Monthly Newsletter

 HEALTH DESIGN, INC.
Dietary Fats    Volume 1, Issue 10
   November 7, 2001

 
During the 1990s, fats became tagged by certain health media “specialists” as a major four-letter word to be avoided at all costs. However, the pendulum has now swung back to a more moderate, sensible, and scientific approach to dietary fats. Including some fats in the meal not only adds to the flavor of the meal, but is actually important in reducing stored body fat.

At first glance, this seems paradoxical. But fat in the diet is hormonally important in achieving nutritional balance. Fat slows the absorption and entry pathways of glucose into the bloodstream. 

 Remember that insulin is a fat storage hormone and large carbohydrate meals are quickly broken down into glucose, which is rapidly absorbed without the presence of fat. This large load of glucose in the bloodstream triggers the release of insulin thus telling the body to store this energy as body fat for later use as energy.

The food fats are a combination of fatty acids and labeled as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated depending upon the chemical makeup according to location of hydrogen ions. 

Saturated fats should be minimized in your 

 diet because these fats result in harmful cardiovascular effects.

A good rule of thumb on how to recognize these various types of fat is:

  • Saturated fat is firm at room temperature.
  •  Monounsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature, but thickens when chilled.
  •  Polyunsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature and remains liquid when chilled.
For the best nutritional balance, each meal should be comprised of 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbohydrate, and 1/3 polyunsaturated fat.		  For more in-depth nutritional information, the reader is referred to the book entitled “The Cardiac Surgeon’s Diet and Health Design”.

Respectfully yours, 

BP Loughridge, MD