WHY WE NEED TO EAT GOOD FATS IN OUR DIET

[Guest guest]

WHY WE NEED TO EAT GOOD FATS IN OUR DIET

 

Here is a very important article I am forwarding to the group showing

why it is important to have good fats in our diet; and be mindful of what we

eat.

 

I use ground flax seeds, flax seed oil, (those with IBS stick with the

flax seed oil) extra virgin olive oil, ghee, and fish oil capsules. Some of

course, will not want to use fish oil capsules. If anyone else use other kinds

of good fats and want to make a comment on this article, please post and share!

 

The author is Dr.

Nancy Tice, a psychiatrist with extensive experience furnishing medical

information and writing articles for online services. She did her medical

training at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She moderates

her own support group called " Rx for Success, " writes articles for

the eDiets newsletters.

 

Triglycerides: What You Need To Know

 

If you've ever had

the cholesterol levels in your blood checked, you probably had another type of

blood fat measured right along with them: your triglycerides (tri-GLIS'er-ídz).

New research shows that triglycerides can be a potent, but controllable, risk

factor for stroke and heart disease.

Triglycerides are fatty substances made by the body

from the fat in food (and sometimes from sugars). Triglycerides are carried in

the blood and stored in the body as fatty tissue. Some triglycerides are also

made in the liver. Triglycerides in plasma are derived from fats eaten in foods

or made in the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates.

Calories ingested in a meal and not used immediately

by tissues are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be

stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue, so they

meet the body's needs for energy between meals. If there isn't enough fat in

your diet, your body will make the carbohydrate " sugars " into

triglycerides for long-term storage in the fleshy places in your body and your

coronary arteries.

Excess triglycerides in plasma are called

hypertriglyceridemia. Elevated triglycerides may be a consequence of other

disease, such as untreated diabetes mellitus. Cardiovascular experts now know

that high levels of triglycerides can trigger a heart attack or stroke -- even

if your cholesterol levels are normal. Having high levels of triglycerides

appears to be even riskier for women than for men.

At healthy levels, triglycerides fuel your muscles.

But extra triglycerides -- the ones your muscles didn't burn because you didn't

have time for a walk yesterday -- are thriftily stored as fat. Yesterday's cake

may really be padding your hips today: Most triglycerides hit the bloodstream 3

to 6 hours after a meal and are burned or stored within 10 to 12 hours.

The problem is extra triglycerides can cause blood

vessel walls to become clogged with fat. If that fat bursts into the bloodstream,

it can set off blood clots that kill heart muscle and stop blood flow to parts

of the brain. In addition, high levels of triglycerides are often part of a

cluster of health problems called metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X. It

includes low HDLs, high blood pressure, early or full-blown diabetes and

abdominal obesity. Research suggests that nearly one in four adult women has

syndrome X -- but doesn't know it!

What can make triglyceride

levels soar?

 

Weight Gain. Extra

weight is the prime cause of high levels of triglycerides. Overweight people

produce too many triglycerides, and their bodies burn them and store them too

slowly. Your body converts fat and some carbohydrates into triglycerides, which

are a major energy source burned to power muscles. Fruits, veggies and whole

grains (unrefined carbohydrates) do not jack up triglyceride levels the way

white bread, pasta, cakes and cookies can. We are not certain why refined

carbohydrates boost triglycerides, but they seem to hit the liver like a

bullet, turning into triglycerides more quickly.

Genetics. While the vast majority of causes of high

triglycerides and blood cholesterol are not genetic, some cases may be due to a

genetic disorder affecting liver function. Individuals who are diagnosed with

particularly high levels of either of these fats should encourage genetically

related family members to undergo testing for liver dysfunction. Of those

individuals with high levels of these fats, an estimated one out of 500 has a

genetic basis for their condition.

Age. After about age 40, we produce less of an

enzyme that helps break down triglycerides. Women are more at risk for high

triglycerides after menopause, when they gain weight around the middle. At the

same time, as women age, levels of heart-protective estrogens start to decline,

while LDL and triglyceride levels rise.

Medications. Oral estrogen, some blood pressure medicines

such as beta blockers and diuretics, some acne medicines such as Accutane,

corticosteroids or anti-inflammatory drugs and bile acid sequestrants (a class

of drugs used to treat high cholesterol) can all raise triglycerides.

What should your level be? Normal is less than

150mg/dL. Borderline high is 150mg/dL, High is 200-499 and very high is

anything over 500mg/dL. These are based on fasting triglyceride levels.

Changes in lifestyle habits are the main therapy for

hypertriglyceridemia. These are the changes you need to make:

· If

you're overweight, cut down on calories to reach your ideal body weight. This includes all sources of calories, from

fats to proteins to carbohydrates to alcohol.

· Reduce

the saturated fat and cholesterol content of your diet.

· Reduce

your intake of alcohol considerably. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to

large changes in plasma triglyceride levels.

· Be

physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days each week.

· People

with high triglycerides may need to substitute monounsaturated and

polyunsaturated fats -- such as those found in canola oil, olive oil or liquid

margarine -- for saturated fats. Substituting carbohydrates for fats may raise

triglyceride levels and may decrease HDL ( " good " ) cholesterol in some

people.

·

Substitute fish high in omega-3 fatty acids instead of meats that are

high in saturated fat like hamburger. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout,

herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Triglycerides:

What You Need To Know

 

If 2 to 3 months of diet and exercise don't

significantly drop your triglycerides, talk with your doctor about these

medications:

Statins. Commonly prescribed when both LDLs and

triglycerides are elevated, statins can drop triglyceride levels as much as 32

percent.

Fibrates. They're often prescribed just to target high

triglycerides. They include gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S) and

fenofibrate (Tricor).

Prescription-only niacin. Nicotinic acid lowers triglycerides and can

also increase HDLs. Because other risk factors for coronary artery disease

multiply the hazard from hyperlipidemia, control high blood pressure and avoid

cigarette smoking. If drugs are used to treat hypertriglyceridemia, dietary

management and exercise is still important.