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Total fats and saturated fats are important concepts to remember.
It is these items which will drive the metabolism of all fats
including cholesterol.
Saturated fats are found in high quantities in foods of animal
origin. These are converted to cholesterol by the liver, and should
not be over-indulged in. These fats are solid at room temperature.
"Polyunsaturated" fats are generally from non-meat sources,
and are better for you. However, while they do lower the bad cholesterol,
they also tend to lower the good cholesterol. These fats are liquid
at room temperature.
"Monounsaturated" fats not only lower the bad cholesterol,
but tend to increase the good cholesterol.
Saturated fats are often high in foods that are high in cholesterol.
Foods that are low in cholesterol can be very high in saturated
fats, and therefore the label of "No Cholesterol" does
not mean the food is OK . . . check the saturated fat content.
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture, as well as Health and Human
Services has recommended the following for healthy Americans (Step
1 diet):
Total fats: less than 30% of total calories
-Saturated fats: less than 10% of total calories
-Monounsaturated: less than 15% of total calories
-Polyunsaturated: less than 10% of total calories
Cholesterol: less than 300 mg daily
First of all, you have to figure your calories to figure your
fat intake. Your daily caloric intake to maintain your weight,
depending on your activity, is:
Sedentary or inactive: Your current weight in pounds multiplied
by 12.
Moderately active. Weight in pounds multiplied by 14.
Very active: Weight in pounds multiplied by 16 to 18
Don’t reward yourself for being overweight if you are. Use
your ideal weight.
Let’s say you weigh 150 pounds, are moderately active,
and are on a Step 1 diet. Your calorie intake should be 150 X
12 = 1800 calories. You can have 30% of your calories as fat,
or about 540 calories a day. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories,
so 540 divided by 9 = 60 grams of fat. That’s really quite
a bit.
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