FitSugar

Is Palm Oil the New Trans Fat?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:17 -0700

Partially hydrogenated oil is a type of trans fat that has gotten a lot of flak, and rightfully so. This chemically altered fat is known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and increase your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Many companies are replacing hydrogenated oil with palm oil, saying that's it's a healthier option.

On nutritional labels you might see this ingredient listed as palm-fruit oil, since it's extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree. This is not to be confused with palm kernel oil, which comes from the palm seed found inside the fruit. Eighty-six percent of the fat in palm kernel oil is saturated (the unhealthy fat), and 50 percent of the fat from palm-fruit oil is saturated, so it's the better choice of the two, but is palm oil considered healthy? To find out read more.

Palm oil is high in saturated fat, and so are butter, whole milk, ground beef, and skin from chicken. These fats should be limited just like trans fats; they clog your arteries and can lead to heart problems. Small amounts of palm oil are seen as safe, but I wouldn't go out of your way to eat foods containing it, and would instead look for foods made with canola or olive oils.

Palm oil has also been in the news over the past couple years for environmental reasons. The palm fruit is found in rain forests, and the production of palm oil is leading to deforestation, which is in turn driving orangutans to near extinction. So if you're concerned about your health and the well-being of the planet, I'm sure you'll be diligently label reading the next time you hit the grocery store.

Is America's Antifat Rhetoric Out of Hand?

FitSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:00:18 -0700

Being obese is unhealthy for many reasons - most recently, we learned it could lead to brain degeneration - but does that mean we should demonize overweight people?

A recent story on Newsweek.com questions whether this antifat rhetoric is totally out of control. From the "real" sized model featured in Glamour to outrage over President Obama's nomination of a heavyset woman, Regina M. Benjamin, as surgeon general, the story posits:

Virtually any news article about weight that is posted online garners a slew of comments from readers expressing disgust that people let their weight get so out of control.

As fashionistas like Anna Wintour say the media focuses too much on anorexia, Newsweek sites an endless parade of pundits who openly express a fat bias. Many of the haters seem to believe that overweight people should do something about their condition, but who's to say they aren't? Why don't we have more compassion for people who are trying to change?

Not to mention that some research suggests that it's possible to be both overweight and fit, and many of our country's unhealthy habits are the result of widespread cultural and dietary changes that go far beyond individual lifestyle choices.

Do you think the antifat criticism in this country has gotten out of hand in our culture? Or do you think it's a necessary step toward changing our habits?

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Some Fat to Your Tomatoes

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:39 -0700

After years of being maligned, fat is making a comeback. Fat is necessary to absorb fat-soluble nutrients, like carotenoids, the antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A. This family of antioxidants gives fruits and veggies their orange and red hues as well.

Take tomatoes, for instance. They're known for being high in the antioxidants lycopene and beta carotene, both types of carotenoids. But since lycopene and beta carotene are fat soluble, tomatoes need to be paired with a bit of fat for us to absorb these important nutrients. Spritzing a little olive oil over your tomatoes adds flavor and will help you reap the benefits of this fruit disguised as a veggie.

Label Able: Palm Stearin

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:57 -0700

At the grocery store to pick up some soy nut butter for a batch of Soy Nut Butter Muddy Buddies I was planning on making, I saw a new kind made by Simple Food. Checking out the label I noticed an ingredient I've never heard of - organic palm stearin.

If you're curious to know whether it's healthy or not read more.

When palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the palm tree and then refined, it can be further refined into two forms - palm olein (liquid) and palm stearin (solid). This ingredient has a neutral taste, and contains a balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty acids. Palm stearin also contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid our bodies don't produce, and tocopherols, which are natural antioxidants. This fat is cholesterol free, and may even lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Palm stearin shouldn't be confused with palm kernel oil, which is made from the seeds of the palm fruit and is high in saturated (unhealthy) fats.

Since palm stearin is solid at room temperature, it's often used instead of butter in breads and cakes, and can be found in nonhydrogenated margarine. It's also used to prevent nut butters from separating, as in this soy nut butter. Well that's a relief. Now I can enjoy my Muddy Buddies even more!

5 Things About Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Much like carbs, fat has been seriously maligned of late. Slowly, fat is regaining a if not a healthy reputation, a reputation as a necessary nutrient. Here are 5 things about fat for you to chew on. that you should know. Listed in no particular order, here goes:

A gram of fat contains 9 calories. In contrast, carbs and protein only have 4 calories per gram. In other words, you can eat twice as many carbs or protein for the same amount of calories. However, monounsaturated fats, considered healthy fats, help you feel full. Avocados, almonds, and olive oil are three great sources for monounsaturated fat.
Fat is a macronutrient and the recommended daily intake (RDI) for fat for adults is 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories. That's about 44 to 77 grams of fat a day if you eat the classic diet of 2,000 calories a day.
It is recommended that saturated fats (animal fat, butter, coconut and palm oils) should make up less than 10 percent of your total calories per day. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 20 grams of saturated fat or less per day. For reference one ounce of cheddar cheese, about the size of two 9-volt batteries, contains six grams of saturated fat.

For two more facts about fat, read more.

A pound of body fat burns 2 calories per day whereas a pound of muscle can burn up to 35 calories per day. Body fat is less dense than muscle, so body fat takes up more space. A pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. If you want to lose a pound of fat in a week, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500, which you can do by diet and exercise.
Fats, primarily omega-3 fatty acids are important for the health of you body on the outside and inside. These fats help your skin stay hydrated and youthful for looking. Omega-3s help your heart avoid irregular heart beats and fight high blood pressure. You can find these fatty acids in flax seeds and salmon.

