- Mar. 3, 2006
- The scoop on low-fat
Recently one of the largest, well-designed health studies for women revealed some astonishing news: "Eating a low-fat diet does not appear to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or cardiovascular disease."
The news story headlines such as “Low Fat Diet – Big Fat Farce” may leave you feeling as though this is your free pass to a daily fat food frenzy! Think again. This study started in the 1990’s before we knew about other important considerations:
• Type of fat
• Amount of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and omega-s fatty acids in the diet
• Amount of exercise
Today, we also know a little bit more about genetics. Some genotypes can tolerate more fat in their daily meals than others.
Fat-free foods are something I've never been a fan of because many people just overeat them. Besides, they don’t often taste very good.
There's not only more room for more fat in the diet there's also a physiological need, especially for healthy fats—those coming from plants and those dishing out omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts and flaxseed.
Here at Clif Bar & Co., we've always allowed for the moderate amounts of fat in our products because we believe fat has a place in a healthy diet. There's even room for butter and whole milk if you prefer it.
So, all you hard-core fat intake watchers out there can chill a bit, but for those of you who lean to the fried side, don’t go overboard.
In light of this news, you can:
• Replace most of your fats with plant fats from nuts, seeds, peanut oil, olive oil, nut butters, etc. These monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol.
• Eat within your calorie needs. Eating more total calories than your body needs can lead to health concerns.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. They contain more nutrients than you know.
• Drink 1% or 2% milk if you prefer it over fat-free.
• Recognize fat-free foods aren't necessary if your portions are under control. If you're going to have 1/2 cup, go for the tastiest bites!
And... if you're doing all this things... don't stress if you want a hamburger and fries on occasion.
The news story headlines such as “Low Fat Diet – Big Fat Farce” may leave you feeling as though this is your free pass to a daily fat food frenzy! Think again. This study started in the 1990’s before we knew about other important considerations:
• Type of fat
• Amount of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and omega-s fatty acids in the diet
• Amount of exercise
Today, we also know a little bit more about genetics. Some genotypes can tolerate more fat in their daily meals than others.
Fat-free foods are something I've never been a fan of because many people just overeat them. Besides, they don’t often taste very good.
There's not only more room for more fat in the diet there's also a physiological need, especially for healthy fats—those coming from plants and those dishing out omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts and flaxseed.
Here at Clif Bar & Co., we've always allowed for the moderate amounts of fat in our products because we believe fat has a place in a healthy diet. There's even room for butter and whole milk if you prefer it.
So, all you hard-core fat intake watchers out there can chill a bit, but for those of you who lean to the fried side, don’t go overboard.
In light of this news, you can:
• Replace most of your fats with plant fats from nuts, seeds, peanut oil, olive oil, nut butters, etc. These monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol.
• Eat within your calorie needs. Eating more total calories than your body needs can lead to health concerns.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. They contain more nutrients than you know.
• Drink 1% or 2% milk if you prefer it over fat-free.
• Recognize fat-free foods aren't necessary if your portions are under control. If you're going to have 1/2 cup, go for the tastiest bites!
And... if you're doing all this things... don't stress if you want a hamburger and fries on occasion.
- Posted by:
- Tara, the RD
- Category:
- Food Matters
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