Monthly Archives: January 2020

Dietary Fat – Friend or Foe?

Posted on by

There is a world of controversy regarding dietary fats.  For years we were told to eat a low fat diet, but numerous studies have shown that was faulty advice.  The consensus now is that you do NOT need to limit your intake of fat but you DO need to be careful about the quality of the fat you eat.

Fat is necessary for cooking, for making spreads, sauces, and dressings, and it definitely can make food taste better.  There is a lot of difference, however, between types of fats.  Some keep you healthy and some make it more likely you will end up in a doctor’s office.

The biggest type of fat to avoid is TRANS FAT.  This is a fat that has been altered by partial hydrogenation in order to produce a fat that is malleable and is a solid at room temperature, but will also melt easily.  It will raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL) and is not considered to be safe. In 2018 the World Health Organization took steps to begin to eliminate it from the global food supply.   However, it is still found in a lot of commercial baked goods, in stick margarine, in many fast foods that are deep fried, and in some street vendor foods.  If you are in a grocery store, look at the ingredient list and if you see the words “partially hydrogenated” put it back on the shelf.

So what fats SHOULD you keep in your kitchen?  For starters, you want a supply of  minimally processed plant oils.   These can include extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin avocado oil.  Avocado oil, especially, has a high smoke point and therefore is great for pan frying.  Other examples of healthy oils include soybean oil and canola oil, helpful in baking.

Though they are harder to find and may be more expensive, it is better to  purchase oils extracted by “cold pressing” rather than those extracted using solvents.  Though the solvents are removed, traces may remain and the health effects of the solvents are unknown.

So….research continues……….and more information will become known over time, but for now it is felt that minimally processed plant oils will tend to help DECREASE your risk of heart disease.  They will help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol) …… good to keep in mind when planning menus for next week!

Remember these few TAKE HOME POINTS.

  1.  don’t limit fats – it does not prevent disease or make you thin
  2.  avoid trans fats (avoid “partially hydrogenated” in the list of ingredients)
  3. aim for fats high in monounsaturated or polyunstaturated fatty acids
  4. The jury is still out on dairy fats
  5.  GOOD oils include extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin avocado oil, soybean oil, and canola oil
  6. Good “fatty” foods include tree nuts and fatty fish

Dietary Fiber is Neither Digested nor Absorbed! But it is Important…….

Posted on by

My last blog stressed the importance of eating unprocessed food as much as possible.  One of the reasons for this is that when a food is processed, much of the fiber is removed.  It is interesting that most dietary fiber is neither digested nor absorbed!  So why is it so important? It remains in the digestive tract and modulates the digestion of the rest of the food that you eat.

Fiber can be soluble (will dissolve in water) or insoluble.   It affects the consistency of stool, bulking it and making it softer so that it will move more easily through the digestive tract.  It is recommended to get 20-35 grams of fiber daily, but most Americans get nowhere near that amount.  That is a shame since it has been shown to be protective against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and colon cancer.  It helps to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.  And if you already have diabetes, fiber will help control your blood sugar.

One cup of brown rice (a whole grain) has 3.5 grams of fiber.

One cup of white rice (bran and germ removed) has only 0.6 grams.                      

One slice of whole wheat bread has 1.9 grams of fiber.   

One slice of white bread only has 0.6 grams. 

One medium apple has 4.4 grams of fiber

One cup of apple juice only has 0.5 grams 

 

So load your plate with lots of beans, fruit, vegetables and grains!  Do a fiber count on what you typically eat in a day and try to get in that 20 to 35 gram range.  Just be careful to increase the fiber in your diet slowly.  If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber your body will need to adjust!

And finally, if you use fiber supplements, be aware that they may contain wood products (“tree fiber”, saw dust).

As always, it is best to get what you need from REAL FOOD!

STAYING HEALTHY … STAYING STRONG

Posted on by
We are born…fearfully and wonderfully made….
We are given a body …one body…in which to live while we are on this earth   
There is much to enjoy, but everything is more enjoyable in a healthy body.
Colors are most glorious without cataracts 
Food is more enjoyable with healthy GI function 
Listening is best without too much earwax
Running and climbing is better without joint pain.
So, as we start a new year, I plan to explore  ways to keep the human body at it’s best.  Mine is showing some wear and tear, and I want to find ways to reverse, or at least slow down, the process of loss
 
Nutrition seems a good starting place.
What are the best fuels for the human body?  What foods promote health and longevity?  Which are harmful?  There is a lot of conflicting information.  Endless research is being conducted. Some studies are good, but some are done in hopes of promoting specific classes of food, so bias and confusion abound.  It is helpful to know some simple guidelines that apply to most everyone….at least to start with.  So that is where I’ll start!  And may 2020 be a year of increasing good health!
 
PRINCIPLE # 1
————————
NOT ALL FOOD IS CREATED EQUAL
This principle used to be less important simply because in past centuries there were not so many artificial or altered foods available.  Heavily processed food is a modern phenomenon.  In general, the less processed a food is and the closer it is to its natural state, the more health benefits it can give.
For example, an apple is healthier than apple juice simply because it is less processed and still retains its fiber which allows the apple’s sugar to be absorbed more slowly, avoiding harmful rises in blood sugar.
A raw potato has benefits lost in cooking.  But, of course a baked potato is superior to a potato chip or French fry.  A raw carrot is superior to a cooked carrot which is superior to a candied carrot….you get the drift!
So raw and natural foods are great, and one goal should be to make them a larger percentage of one’s diet.  That is a good place to start!  Changing to a healthier diet is a process. It needs to be a cultural revolution, but you have to start somewhere.   Soon, we’ll look at another way to improve health.  Until the next blog……healthy eating!