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The Cold Weather Fat Craving Connection

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Have you noticed chilly weather seems to turn many of us into something like a bear seeking fat before hibernating all Winter? I know the connection between cold weather and fatty foods isn't true for everyone, but many of you voted on this poll that you do indeed crave the fat when the temperature is low.

According to sports nutritionist Ryan Kohler temperatures below freezing can increase a person’s basic energy needs when compared to the amount of energy it takes to simply "exist" at room temperature, which is between 60 and 70 degrees F. In colder temperatures it takes more energy to keep the core temperature of the body stable. That makes sense, right?

Possibly a stronger factor in fatty-food craving is tradition and association - the mind is a powerful thing when it comes to cravings. After all, the Thanksgiving meal, which really seems to kick off the Winter season, at least mentally, is full of fatty, rich foods. Maybe it is the lack of sunlight combined with the cold that makes us crave comfort foods. Since fat, as an ingredient, tends to make food tastier and thereby more palatable. We associate fatty foods with cold weather.

I was craving fat like crazy, not that I live in a climate where temperatures get anywhere close to, let alone remain, below freezing. To combat my desire for ice cream I made sure to take my fish oil supplement daily and, anecdotally speaking, it totally helped. Do you take a fish oil supplement?

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Do You Crave Fatty Foods in Winter?

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:30:00 -0800

When there is a Winter chill in the air, I crave fat. Milk fat mostly, like cheese and ice cream. But the cravings are not limited to just dairy products; duck confit is often top of the list. Corn chips might do in a pinch. I am wondering if you experience this too, so tell me . . .

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Fat Update: Eat Fat to Feel Full

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Fat has a bad reputation. While some of this rep is deserved, let us not forget that not all fats are bad. In fact, unsaturated fat offers some surprisingly healthy benefits, especially for dieters.

New research from UC Irvine indicates that monounsaturated fatty acids, affectionately known as MUFAs, can actually help you feel full. When they reach your small intestine, these fats ignite the production of a compound that tells the brain to stop eating since you're full. MUFAs help stop the hunger signal so you don't overeat.

This property of monounsaturated fats might be why the Mediterranean diet is so successful at helping people maintain their weight. Unsaturated fats, both poly and mono, help keep belly fat at bay. And belly fat can increase your risk of heart disease and high blood sugar levels, so you want to work to keep weight off your midsection.

To see what kinds of food will help you feel full, just read more.

I feel lucky because some of the foods high in MUFAs are a few of my favorites.

Avocado
Olive oil
Almonds
Peanuts
Cashews
Canola
Pistachios
Hazelnuts

Even if you are dieting and cutting calories, don't forget to eat some nuts with your meals. All these foods are easy to throw on top of a low-fat salad.

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5 Things About: Fat Cells

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

When it comes to fighting the battle of the bulge, it is best to know your enemy as specifically as you can. So let's get as specific as we can, and talk about fat cells.

Here are five things I think you should know about fat cells.

A person with a healthy weight has 10 to 20 billion fat cells. Newborns begin life with 10 billion, and as babies mature into adults, the number of fat cells increases naturally over time, just like other cells.
A person who is considered obese, with a BMI over 30, can have up to 100 billion fat cells.
The number of fat cells in your body can increase at any time if you overeat for a long enough period of time, consistently feeding your body more calories than it burns. When a fat cell reaches its maximum size, it calls out to fat precursor cells and tells them to turn into full-fledged fat cells. Generally, you can gain 30 pounds over a healthy weight without creating an excessive amount of fat cells.

To see how fat cells react when you lose weight, just read more.

Fat cells are not inert. They actually secrete hormones which influence the body in beneficial or detrimental ways, depending on the size of the fat cell. Small fat cells make a hormone that helps maintain insulin sensitivity in the liver and other muscles, which in turn helps to ward off type 2 diabetes. In obese people with large fat cells, the production of this beneficial hormone shuts down, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
When you go into a calorie deficit, by eating fewer calories than your body requires, your cells release fat to be used as fuel. While the fat cells shrink, the number of fat cells remains the same. Once your body has made fat cells, you have those fat cells forever. While that sounds dire, all hope for creating and maintaining a healthy weight is not lost. Once fat cells shrink, they start secreting the beneficial hormone once again, which is great for your health.

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5 Reasons to Love Omega-3 Fatty Acids

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700

The age of nonfat foods seems to be drawing to a close as the benefits of certain fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, make the headlines almost daily. Found mostly in cold-water fish like salmon (here's my new favorite wild salmon recipe), omega-3s do some wonderful things for your body. Here are five of them.

Keeps the aches and pains at bay: Recent studies at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that taking a fish-oil supplement for 20 to 30 days relieved chronic back and neck pain. This may be due to omega-3's ability to fight inflammation.
Fights obesity with fat: Omega-3s improve the body's response to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin. Leptin is an hormone that helps regulate not only food intake, but body weight and metabolism as well.
Improves your mood: This form of fat has been shown to stabilize and lessen mood swings as well as decrease depression by helping the brain create the feel-good brain chemical serotonin.

There's a couple more reasons so read more.

Reduces exercise induced asthma: In a recent study at Indiana University found that fish-oil supplements helped control exercise-triggered asthma symptoms.
Keeps the heart healthy: One of the well known benefits of omega-3s is for heart health. The fat helps to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, which are both associated with heart disease when the levels are too high. Omega-3s also help lower blood pressure. Plus, these fats fight inflammation, which contributes to heart disease as well.

Fit's Tip: It is difficult to eat the recommended 1,100mg daily. The easiest way to ensure that you are eating enough omega-3s is to take a fish-oil supplement.

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