“New results from the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial showed that eating a low-fat diet for eight years did not prevent heart disease, breast cancer or colon cancer; and didn’t do much for weight loss, either,” according to an article from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), December 2006.
The truth is, we need some fat. But, we need to choose the right types of fat. In fact, eating good fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, might actually lower the risk for certain diseases!
It’s still important to limit the amount of cholesterol in your diet. However, the average person makes 75-percent of blood cholesterol in the liver, while only 25-percent is derived from food. So, the main problem is in the blood cholesterol level, not so much dietary cholesterol. High blood cholesterol levels greatly increase the risk of heart disease.
What is the biggest influence on the blood cholesterol level? According to the HSPH, it’s the mix of good fats and bad fats in the diet.
Good fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, actually lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase your HDL (good cholesterol). Some monounsaturated fats are: olives, olive oil, canola oil, cashews, almonds and other nuts, and avocados. Some polyunsaturated fats include corn, safflower and cottonseed oil, as well as fish. The fats you definitely want to limit are the saturated fats, and the ones to completely eliminate from your diet are the trans fats. Manufacturers are now required to list the amount of trans fat in their products, so check out the label before you buy. Here are some tips from the HSPH for lowering your trans fat intake:
Choose liquid vegetable oils or a soft tub margarine that contains little or no trans fat.
Reduce intake of commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, and processed foods, including fast foods.
To avoid trans fat in restaurants, avoid deep fried foods, because many restaurants still fry with partially hydrogenated oils.
Healing Tip of the Week
When foods containing partially hydrogenated oils can’t be avoided, choose products that list the partially hydrogenated oils near the end of the ingredient list.
