The science and knowledge of the types of fat in our diet has grown significantly over the past 40 to 50 years. But unfortunately, our waistlines have also gotten bigger and we now find ourselves in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
How did we get here?
One of the explanations posed by Steve Aldana is that we have replaced some of our dietary intake of fats with higher calorie sugars and proteins. He notes that 40 years ago, the American diet had a 45% daily caloric intake of fatty foods and today we have decreased our intake of fats to 32% of our daily calories. High calorie foods rich in carbohydrates are easily accessible and relatively inexpensive – and people have increased their serving sizes of these foods. The increased obesity today is partly due to replacement of some fats in our diet with higher caloric foods so the net daily calorie intake has actually increased by over 100 calories per day.
I can easily relate to his story (see “Inside the Aldana Home” on page 97) of a fat laden menu when he was growing up in Idaho. I could tell a very similar story about eating eggs, bacon, and homemade tortillas (made with animal lard) on a daily basis as I grew up on a small farm in Ohio. Aldana appropriately notes that many of our food preferences come from our cultural and family upbringing.
It’s important to note the impact on our health that dietary fats play over time. Good fats or oils like monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats actually help us lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the healthy cholesterol (HDL). This group includes monounsaturated fats like olive oil, almonds and nuts and polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil and fish. The book gives some great examples and shows how we can replace the bad saturated fats (ice cream, cheese, etc.) and ugly trans-fats (French fries, baked goods, margarine) with a more balanced approach, where we can swap for the good fats instead.
This section of the book also shares some great studies of how women have decreased their risk of heart disease over time by eating healthier fats and improving daily exercise. These results were published by a Harvard professor in the Nurses Health Study in 1977. Additional studies have shown that people who have a Mediterranean style diet that is high in plant oils also have a 34% reduction in heart disease and a 16% reduction in diabetes. Another risk associated with fats from animal sources such as red meat, is colon cancer. If you read on however, you learn that exercise is the best way to reduce the incidence of colon cancer.
The next time you have a craving for bad or ugly fats, just reach for some almonds or walnuts instead. Or better yet, just go for a nice walk.
Dr. Tony Linares
