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Why are we getting fatter

 
Hi fellow boomers. Have you ever wondered why we are all getting fatter?
Here is an extract from a piece written by Lisa Mosing,Director of Nutrition for LifeScript.
The latest salvo in the nutrition debate was launched recently, where health officials proposed a total ban on trans fats in New York restaurant food. The move comes on the heels of studies linking trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease. In addition, the American Heart Association recently recommended that daily trans fats make up no more than 1% of a 2,000-calorie diet, or about 20 calories a day. But the battle to vanquish trans fats isn't over yet...

Consumers are getting wise to the danger of trans fats. One survey showed 94% of respondents knew about trans fats while 73% were concerned about the health consequences of eating too many of them.

Trans fats may be even more fattening than other fats, according to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting this year. Researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina monitored a group of monkeys who were fed a typical Western diet with 35% of total calories from fat.

Of this group, half the monkeys ate a diet high in trans fats while the other half ate one low in trans fats.

At the end of the study, the trans fat-fed monkeys’ weight increased an average of 7.2% compared to only 1.8% among the monkeys on the low-trans diet, despite the fact that both groups consumed the same total number of calories and grams of fat each day.

Are All Fats Created Equal?
It’s no secret that a healthy diet should include some fats. Fat provides the most concentrated source of calories, gives us energy and helps our bodies absorb essential vitamins. The key is the kind of fat you consume.

The Invisible Trans Fat Threat
And those aren’t the only danger foods. Consumer Reports found appreciable amounts of trans fat in certain cereals and frozen breakfast foods, even in some foods that are otherwise labeled “healthy."

Hidden Clues
To avoid trans fats, check ingredient lists for partially hydrogenated oils. That's your clue that a product contains trans fats, even if the nutrition label doesn’t list trans fats. If you don’t see trans fats listed under the calorie content, you can do a little simple math to detect their presence. Labels list grams of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Add up all three numbers and subtract the total from the “total fat” listed. The remainder is the approximate amount of trans fat in a serving.

Take Charge of Your Health
In addition to limiting bad fats and focusing on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, follow these lifestyle tips for overall health and longevity.
  • Balance your calorie intake with your daily physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.
  • Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks.
  • Reduce your saturated fat intake to less than 7% of your total calories. For example, if your goal is 1,500 calories a day, limit yourself to 12 grams of saturated fat a day.
  • Reduce trans fats to less than 1% of your total calorie intake and keep cholesterol consumption to less than 300 milligrams per day.
  • Use naturally occurring unhydrogenated oils, such as olive oil and canola oil.
  • Choose soft, spreadable margarines rather than stick margarines or butter. The best soft margarines are those that list liquid vegetable oil as a first ingredient and have no more than two grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.
  • When purchasing processed foods, choose those containing unhydrogenated oils. Avoid those with hydrogenated oils or saturated fats.
  • Select whole-grain, high-fiber foods like whole wheat crackers, bran cereals, beans, and lentils.

To read the complete article click Here

Life - Live It.

Col Mooney
Hope Island. Qld. 4212
col@diamondfocus.biz
www.diamondfocus.biz

 
 
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