Posts Tagged ‘trans fat’

Dietary fats and Oil

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Since many years now, people have been relying extensively on pills and dietary supplements in order to keep up good health. Although they are quite helpful, one needs to be very careful when selecting them for use. In the first place, the type of dietary supplements or pill being selected for certain person is something that needs great consideration and is of great importance. Secondly, the purpose for which it is being taken also needs to be taken into account. There are different supplements to overcome certain deficiencies or fight back disadvantageous part of a tendency.

For nails, there would be a different pill while for skin there would be a different pill. Similarly, there are dietary supplements available for obesity. These have been used popularly since many years now. The development of medical science and culinary expertise has brought dietary fats and oils, which is one of the man kinds of dietary supplements, largely available into the market. Pills might be more commonly available made up of dietary oils while fats could be found more commonly in the form of food that we eat.

However, it is also possible to find supplements and pills for dietary fats. By selecting the right kind of treatment and taking in the right amount of dosage, one can easily get on the diet plan that would lead to better health and happiness.

Dietary oils such as cod level oil are extensively found in various types of supplements and so are the other essential oils. Other types of popularly consumed oils are the safflower oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). These oils have many advantages the majorly known of which are maintenance of a good internal health which means, fresh skin and healthy hair and nails and a very good day.

Obese women with diabetes type 2, who consumed safflower oil and/or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), have been found to be extremely successful in decreasing the mass index of their bodies which was highly important for them and also in increasing the muscle mass, which is again, a very good sign. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is immensely important for normal growth and a good health. They form a part of the nervous system as well as the brain, provide long lasting energy, help one feel full after the meal has been eaten and hence help prevent over-eating and carry vitamins throughout the body. Moreover, they create more hormones inside the body, form cell membranes for every cell in the body and keep the person warm by maintaining the body temperature. The best advantage however, that dietary fats have provided to mankind is the two extremely important fatty acids that the human body can not produce naturally. These are linoleic acid and linolenic acid.

Dietary fats are of three different types namely, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and trans fat. Most foods have a good natural balance of all three kinds of these fats but there are some food sources that are considered better for each kind. Monounsaturated fat is good for heart, decreases bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. It can be consumed through almonds, cashews, avocados, hazelnuts, canola oil, peanut oil, olive oil, peanut oil and sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fat is also heart healthy and has many health benefits. It contains linolenic acid as well as linoleic acid which is also known as Omega-3 fat and is very good for health. Polyunsaturated fat controls blood pressures, enhances the response of the immune system and stops blood clotting. It can be best gotten from tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, walnuts, herring, flaxseeds, soybeans, sardines, pine nuts, sesame seeds, pin nuts as well as oils such as sunflower oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil and corn oil. Omega-3 fat is fairly obtainable from legumes, sardines, tuna, lake trout, tofu, flaxseeds, canola oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, halibut, mackerel, soynuts and soybeans and leafy vegetables (mostly greens). Trans fat is manufactured artificially and are considered better choice over saturated fats. It can be found in fast food, donuts, muffins, fried foods, cookies, shortening, margarine and crackers. Also known as animal fat, saturated fat comes originally from animals but is also found in oils, seeds, avocados and nuts. They can be consumed through butter, lard, canola oil, eggs, skim milk, cream, canola oil, ice-cream, cheese, whole meat, poultry skin, palm, palm kernel oil or red meat. All these fats can also be taken through dietary fats and oil supplements.

Although nutritionists can help maintain a healthy diet and give better advices, it is a good idea to consume 30% of the food each day that contains fat. If not through food, dietary fats and oils are widely available as supplements to be bought and put to use. A doctor’s prescription however is always recommended before the course starts.

[Your Quick Guide to Protein Bars]

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Protein bars can be used as food supplement or replacement. Depending on your needs, you can depend on these bars to help you meet daily protein needs or take them to provide all the protein you need. In content, protein bars have a high proportion of protein(s), a low carbohydrate and low fat content. There are variations in the contents of protein bars. Apart from the sweeteners and other addictives, some bars also pack essential minerals and vitamins.

For those who are counting calories, the best protein bars are those with high protein, low carbohydrate and low calories. People on diets often use these bars as meal replacements. It is possible for such people to eat power crunch bars too. These are energy bars with high protein and moderate carbohydrate with minerals and vitamins to provide a balanced nutrition.

Those trying to gain muscles are less finicky about the amount of carbohydrate in their protein bars. They can take a power crunch bar with a high protein content as well as carbohydrate. The proteins will help them add muscles while the carbohydrate will afford them endurance during workouts.

Regarding the protein in these bars, the three types found in most are whey protein, milk protein and soy protein. While some will argue for the importance of one kind over the others, the truth is that the best protein bars are those containing all three protein types. Power crunch bars with blends of these three types of protein are always better than those packing only one kind. The obvious reason for this is the total nutritional value of having all three types. Take whey protein for instance: its benefits include reducing undue food cravings, lowering blood pressure and assisting glucose regulation. These are obvious benefits for everyone hoping to avoid or manage hypertension and diabetes. Milk protein, on the other hand, is known to increase lean muscle mass and reduce total body fat. This is a big attraction not only for athletes and people working out but also for everyone hoping to stay fit and healthy. Lastly, soy protein has been shown to reduce damaging triglycerides and cholesterols and so protect against heart disease.

You can see then how the protein types present in these bars provide different health benefits. It isn’t difficult to know from these benefits that the best value can be had from those bars combining all three protein types. Proteins are, however, not the whole story about protein bars. Equally important in your consideration should be the other contents. Apart from proteins, carbohydrates and fats are the other major contents you need to look out for. These will ultimately affect the total health benefit you get from protein bars.

Power bars high in sugar content are ideal for those not too concerned about gaining weight, those who actually require bursts of energy to go with their protein bars to help them in whatever kind of physical activities they perform. For everyone else, the best protein bars are those with low sugar content. Plain sugar is not all you need to look out for. You should also consider that addictives such as corn syrup and fructose are also carbohydrates. Similarly sugar alcohols such as mannitol, xylitol and sorbitol may not be as filling as sugar but in high proportion may cause bloating, muscle cramps and diarrhea.

Generally saturated and trans fat should be avoided in protein bars when they make up significant percentage of the total content. Dietary fats are preferred especially for those eating these bars to help with weight loss.

One other thing to look out for in protein bars is fiber. Apart from the immediate health benefits of fiber and its helping your digestion, it also gives you a lasting filling impression, therefore, helping to reduce your craving for fast food and leading to desired weight loss.

Lastly, look out for the stated calories for your protein bars. Some power crunch bars are targeted at bodybuilders and these pack as high as 500 calories. If you are counting calories, this will not help you lose weight. Rather look out for protein bars with calories labeled below 200.

There are other things to consider in your protein bar too. For all your knowing how to read the labels well and how to weigh the relative proportion and types of proteins, sugars and fats, it is still important to know how the protein bar tastes and makes you feel. It goes without saying that the bars that will be most helpful are the ones you will actually regularly take. How often you eat a protein bar will largely depend on how well you like the taste and how good you feel after eating it.

In conclusion, remember that protein or power crunch bars are not magic bullets. Their effects will only be seen when combined with a healthy lifestyle (balanced diet and regular exercise). Protein bars will not make you lose weight overnight and neither will they make you gain muscle mass breezily but they will go a long way to maximize your efforts and help you all the way.

Source: imedmart.com