- Understand what “good” fats do. The body uses these substances for many functions, including creating energy, maintaining cells, transporting vitamins and creating hormone-like compounds that help regulate blood pressure and heart rate. Healthy fats also can help lower bad cholesterol levels.
- Go for monounsaturated fats … Good food sources include olive oil, fish oil, avocados and olives – yes, fruits can contain healthy fats – and most nuts.
- Polyunsaturated fats … Soybeans, whole-grain wheat and vegetable oils, including corn, saffron, sunflower and soy, contain these fats.
- … and omega-3 fatty acids. These types of polyunsaturated fats appear to lower the risk of coronary artery disease and may guard against irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure. Go for salmon, herring, flaxseeds, walnuts and leafy green vegetables.
- Limit trans and saturated fats. Trans fats are common in commercial baked goods such as crackers and cookies, as well as in fried foods like doughnuts. Saturated fats are most often found in animal products (full-fat dairy and red meat), partially-hydrogenated oils such as Crisco and coconut, palm and other tropical oils.
- Use moderation. All types of fat are high in calories, so keep portions small. A handful of nuts – roughly 25 almonds, for example – is all you need for a snack. If you’re cooking with olive oil, spray a small amount into a non-stick pan or lightly brush the oil onto meat, fish or vegetables before grilling.
- Eat well and exercise. Weight gain doesn’t come from fat (or carbohydrates) per se – it comes from too many calories overall and not enough activity.
Did you happen to catch the news story about the Girl Scout from Michigan who sold 17,328 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies? She was rewarded with a 10-day trip to Europe for her and her Troop, as well as an appearance on the Today show and other national media coverage. But, why is no one talking about the implications of her actions?
Granted, we shouldn’t hold the young entrepreneur responsible for the weakness of her customers. But, for simplicity sake, let’s say she sold all of one type of cookie – the Lemonades iced lemon shortbread cookies. Her record sales would equal the following:
- Calories – 20,793,600
- Fat – 970,368 grams
- Saturated Fat – 554,496 grams
- Sugar – 1,247,616 grams
Well at least there’s no trans fat, right? Well, the good old USDA allows food manufacturers to state that their serving has zero grams of trans fats if it contains less than 0.5 grams – so technically, a box could have as much as 3.92 grams of trans fat without copping to it! Which means that these staggering numbers could include 67,926 grams of trans fats!
For full disclosure, yes I did buy boxes of cookies from my niece, and yes the Girl Scouts do sell dried fruit and nut mixes as well, but…
- My wife and I are able to control our consumption of junk food
- Dried fruit mixes have their own issues (preservatives, etc.)
- My wife has the kind of meatbolism that lets her eat whatever she wants
If 75% of Americans can now be classified as Overweight or Obese, I’m guessing most of those cookies will be consumed sooner rather than later.
Maybe it’s time for the Girl Scouts to find a different way to raise money – how about selling real fruit or gym memberships…if they truly care about the girls’ futures.
