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Low Fat Diet
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Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help
your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor
that affects your weight. Having a healthy weight for your height is important.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease,
sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.
You can find out if you're overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass
index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, whereas
women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years
or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature
death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase
as the BMI rises. Your health care provider can help you figure out your body
mass.
Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to
eat less healthy foods because they might be easier to get or prepare, or they
satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you are probably balancing
a hundred things at once. Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a
healthy meal sometimes falls last on your list. But you should know that it
isn't hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make sense
of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little learning and planning
can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun
in the process!
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You can start planning a healthy diet by looking at the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS). These guidelines contain the Food Guide
Pyramid, which shows how different food groups can come together to form your
total diet. Eating is one of life's greatest pleasures. Because there are many
foods and many ways to build a healthy diet, there is lots of room for smart,
healthy choices. But you can use the pyramid as a starting point. Choose the
recommended number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups.
Food Guide
Pyramid
A Guide to Daily Food
Choices
You might have seen some of the other food pyramids by other groups of health
care providers, or pyramids for different ethnic groups, like the Puerto Rican,
"Soul Food," Vegetarian style, or Latin American style pyramids. You could use
any one of them for healthy eating, depending on the foods available to you
and your culture's traditions. No matter which diet you choose, be sure to talk
with your health care provider first, before starting any type of eating plan.
You might want to ask your provider for a referral to a registered dietician
(RD) who can help you for a listing of providers. You might also want to enlist
the help of a family member or friend to give you support and help you stay
on track. Try to have some fun learning new recipes and different ways to cook!
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Although there are different food pyramids for you to choose from, the
challenge is to pick one, then create an eating plan that embraces healthy food.
No matter which specific diet or pyramid you choose, the basic steps to good
nutrition come from a diet that:
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helps you either lose weight or keeps your BMI in the "healthy"
range
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is balanced overall, with foods from all groups, with lots of
delicious fruits, vegetables, and grains
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is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total
fat intake (less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from
saturated fat, and less than 30 percent of your daily calories should come
from total fat)
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includes a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains, a
good source of fiber
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includes enough fruits and vegetables (a variety of each, five
to nine servings each day)
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has a small number of calories from added sugars (like in candy,
cookies, and cakes)
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has foods prepared with less sodium or salt (aim for no more
than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day
for a healthy heart)
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does not include more than one drink per day (two drinks per day
for men) if you drink alcoholic beverages
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There are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some can hurt our health,
while others aren't so bad — some are even good for you! Here's what you need to
know:
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Monounsaturated fats (canola, olive and peanut
oils, and avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (safflower,
sesame, sunflower seeds, and many other nuts and seeds) don't raise your LDL
("bad") cholesterol levels but can raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
To keep healthy, it is best to choose foods with these fats.
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Saturated fat, trans fatty acids, and
dietary cholesterol raise your LDL ("bad") blood cholesterol
levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated fat is
found mostly in food from animals, like beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry
fat, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products, cheeses, and from some plants,
such as tropical oils. Tropical oils include coconut, palm kernel, and palm
oils that are found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods.
Unlike other plant oils, these oils have a lot of saturated fatty acids. Some
processed foods (such as frozen dinners and canned foods) can be quite high in
saturated fat — it' s best to check package labels before purchasing these
types of foods.
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Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are formed during the
process of making cooking oils, margarine, and shortening and are in
commercially fried foods, baked goods, cookies, and crackers. Some are
naturally found in small amounts in some animal products, such as beef, pork,
lamb, and the butterfat in butter and milk. In studies, TFAs tend to raise our
total blood cholesterol. TFAs also tend to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and
lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. One study found that the four main sources of
trans fatty acids in women's diets come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or
lamb), cookies, and white bread. At this time, TFAs are not listed on
nutrition labels, but that will soon change. Although it might take a couple
of years to begin seeing it, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now
asking food manufacturers to begin labeling TFA content. And some food
manufacturers are announcing they are taking TFAs out of their food.
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Heart disease is the #1 killer of both women and men. Eating a heart-healthy
diet is key to help reduce your risk factors for heart disease, like high blood
pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight, and obesity. It also will help you
control these conditions if you already have them.
Here are some general guidelines for heart-healthy eating:
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Choose foods low in saturated and trans fats. Foods low
in saturated fat include fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and low-fat or
nonfat dairy products. Try to avoid commercially fried and baked goods such as
crackers and cookies.
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Choose a diet moderate in total fat. The good news is
that you don't have to eliminate all fat from your diet! A diet moderate in
fat will give you enough calories to satisfy your hunger, which can help you
to eat fewer calories, stay at a healthy weight, and lower your blood
cholesterol level. To keep your total fat intake moderate, try to substitute
unsaturated fat for saturated fat.
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Choose foods low in cholesterol. Try to eat fruit,
vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate
amounts of lean meats, skinless poultry, and fish. Eat plenty of
soluble fiber, which may help lower your LDL ("bad") blood
cholesterol. Good sources are oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran,
barley, citrus fruits, and strawberries. Insoluble fiber will not
help your blood cholesterol level but is still good for healthy bowel
function. Good sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat breads, kidney
beans, almonds, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, green
beans, and apple skin.
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The American Heart Association also recommends that you try to
eat at least two servings of fish per week (especially fatty fish like salmon
and lake trout) because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help
lower blood cholesterol. Some types of fish, such as swordfish, shark, or king
mackerel, may contain high levels of mercury and other environmental
contaminants that can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in
developing fetuses. Children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women should limit
how much fish they eat to no more than 12 ounces per week.
