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Happy holidays from A Slice of Orange! Here’s to an exciting and healthful season.
Fat: The Feared Foe Tis the season to be fatty? Learn fat facts and why you should choose the good over the bad. The role of fat in health You may not know it, but we need fat for our bodies to function. Fats provide essential fatty acids, substances that are crucial in body processes such as brain development, blood clotting and fighting inflammation. The body requires fat to be able to use some important vitamins. Also, fat keeps hair and skin healthy. What is fat anyway? Like proteins and carbohydrates, fats are nutrients that supply the body with calories, which are used by the body for energy. However, gram for gram, fat has more than double the calories of protein or carbohydrate. Furthermore, fat stores extra calories. It fills fat cells to help insulate the body against cold. This means that having an unhealthy amount of ‘insulation’ probably means your body does not need as much food as you take regularly.
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes Orange de Guzman, MD
Did you know that during exercise, the body first uses calories from carbohydrate, and only after around 20 minutes are calories from fat burned?
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The good and the bad Before you start stocking up on products marketed as ‘low fat’, know that there are two kinds of fat in food: good and bad. Just because a food has fat doesn’t mean it’s pure evil. Bad fats increase the risk for some diseases – like obesity and heart disease – and good fats lower the risk. So which is which? Bad fats: • Saturated fats – raise both good and bad cholesterol; found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk and dairy products, and in coconut milk and fatty meats; also found in some vegetable oils, like coconut, palm and palm kernel oils
Fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acid, a polyunsaturated fat that has gained popularity for its potential to lower heart disease risk.
that good fats lower the risk of heart disease. However, good fats are still high in calories so try not to go overboard. • Monounsaturated fats – found in olives and olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, cashews, almonds, peanuts and most other nuts, and avocados • Polyunsaturated fats – found in fish and in corn, soybean, safflower and cottonseed oils
Drop that doughnut!
Trans fats are even worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad cholesterol AND lower good cholesterol levels.
• Trans fats – form when vegetable oil hardens (hydrogenation); raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol levels; found in most margarines, vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, deep-fried foods, many fast foods and most processed or commercial baked goods Good fats: Unsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol – it has been proven
Need a tip for remembering which fats are good and which are bad? Good fats are usually liquid at room temperature; bad fats are solid or semi-solid. To illustrate, spreadable margarine has fewer of the wicked trans fats than stick margarine.
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Eliminating fat:
The best way to lose weight? If you cut out fat from your diet, you’re bound to lose some pounds. Fine. However, ANY diet that makes you take in fewer calories (whether from fat, protein or carbohydrate) eventually leads to weight loss. Rather than being too conscious of fatty food, try to note the kind of fat you are eating and the amount of food in general. At the end of the day, it’s about eating just enough of the right kinds of food to supply you with energy for your activities. Remember: all extra calories from your food intake are stored as fat.
Recommendations
The kinds of fat in specific foods were already mentioned previously for your reference, but here are a few more tips to keep your health in check. This season of holiday food may be extra challenging for those who want to keep a proper diet, but being sensible about food definitely pays off. • Limit foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fat intake should not exceed 7% of total calories each day. Trans fat intake should not exceed 1% of total calories each day. - Check product labels before buying or eating. Note that ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ means the food item has bad fats.
- Choose liquid vegetable oils, or choose a soft tub margarine. - Avoid commercially prepared baked goods and processed foods, including fast foods. - Stay away from deep-fried dishes.
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The fat-cholesterol connection Most health-conscious people know they should avoid fat and cholesterol in general, but studies have shown that it’s the bad fats and bad cholesterol that cause bodily damage. One of the most important factors that affects blood cholesterol level is dietary fat. Bad fats, e.g., saturated fat, increases low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol. Cholesterol can build up in the arteries through the process called atherosclerosis, which is intimately connected to cardiovascular disease.
• Total fat intake (saturated, trans, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) should be adjusted to fit total caloric needs. Overweight people should consume no more than 30% of total calories from fat. • Go for foods that are naturally low in fat, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Get your soluble fiber fix (to reduce bad cholesterol) from oats, bran, beans and rice. • Limit animal products such as egg yolks, cheese, whole milk, cream, ice cream and fatty/red meats.
A slice of trivia What A word is another term for fat cells? Freshen up on your researching skills, e-mail us the answer at orange@activelink-consult.com and win a prize!
We’ll include the answer in the next issue of A Slice of Orange.
mellitus and is marked by frequent thirst and urination.
Answer to last issue’s question:
From those with the correct answer, 45 people will receive a gift bag of Del Monte Fruit Snacks.
Fill in the blank: Diabetes is a condition that seems like another type of diabetes, but is completely unrelated to type 1 or 2 diabetes
Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a disorder that causes frequent urination and thirst. People with this condition have to get up often at night to urinate, so it disturbs their sleep cycle. DI is not related to diabetes mellitus, although
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelink-consult.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2007 ActiveLink Employee Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink Insurance Brokers, Inc. 104 VA Rufino Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, 1229 Philippines T: +632 817 4606 / 817 7900 www.activelink-consult.com
they share some symptoms. DI is usually a problem of hormones or of the kidneys.
The Orange wants to he ar from you!
Dying to ask us your healthrelated questio ns? Itching to share your pers onal health tips? Want to sugges t topics for futu re issues? Feel fre e to contact us . You can e-mail our team at orange@activel ink-consult.com .