We are a group of friends and family striving to lose weight and start living healthier lifestyles.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.~Benjamin Mays
I hope that everyone's week is going well. We are getting ready to get over the hump. Thanks Mrs. Pee for all of the wonderful information that you post. I hope that the new members can join our blog soon and start adding or enjoying the wonderful tips that are available to them. Here is also a nice article from CNN that you can read. Enjoy. http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/16/healthmag.sneaky.tricks/index.html
Monday, July 30, 2007
Feel Good Foods
Sweets and other high-fat foods provide a quick fix for a foul mood. Unfortunately, while their effects don't last, the pounds they pack on do.
According to Cheryl Hartsough, RD, director of Wellness and Health Programs at The Aspen Club in Colorado, the following chart can help you choose the right food to counterbalance your mood.
When you feel depressed, avoid cake, ice cream, and pastries; eat whole grain entrees such as pasta primavera or rice and beans.
When you feel sleepy and lethargic, avoid sweets, pizza, and high-fat foods; eat low-fat, high-protein foods such as broiled or baked fish, veal, poultry, nonfat or low-fat cheese, and egg white omelets.
When you feel tense, anxious, or stressed, avoid chocolate, cake, and ice cream; eat fresh fruit, dried fruit, pasta, whole grain bread, baked potato, rice, and vegetables.
In short, always assess your mood before taking that first bite. If you must binge, make the binge work for you and not against you.
According to Cheryl Hartsough, RD, director of Wellness and Health Programs at The Aspen Club in Colorado, the following chart can help you choose the right food to counterbalance your mood.
When you feel depressed, avoid cake, ice cream, and pastries; eat whole grain entrees such as pasta primavera or rice and beans.
When you feel sleepy and lethargic, avoid sweets, pizza, and high-fat foods; eat low-fat, high-protein foods such as broiled or baked fish, veal, poultry, nonfat or low-fat cheese, and egg white omelets.
When you feel tense, anxious, or stressed, avoid chocolate, cake, and ice cream; eat fresh fruit, dried fruit, pasta, whole grain bread, baked potato, rice, and vegetables.
In short, always assess your mood before taking that first bite. If you must binge, make the binge work for you and not against you.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Thought for the week...
Thought for the Week: "If you find yourself putting out great efforts in life without achieving your desired results, it's a sign for you to move on in a different direction." (Author unknown)
Five Stress Relievers:
1 - Unclutter your life.
2 - Be prepared for rain.
3 - Stop saying negative things to yourself.
4 - Buy yourself flowers.
5 - Keep a journal.
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Tried & True Low Fat Recipe:
(This recipe is from Patti LaBelle's Lite Cuisine.)
DOWN-HOME PORK CHOPS IN GUILT-FREE GRAVY (Yummy)
4 boneless center-cut loin chops (about 4 oz each)
2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon seasoning salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup fat-free Half and Half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
Coat a large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Add the chops and cook until browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the broth, seasoning salt, and pepper. Return the chops to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover, cook until the juices run clear, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the Half and Half. Pour into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, 2-3 minutes more. Makes 4 servings.
Per Serving: 180 calories, 22 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 420 mg sodium.
Diet Exchanges: 3 lean meats, 1 vegetable or 1/2 starch.
This is a meal that many people think that they have to give up just because they are trying to lose weight. If you remove, or minimize, the fat in most recipes, just about any recipe can be tailored to your new lifestyle. Enjoy...because I know we certainly did!
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Take one day at a time and enjoy your week.
Five Stress Relievers:
1 - Unclutter your life.
2 - Be prepared for rain.
3 - Stop saying negative things to yourself.
4 - Buy yourself flowers.
5 - Keep a journal.
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Tried & True Low Fat Recipe:
(This recipe is from Patti LaBelle's Lite Cuisine.)
DOWN-HOME PORK CHOPS IN GUILT-FREE GRAVY (Yummy)
4 boneless center-cut loin chops (about 4 oz each)
2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon seasoning salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup fat-free Half and Half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
Coat a large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Add the chops and cook until browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the broth, seasoning salt, and pepper. Return the chops to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover, cook until the juices run clear, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the Half and Half. Pour into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, 2-3 minutes more. Makes 4 servings.
