Lizard King
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- Sep 9, 2010
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A great many Americans are conscientiously eating a low-fat diet. The reason we do this, of course, is because a gram of fat contains a whopping 9 calories, whereas a gram of carbohydrate or protein only contains 4 calories.
But the question now being asked (believe it or not) is this: Could our focusing so diligently on low-fat foods be hurting us in our struggle to manage our weight?
High carbs for fats
Yes, you read that right: During a breakout session at this year's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in November, 4 members of an expert panel presented compelling evidence that low-fat diets are less healthy than those containing at least a moderate amount of fat.
Why? These weight-management gurus all agreed that significant evidence now indicates that Americans are substituting high-carbohydrate foods, particularly processed sugars, in place of the unhealthy fats they used to consume--and that this switch is doing us more harm than good.
The panel also agreed that choosing carbohydrates over saturated fat, as people are doing these days, might increase one's risk for heart disease.
Better quality fats and oils
The panel put forward a goal: do not replace unhealthy fats (such as trans and saturated fats) with carbohydrates like processed sugar but with healthier varieties of fats, like the monounsaturated fats and oils found in olives and nuts.
And Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Health Laboratory at Tufts University, suggested that instead of simply advising Americans to eat less fat, weight-management counselors should specifically recommend that their clients replace trans and saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
Impressions I got while reading a summary of this FNCE breakout session
* As much as possible, limit your intake of unhealthy fats (trans and saturated fats).
* Decrease overall fat, even healthy fats, to perhaps 2 to 3 servings per day, maximum. (One serving is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon olive or macadamia nut oil; 1/6 of an avocado; 2 tablespoons of nuts; approximately 1/6 cup or 1/2 handful of nuts; and approximately 5 olives.)
* Eating healthy fats (but not too many) will help keep overall calories down as well, which should help with weight management.
* Try to limit processed carbohydrates as much as possible. One general recommendation I make to both my medical weight-loss clients and those who've had weight-loss surgery: Aim for no more than 15 grams of sugars per serving, and stay away from foods and beverages whose first 3 ingredients are sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or other simple sugars.
* If the ingredient list looks like a purchase order from a chemistry lab, full of many unpronounceable items, consider putting it aside. In my opinion, "as close to nature as possible" is the watchword.
* If a food wasn't around in your grandmother's day, whether it's a newfangled fat or sugar, or some mysterious, protein-based creation, consider if you want it in your diet.
But the question now being asked (believe it or not) is this: Could our focusing so diligently on low-fat foods be hurting us in our struggle to manage our weight?
High carbs for fats
Yes, you read that right: During a breakout session at this year's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in November, 4 members of an expert panel presented compelling evidence that low-fat diets are less healthy than those containing at least a moderate amount of fat.
Why? These weight-management gurus all agreed that significant evidence now indicates that Americans are substituting high-carbohydrate foods, particularly processed sugars, in place of the unhealthy fats they used to consume--and that this switch is doing us more harm than good.
The panel also agreed that choosing carbohydrates over saturated fat, as people are doing these days, might increase one's risk for heart disease.
Better quality fats and oils
The panel put forward a goal: do not replace unhealthy fats (such as trans and saturated fats) with carbohydrates like processed sugar but with healthier varieties of fats, like the monounsaturated fats and oils found in olives and nuts.
And Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Health Laboratory at Tufts University, suggested that instead of simply advising Americans to eat less fat, weight-management counselors should specifically recommend that their clients replace trans and saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
Impressions I got while reading a summary of this FNCE breakout session
* As much as possible, limit your intake of unhealthy fats (trans and saturated fats).
* Decrease overall fat, even healthy fats, to perhaps 2 to 3 servings per day, maximum. (One serving is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon olive or macadamia nut oil; 1/6 of an avocado; 2 tablespoons of nuts; approximately 1/6 cup or 1/2 handful of nuts; and approximately 5 olives.)
* Eating healthy fats (but not too many) will help keep overall calories down as well, which should help with weight management.
* Try to limit processed carbohydrates as much as possible. One general recommendation I make to both my medical weight-loss clients and those who've had weight-loss surgery: Aim for no more than 15 grams of sugars per serving, and stay away from foods and beverages whose first 3 ingredients are sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or other simple sugars.
* If the ingredient list looks like a purchase order from a chemistry lab, full of many unpronounceable items, consider putting it aside. In my opinion, "as close to nature as possible" is the watchword.
* If a food wasn't around in your grandmother's day, whether it's a newfangled fat or sugar, or some mysterious, protein-based creation, consider if you want it in your diet.