Whether you’re grocery shopping or sitting in line at your favorite drive-thru, making healthy eating choices is important. While you might not have the time to sift through the nutritional information at lunchtime, there are several options to ensuring that your nutrient intake is far above a greasy cheeseburger.
America suffers greatly from obesity. Dr. Frenzel is dedicated to informing and educating clients on healthy eating alternatives. When you go to plan your meals, hint, hint, you should look for healthy fats. You heard me right—your body needs certain fats. But, in today’s society it’s not uncommon to only eat unhealthy fats at every meal.
To save you some extra pounds as summer approaches, here are some tips on how to choose the best fats for you. There are two basic fats: unsaturated and saturated.
Dietary fats come from plants and animals. Along with carbohydrates and protein, this macronutrient gives you energy. Keep in mind, dietary fat. Because fat is crucial in supporting bodily functioning, it’s important that you receive some in your daily meals.
However, don’t let this become an excuse to binge. Like most foods, there is a pro and a con. The con is that if not eaten proportionately, dietary fat can cause cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Saturated fat is harmful to the body as it raises your blood cholesterol levels and your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. As scientific as it sounds, the main point is that if overconsumption takes place, saturated fat can cause cardiovascular disease.
Trans fat are most common in processed foods and is made through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. The goal of the food industry is to create processed foods that will not spoil and will make cooking easier for you. Unfortunately, these foods are not healthy choices. Trans fats are synthetic and can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol while lowering healthy HDL cholesterol.
Trade in the unhealthy fats for healthier alternatives such as monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
Monounsaturated fat is found in oils and many foods. By eating this healthy fat, blood cholesterol levels improve. Polyunsaturated fat also improves blood cholesterol levels. This healthy fat, omega-3-fatty acids, can be found if fish. Protecting against irregular heartbeats, lowering blood pressure levels, and decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, healthy dietary fats are a much better alternative to saturated fats.
Eating healthy doesn’t happen over night. A lot of planning and research is necessary until you’ve learned the differences and know what to look for. If you are trying to improve your nutritional intake, begin by choosing healthier fats. Change your diet to include fish, plants, and fruits and vegetables. Substitute the French fries for fruit or veggies and enjoy the energy that comes along with healthy eating.
Looking at the nutritional information before each meal can really help you begin to learn healthy foods to consume. Take time each week to plan out your meals for the week. That way, you know exactly what you’ll consume and how healthy it is.