Per Serving: 180 calories, 22 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 420 mg sodium.
Diet Exchanges: 3 lean meats, 1 vegetable or 1/2 starch.
This is a meal that many people think that they have to give up just because they are trying to lose weight. If you remove, or minimize, the fat in most recipes, just about any recipe can be tailored to your new lifestyle. Enjoy...because I know we certainly did!
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Take one day at a time and enjoy your week.
SUP
Ok so jus wanted to say to every1 I'm so glad I'm a part of this group u guyz have inspired me so much to finaly take bac my health and get in shape and not jus 4 da looks but for me and I'm happy that yall have taken the time out to help and much love to Mrs.P u have done lot 4 us and jus wanted to say thank u. So lets take bac our health LETS GO H.H'S yea.
Meeting Minutes from 7-27-07
Call To Order of Meeting
Friday, July 27, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM.
Present: Mrs. Pee, Carlos, Quishana and Brandy
Present via telephone: Nicole
Absenses: None
Weekly Progess Reports:
These will begin again next week. We completed final weigh in for session 1. Brandy (that’s me) had the biggest weight loss this time around.
New Business:
We have 5 new members for the 2nd session of the program. Healthy Hopefuls would like to welcome David, Van, Joanie, Carol and Eugene (please forgive me if any of the spellings are incorrect). We look forward to having you part of our team.
- Quishana will remain treasurer and Brandy has been named as secretary.
- Mrs. Pee recorded all members’ current weight so that we can better track each member’s progress. We started collecting membership dues of $8 per person for the 2nd session. This money is due on next Friday, August 3rd. Please turn the money into our treasurer, Quishana. Out-of-towners: you may mail or submit your money to your friends or family members to turn in on your behalf.
- Instead of striving towards 10% of our body weight this 8 weeks, we have decided that our individual goals will be 2 pounds per week.
- We received information from the Trim Body System from Mrs. Pee that had a great 10 minute exercise plan. If any of our out-of-towners are interested, please e-mail me at nblack@triad.rr.com and I will scan and send you a copy of this information.
- Do you have a great low-fat recipe? Have great news? Have a problem? Stressed? Or just want to write or provide information? Share it on the blog.
- This week Carlos’s goal is to find and bring in articles about obesity.
Old Business: - We will continue to add inspirational quotes and stress relievers to the blog.
Drink at least 8 cups of water a day (total 64 ounces). You should also drink another 8 ounces (1 cup) of water for every 25 pounds that you are over your weight goal. And don’t forget if you are exercising (which you should be) you need to stay hydrated. - Be sure to continue to keep track of your weight, water and exercise throughout the week. You should also keep a food journal to help you stay accountable for what you eat.
- Choose a free day out of the week that you can take a break and maybe go out to eat or just skip the daily walk.
Again….welcome to our new members. Let’s get this 8 weeks started off right. Have a wonderful week!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Here we go again!
The site has been updated to Healthy Hopefuls 2 to represent the 2nd session (8 weeks) of our journey to a healthier life. There is a new look for the blog. Senior members: if you prefer the previous background or want to try another look, just let me know.
Monday, July 23, 2007
5 Ways to Relieve Stress and a Motivational Message from Mrs. Pee
Motivational message: "Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." (George W. Carver)
Five Stress Reducers:
1 - Smile. Smiling will give you a deep sense of ease, calm, and peace.
2 - Carry the serenity prayer with you (or memorize it). "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
3 - Remember, you WILL make mistakes. They're called lessons. And you learn from lessons, yes?
4 - Go somewhere else for lunch. Try this once or twice a week, especially now that the weather is nicer.
5 - Read. Reading is a great way to escape, educate yourself, and expand your horizon for personal and professional growth. If your life is hectic, this is a great way to relieve stress.
Five Stress Reducers:
1 - Smile. Smiling will give you a deep sense of ease, calm, and peace.
2 - Carry the serenity prayer with you (or memorize it). "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
3 - Remember, you WILL make mistakes. They're called lessons. And you learn from lessons, yes?
4 - Go somewhere else for lunch. Try this once or twice a week, especially now that the weather is nicer.
5 - Read. Reading is a great way to escape, educate yourself, and expand your horizon for personal and professional growth. If your life is hectic, this is a great way to relieve stress.
