-fat or low-fat substitutions on the market today. For example, use skim milk (versus whole milk), non-fat sour cream, salad dressing, ricotta or yogurt, egg whites (two egg whites for one whole egg) or egg substitutes, and applesauce or fruit purees in place of butter and oil in baked goods.
- Alter the way you prepare foods by trimming all visible fat and skin, cooking with non-stick pans (to eliminate the need for butter or oil), chilling soups/gravies, then removing the congealed fat, and cooking with lower-fat cheeses.
- Alter cooking methods by grilling, roasting, microwaving, or poaching foods, steaming or sauteing vegetables using water, broth, juice or wine.
- Purchase readily available non-fat versions of common foods (dairy products, desserts, etc). Watch the sugar content though!
What else did the AHA recommend?
In addition to the guidelines about fat intake, the AHA also recommends the following:
- Increase your fiber intake. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits (at least 5 per day), whole grain (wheat, bulger, quinoa, barley and brown rice) and dry bean products (lentils, chickpeas, split peas and other beans). The soluble fiber found in these foods can help reduce bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL).
- Avoid foods that are high in sugar. Eating foods high in sugar diminishes your appetite for healthful foods and may have a harmful effect on blood-fat levels. Also, beware of all the fat-free products on the market today. Many have a high sugar content.
- Be careful about sodium intake. Low-sodium (salt) diets can significantly reduce blood pressure. All Americans should consume no more than the equivalent of one teaspoon of table salt each day (about 2.4 grams). The problem is that salt includes more than the salt shaker. It occurs naturally in most foods and is a major ingredient in processed, frozen and canned foods and in cooking preparations. Use spices and other flavoring (garlic and lemon juice) creatively as an alternative.
- Be cautious about consuming a very low-fat diet. Some experts are concerned that individuals following a very low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet are decreasing the good cholesterol (HDL) and increasing triglycerides, thus raising the risk of heart disease.
Is being overweight a risk factor?
Being overweight is associated with a variety of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes (both are risk factors for heart disease). The heart needs to pump blood to extra weight, thus it has to work harder. Even the loss of 10-15% of starting weight in almost any obese person with high blood pressure or diabetes has a dramatic effect. These individuals can have their antihypertensive medications and/or insulin reduced or discontinued.
The difficult part is keeping the weight off. This can only be achieved by lifestyle and behavioral changes not by crash diets, which result in repeated losing and regaining of weight and is more dangerous to your health! The keys to successful weight loss are to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, shed excess pounds slowly, increase physical activity, and become aware of the cues that stimulate inappropriate eating.
