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As seen on BCTV June 3rd, 2003
Step 2: Becoming Fat Wise
The second big step in eating for energy is to become
fat wise. You want to become aware of the difference between the good
types of fat in the diet and the bad ones. Simply avoiding all fat
is unbalanced and even potentially dangerous to your health. An average
man needs 90 or fewer grams of fat per day. An average woman needs
65 grams or fewer. This doesn't mean that way less is the goal. In
1 teaspoon of fat-whether butter, margarine or liquid oil-you get
4 grams of fat and about 40 calories. Where the difference lies is
in the type of fat.
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In preparing meals, aim to use liquid oils in place
of hard fats as much as possible. Liquid oils such as canola, flax,
olive, sesame, sunflower and soybean oils are considered good fats.
They contain a certain class of fats known as essential fatty acids-fats
you need but your body can't produce itself. Fats to in many processed
foods (read labels carefully).
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Foods that contain highly saturated fats such as
butter, hard margarine, cheese and the fat on the outside of a piece
of meat are not good in excessive amounts. This type of fat can
raise bad cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease and
cancer.
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Saturated fats can also contain a form of fat known
as trans fatty acids, which you also want to limit.
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Hydrogenated fats, found in unnatural peanut butter
and many processed foods, are also bad news. (Where you see hydrogenated
vegetable oil or vegetable oil shortening on an ingredient list,
keep these foods to a minimum in your diet.)
To keep your diet low in fat follow this three-step
plan…
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Limit your intake of foods that leave grease on
your fingers: potato chips, French fries, doughnuts, even muffins.
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Second, limit your intake of foods where grease
actually drips out the bottom when you bite in. A fast food burger
or juicy fried chicken are examples.
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Third, limit your intake of foods where you can
actually see grease droplets glistening. Sometimes you might see
this in a pasta dish or soup when you're eating out.
Watch for the Eating for Energy segment
every Tuesday on BCTV's Noon News Hour!
Excerpt from The 80-20 cookbook
- Eating for Energy without Deprivation, by Diana Steele and
Patricia Chuey
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