As promised.....
As promised, I found a couple of places in Greensboro that does the ion cleansing (like Cole had with the colorful water). Here are 2 links:
http://www.asuddenlyslenderbody.com/ion_foot_cleanse.htm
http://yellowpages.superpages.com/profile~SRC_google~C_Health+&+Medicine~LID_t1n9XyyUI5GJWqzXH%2Fs%2FEA%3D%3D.htm (this place may accept insurance to cover)
If and when I find others, I will post them. I know that there are more than two places in Greensboro that do different types of body cleansing. I hope everybody is pumped for their last week. We did great as a team.
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live". ~ Jim Rohn
http://www.asuddenlyslenderbody.com/ion_foot_cleanse.htm
http://yellowpages.superpages.com/profile~SRC_google~C_Health+&+Medicine~LID_t1n9XyyUI5GJWqzXH%2Fs%2FEA%3D%3D.htm (this place may accept insurance to cover)
If and when I find others, I will post them. I know that there are more than two places in Greensboro that do different types of body cleansing. I hope everybody is pumped for their last week. We did great as a team.
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live". ~ Jim Rohn
Last Week
Good morning everyone! With this being the last week in the first round of Healthy Hopefuls, I am hoping that it is a good week for everybody. My weekend was not the best, but I woke up this morning ready to put my best foot forward. I hope you all have a good week. I will see you on Friday, come prepared to weigh in and take pictures.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Guess What I Did . . . .
I WALKED!!!!! David and I went to the W & OD Trail down the street from our apartment and walked. I'm not sure how long we walked, but I was sweating a lot when we finished. David got me to jog for a few minutes, but that nearly KILLED me. I now realize that you really do have to take baby steps! He wanted me to jog again, but I told him no because my body isn't quite ready for that just yet. I kept walking and my body was telling me that that's where I need to start at. I'll make my way up to jogging in a few months (hopefully). I felt good. I had time to think about any and everything that crossed my mind. I thought a lot about "cleansing" myself and decided that I'm going to give exercise more of an effort and more attention. Also, in my "cleansing" process, I've decided to stop getting relaxers and go natural. Why just get my body back in shape? I can get my hair back into shape while working on my body, too! I'm really excited! I'll be walking on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. What's my new motivation, you ask? Well, while on vacation, my mom and my aunts told me something that I'd never heard before and never really thought about: I needs to be in really good shape when I start having kids! I want kids (3 to be exact) and I don't want to put them or myself in any type of harm because I didn't take care of myself. LOOK OUT WORLD! I'M A WOMAN ON A MISSION! :) Additional motivation: my family reunion in 2009. It's going to be in Florida and I don't want to go to Florida looking the way I do now! I want to be slim, fit, and HOT, HOT, HOT!!! :)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
"You get whatever you settle for" Author Unknown
Hello all.....I've been so busy and stressed this week so....how do I deal with it????:
CNN's material is listed under Fit Nation. They have some interesting stories and tools under there if you want to check it out, go to http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/fit.nation/.
I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. I'll see (or talk to) everyone tomorrow. :-)
- Listen to music.
- Take a walk.
- Talk with friends.
- Read my book.
- Honestly....snack. I've been getting healthier snacks so I think that I'll be okay with this. I got some sugar free, no fat popsicles, fudge pops and creamsicles. Yum, yum.
Also, check out this walk plan I found on CNN. It's the beginner plan and I may start something like it after finals are over. It gives a daily plan each week for about 5 weeks.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/healthy.bodies/interactive/summer.walking.plan/content.1.1.htmlCNN's material is listed under Fit Nation. They have some interesting stories and tools under there if you want to check it out, go to http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/fit.nation/.
I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. I'll see (or talk to) everyone tomorrow. :-)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Nicole's Motivational Quote and 5 Ways to Reduce Stress
Motivational Quote:
"In eating, a third of the stomach should be filled with food, a third with drink and the rest left empty." -Talmud
5 Ways To Reduce Stress:
1) Prepare for the morning the night before
2) Don't rely on your memory...write it down
3) Avoid negative people
4) Smile
5) Maintain your weight
(From: T & S 101 Ways to Reduce Stress)
"In eating, a third of the stomach should be filled with food, a third with drink and the rest left empty." -Talmud
5 Ways To Reduce Stress:
1) Prepare for the morning the night before
2) Don't rely on your memory...write it down
3) Avoid negative people
4) Smile
5) Maintain your weight
(From: T & S 101 Ways to Reduce Stress)
Sunday, July 15, 2007
5 Ways to Reduce Stress (from 52 Proven Ways to Reduce Stress)
1. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.
2. Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.
3. Every day, do something you really enjoy.
4. Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
5. Make friends with non-worriers. Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.
2. Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.
3. Every day, do something you really enjoy.
4. Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
5. Make friends with non-worriers. Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.
Inspiration for the Week from Mrs. Pee
"NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING THIN FEELS." (Author unknown)
Mr. Pee and I just just got back from seeing Nicole and David. All is well in the Lee Household. We didn't walk, as I had planned, because I forgot my shoes. (I think Nicole was glad.) Tomorrow starts a new week. I have a new exercise plan to share with the group that requires only 10 minutes per day, 6 times a week. (This is from Nicole. I think she's being holding out on us.) Take each day, one day at a time. Don't make excuses, make plans. Being overweight is fastly becoming a major health crisis in the U.S. and we don't want to be a part of the crisis. Do we? See you on Friday.
Mr. Pee and I just just got back from seeing Nicole and David. All is well in the Lee Household. We didn't walk, as I had planned, because I forgot my shoes. (I think Nicole was glad.) Tomorrow starts a new week. I have a new exercise plan to share with the group that requires only 10 minutes per day, 6 times a week. (This is from Nicole. I think she's being holding out on us.) Take each day, one day at a time. Don't make excuses, make plans. Being overweight is fastly becoming a major health crisis in the U.S. and we don't want to be a part of the crisis. Do we? See you on Friday.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Happy Birthday Quishana!!!!
"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up".~Vince Lombardi
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 7/13/07.
Present: Mrs. Pee, Nicole (via telephone) and Brandy.
Absent: Carlos (he doesn't feel well) and Quishana (didn't you see the title...she's getting old).
WEEKLY PROGESS REPORTS:
Water Weight Lost Exercise
Nicole 8 cups 5 days- will report weight loss/gain later- 1x
Mrs. Pee 10 cups everyday- Loss 1#- 2x
Brandy at least 8 cups everyday- Lost about 3 over the past two weeks (I have to find my notebook)- 5x
OLD BUSINESS:
Dues are due.
Brandy paid remaining dues of $5
We are going to continue with our inspirational quotes. I think that they are great and are serving their purpose well (to inspirate).
Final weigh in will be on Friday, 7/27/07 (that's right....two more weeks). New members can join on this date. Remember that we will be taking our updated pictures on this date. Try to wear the same outfit from the first picture if possible.
Calculate percentage lost: Number of pounds lost / beginning weight = percentage lost.
Continue to drink your water and exercise everyday.
Follow a healthy meal plan. NO FAST FOODS. NO FRIED FOODS.
NEW BUSINESS:
Tell us what you do to relieve stress (PG-13 please). Try to list about 5 different things. examples: cleaning, exercising, music......this will help us share our ideas to others.
Later and everybody have a great week.
Ay Brandy
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 7/13/07.
Present: Mrs. Pee, Nicole (via telephone) and Brandy.
Absent: Carlos (he doesn't feel well) and Quishana (didn't you see the title...she's getting old).
WEEKLY PROGESS REPORTS:
Water Weight Lost Exercise
Nicole 8 cups 5 days- will report weight loss/gain later- 1x
Mrs. Pee 10 cups everyday- Loss 1#- 2x
Brandy at least 8 cups everyday- Lost about 3 over the past two weeks (I have to find my notebook)- 5x
OLD BUSINESS:
Dues are due.
Brandy paid remaining dues of $5
We are going to continue with our inspirational quotes. I think that they are great and are serving their purpose well (to inspirate).
Final weigh in will be on Friday, 7/27/07 (that's right....two more weeks). New members can join on this date. Remember that we will be taking our updated pictures on this date. Try to wear the same outfit from the first picture if possible.
Calculate percentage lost: Number of pounds lost / beginning weight = percentage lost.
