Eating Foods That are Low in Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are animal fats. They are found in meats,
in dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream, and in some kinds of
cooking oils, such as lard. We have known for a long time that when you
eat a lot of saturated fats your cholesterol and triglycerides tend to
go up. When your cholesterol is high, you are at a higher risk of developing
hardening of the arteries and getting heart attacks and strokes. When you
have diabetes, you are especially prone to developing heart attacks and
strokes, so you should do everything you can do to lower your risk of heart
disease, and following a low saturated fat diet is very important. Also,
if you tend to have high triglycerides
(fats in the blood), then following a low-fat diet will help bring your
triglycerides back down.
Not all fats are the same, though. Saturated fats are
bad for you, but
monounsaturated fats, in moderation, seem to be
good for you. Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, and nut
oils. If you cut out the saturated fats in your diet and replace them with
monounsaturated fats, you can avoid filling up on carbohydrates. As you
will learn below, carbohydrates are hard on your blood-sugar levels. Talk
to your doctor or your nutritionist about how to integrate foods with monounsaturated
fats into your diet.
Eating Foods That are Balanced or Low in Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches. Examples of carbohydrates
are: pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, yellow vegetables, sugars, fruit, fruit
juice, baked goods, and regular sodas. You can tell how much carbohydrate
is in a food by reading the label. When you eat any kind of carbohydrate,
your stomach and intestine turn them into simple sugars. In other words,
all carbohydrates are eventually turned into sugar.