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You also can eat omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources, such as
from tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, and flaxseed (these contain
alpha-linolenic acid, a less potent form of omega-3 fatty acid).
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Cut down on sodium. If you have high blood pressure as
well as high blood cholesterol — and many people do — your health care
provider may tell you to cut down on sodium or salt. Even if you don't have
high blood pressure or cholesterol, try to have no more than 2,400 milligrams
of sodium each day. The DASH Diet also recommends a lower level of 1,500 mg of
sodium a day. You can choose low-sodium foods, which will also help lower your
cholesterol, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy
products, and moderate amounts of lean meat. To flavor your food, reach for
herbs and spices rather than high-sodium table salt. Be sure to read the
labels of seasoning mixes because some contain salt.
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Watch your body weight. It is not uncommon for overweight people
to have higher blood cholesterol than people who are not overweight. When you
reduce the fat in your diet, you cut down not only on cholesterol and
saturated fat but on calories as well. This will help you to lose weight and
improve your blood cholesterol, both of which will reduce your risk for heart
disease.
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Salt is also labeled as sodium chloride. Soda, sodium bicarbonate, and the
symbol "Na" on food labels mean the product contains sodium. Here are some
general guidelines:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 milligrams (mg) sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 mg sodium
- 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 mg sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt = 2,400 mg sodium
- 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1,000 mg sodium
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It can be hard to learn if your portions of food are putting you over amounts
of things you're trying to control. It doesn't help that sizes for everything
from bananas to soft drinks have gotten larger in the past 20 years. It's not
enough to eat the right kinds of food to maintain a healthy weight or to lose
weight. Eating the right amount of food at each meal is just as important. If
you are a healthy eater, it is possible to sabotage your efforts by eating more
than the recommended amount of food. A serving is a specific amount of food, and
it might be smaller than you realize. Here are some examples:
- A serving of meat (boneless, cooked weight) is two to three ounces, or
roughly the size of the palm of your hand, a deck of cards, or an
audiocassette tape.
- A serving of chopped vegetables or fruit is 1/2 cup, or approximately half
a baseball or a rounded handful.
- A serving of fresh fruit is one medium piece, or the size of a baseball.
- A serving of cooked pasta, rice, or cereal is 1/2 cup, or half a baseball
or a rounded handful.
- A serving of cooked beans is 1/2 cup, or half a baseball or a rounded
handful.
- A serving of nuts is 1/3 cup, or a level handful for an average adult.
- A serving of peanut butter is two tablespoons, about the size of a golf
ball.
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Terms like these are on many food packages. Here are some definitions based
on one serving of a food. If you eat more than one serving, you will go over
these levels of calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
- Calorie-free: fewer than 5 calories
- Low calorie: 40 calories or fewer
- Reduced calorie: at least 25% fewer calories than the regular
food item has
- Fat free: less than ½ gram of fat
- Low fat: 3 grams of fat or fewer
- Reduced fat: at least 25% less fat than the regular food
item has
- Cholesterol free: fewer than 2 milligrams cholesterol and
no more than 2 grams of saturated fat
- Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or fewer cholesterol and
2 grams or less saturated fat
- Sodium free: fewer than 5 milligrams sodium
- Very low sodium: fewer than 35 milligrams sodium
- Low sodium: fewer than 140 milligrams sodium
- High fiber: 5 grams or more fiber
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The American Heart Association gives these tips for a healthy diet, even when
you aren't cooking at home:
- Ask the server to make substitutions, like having steamed vegetables
instead of fries.
- Pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken.
- Make sure your entrée is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached
instead of fried.
- Ask for baked, boiled, or roasted potatoes instead of fried.
- Order lots of vegetable side dishes and ask that any sauces or butter be
left off.
- Ask for low-calorie salad dressing or a lemon to squeeze on your salad
instead of dressing.
- Order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet in place of cake, pie, or ice cream
desserts.
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- Reduces your blood cholesterol level
- Enhances your heart health
- Helps to lose weight
- Improves symptoms that may be caused by gallstones, indigestion, acid reflux
and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
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- Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
- Production of hormones
- Absorb calcium and other minerals.
- Helps blood to clot
- Cushions the internal organs
- Provides fuel for energy, after the body's first source of fuel, glycogen
from carbohydrates, is utilized.
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- Fat-free milk
- Low-fat cheeses
- Low-fat chips
- Low-fat mayonaise
- Fat-free cooking spray
- Reduced-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt
- Fat-free pudding snacks
- Fat-free cocoa drinks
- Low-fat cookies
- Low-fat granola
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- Avoid adding unhealthy fat to your food.
- Plant foods that are naturally high in fat are healthy, but you should limit
animal foods that are naturally high in fat.
- It is easy to lower the amount of saturated fat in your diet
- Avoid fried food.
- Foods that are high in fiber are generally low in fat, so eat them to your
heart's content.
- Soy protein is a very important source of protein that is also very low
in saturated fat, so eat lots of it.
- Increase the amount of fat decrease the amount of calories from carbohydrates
in your diet to balance out.
- Portion size is very vital. For example, if you add an ounce of avocado
to your salad, decrease the portion of pasta with your main dish.
Variety is the spice of life.. and it is good for your health, too!
Eat a variety of foods so that you get the best nutrition from your diet.
Drink to your health.........with water!
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American Diabetes Association
American Dietetic Association
American Heart Association
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Anorexia
