Look at the endless selection of books and eating plans at your local bookstore. There is a plan and it is quite simple. Instead of eating white flour products like cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, breads and highly processed foods, sugar and the like, eat whole-grains, whole grain breads, whole foods and guess what? Fat grams will not matter or need to be counted.
Unfortunately, fat has become a national obsession in this country and debated to no end. If you eliminate or avoid highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates and too much animal protein, fat would not be an issue, especially if your goal is to lose weight. Your brain is approximately 2/3 fat and you need a certain amount of good fats which have to come from somewhere. Eating too much of the wrong kind of fat is when it becomes a problem.
For years, the concensus has been that saturated fat was bad for us and if we ate too much of it, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases were sure to follow. But most foods contain a certain amount of fat and they do play a role in a healthy diet. The key is to balance these fats in yoru bloodstream.
In the typical American diet, we get too much fat from animals and not enough fat from plants. The right balance means not adding to the cholesterol your body is already producing and eating the healthy fats like Omega 3's (fish oil) found in oily fish like salmon and good fats found in nuts.
When it comes to cholesterol, there is good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol and the ratio between the two is more important than the total amount of cholesterol. You liver produces cholesterol and you also get cholesterol from what you eat. What determines how much cholesterol your liver makes?
It all boils down to the kinds of fat you eat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats raise the good cholesterol which are basically fats that are liquid at room temperature like olive oil, macadamia nut oil, sesame oil, or good fats found in nuts, seeds and avocados. Saturated fats are found in animals and are not too bad in SMALL quantities because they raise both the good and bad cholesterol.
The fats you want to stay away from are the TRANS FATS which are used to make margarine, junk food and highly processed foods which have an endless shelf life but they do nothing for your shelf life.
Here are some tips or eating less processed foods and animal products and good fats. You will be surprised how easy it is to do :
1. Eat all the leafy greens you can manage - eat as much as you want. Go crazy! You will do yourself a favor by eating these instead of anything else.
2. Use soy milk, almond milk or rice milk instead of regular milk to avoid all the hormones and antibiotics given to the cows.
3. Eat less animal protein - substitute fish and small amount of eggs and think of these as a treat not necessarily a staple.
4. Eat legumes and beans daily, if possible.
5. Choose whole grain breads and cereal and make sure the label states 100% whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates.
6. Snack on nuts or add them to your salad at lunch or dinner. Make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts and add some fruit.
7. Use olive oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, toasted sesame oil instead of butter.
8. Treat yourself daily so you do not feel deprived - have a piece of dark choclate or better yet, melt the chocolate and dip an organic strawberry in it for a luxurious treat. Eat an apple dipped in almond butter for a delicious snack.
You do not have to obsess about fat and fat grams. Instead, focus on eating good fats, whole grains, leafy greens and whole foods at every meal and before long, you will notice a huge difference in how you look and feel.
Eat like the Italians do, they eat a large salad first and then eat a small piece of meat or chicken. Find strategies that work for you because not everyone responds to making changes the same way. You can transition into the tips listed above gradually and reach your goals in your own time. I wish you glowing good health!
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Tags: nutrition, health, prevention, fat, cholesterol, heart disease, diet plans, trans fats, good fats, bad fats, whole food