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Nutrition and Stroke

Today, many people say they most often look at information about fat when reading food labels. Why? Dietary guidelines suggest that total fat in the diet should be no more than 30% of total daily calories - this is about 65 grams of fat for a person who eats 2,000 calories a day. In other words, the combination of foods eaten over the course of several days should average no more than 30% of calories from fat. Individual foods, some with higher levels of fat and others with lower levels of fat, can be combined in a diet that meets the guideline for 30% of calories from fat.

Food Focus
“Fat contributes to the taste and texture of foods. In cheese and chocolate, for example, fat carries flavor and is partly responsible for the smooth texture and meltability. The amount and type of fat in foods varies,” says Chessica Chaney, Registered Dietician for Morrison’s Health Systems at Delta Regional Medical Center. She goes on to say that, “Fat is comprised of units called fatty acids. Fatty acids are classified as saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated based on the chemical structure of the molecule.” Fat-containing foods are often classified by the type of fatty acid that predominates, even though foods are actually mixtures of all these types of fat. For example, meat and some dairy products are often called “satuated” sources of fat and corn oil is often called “polyunsaturated” even though these foods contain all three types of fatty acids. Cholesterol and fat are not the same. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance present only in animal products such as meat, poultry, milk products and egg yolks. Lower fat dairy products contain less cholesterol and fat.

Nutrition Focus
Some fat in the diet is absolutely necessary for good health. In general, Americans eat more than the recommended 30% total calories from fat, but the average fat intake has been declining from 36% to 34% between 1976 and 1991 according to government surveys. The dietary recommendations for cholesterol is 300 milligrams or less per day. Cholesterol is a building block of cells, vitamins and hormones in the body and is transported in the bloodstream. High blood cholesterol levels can be related to a number of factors. Lifestyle factors contribute tothe development of high blood cholesterol levels such as being overweight, inactive and having a poor diet.

Health Connection
Populations with low fat diet tend to have a lower occurrence of health conditions like heart disease, obesity and some types of cancer. The relationship between dietary fat to health status is not entirely clear and scientists realize that the development of diseases depends on many factors. Therefore, health professionals advise people to eat a diet that is:

Low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
High in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber.

Balancing Food Choices
Foods that are labeled “low fat”, “reduced fat” and “fat free” are lower in fat than the traditional versions of foods. These foods can make it easier for people to improve their diets without sacrificing favorite foods or making drastic changes to routine eating habits.

There are three basic ways to include lower fat foods in your diet.

1.Substitute lower fat foods for traditional versions of food. For example, use fat free dressing and a tossed salad instead of regular dressing.
2.Use lower fat foods to help balance the fat content of another type of food. For example, if you enjoy bologna, try fat free cheese or Nonfat Salad Dressing to help balance the fat in the sandwich.
3.Try lower fat products in recipes. For example, use fat free sour cream or yogurt in your favorite dip recipe or to top fresh fruit salad. Try Reduced Fat Cheese as a topping for your favorite casserole.

Chaney says, “ Not everyone can be thin. But you can reach and maintain a healthy weight.” “It is not easy, but it is possible. “Your genes may affect your weight. But many people simply eat more calories than they burn. That’s not good,"She goes on to say, “If you eat lots of high fat foods, espically saturated fat, you may need to consider better choices.”