DISCLAIMER:

live with physical challenges.
I am NOT a DOCTOR!!! I don't even play one on TV!!! It is my goal to live a more healthy lifestyle. Living well and being happy is what this blog is all about.

"Nothing,' wrote Tolstoy, 'can make our life, or the lives of other people, more
beautiful than perpetual kindness."

- Gretchen Rubin




I write about my own experiences and what works (or does not) for me. Nothing I write is to be taken as medical advice.

Only your health care provider, personal physician,Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor - I don't even play one on TV! This
or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.








Monday, February 11, 2013

Be Afraid... be Very Afraid



Be afraid...  be very afraid!!!
All fats are not created equal.  It's important as diabetics to know that we can have some healthy fats, but need to stay away from the kind of fats that can lead to heart attack and stroke, risk factors associated with diabetes.
 


Trans fats are liquid oils that are turned into a solid fat through a process known as hydrogenation.  Eliminate as much bad fat as possible to avoid weight gain. 

You should aim to cut trans fats completely out of your diet!  When you find "trans fat" on a label, drop the product and RUN!  Be afraid - be very afraid!

Another fat we need to steer clear of is known as saturated fat.  It is bad fat because it increases your body's production of LDL cholesterol (the "lousy" cholesterol).  It also causes plaque to form in your coronary arteries, narrowing the arteries and forcing your heart to pump blood harder.  Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.  Saturated fats include:
1.  Animal fat contained in cuts of meat.
2.  Dairy - whole milk, butter and cheese.
3.  Skin of chicken, turkey and other poultry. 

Only 7% of your daily calorie intake (approx. 15 g.) should consist of these types of fats.  In uncontrolled diabetics, the blood is thick and gooey, like red syrup, so add the narrowing of artery walls on top of that, it's not good.  

Don't forget to read the labels on every packaged food you pick up!  Don't just read the big lettering on the front label - do some investigating on the back label.  Carefully read the ingredients and determine whether the product you're purchasing contains saturated fats or trans fats.  

Being a thorough detective for the sake of your own health is worth the trouble (and the eye strain)!

In our house, we trim the fat on the rare occasion we eat red meat.  We use dairy sparingly.  We always take the skin off of poultry before cooking.  The one and only exception to that rule is the Thanksgiving turkey.  I do eat the turkey - skin and all (it's just one day out of the year). 

We never buy anything that says trans fat!

Other fats to avoid as much as possible are the omega-6 fatty acids.  These include:

1.  Vegetable oil
2.  Sunflower Seed oil
3.  Canola oil
4.  Palm oil

This is why reading labels is so important! 

Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.  These fats help get rid of the LDL ("lousy") cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing arterial blockages.  I have chosen to take fish oil capsules to ensure I get the omega-3 fatty acids.  Again, read labels to make sure what you're eating is good for your health.

Your liver makes a fat-like substance naturally called cholesterol.  Since your body is so smart, you only need about 200 mg. per day through diet, or else the risk of coronary artery disease increases.  Remember your A-B-C's?  The "C" is - cholesterol.  This is one of the "markers" your doctor pays close attention to!

For good diabetes management, even good fats should be eaten in small quantities.  All fats, whether good or bad, contain more than twice as many calories per gram as either carbohydrates or protein.  

Here's the happy fat list - monounsaturated fats are found in:

1.  Olive oil
2.  Seeds
3.  Nuts
4.  Avocados

Polyunsaturated fats are found in:

1.  Corn oil
2.  Cottonseed oil
3.  Safflower oil
4.  Soybean oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in:

1.  Fish
2.  Soybean products
3.  Walnuts
4.  Flaxseeds

The jury is in regarding coconut oil - and it is good news!  It's been said that coconut oil is not good for the heart because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats.  Coconut oil is actually beneficial for the heart since it contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure!  In some cases, it has been known to actually lower LDL levels!  It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis. 

As well as being a great anti-inflammatory, coconut oil has also been used to reduce weight, normalize digestion, strengthen immunity and heal infections on the skin.   

Coconut oil helps our body to absorb important minerals, so it is good for bones.  Coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body and stops tooth decay.

One thing about coconut oil - it has a high melting point, therefore, it is solid at room temperature and melts only when the temperatures go high.  If you buy a bottle of coconut oil and find it solid, don't think there's something wrong with it.  Also, you should not store it in the refrigerator.  Store it in the pantry.

It's great how just a few minor adjustments in your diet can make a huge impact on your health! 

Here's a true buffet line story!  My article is entitled, "Help!  I Need a Map to Navigate the Buffet Line!"  It wasn't funny at the time, but in retrospect, it's pretty comical!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Help!-I-Need-A-Map-To-Navigate-The-Buffet-Line!&id=7122352



Today is MAKE A FRIEND DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you have not "friended" someone for a long while on facebook, today may be a good time to make a new friend!  You could actually go out into the world and meet someone face to face too - wow - what a concept!

 

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