The Top Five Fat Myths Busted by Dr. Susan Mitchell, Ph.D., RD, FADA (NAPSA)—For years, people have been advised to cut fat out of their diets, but now, guidelines from the American Heart AssoF ciation have been revised to recom- mend that the right yaa / PL type of fats can play an important role in {a healthy diet. = S| Here are five fat =“) myths and the facts Dr. Mitchell to help clear up the —— confusion: Myth # 1. Eating fat makes you fat. Because fat has more calories per gram than the two other nutrients that contribute calories (protein and carbohydrate), some people think eating fat will make you fat. However,if you are concerned about maintaining or losing weight, it’s the total numberof calories you eat every day that will impact your waistline. a Myth #2, The amount / of fat is more important than the type of fat. Researchers now recognize that the amountof fat should no longer be seen as the main factor in preventing heart disease. Instead, the type of fat consumed is most important. Health benefits are seen when “bad” fats—trans and saturated fats—are replaced with mono- and polyunsaturated fats, also knownas “good”fats. The key is to not add fats to the diet; rather, substitute “bad” fats with “good”fats. Myth # 3. Baked is better. Baked chips are often recom- mended because they tend to be lowerin fat. So if you are looking to lower fat intake, baked products may be a good option; however, baked doesn’t necessarily mean they are significantly lowerin calo- ries. At the same time, fried chips can have some nutritional value depending on the oil used. For example, Frito-Lay cooks all its snack chips in sunfloweror cornoil, | i eee) en Choose snacks made with a heart-healthy oil such as corn or sunflower oil. which are high in the “good” mono- and polyunsaturated fats, low in saturated fat and have 0 grams of trans fat. These “good” fats can have heart-health benefits. Myth # 4. Olive oil is the only good oil. While olive oil has received a great deal of attention, there are a numberof oils that are high in “good” fats and low in “bad” fats. Corn, sun- flower andcanola oils are not only higher in “good”fats, they are also lower in saturated fat and contain 0 grams oftransfat. Myth #5. You only need to worry about transfat. Trans fat is proven to have a detrimental effect on your health, but intakes of saturated fat should also be limited. Although food companies are removing trans fat from their products, they don’t always replace “bad” fats with “good” fats. Check nutrition labels for 0 trans fat, but also make sure there aren’t any oils high in saturated fats, such as coconut and palm kerneloil. Dr. Mitchell serves on the health and medical advisory board of Family Circle magazine and is co-author of three books: “Fat Is Not Your Fate,” “I'd Kill for a Cookie” and “Eat to Stay Young.”
