Hello UnDieters!
I hope you are enjoying the first day of May...
In Week 12, I talked to you about cleaning up the oils in your kitchen to ensure that you are eating healthful, anti-inflammatory oils. When it comes to healthy eating, quality is vital but quantity also counts when it comes to watching your waist line. I am not talking about trying to eat a low fat diet but I am a fan of watching the amounts of added fats in your diet. When it comes to oils and fats, a little goes a long way for health!
While whole food sources of fat like nuts, seeds and avocado are high in calories they also help to fill you up as you eat. However, that splash of olive oil in the pan doesn't do much to sate your hunger so an overly generous pour could set you up for extra calories (and extra pounds).
So this week, it is time to get out your measuring utensils once more. Whenever you are cooking or adding oils this week, measure them out instead of eyeballing them. I would aim for no more than 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of added oil per serving. A teaspoon of oil has 5 grams of fat and 40 calories, which is a great boost: enough to provide fat to carry flavour in your food, add texture and help you absorb all the fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants in your food without getting too high in calories. For salad dressing, a typical serving size is 1 tablespoon because it is not all oils.
To your health!
Desiree
Showing posts with label oils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oils. Show all posts
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
UnDiet...Week 12
Hello UnDieters!
March 21st is the first day of spring, so why not celebrate with a bit of spring cleaning? This week is your first cupboard clean up assignment: it's time for an oil change. You do it for your car...but what about your body? The days of low fat, high sugar living are over but you can't afford to overlook the quality of the oils you put into your body.
Why? Dietary fats have a multitude of influences on your health. Fats are incorporated into the membranes for all of your cells and can deliver a glow to your skin. The oils we eat can help raise or lower your cholesterol; they can deliver important fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants to help improve our health and they can cause or calm inflammation. Just as important, fats help carry flavour and provide a wonderful texture to the foods you eat.
This week, follow my 5 step plan to cleaning up your act...
Step One: Remove all products from your cupboards that contain trans fats. Don't look for trans fats on the nutrition facts as foods that contain small amounts of trans fats can still legally be labelled as trans fat free. Look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on all of your ingredients lists. If packages are unopened, donate food to your local food bank.
Step Two: Smell all of your cooking oils. The healthier an oil is, the quicker it turns rancid. If oils start to smell like paint thinner, it's time to toss.
Step Three: Toss out oils that are high in omega 6 fats, such as soy and corn oils and margarines. Also ban cheap vegetable oils that are chemically processed such as canola and sunflower oils. Our North American diet is already too high in omega 6 fats, which contribute to inflammation, a contributor to chronic disease.
Step Four: Stock the following: a small amount of butter (organic if possible) for occasional baking or as a treat on good bread. Keep it in the fridge. Buy extra virgin olive oil for everyday use (salads and sautéing) and virgin coconut or good quality peanut oil for high heat frying.
Keep your liquid oils in a dark, cool place. Not by the stove!
Step Five: Ensure you buy only what you can use in a couple of months. Use the sniff test often to ensure that your oils are fresh and healthful. If you want to buy value packs of oil, keep them in the fridge and leave only a small amount at room temperature. Note that olive oil will turn cloudy and semi-solid in the fridge. This will not affect the oil and can be reversed by bringing oil to room temperature.
Spring has sprung!
Desiree
March 21st is the first day of spring, so why not celebrate with a bit of spring cleaning? This week is your first cupboard clean up assignment: it's time for an oil change. You do it for your car...but what about your body? The days of low fat, high sugar living are over but you can't afford to overlook the quality of the oils you put into your body.
Why? Dietary fats have a multitude of influences on your health. Fats are incorporated into the membranes for all of your cells and can deliver a glow to your skin. The oils we eat can help raise or lower your cholesterol; they can deliver important fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants to help improve our health and they can cause or calm inflammation. Just as important, fats help carry flavour and provide a wonderful texture to the foods you eat.
This week, follow my 5 step plan to cleaning up your act...
Step One: Remove all products from your cupboards that contain trans fats. Don't look for trans fats on the nutrition facts as foods that contain small amounts of trans fats can still legally be labelled as trans fat free. Look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on all of your ingredients lists. If packages are unopened, donate food to your local food bank.
Step Two: Smell all of your cooking oils. The healthier an oil is, the quicker it turns rancid. If oils start to smell like paint thinner, it's time to toss.
Step Three: Toss out oils that are high in omega 6 fats, such as soy and corn oils and margarines. Also ban cheap vegetable oils that are chemically processed such as canola and sunflower oils. Our North American diet is already too high in omega 6 fats, which contribute to inflammation, a contributor to chronic disease.
Step Four: Stock the following: a small amount of butter (organic if possible) for occasional baking or as a treat on good bread. Keep it in the fridge. Buy extra virgin olive oil for everyday use (salads and sautéing) and virgin coconut or good quality peanut oil for high heat frying.
Keep your liquid oils in a dark, cool place. Not by the stove!
Step Five: Ensure you buy only what you can use in a couple of months. Use the sniff test often to ensure that your oils are fresh and healthful. If you want to buy value packs of oil, keep them in the fridge and leave only a small amount at room temperature. Note that olive oil will turn cloudy and semi-solid in the fridge. This will not affect the oil and can be reversed by bringing oil to room temperature.
Spring has sprung!
Desiree
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