Fats and carbohydrates – their place in your healthy diet
Zaak OConan

Lately it would seem that fats and carbohydrates have both gotten a bad rap. First it was fat that was the culprit in all dietary ills, and low fat diets were all the rage. Then the two switched places, with carbohydrates being the bad guys and fat reigning supreme.

As with most extremes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There is no such thing as a bad food, only bad dietary choices. While some foods are naturally better for you than others, there is no reason that all foods cannot be enjoyed in moderation. After all, the most successful diet is not one that you can follow for a day, a week or even a year. On the contrary, the only successful diet and nutrition program is one that you will be able to follow for a lifetime.

Both fats and carbohydrates play an important role in nutrition, and both are important to a healthy diet. It would be impossible and unwise to eliminate all fat from the diet, since fat is important for the production of energy, and for carrying valuable fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, throughout the body. In addition, fat plays a vital role in regulating various bodily functions.

Even though some fat is essential to a healthy body, too much fat can be harmful. Excessive levels of dietary fats have been implicated in heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol levels and even some cancers. Most nutritionists recommend limiting daily fat intake to less than 20% of calories, although taking that level lower than 10% is not recommended.

Of course not all fats are created equal, and some fats are more harmful than others. Saturated fats and trans fats are generally understood to be more harmful in the diet than polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These lighter fats, like canola oil and olive oil, should form the basis of cooking a healthier diet.

Keeping saturated fats and trans fats to a minimum is important to a healthy diet. Trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are most often found in highly processed foods like cookies, cakes and other baked goods. In addition, trans fats are often found in fried foods and in salty snacks like potato chips. While these foods are fine in moderation, it is best to avoid large quantities of such snacks.

One additional word here about good fats – yes there are such things, and one of the most powerful of these are the so called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are most often found in fish, and they have shown great promise in preventing and even reversing heart disease and high cholesterol levels.

When limiting your daily intake of fat and cholesterol, it is good to have an understanding of nutritional labels. These government mandated labels can be a huge help to those who take the time to read and understand them. Not only do nutritional labels provide valuable information on calories, fat content and sodium, but they provide valuable information about the most important vitamins and minerals as well.

Like fats, carbohydrates are found in a variety of different foods, some healthier than other. For instance, both Twinkies and whole wheat bread are sources of carbohydrates, but while one can form the basis of a healthy diet, the other is best used as an occasional snack.

In addition to cereals and breads, carbohydrates are also present in fruits and vegetables and in milk and other dairy products. Carbohydrates and fats are both important to a healthy, varied diet.

As with many products, less is often more when it comes to choosing foods rich in carbohydrates. For instance, less refined whole grain bread is generally more nutritious than white bread which has gone through a greater amount of refining. That is because the refining process tends to reduce nutrient content over time.

Of course, there are some elements in the diet that should be limited. Two of these elements are sugar and salt. Most Americans consume too much salt and sugar, and this has led to epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ills. Limiting sugar and salt, while choosing good fats and unrefined carbohydrates, is a great way to maximize the nutritional value of the foods you eat.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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All vertebrates need cholesterol to sustain health of the outer membrane cells. It circulates in the blood to settle in body tissues and blood plasma in forms of fatty lipids (steroids) and alcohol. Cholesterol is maintained to balanced levels that must not exceed what our body needs.

Today, when every ready food could just be fished out from fast foods and other busy traffic-highway-eateries, all you need is to be concerned about eliminating idle (unwanted) additional intake of this substance that affects a great general health disadvantage impact in today’s generation.

Let us educate first on how Cholesterol functions and affects body metabolic interference before we ever discuss eliminating its excesses. When a doctor mentions of cholesterol, he is definitely addressing such to the low-density lipoproteins (LDL), considered the “bad cholesterol.” The way lipoproteins act as the carrier molecules, it deposit the LDL to the walls of the arteries that cause it to thicken and become devoid of normal blood passage causing arthrosclerosis. High-density lipoprotein is “good cholesterol.”

One of the various uses of good cholesterol act as anti-oxidant, and help manufacture bile, that aids to digest fats essential to the functions of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. All these mentioned vitamins help in the metabolism functions in the reproductive organs, from puberty developmental process until the ripe age, that has to do with the effects of estrogen level in the body.

Main Sources of Good Cholesterol:

1. Three-fourth (75%) of it comes from within the body, or produced internally thru results from synthesizing from densely packed membranes like liver, central nervous system (spinal chord, includes brain), reproductive organs, adrenal gland, and atheroma. The degenerative changes in the atheroma result to development of atherosclerotic plaques and coronary artery disease that affect the natural flow of the blood. When this happens it causes sudden block of the in and out flow of blood from the heart; most of the time causing heart strokes, possibly fatal.

2. One fourth (25%) comes from our food intake (external source), and this is where you must be alerted on what to take in your daily diet. Fats originated from animals are rich in cholesterol, like egg yolk, dairy, and meat, regardless of whatever type in meat source. Observe keenly about tolerating excess of this second cholesterol essential for as you see, it takes only a last portion of that last quart necessary. A mistake in this will surely make up for “cholesterol imbalance.”

Ways to Lower Idle Cholesterol (excess of the 25% Food Originated Cholesterol):

– Select intake of fats from non-saturated cooking oil or direct fat sources from animals. One of the best cooking oil that produce unsaturated fat is olive oil. Other palm oils like coconut are highly saturated. Take low-content-sodium cholesterol fats; instead, eat high fiber vegetables and fruits, and complex carbohydrates. Examples of this are corn, soybeans and legumes, nuts, wheat, and other staple cereals.

– Refrain from eating at Fast foods and other restaurants, they present high fat saturated foods and rich in sodium. Also remember, that alcohol and sugar enhance the degree of cholesterol level, so avoid excessive hard drink sprays.

– Recent researches reveal that the presence of the Omega-3 fat acid present in Salmon, mackerel, certain tuna specie, and other deep sea hunts aids in lowering idle cholesterol.

If Idle Cholesterol is raised to high levels, seek medications as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, Statins, such as lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Liptor), most effective to lower LD, of course with physician’s guidance.

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Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health, although how we cook the food can be just as important. With there being so many oils and butter products claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

1. Canola oil

Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease. The oil is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.

You can use canola oil in sauting, as a marinade and even in low temperature stir frying. It has a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods that contain many spices. Unlike other oils, this one won’t interfere with the taste of your meal.

2. Olive oil

olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty of heart healthy ingedients. The oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cancer. It’s also rich in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.

Even though it can be used in cooking, it’s the healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or dipping sauce. When you use it with cooking, you should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making sure to avoid high heat.

3. Butter
Butter is one food that has been around for many, many years. Butter tastes good, and offers sources of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as E, K, and even D. Butter is also made from natural ingredients and not chemically or artificially
processed.

You can use butter with cooking, baking, or even as a spread. You can also pair it with creamy sauces, marinades, baked dishes, or even bread.

4. Margarine

Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to high fat butter. When it was first created however, it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we now know raises bad cholesterol.

As a cooking oil, margarine tastes good, it’s lower in fat than most oils and butter, and it’s quite easy to spread. It’s available in a variety of different products and a good source of vitamin E.

When it comes to cooking with oils, there are several at your disposal. There are many more than what is mentioned here, although the ones above are the most popular. Eating healthy involves cooking healthy food – which is where your cooking oil really takes center stage.

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