What are the benefits of Healthy Foods?

Healthy Foods:  LIVE LONG & EAT GOOD FATS: Dietary fat has long been a focus for reducing heart disease risk. A few decades ago, the fat-free craze left us with messages that all fat was hazardous to heart health and was the root cause of weight gain. But over the years we’ve learned different.  In fact, we now know our bodies need fat in order to function properly. Dietary fats are essential to support cell growth, brain development, and proper nervous system function. They are also necessary for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K and for the production of important hormones. And of course, they even play a role in heart health and weight management. Long accepted research has identified that we should get 20-35 percent of our daily calories from fat. For someone taking in 2000 calories a day, 44-78 grams of fat would fall into an acceptable range. More recent evidence acknowledges that more than 35 percent may be beneficial for some people in reducing metabolic risk factors such as blood sugar, insulin levels, excess weight, and imbalanced cholesterol levels. It’s important to remember that any way you cut it, fats are high in calories, with a whopping 9 calories per gram. That’s more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates or protein. And not all fats are created equal when it comes to your heart health. Getting the right fats is as important as getting the right amount.  Finding the healthy balance and making smart choices starts with the basics— understanding the difference between unsaturated, saturated, and trans-fats. Saturated fats: mostly come from animal sources—butter, cheese, whole milk, egg yolks, and meats. Some plants are also high in saturated fats—such as coconut oil and palm oil, and are solid at room temperature. Saturated fat has led a troubled past. Overall, it has been shunned due to increasing the risk for heart disease by elevating total and LDL cholesterol. But recently, conflicting information has been big news…saturated fat may not be as bad as once thought…or is it? At first glance, it appears, saturated fat may have been wrongly accused. But some expert opinions have identified flaws in this recent research. So where does this leave us? Although recent research has identified certain saturated fats that may have a neutral effect on heart health, this shouldn’t be viewed as a green light to load up. Research has also shown that swapping saturated fats for monounsaturated fats has a positive effect on heart health. With all the controversy around saturated fats at this point, it may still be a smart move to keep saturated fat in check. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 5-6 percent of total calories come from saturated fat for those with signs of heart disease, and no more than 10 percent for everyone else. Trans-fats: come in two forms—naturally occurring and artificially made. It’s the artificially made trans-fats, found primarily in margarine, shortening and processed food products, that are the worst news for heart health. They are responsible for raising LDL cholesterol, lowering HDL (good) cholesterol, increasing risk for heart disease and stroke, and are also thought to play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Food manufacturers are using less of these man-made fats, but be aware, if a product has less than 0.5 grams per serving size, food manufacturers are allowed to leave trans-fats off the nutrition label.  The best way to be sure there are no trans-fats in your food is to read the ingredient list and steer clear of anything that includes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.