Week 6 Challenge - 12 Steps to Fitness

This week's Challenge is going to be Balancing the Fat!

It is important to understand that you do need fat in your diet. But the real question is how much? The recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet, suggest 30% of those calories come from fat. So if you take 2000 and multiply it by .30 we will see that 600 of those daily calories need to come from fat. Seems like a lot, right? Here is the real misleading thing about fat. When it comes to calories - protein, carbohydrates and fat are not all created equally. As a matter of fact, by comparison in weight we can see the difference.

• 1 gram of protein = approximately 4 calories
• 1 gram of carbohydrates = approximately 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat = approximately 9 calories

That's why you should exercise caution when eating fat...those calories can really add up with very little eaten. So be extra careful about eating those foods high in fat because you may be getting more than you bargained for.

Also it's good to remember all fat isn't created equally either.

Saturated fat (bad fat) are those fats that you would normally find in animal products and processed foods like meat, eggs, dairy products, cookies, donuts, chips, etc. At room temperature, the fat in these items will turn to a solid state. These are referred to the "bad fats" that are proven to raise your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Unsaturated fat (good fat) are those fats you will find in foods like fish, nuts, avocados and olives. At room temperature the fat in these items will remain liquid. These are referred to as the "heart-healthy fats" that actually have the ability to lower your LDL cholesterol and increase your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

While an over excess of saturated fats can have unhealthy consequences, it is important to know that you still need a balance of both saturated and unsaturated fats in order for the body to function at optimum performance levels. Saturated fats help regulate fluidity of cellular membranes. If they are not available, the membranes will become too fluid prompting the body to produce more cholesterol in order to stiffen the membranes, which inadvertently can actually increase cholesterol levels.

Unsaturated fats are used to promote cardiovascular health. That is why these are promoted as "heart-healthy fats". These fats can actually lower your blood pressure if used in place of the saturated fats. There a two types of unsaturated fats:

Monounsaturated fats: olive oil, canola oil
Polyunsaturated fats: fish, safflower, sunflower, corn and soybeans

The most nutritional worst of fats is the "hydrogentated fat". You definitely need to watch those food labels for this guy. This is where unsaturated fats are pressed with hydrogen. It allows the unsaturated fat to be stored at a solid state. This is how they take vegetable oil and turn it into margarine. Basically it was a way for manufacturers to produce goods that were cheaper and had a longer shelf life. But the bad news is these fats are processed by the body like saturated fats and can actually raise your cholesterol levels. So consumers pay a much higher price in the long run. My advice...avoid foods that say "hydrogentated" or "partially hydrogentated."

The right balance of fat in our diets is necessary to promote energy, healthy cells, brain power, absorption of vitamins, making of hormones, healthier skin and to provide cushion and protection for our vital organs.

It isn't that we need a low-fat diet as much as we need a "balance-fat diet". About 10% of the 30% of recommended daily allowances of fat needs to come from saturated fat and the other 20% need to come from unsaturated fats.

So for a quick recap:

Unsaturated Fat - Heart Healthy Fat

20% of your daily caloric intake needs to come from foods such as:

• Flax seed
• Fish (cold water like tuna and salmon)
• Seeds or Nuts
• Canola oil
• Olive oil
• All Natural Peanut Butter
• Hummus (made with Tahini Sauce)
• Wheat germ

Saturated Fats - Membrane Builders

10 % of your daily caloric intake needs to come from foods such as:

• Yogurt
• 1%-2% Milk
• Eggs
• Lean Meats (sirloin, chicken, turkey)
• Cocoa Butter

Hydrogentated Fats - Frankenstein of Fats

Eliminate these fats for a healthier YOU! Time to say "buh-bye" to foods like:

• Cookies
• French Fries
• Shortening
• Doughnuts
• Potato chips
• Candy bars
• Margarine

So basically, if you are doing a 1400 calorie a day nutrition plan, approximately 420 calories need to come from fat (140 calories saturated and 280 calories unsaturated). This breaks down to about 46.67 grams a day (15.56 grams saturated and 31.11 grams unsaturated). Time to read those labels! Good luck with Week 6!

Let's get ready to BRING IT!!!