Why You Need Fat
Fat is a stored source of energy. Without it the body would resort to breaking down muscle for energy.
Fat acts as a thermoregulator keeping your body at the appropriate temperature.
Fat assists in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Fat is necessary for the proper function of the central nervous system.
Why Lowfat Diets Don�t Work
So how much should you consume? If you're confused about what your daily fat intake should be don't worry you're not alone. For years fat was considered the major culprit of heart disease, high cholesterol, weight gain, and cancer. Doctors and nutrition experts advised people to stick to a low fat diet. As a result people banned fat from their diet and the fat free foods business thrived. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' set out to increase the number of brand name items available in reduced and low fat forms from 2500 to 5000 with their Healthy People 2000 plan. They were successful but oddly enough heart disease is still prevalent and more people are overweight than ever before.
Part of the problem is that people assumed low-fat was equivalent to low calorie and they began overeating low-fat sugary carbohydrates to replace the fat in their diets. In addition lowering fat intake eliminated the good fats from most diets that actually promote fat loss. This has led to a multitude of new research studies on fat and new findings that conclude that low-fat diets may not be the best for you. According to Alice Lichtenstein, co-author of a study by the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee "very low-fat diets, containing only 15 percent of total calories from dietary fats, increase triglycerides and decrease the body's good cholesterol". Today experts recommend between 20-30% of total calories from fat and less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat.
Unhealthy Fats Include
saturated fat found in animal foods including skin on chicken and visible fat on meat, butter, milk, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, coconut and palm oils.
hydrogenated or trans fatty acids found in margarine, shortening, most packaged baked goods, fast foods, candy bars and processed crackers.
cholesterol found in eggs, meats, oysters, shrimp and some fried foods.
Healthy Fats Include
monounsaturated fat found in olive, canola, peanut oils, olives, avocados, peanut butter, peanuts, cashews, pecans and pistachios.
polyunsaturated fat found in corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed oils, and fish.
omega 3 found in flaxseed, walnuts, salmon, and white albacore tuna.
Need to determine your ideal fat intake in grams? Multiply your ideal calorie intake by 25% (a good amount for most active women) then divide by 9. For example 1500 x .25 = 375 / 9 = 41.6g. If you are less active aim for 20% of total calories from fat. You can also determine the % of fat calories in your diet by doing the following calculation: Total number of fat grams consumed x 9 / total daily calories. For example 41g x 9 = 369 / 1500 = .246 or 25%.
Food Labels Explained
Low Fat - no more than 3g of fat per serving.
Reduced Fat or Less Fat - at least 25% less fat per serving then the regular version.
Fat Free - less than .5 g of fat per serving.
Fat Free Food - foods thar are naturally fat free such as vegetables.
Light or Lite - at least 50% less fat or 1/3 fewer calories per serving than the regular version.
Lean - packaged seafood, game meat, cooked meat or cooked poultry with less than 10g total fat, less than 4g saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per serving.
Extra Lean - packaged seafood, game meat, cooked meat or cooked poultry with less than 5g total fat, less than 2g saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per serving.
Low Cholesterol � no more than 20mg cholesterol per serving.
Learn all about fat and weightloss with: The Fat-Free Truth: Real Answers to the FItness and Weight-Loss Questions You Wonder About Most
