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Heart-healthy Fats
 

 
Daily Bread
A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 17:17
All are not created equal

It’s no secret that eating low-fat, high-fiber foods can reduce your risk for heart disease. But with food companies constantly promoting healthier food options, it’s hard to tell whether their claims are really true. Just because food packaging claims to be reduced-fat, that doesn’t automatically make the food a nutritious choice.

Here are a few things you may not know about the foods you eat:
  • There are good oils and there are bad oils. The best choices are those low in cholesterol and saturated and trans fats. Oils made from vegetable fat are healthiest – try corn, canola or olive oil. Stay away from butter and use margarine with liquid vegetable oil listed as the first ingredient and no more than two grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.


  • Fatty acids reduce heart disease risk. It may seem strange that something with fat in the name could actually be good for you, but it’s true. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the risk of arrhythmias and plaque, plus they decrease triglyceride levels. Fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. Other sources include soybeans (including tofu), walnuts and flaxseeds. Try to incorporate fish into your diet at least twice a week, and ask your physician if omega-3 supplements are right for you.


  • Reduced-fat products aren’t always low in fat. To be considered reduced fat, the product must have at least 25 percent fewer fat grams than the original product. This sounds good and is definitely an improvement, but the food still may be high in fat. For example, if the original product has 20 fat grams, and the reduced-fat version has 15 grams, it is still high in fat. To be classified as low fat, the product cannot have more than three fat grams per serving, and fat must account for less than 30 percent of the total calories. Be sure to check the labels on your food; many times low-fat baked goods include more sugar than their full-fat counterparts. Also, people often eat larger portions of reduced-fat foods, sometimes resulting in higher calorie intake than eating the full-fat version.

Always check the labels on your food so you know exactly what you are putting into your body. By making some small changes to your diet, you can improve your heart health.

Published: July 31, 2008
Source: American Heart Association
Writer: Alexandra Cox


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