Fats and Your Diet: The Big FAT Truth

Fats are important for our dietary requirements. They help in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating the body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. Fats essentially break down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids.  Glycerol is in turn converted to glucose by the liver and becomes our energy source. Fat and diet are intrinsically related, and hence, they have attracted much attention in the field of nutrition.

What about the fatty acids? Here lies the truth! Now, it is all about how these fatty acids are bonded with carbon and hydrogen atoms. To keep it simple, the typical arrangements of the atoms would result in saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. These acids differ in their energy content and how they break down. Saturated fats can get packed in very close arrangement, making it difficult to break down, whereas unsaturated fats are prevented from stacking closely due to their bonding structure. So, these fatty acids decide our health and especially how our heart functions.

The temptation to eat foods with high sources of fat is our weakness. At one point in our lives we realize that the fats we have consumed have shot up the level of LDL cholesterol in our body and we are at risk of heart diseases. We need to know which foods will increase LDL cholesterol, saturated fat and trans-fatty acids in our blood and which will not, to keep ensure a healthy heart.

What do I keep away from? You may limit your intake of fat to less than 25 to 35 percent of your total calories each day. You might limit saturated fat sources found in beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream milk, cheeses, and other dairy products made from whole and 2 percent milk. Plants sources will include coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil and cocoa butter. You might have to reduce hydrogenated fat, formed during processing, which will increase blood cholesterol. They are found in margarine, shortening, and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans-fatty acids which can increase blood cholesterol are found in small amounts beef, pork, lamb and butterfat in butter and milk. You may limit French fries, doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes which are examples of trans-fatty acid sources.

Eating for a healthy heart. Choose a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grain, high fiber, fat-free and low-fat dairy products more often. You can use unsaturated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil. Try salmon, trout, herring and sea food for beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. You would do well to avoid packaged food. A low carbohydrate diet is essential for a healthy heart. An ideal diet for heart will include low carb pasta, cereals, and vegetables like mushroom, lettuce, spinach, and celery, among others.  Above all, eating in moderation is the best for a healthy heart. And also, adopt an activity or exercise or sport to melt the fats.