Question

Discussion 5 - Controversy 5: Is Butter Really Back? The Lipid Guidelines Debate Using the information found at the end of Chapter 5 about the Controversy: Is Butter Really Back? The Lipid Guidelines Debate. Read first the content in the book, supplement the reading with the power point that emphasizes the main points of the controversy. Then, write a 200-250 word response of the controversy.

The Dietary guidelines for Americans had been emphasizing for decades on the importance of low fat eating. Great changes have been made in the production, and manufacturing of foods, and families have tried new low fat recipes, and lower their overall fat composition. But there is this new debate: besides all of the efforts to cut fat in the American diet, the efforts have been unsuccessful, and people have switched to add more sugar to their diets in order to keep the flavor that fats provided. So, do we need to go back to use more butter to cook, and manufacture foods, and snacks? Or, do we need to continue decreasing the amount of fat in our diets in order to decrease the risk for chronic diseases, especially for cardiovascular disease? In this context, while preparing your response keep in mind the following:

1. If fats are bad for people, why do we keep eating them? And, if fats are bad for people, what can we do in order to decrease the daily consumption of fat?

2. In your opinion, is the use of olive oil a good solution to start consuming healthier fats? And, about the use of fat substitutes such as apple sauce for baking? What do you do personally in order to have a low-fat diet?

3. What kind of lifestyle changes can be done in the U.S. population in order to decrease or, use in moderation the amount of fat in the diet, fast food restaurants, and snacks?

4. Application: share your own experience of trying to eat low fat and/or eating healthier in general. What kind of lifestyle changes have you had to make in order to eat healthy?

Answer 1

Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the unhealthy fats, along with trans fat. These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat.

Too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to heart disease and other health problems.

Even though fats are bad for health, people keep on using it as the body needs healthy fats for energy and other functions. A person should get no more than 25% to 30% of your daily calories from fats so fats are taken on a necessary basis even though it can cause disease at higher levels.

To reduce the intake of fat the following steps can be followed :

• Eat more fruits and vegetables.

• Eat more fish and chicken. Substitute ground turkey or chicken for ground beef. Remove the skin from chicken before cooking.

• Eat leaner cuts of beef and pork, and trim as much visible fat as possible before cooking.

• Bake, broil, or grill meats; avoid frying. Avoid breaded meats and vegetables.

• Use fat-free or reduced-fat milk instead of whole milk. Instead of sour cream, try nonfat plain yogurt or a blend of yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. Use low-fat cheeses.

• In recipes, use two egg whites instead of one whole egg.

• Avoid cream and cheese sauces, or make recipes with low-fat milk and cheese.

• Instead of chips, snack on pretzels or unbuttered popcorn.

• Limit hydrogenated fats (shortening, lard) and animal fats (butter, cream) if you can. Use liquid oils, particularly canola, olive, safflower, or sunflower.

• Read the nutrition labels on all products. Many “fat-free” products are very high in carbohydrates, which can raise your triglyceride levels.

• Compare the fat content of similar products. Do not be misled by terms like “light” and “lite.”

• When eating in a restaurant, ask that the sauces and dressings be served on the side.

• Look for hidden fat. For example, refried beans may contain lard, or breakfast cereals may have significant amounts of fat.

• . Try cooking with herbs, spices, lemon juice, etc., instead of butter or margarine.

2.Olive oil is one of the richest plant sources of MUFAs, and consuming it can help you meet your needs of this type of fat. MUFAs are especially beneficial for heart health and may help reduce your risk of heart disease. Drinking a couple of tablespoons of olive oil daily could help you meet the recommended amount of this fat if you get insufficient amounts from your diet.so in my opinion Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and has several health benefits, making it a healthy addition to a balanced diet when consumed in moderation. Regularly consuming olive oil can help you reach the recommended intake for healthy fats and may benefit your overall health.

Substituting applesauce for oil or butter not only reduces calories and fat, it adds flavor, moisture, nutrients and fiber. To have a low-fat fat diet, Eat plenty of plant foods (such as whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables) and a moderate amount of lean and low-fat, animal-based food (meat and dairy products) to help control your fat, cholesterol, carbs, and calories.

3. Eating a healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast — one that includes protein, whole grains and fruit — will help keep your insulin level steady all morning and prevent you from overeating later on. Drinking more water than other beverages, juices and other liquids Consuming fruits and veggies which really antioxidant-rich foods can also result in weight loss even when you're not trying to drop pounds by reducing fat. Omitting dairy products can also help the moderation of amount of fat in diet.

4.In my own experience I have tried to eat low carbs diet with less fat for 4 weeks and got to lose a weight of 6 kg. The steps I followed are by having a protein and fiber rich diet in the meals. Moreover I increased my uptake of water and Green tea to increase the hydration and antioxidants in my body. I omitted using diary products and replaced it with protein rich egg and bacon. Also I used olive oil instead of other oils which helped in attaining my goal fast.