Why Saturated Fat is Giving All Fats a Bad Name

Man, fat has got a bad reputation, hasn’t it? You blame it for everything that’s wrong with your wellness; from clogging your arteries and raising your cholesterol to causing your waist to expand. But is fat really responsible for all that damage to your wellbeing? Or could including fat in your diet actually be beneficial to your health?

 

According to Dr Sarah Berry, a lecturer in dietary fat and cardiovascular disease at King’s College, London, ‘Fat has been demonised and become the villain of our diets when in reality it is an essential component. People thought low-fat was good, so no-fat must be better, but that’s not true.’ Recently an independent group of experts, carried out a survey that suggested the same misconception; of the 1,000 people who responded to the survey, one in 10 people didn’t realise they need fat in their diets, and one in five thought saturated fat (the worst kind) was a healthy option.

 

The truth is that it’s unfair to tar all fat with the same brush. In fact, the right kinds of fat are good for you, and can add flavour and texture to your food. Dietician Sian Porter explains, ‘Fat in the right amount is a key part of a healthy balanced diet. It provides essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), which our bodies can’t make themselves; helps us to absorb the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K; and generally plays a part in maintaining healthy tissue, skin and immune function.’ So there’s nothing wrong with the occasional meal that’s high in fat, as long as you balance it with healthier options and know exactly what you’re eating. Dr Berry comments, ‘In a balanced diet, it’s the type of fat we’re eating that we need to think about, not the total amount.’

 

Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of fats:

 

Unsaturated fats: Whether you go for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, these are the good guys for your wellness. The way to tell the difference between these and the black sheep of the fat family, saturated fat, is that unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature. These fats don’t raise your cholesterol levels and actually benefit your heart and circulation. Your ideal sources of unsaturated fats are plants; seeds, nuts, vegetables such as olives and avocados, and the oils and spreads made from them. You can also get plenty of good-for-you-fat from oily fish, but there is a small amount of saturated fats found in fish too, so be aware.

 

Saturated fats: These are the naughty kids that give all other fats a bad name. Saturated fat, which is firm at room temperature, can raise your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol which, in turn, bumps up your risk for heart disease. You’ll mostly find saturated fats in food from animals, such as lard, fatty or processed meat, and dairy products such as butter, cream and cheese. However, these nasty fats also lurk in coconut and palm oil, confectionery, cakes, biscuits, pastries, pies, takeaways and ready meals. Dr Berry urges, ‘We are consuming too much saturated fat and not enough unsaturated. And it’s this balance that’s vital.’

 

Trans fats: These chemically altered vegetable oils increase the shelf life of your food, such as sweets, biscuits and ready meals, but they have been linked to high cholesterol. While the NHS has called for trans fats to be banned from the public diet altogether, some experts believe they’re no longer a concern. Dr Berry notes, ‘Food companies have been voluntarily removing them and they’re no longer a noteworthy health issue in the UK.’

Categories: balanced diet, dr berry, fats, ready meals, room temperature, saturated, saturated fat, saturated fats, Trans Fat, trans fats, unsaturated fat, unsaturated fats

Frightening Fats: Does Your Diet Put You at Risk of Disease?

You may not realise it, but your diet plays a huge role in your wellbeing. Sure, you know about foods that affect your weight and energy levels, but what about those that put your wellness at risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis? Luckily, author and registered dietician Elizabeth Somer is here to explain all.

 

According to Somer, author of Eat Your Way To Happiness and Eat Your Way to Sexy, there are two types of inflammation in your body; acute and chronic. While the former is actually useful, chronic inflammation is the root of many diseases. ‘Inflammation is the body’s natural response to healing,’ she explains. ‘Acute inflammation works great for healing a cut finger or a bumped head. The white blood cells and their chemicals get in, do their job and get out. But too much of a good thing leads to problems. Chronic inflammation damages, rather than repairs, tissues. When inflammation is too intense or prolonged, it produces diseases instead of healing.’

