| Health professional agree that eating | | | | your body finds it much easier to turn |
| fat can make us fat. Much meat and many | | | | fat into body fat for storage. The |
| dairy products, baked goods, fast foods, | | | | connection between fat and cancer risk |
| snack foods, fried foods, sauces, | | | | is also strong. From laboratory studies |
| gravies, and oils are loaded with fat, | | | | and clinical observations of people's |
| and eating them can lead to obesity. | | | | eating habits, it has been learned that |
| Today we all know that food choices we | | | | there is significant evidence that |
| make have an important effect on our | | | | eating too much fat leads to an |
| health. There is no longer any question | | | | increased risk of colon, rectal, |
| that we should all be eating less fat. | | | | prostate and breast cancers. |
| Low-fat cooking is no longer a special | | | | A reasonable and healthy approach to |
| diet, but a way of life. If you are | | | | better nutrition should begin by |
| concerned about your health, you may | | | | reducing some of the higher-fat foods in |
| already be trying to trim fat from your | | | | your diet. Your primary goal should be |
| diet. However, you should not try to cut | | | | to limit your total daily fat intake so |
| out all fat. Our bodies require some fat | | | | that fat contributes no more than 30 |
| for good health, but most of us eat too | | | | percent of your total daily calories. By |
| much of it. We particularly eat too much | | | | looking at your overall diet in this |
| saturated fat, the type of fat we get | | | | way, rather than at particular foods, |
| from animal sources, which seems to do | | | | you can enjoy an occasional high-fat |
| the most harm to our bodies. As a rule | | | | food item while still limiting your |
| of thumb, saturated fats tend to be | | | | total daily fat. The secret is to |
| solid at room temperature (with the | | | | monitor your overall fat intake. |
| exception of coconut and palm kernel | | | | Here are some tips to help you reduce |
| oil). Unsaturated fats tend to be liquid | | | | the fat in your diet: |
| at room temperature. Vegetable oils, | | | | · Read food labels |
| such as corn, safflower and cottonseed, | | | | · Bake, broil, steam or boil foods |
| for example, contain unsaturated fat. | | | | instead of frying. |
| The negative side effects of a high-fat | | | | · Use low-fat or nonfat products. |
| diet have been well documented. | | | | · Select lean cuts of red meat. |
| Saturated fats tend to raise blood | | | | · Limit the amount of meats, poultry |
| cholesterol and clog arteries, which in | | | | and fish in your diet to 3 to 6 ounces |
| turn means an increased risk of heart | | | | per day. |
| attack and stroke. Another common health | | | | · Use nonstick pan and vegetable |
| problem associated with a high-fat diet | | | | cooking spray. |
| is obesity. Fat provides, gram for gram, | | | | · When baking, use ½ to 2/3 of the fat |
| more than twice the calories of | | | | called for in recipes. Apple sauce or |
| carbohydrates or protein, which means | | | | apple butter often can be used to |
| that for the same quantity of food, a | | | | replace the fat. |
| high-fat food provides you with many | | | | · Avoid deep-fried and fried foods. |
| more calories. To compound the problem, | | | | |