What is Fat?

What IS fat exactly? Why is it bad for you? Does it have any benefits at all? Let's find out!


Now before I begin, I am writing this to educate, not to scare. I wrote this blog to help my readers make good decisions about things that they buy, not to freak anyone out. I am also not a dietitian, a certified nutritionist, or a medical professional. I got all my wisdom from classes I took at the University and from the internet. With that said, ONWARD!


Fat is known in two forms: Fats and Oils


Fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. They usually come from animals, for example: lard, fish oil and butter.


Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature. They usually come from plants and some examples are soy beans, sunflowers, sesame, coconut, olive and vegetable oils. Oils are typically extracted from the seed of the plant and are usually used as shortening, texture, flavor and flavor bases. Oils can also be "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated", which is when things start to get bad.


But I hear you saying over there, Pucciola, just get to the good stuff: what is good for me and what is bad?


THE GOOD FATS:


:::Monounsaturated Fats (MUF's)::: 


Nuts:
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pistachios


Certain Oils
-  Canola Oil
- Olive Oil


Avocado (A personal favorite)


These fats lower overall cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff!) but at the same time, raises your HDL cholesterol (the good stuff!). It's a win win situation. Eat more of these things, they help big time in losing body fat. 


:::Polyunsaturated fats (PUF's):::

Seafood
- Salmon
- Fish oil


Corn


Soy


Safflower and Sunflower Oils


Polyunsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol (theres that bad stuff again!). Omega 3 fatty acids also belong to this group, which you can (and I do!) supplement with Fish Oil pills, which lowers inflammation and promotes cardiovascular health. 


Now, are you ready for the not-so-good stuff?


THE BAD FATS:


:::Saturated Fats:::


Saturated fats are mainly found in animal fats:
- Meat
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Seafood


But there are also some plants guilty of containing these fats as well:
- Coconut Oil 
- Palm Oil
- Palm Kernel Oil


Saturated fats raise cholesterol, including the bad stuff (I bet you knew already that it's called LDL!) 


:::Trans Fats:::


Now, recall when I talked about "hydrogenated" oils and things of the like? Here's where they come in. 


Scientists took perfectly good oils and "hydrogenated" them so that they would hold up better during the processing procedure and last longer on the shelf. Trans Fatty Acids are formed from this process. 

Where can I find these fats, you ask? 


- In many commercially processed foods 
- Commercially fried foods (*ahem* McDonalds French Fries :P) 
- Packaged snacks
- Microwave popcorn
- Vegetable shortening
- Hard, stick margarine 

But how can we avoid these? It's not realistic to think that you will never need to buy a can of spaghetti-o's for your children, or resist buying that popcorn from the movie theater, but here are some tips that you can try to limit your intake or Trans Fatty Acids.


- Avoid using oils that are high in saturated and trans fats. Use heart healthy Olive, Canola, and Flaxseed Oil instead!
- If you must use packaged foods, try to find things which labels read "no trans-fats".
- Use leaner meats and low fat dairy products to avoid that unwanted saturated fats. 

This is the end of my spiel. I hope everyone learned a little something. This is the first of my upcoming blogs about health! Please leave comments and questions!!


Stay Tuned!
XOXOX

Recipe of the Week #1!

My first ever recipe of the week is Terrific Teriyaki Burgers. This is a contest winning, healthy burger recipe that I found online, and it is so amazingly good. This burger has an asian flair to it, but instead of using high-fat marinades and dressings, it uses ingredients found in an Asian kitchen such as green onion and ginger. I  really like it and I hope that you will too! Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think! Love, hate, a picture, anything!


Here is the original recipe that I found online and below it I will put anything that I changed.


Terrific Teriyaki Burgers:
SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• BURGERS:
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 6 slices unsweetened pineapple
• 6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
• 6 lettuce leaves
• 6 slices tomato

• In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple, ginger, garlic and sesame oil; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the egg white, bread crumbs, onions, crushed pineapple and 3 tablespoons reserved ketchup mixture. Crumble beef and turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into six burgers.
• Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear, brushing occasionally with remaining ketchup mixture.
• Grill pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve burgers and pineapple on buns with lettuce and tomato. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 burger equals 386 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 677 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein. 

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1/2 fruit.

That is the original, now here is what I did:

I replaced the ground turkey with ground beef and made it an all beef burger. The reason is because on the website I found it from, a lot of people were saying that the burger was falling apart while they cooked. Using all beef eliminated the problem, so find the leanest ground hamburger meat that you can and use that if you'd like. Also, since I live in an apt that doesn't allow us to use grills, I made my burgers on the stove top. This recipe made 9 medium sized burgers for me, not the 6 that it says in the recipe, but that all depends on how thick you want your burgers. Depending on this thickness, fry your burgers in a non-stick pan (or with some oil) for 3-5 minutes on each side (again, depends on the thickness, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). I am the Queen of Burning Things. I really should have a crown. These burgers, I can tell you, still taste good with a bit of a char :P I also used normal soy sauce, not reduced sodium, because I bought the wrong kind. Still tastes amazing! Powdered ginger and garlic can be substituted but the fresher the ingredient, the better.

Happy Cooking! Please leave any suggestions for types of food that you would like to see. Stay Tuned!

XOXO