The big fat lie is that the media and food industry would have us believe that the only thing we need to know about fat is to eat less. Less than what is the first question. Do you really have an idea of how much fat you eat? We have been led to believe that all we need to do is eat Snack we will live forever. As my cousin Randy says "I don't want to live forever, I just want to live until I die". So be healthy, enjoy your food and live until you die. The truth is that the latest research shows that the type of fat you eat is much more important than the percentage of fat in your diet. However, before you rush out to eat to buy your ice cream and cookies read the rest of this article. By the time you finish this article fat will be your friend. Fat does some pretty important things in your diet. It provides energy, controls the rate of carbohydrate that gets into your bloodstream to help keep your blood sugar level, allows for the proper metabolism of fat soluble vitamins and it signals the release of the CCK hormone that signals your brain to stop eating. In addition to these things it makes you feel full longer, so you eat less often and most important of all it makes food taste good.
In order to understand the beneficial as well as harmful effects of dietary fat you need to know some terminology. There is no was around it. Here's what you need to know. Saturated fat (these are solid at room temperature) the kind found in meat, dairy products, lard, and some tropical oils (coconut and palm) are bad for you and increase your risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes and obesity. The current recommendations are that no more than 7-10% of your calories should come from saturated fat. Another problem identified in recent years is trans-fatty acids, which occur when oils are hydrogenated to make them more shelf stable (last longer) and be able to be used in baking. Many researchers feel these are worse for you than saturated fats. Where can you find these culprits? Unfortunately just about every where in processed foods and Crisco. For example bread, cake, cookies, margarine, processed cheese, cereals and snack foods. Look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on the label. For more information on trans-fatty acids http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/...
