Thursday, March 24, 2011

Oils and Fats -- Meats and Butter,Margarines, and Spread

     You need some fats in your diet in order to enjoy good health. Fats help your body assmilate:
          * Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
          * They help keep your skin youthful and healthy.
          * They give you "staying power" and keep you from getting hungry right after eating a meal.
    But, as we noted earlier, saturated "hard" fats raise your blood cholesterol level and increase the risk of heart disease. What you must do, therefore, is to rely as much as possible on polyunsaturated fats to provide the fat your body needs.
     You'll find polyunsaturated fats in most liquid vegetable oils, including sunflower, safflower, corn and soybean oils. Olive oil and peanut oils are not as high in polyunsaturates.

                                                           Meats
     Beef, pork, lamb and processed meats are high in saturated fats, but chicken (without the skin) and fish are low in saturated fats. You can improve your health significantly by substituting chicken and fish for red meat at dinner twice a week.

                                                Spreads,  Butter, Margarines
     Butter is an animal fat, and that means it's high in saturated fats. It will raise your blood cholesterol level.
     Not all margarines are alike. Some will help lower blood cholesterol more than others. Try to find a margarine that has at least twice as much polyunsaturated fat as saturated fat. Read the nutrition label on the package.
     Spreads such as Smart Balance have been around awhile now. But many people think they are new "kid" on the block.  I started using Smart Balance products (mayonnaise, peanut butter, etc) right after they first joined the market. I have to admit they are good products, and they will let you print coupons.
     Smart Balance is a buttery spread that is an excellent source of Omega-3. It is a patented blend of oils that have no hydrogenated oils--0g Trans fats. It is an excellent source of Omega-3 ALA (320mg per serving, (20% DV)). It is also a good source of Vitamins D, B6, and B12.
To me it's like the icing on the cake, I can cook with it, bake with it and spread it on hot toast.       .