By: Richard Bleuze
Make heart smart decisions about fats.
Recent surveys show a lot of people are throwing up their hands in confusion and no longer worrying about fats. However, the government recently updated the guidelines for lowering it. One of the most important recommendations is to cut your daily saturated fat intake from 10% to 7%. If you're on a 1,500 calorie diet, that means you can have no more than 12 grams of saturated fact.
That's why a lot of fast food places have started promoting that they no longer cook their foods in saturated fat.
But, take heart! Choosing fats and adjusting your diet may not be as difficult as you think. You just need to understand that the kind of fat you eat may be as important as how much you eat.
Saturated fat can be found mainly in meats and full-fat dairy products such as butter, cheese, and whole milk. It's the most dangerous fat because it raises your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which does increase your chances of clotting.
Polyunsaturated fats such as corn, safflower, sunflower, and sesame oils stay liquid at room temperature and are better for you than saturated fats. The good news is that this fat reduces your total cholesterol. However, the good HDL drops right along with the bad LDL, and overuse may increase your risk of cancer.
However, be leery of trans fatty acids found in hydrogenated vegetable shortings and margarines which are also made from polyunsaturated fats. These fats turn hard at room temperature and for some reason are worse for your arteries. So stick to soft or liquid margarine, and eat fewer commercial baked goods, which are often made with hydrogenated fats because of cost.
A third type of fat, known as the "good" fat, is monounsaturated fat. It can be found in olive, canola, and peanut oils. It can also be found in nuts. This type of fat lowers your LDL cholesterol, but, unlike polyunsaturated fats, it does not lower your HDL cholesterol. The new government guidelines say your daily diet can contain 35% total fat as long as it's mainly monounsaturated.
Finally, a hidden fat called triglycerides along with cholesterol may increase your risk of having a heart attack. However, a few lifestyle changes may be all you need to get your triglycerides under control. Similar to those for lowering cholesterol, thes strategies will help reduce your high triglycerides and keep your risk for heart disease low.
* Maintain a healthy weight
* Increase physical activity (you can't get away from exercise - try a brisk walk)
* Limit sugar and white breads
* Reduce saturated fat in your diet
* Feed on fiber
* Eat more fatty fish
* Don't smoke
* Reduce your alcohol intake
Here are the numbers you should aim for according to the cholesterol guidelines set up by the government:
* Total cholesterol: below 200 mg/dL
* LDL cholesterol: below 100 mg/dL
* HDL cholesterol: above 60 mg/dL
* Triglycerides: below 150 mg/dL
If your cholesterol levels are borderline, you may be able to lower them through lifestyle changes rather than drugs or herbal supplements.
