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| FOCUS ON FAT |
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With so many people following low carbohydrate diets, it is easy to forget some basic nutrition principles about another macronnutrient in our diet-fat! Here are some interesting fat factoids: -Fat has more calories on a weight per weight basis than carbs or protein; in fact, it has over double the calories! -We really like the taste of fat because it carries flavor and helps add texture to food. -Fat makes us feel more satisfied. -Not all fats are created equally, and we actually need to consume some fat in our diets to stay healthy. So, how much fat do we need and what types of fats should we eat? While there is not enough space on my website to answer these questions in great detail, there are some generalizations to be made regarding these questions! Total fat intake should generally be less than 30% of overall calories. While this may sound high, most people do not realize the amount of fat hidden in food. For instance, a cup of 2% milk contains as much fat as a pat of butter! A licensed dietitian can prescribe an individually tailored food plan with the percentage of fat calories appropriate for you. Most people know saturated fats and trans fats are to be avoided. Saturated fats are found in foods such as butter, meat , and dairy fat. Any food of animal origin will contain saturated fats, hence it is important to be consuming appropriate portions of animal protein, which in most cases would be only about 3 ounces cooked meat, which includes poultry products. Trans fats are found in many processed foods such as snack foods. New food labeling has now taken the guess work out of which snack and processed foods have trans fat. Fats to emphasize include the omega-3 fatty acids. Our bodies cannot make omega-3 fatty acids and we need to ingest them. Omega-3 fatty acids may offer protection against heart disease, cancer, and many other degenerative diseases. Unfortunately, there are limited dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids available in the American diet. Some good sources include: -Wild salmon -Sardines in either oil or tomato sauce -Herring -Egg.land's Best eggs -Ground flaxseed -Flaxseed based cold cereals -Natural Ovens line of breads, muffins, and bagels -Raw walnuts |
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