For Better Health - Eat Great in 2008 Friday's Edition: 1- 4 - 2008

Starting today and every Friday in 2008, I will be picking a topic to write about, to help achieve a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully I will pick topics that will be of interest to you. If there is a topic you would like researched, please e-mail me and I will do my best to have it in a future article.

This week's topic is "Good Oils - Bad Oils"

The American Dietetic Association believes that the body needs some fat and 20% to 30% of energy needs should be met by dietary fat. The important question is what kind of fats are the healthiest?

It is believed that the healthiest fats are unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Such as Olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil,
peanut oil, fish oils, olives, nuts and seeds, avocados and peanut butter. These are the types of fats that are believed to help your heart.

Your Omega-3 fat, a polyunsaturated fat, helps to improve your HDL (good cholesterol) and your blood flow, which lowers the risk of heart problems and strokes. It also helps lower your triglyceride (a fat your body makes and from the foods you eat) levels. The best sources of Omega 3 fats are found in fatty fish (such as salmon, trout, sardines and mackerel), ground flax seed, flax seed oil, canola oil, tofu and nuts.

Saturated fats and Trans fats are the worst fats. Both can raise your cholesterol levels, clog your arteries and add risk for heart disease. There are two types of Trans fats, Natural trans fat and Artificial trans fats. Research has found that even small amounts of artificial Trans fats increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease you HDL, increasing your risk for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your Trans fat to less than 2% a day.

Some Saturated and Trans fats include partially hydrogenated oils, lard, butter, dairy foods (other than skim), which are in fried foods, baked goods, crackers and packaged snack foods. If you do eat any baked products, processed foods or snack foods, look for a one with less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving, and only do so occasionally.

Colleen Doyle, MS, RD. nutrition and physical activity director for the American Heart Association says there is a strong association between being over weight and many types of cancer, especially colon cancer and breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Doyle stated that "eating less fat will not directly lower your cancer risk, but it will help you control your weight- which in turn can reduce your risk of cancer."

As in all changes in your diet and exercise you should discuss with your doctor what is right for you.

Sources:
The American Dietetic Association
American Heart Association
Colleen Doyle of AHA
Web MD