 

But where does your diet come into it? Somer asserts, ‘The wrong diet or lifestyle choices sets up a constant irritant in the body, damaging arteries, which can lead to heart disease or dementia, or inflaming tissues, which can lead to cancer, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.’ A scary thought, but the more concerning thing to note is that you may not even notice when you do have chronic inflammation. Somer warns ‘You won’t feel it, but you can check for markers. If any part of you is inflamed, a marker called C reactive protein or CRP, will be high in your blood. If your value is more than 1mg/L, you are at risk.’ Her advice? Get it checked.

 

The best treatment for any chronic disease is prevention, and Somer argues that this starts by avoiding dietary triggers. These include:

 

• Saturated fats in meat and fatty dairy products


• Trans fats in processed and fast foods


• Omega-6 fats in oils


• Sugar


• Refined grains


• Potatoes


• Fried foods


• Palm or coconut oils


• Pastries


• Processed meats like hot dogs and deli meats

 

Fats make up the first three items on this list and with good reason. Somer comments, ‘Saturated and trans fats damage blood vessel walls, which triggers the immune response associated with inflammation and encourages blood fats, like cholesterol, to stick and become imbedded in the artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, stroke, and even some forms of dementia.’ And what about omega-6? ‘The fats in safflower or corn oil are called omega-6 fats and they promote inflammation,’ Somer points out. ‘A specific omega-6 fat, called arachidonic acid, found in meats, is a particularly potent inflammation promoter.’

 

So, that’s what you get rid of, but what should you include in your anti-inflammatory diet?

 

1. Whole grains: ‘Make them chewy, not fluffy,’ Somer suggests. ‘This means breads with hunks of whole grain, old-fashioned or steel-cut oats, brown rice and pasta cooked al dente.’

 

2. Colourful fruits and vegetables: Somer notes, ‘The more phytochemical-rich fruits and vegetables you eat, the more you boost your body’s defenses against disease. Aim for at least nine servings a day.’

 

3. Anti-inflammatory fats: ‘Include one or more omega-3-rich foods in your daily diet, preferably fatty fish or foods fortified with a sustainable, algae-based omega-3 DHA, and use only olive oil,’ Somer recommends. ‘You can also take supplements.’

 

4. Antioxidants: ‘Extra-virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy, whole grains, green tea and certain spices, such as turmeric and ginger, prevent tissue damage that otherwise triggers the inflammatory response,’ Somer urges. ‘These foods are the best dietary sources of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, as well as thousands of phytonutrients, such as flavonoids. Antioxidants block highly reactive oxygen fragments called free radicals that otherwise damage the genetic code, cell membranes and proteins, [which can lead] to heart disease, cancer, dementia and more.’

Categories: anti-inflammatory, cancer diabetes, Chronic Diseases, Chronic inflammation, disease cancer, heart disease, inflammation somer, olive oil, saturated fats, somer, trans fats

How you can boost emotions with your diet

Junk food might be the tastier option, but it does very little for our health, both mental and physical. Eating too many saturated and trans fats can lead to a high cholesterol, increased risk of coronary heart disease and other health problems. But what many people aren’t aware of is that a poor diet that’s high in these fats can also lead to depression. This is because trans fats cause inflammation in the heart and brain, which can lead to us feeling sad and withdrawn. Though researchers are unsure why these aspects of food lead to depression, there is a definite link to what we eat and how we feel. However, it’s not as easy as blaming it all on the crisps and biscuits. Nutritional deficiencies could also be connected to symptoms of depression.

 

It seems that the more processed foods we eat, the more depressed we’re likely to become. Researchers believe that people who prefer to chow down on sweets over fruit and vegetables could be skipping vital antioxidants, which help to protect against depression. They will also be skimping on folate which protects the neurotransmitters in the brain. Studies claim that patients with depression have around 25 percent lower folate levels compared to healthy people. While scientists can’t say for sure that eating junk food for dinner is a direct link to mental health problems, there is evidence mounting that it doesn’t aid your emotional stability either. But knowing what to eat for a healthy mind is the difficult part – which nutrients offer the most effective results?