Continue to drink your water and exercise everyday.
Follow a healthy meal plan. NO FAST FOODS. NO FRIED FOODS.
NEW BUSINESS:
Tell us what you do to relieve stress (PG-13 please). Try to list about 5 different things. examples: cleaning, exercising, music......this will help us share our ideas to others.
Later and everybody have a great week.
Ay Brandy
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Nicole's Motivational Thought
"My advice is to go into something and stay with it until you like it. You can't like it until you obtain expertise in that work. And once you are an expert, it's a pleasure." -Milton Garland
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
I'm Back!!!
"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can" Unknown Author
Hope that everyone is doing great. I just got back in town today, but I will be at the next meeting. I didn't get to weigh in on Friday because there was no scale where I was. I'll probably just wait and weigh this upcoming Friday. On vacation, water intake was up and down depending on the day and what was going on. I tried to get in at least my 64 ounces. Eating was all over the place. I didn't over eat or eat anything extremely bad, but I didn't eat as much as I needed to throughout the day. Exercise should be great because we walked all over the place. Had fun. Hope to see you soon.
Hope that everyone is doing great. I just got back in town today, but I will be at the next meeting. I didn't get to weigh in on Friday because there was no scale where I was. I'll probably just wait and weigh this upcoming Friday. On vacation, water intake was up and down depending on the day and what was going on. I tried to get in at least my 64 ounces. Eating was all over the place. I didn't over eat or eat anything extremely bad, but I didn't eat as much as I needed to throughout the day. Exercise should be great because we walked all over the place. Had fun. Hope to see you soon.
I did it!!! I did it!!! I just completed a 30 minute walk outside. It wasn't hard once I got started. I told myself, before I went to bed last night, that I was going to walk first thing this a.m. I did it!!! I did it!!! Now, let's see how the rest of the week progresses. Happy exercising to one and all...8-)
Friday, July 6, 2007
"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons" Jim Rohn
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 7/6/07.
Present: Quishana, Mrs. Pee, and Nicole (telephonically)
Absent: Carlos and Brandy
WEEKLY PROGESS REPORTS:
Water Weight Lost Exercise
Nicole 8 cups everyday 1# None
Mrs. Pee 10 cups everyday Gained 3# None
Quishana 7.5 cups everyday Gained 3# 4 times
OLD BUSINESS:
Dues are due.
Be sure to post fat facts to blogspot.
Final weigh in will be on Friday, 7/27/07. New members can join on this date.
Calculate percentage lost: Number of pounds lost / beginning weight = percentage lost.
Continue to drink your water and exercise everyday.
Follow a healthy meal plan. NO FAST FOODS. NO FRIED FOODS.
NEW BUSINESS:
Each member needs to post a motivating message on the blogspot this week.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Pee
Present: Quishana, Mrs. Pee, and Nicole (telephonically)
Absent: Carlos and Brandy
WEEKLY PROGESS REPORTS:
Water Weight Lost Exercise
Nicole 8 cups everyday 1# None
Mrs. Pee 10 cups everyday Gained 3# None
Quishana 7.5 cups everyday Gained 3# 4 times
OLD BUSINESS:
Dues are due.
Be sure to post fat facts to blogspot.
Final weigh in will be on Friday, 7/27/07. New members can join on this date.
Calculate percentage lost: Number of pounds lost / beginning weight = percentage lost.
Continue to drink your water and exercise everyday.
Follow a healthy meal plan. NO FAST FOODS. NO FRIED FOODS.
NEW BUSINESS:
Each member needs to post a motivating message on the blogspot this week.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Pee
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Hello from Texas
I hope that everyone is doing great this week. I could be eating a little better, but I am still doing at least 64 ounces of water a day. We have been walking a lot. Yesterday, we walked all around downtown Houston. We walked forever trying to find a good place to see the fireworks. I didn't count minutes because at times we were idle like at dinner and taking pictures, but it was nice. I know I'm missing my 2nd meeting and hope to see everyone when I return. Talk to everyone later. B
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Mrs. Pee's Fat Facts continued---
Monounsaturated fatty acids appear to reduce blood levels of LDLs without affecting HDLs in any way. The NCEP recommend that intake of monounsaturated fats be kept between 10% and 15% of total caloric intake.
