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Good Fat, Bad Fat, Good Cholestorol, Bad Cholestorol BY CARYN HONIG RD LD As a dietitian, I recommend "balanced meals" and "balanced snacks", which means combining carbohydrates, protein, and fat. I do not recommend all or high protein diets, nor do I recommend high fat or no fat diets. Diets need to be balanced, so that your body receives all of the nutrients needed for optimal health and performance. An example of a "balanced" breakfast is two pieces of whole wheat bread (complex carbohydrates), with two tablespoons of peanut butter (fat, protein and carbohydrates), and a medium sized banana (simple carbohydrates). Peanut butter? Yes, peanut butter! Two tablespoons of natural peanut butter (ground peanuts only) contain 190 calories including 12 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, and 16 grams of fat. Because peanut butter is a plant food, it is naturally cholesterol free. Furthermore, it is low in sodium, has 1 gram of dietary fiber per tablespoon, and contains a small amount of iron and niacin. To sum it up, peanut butter is a heart healthy food. 16 grams of fat is quite a bit, however, over 80% of the fat is unsaturated, which makes it heart healthy. Of the 16 grams of fat in peanut butter, zero are from trans fat, 3 grams are from saturated fat, 5 grams are from polyunsaturated fat, and 8 grams are from monounsaturated fat. So what does all this mean exactly? Basically, that there are good fats, bad fats, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol found in foods and lipids in your blood. LIPIDS IN YOUR BLOOD TOTAL CHOLESTEROL is a measure of both HDL (good cholesterol - think "H" for happy) and LDL (bad cholesterol- think "L" for lousy) in the blood. This number is often used to estimate cardiovascular health and risk. A total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dl is desirable. The most accurate way to estimate cardiovascular health is by looking separately at HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels. HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol is composed mostly of protein. HDL transports cholesterol away from the tissues to the liver to be disposed of. A higher HDL number ( or greater) often means a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease. LDL (low density lipoproteins) cholesterol is composed mostly of fat. Low levels of LDL ( or below) circulating in your blood are desirable because LDLs are deposited in the tissues and contribute to the buildup of plaque. Elevated LDL levels can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. TRIGLYCERIDES are a measure of the amount of fat circulating in the blood. A high level of triglyecerides is associated with an increase risk for cardiovascular disease. FATS IN FOODS MONOUNSATURATED FAT is found in plant foods like peanuts and peanut butter, vegetable oils (olive, peanut and canola oil),olives, and avocados. Monounsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature. It has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol, while maintaining beneficial HDL cholesterol. POLYUNSATURATED FAT is found in plant foods like corn and soy oil, and in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel. It is also found in margarine, mayonnaise, pecans, almonds and sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fat is firm at room temperature. It has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol, but may not have the same beneficial effect on HDL cholesterol. SATURATED FAT is found mainly in animal products including butter, meat, milk, and cheese. Saturated fat is also found in coconut oil, coconuts, egg yolks, lard, palm oil, and vegetable shortening. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature. It is often called the "bad" fat because it has been shown to increase total and LDL cholesterol levels. TRANS FAT results from adding hydrogen to unsaturated vegetable oils to increase shelf life and improve texture. The process makes the fat more solid at room temperature. Trans fats are found in foods including cookies, crackers, some margarines, baked goods and fried foods. They are also found naturally in meat and dairy products. Trans fats tend to increase total and LDL cholesterol and may decrease HDL cholesterol. CHOLESTEROL is a waxy, fatlike substance found in all animal tissues. In addition to being manufactured naturally in the body, it is present in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, poultry, egg yolk and dairy products. Egg yolks and organ meats are concentrated sources of cholesterol. Eating should be both a pleasurable and a healthy experience. Overall diet.
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