 

It’s difficult to know for sure which comes first, poor nutrition or depression, as the two are closely linked. It’s no surprise that depression leads to us making poorer diet choices though, so it stands to reason that improving your diet will help you make clearer choices when it comes to meal times. If you’re depressed, then you need to up your intake of vitamins and minerals which can fix the damage caused internally. B vitamins can start this process off, as they are essential for healthy and happy bodies. B12 can help to balance the chemicals in the brain to keep us calm and collected. These are found in fortified cereals and organ meats, such as turkey giblets and beef liver. Folate, which is another B vitamin, can be sourced from dark green leafy vegetables and citrus juices. Omega-3 fatty acids can help to lower the risk of depression and anxiety so make sure you add some fish into your diet, with salmon and mackerel being the best choices. Don’t eat fish? Walnuts, soybeans and flax seeds are great substitutes. Carbohydrates are also important, as these trigger the production of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter and regulates your mood. You want to add complex carbs, rather than sweets, to have a lasting effect on the chemistry in the brain.

 

People who eat more processed foods are far more likely to develop depression than those who opt for wholesome organic foods. A balanced diet can do wonders for your overall health and well-being, not least improving your mental health and fending off the blues. You should aim to for plenty of nutrients across the board, paying close attention to omega-3s, folates, B vitamins and complex carbs to make sure that the brain is releasing the hormones and chemicals it needs to stay happy. However, if you’re seriously depressed and your diet isn’t making a difference to your mood, you should speak to your GP who can devise a personalised plan for your treatment.

Categories: Complex Carbs, depression, diet, emotions, Food, health, health problems, junk food, Mental Health, processed foods, trans fats, vitamins

How to Reduce Your Chance of Premature Ageing with Your Diet

You could end up spending a fortune on anti-ageing products, but is there a simpler way to maintain your youthful look? It turns out, there are certain foods that aren’t only bad for your wellness, but take their toll on your appearance and so simply avoiding certain foods can help you to combat the signs of ageing from the inside out.

Firstly, sugar is a major culprit in making you look older. When you have excess levels of sugar in your body, the sugar attaches to your collagen which makes your skin look stiff and inflexible. In her book, Diet Myths Busted; Food Facts Not Nutrition Fiction, Ann A. Rosenstein writes, ‘losing this elastic resilience of young skin will give the skin deep wrinkles and make it look old.’ She adds that trans fats work much the same way, making your skin look old because ‘trans fats clog and stiffen the arteries and smaller blood vessels.’

Salt is another dietary ingredient which ages you. Salt dehydrates your body, which makes you fatigued and looking more tired and worn out. Excess levels of salt also contribute to kidney disease, high blood pressure and interfere with bone metabolism, so it’s a big no-no for your overall wellbeing. Another dehydrating aspect of your diet is coffee, as caffeine also makes your look and feel tired and worn out.

According to The Dr Oz Show, consuming too much alcohol also dehydrates your body, leading to face full of wrinkles, redness and puffiness, with a lot less collagen. If you’re thinking you can simply replace your usual with an energy drink, think again. Dr Oz asserts that energy drinks damage the enamel in your teeth eight times more than fizzy drinks do, and this makes your teeth look yellow and unhealthy.

When it comes to fizzy drinks, they tend to dehydrate your body and make you look older as they are high in sugar. GalTime.com advises water as the best replacement for fizzy drinks, energy drinks, caffeine and alcohol: ‘A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weight 130 lbs, you need 65 ounces of water a day – just over eight cups.’ The website also notes that fried food contributes to collagen break down in your skin, which makes you look wrinkled and worn out.

How to Reduce Your Chance of Premature Ageing with Your Diet

Categories: Alcohol, body, Drinks, energy, Energy Drinks, Excess Levels, fizzy drinks, Salt, skin, Sugar, trans fats