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Healthy Choices For 2008!

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Source: www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines

Are you trying to make healthy choices in 2008? You should be aware of some nutrients that could be a stumbling block to your desired new healthy lifestyle.

The skinny on fats

Fats and oils are part of a healthy diet and play many important roles in the body. Fat provides energy and is a carrier of important nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. But fat can impact the health of our hearts and arteries in a positive or negative way, depending on the types of fat we eat. Experts recommend getting between 20 and 35 percent of calories from total fat, with most fats coming from sources of "good" fat, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Limit saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol

Eating too many saturated and trans fats, or cholesterol, may raise the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. A saturated fat, the type of fat that is solid at room temperature, is found mostly in animal-based food products. A trans fat is made when liquid vegetable oil is processed to become solid. And cholesterol is a fatty substance found only in animal-based products like egg yolks and whole milk. It is important to eat less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fats.

Examples of foods that tend to have saturated fats are fatty cuts of meat, whole milk products, cakes, cookies, pies, crackers, candy, candy bars, household shortening, and creamers. Limiting these foods can reduce saturated fats in your diet. An easy and quick way to reduce saturated fats is to trim excess fat from meat and poultry and remove the skin from poultry.

Trans fats are mostly found in food products made with shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -liquid oil that is processed to become a solid fat. Most of the trans fats that people eat come from cakes, cookies, crackers, pies and fried potatoes. Look for partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list - and limit these foods. Limiting consumption of many processed foods is a good way to reduce trans and saturated fats.

Be wise about fat. Choose fats found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils

Most of the fat in your diet should come from sources of what are called polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are good for you in moderation to replace the saturated and trans fats you have chosen to cut back on.

Salt

Nearly all of us eat too much salt (sodium). On average, the more salt a person eats, the higher his or her blood pressure is. Most salt we eat comes from processed foods, not necessarily from the salt shaker. Some people are surprised by this, but if you consult the Nutrition Facts label - you’ll see "salt" listed as sodium there. For our purposes, we can use the terms "salt" and "sodium" interchangeably.

Eating less salt is an important way to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, which may in turn reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney damage.

In addition to eating less salt, other lifestyle changes may prevent or delay getting high blood pressure and may help lower high blood pressure. These lifestyle changes include eating more potassium-rich foods, losing excess weight, being more physically active, and eating a healthy diet.

OK…so nearly all of us eat too much salt, and most of us don’t get enough potassium - it is no wonder so many of us have high blood pressure!

Everyone should get no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. People with high blood pressure, who are of African descent, and people who are middle-aged or older should get even less, because sodium from salt can affect these folks more than others.

As you decrease the amount of salt you eat, your taste for salt will gradually decrease - and you won’t miss it. Adding spices to foods makes them more flavorful - another way to help you decrease the amount of salt you use when cooking.

You can use foods to help increase the amount of naturally rich (not fortified) potassium you are getting in your diet. Potassium containing food sources include leafy greens such as spinach, bananas and fruit from vines such as grapes, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit.

Summing it up

Let’s sum up what we’ve learned …

Choose fats found in fish, nuts, and vegetables.
Know your limits on fats, salt, and sugars.
Use the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.
Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

By making healthy choices every day and exercising regularly you will be off to a great start for a transformed lifestyle in 2008. ♥