Trans-fatty acids or trans fats occur when polyunsaturated oils are altered through hydrogenation, a process used to harden liquid vegetable oils into solid foods like margarine and shortening. One recent study found that trans-monounsaturated fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol levels, behaving much like saturated fats (think fast food).
For now, it is clear that if your goal is to lower cholesterol, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are more desirable than saturated fats or products with trans-fatty acids. Your total calories from fat should not constitute more than 20% to 25% of daily calories.
This may seem overwhelming but it should make you wonder what kind of fat am I eating?
Trans-fatty acids or trans fats occur when polyunsaturated oils are altered through hydrogenation, a process used to harden liquid vegetable oils into solid foods like margarine and shortening. One recent study found that trans-monounsaturated fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol levels, behaving much like saturated fats (think fast food).
For now, it is clear that if your goal is to lower cholesterol, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are more desirable than saturated fats or products with trans-fatty acids. Your total calories from fat should not constitute more than 20% to 25% of daily calories.
This may seem overwhelming but it should make you wonder what kind of fat am I eating?
Mrs. Pee's Fat Facts
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Although much attention has been focused on the need to reduce dietary fat, the body does need fat. Fat is needed during infancy and childhood for normal brain development. Throughout life, fat is essential to provide energy and support growth. Fat is, in fact the most concentrated source of energy available to the body. After about 2 years of age, the body requires only small amounts of fat. Excessive fat intake is a major causative factor in obesity, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and colon cancer, and has been linked to a number of other disorders as well. To understand how fat intake is related to these health problems, it is necessary to understand the different types of fats available and the ways in which these fats act within the body.
Fats are composed of building blocks called fatty acids. There are 3 major categories of fatty acids---saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. These classifications are based on the number of hydrogen atoms in the chemical structure of a given molecule of fatty acid. (Is this too much chemistry for you?)
Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal products, includijng dairy items, such as whole milk, cream, and cheese, and fatty meats like beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ham. The fat marbling you can see in beef and pork is composed of saturated fat. Some vegetable products--including coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and vegetable shortening---are also high in saturates.
The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommend that the daily intake of saturated fats be kept below 10% of total caloric intake. However, for people who have severe problems with high blood choolesterol, even that level may be too high.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in greatest abundance in corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils. Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturates . Polyunsaturates may actually lower your total blood cholesterol level. In doing so, however, large amounts of polyunsaturates also have a tendency to reduce your HDLs---your good cholesterol. For this reason, the NCEP state that an individual's intake of polyunsaturated fats should not exceed 10% of total caloric intake.
Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in vegetables and nut oils such as olive, peanut, and canola.
Although much attention has been focused on the need to reduce dietary fat, the body does need fat. Fat is needed during infancy and childhood for normal brain development. Throughout life, fat is essential to provide energy and support growth. Fat is, in fact the most concentrated source of energy available to the body. After about 2 years of age, the body requires only small amounts of fat. Excessive fat intake is a major causative factor in obesity, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and colon cancer, and has been linked to a number of other disorders as well. To understand how fat intake is related to these health problems, it is necessary to understand the different types of fats available and the ways in which these fats act within the body.
Fats are composed of building blocks called fatty acids. There are 3 major categories of fatty acids---saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. These classifications are based on the number of hydrogen atoms in the chemical structure of a given molecule of fatty acid. (Is this too much chemistry for you?)
Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal products, includijng dairy items, such as whole milk, cream, and cheese, and fatty meats like beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ham. The fat marbling you can see in beef and pork is composed of saturated fat. Some vegetable products--including coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and vegetable shortening---are also high in saturates.
The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommend that the daily intake of saturated fats be kept below 10% of total caloric intake. However, for people who have severe problems with high blood choolesterol, even that level may be too high.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in greatest abundance in corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils. Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturates . Polyunsaturates may actually lower your total blood cholesterol level. In doing so, however, large amounts of polyunsaturates also have a tendency to reduce your HDLs---your good cholesterol. For this reason, the NCEP state that an individual's intake of polyunsaturated fats should not exceed 10% of total caloric intake.
Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in vegetables and nut oils such as olive, peanut, and canola.