Carb Schmarbs Part 2

Okay here it is, part 2, in this blog I'm gonna be talking about lipids or fats. There are three types of lipids: triglycerides, phospholipids and sterols. 

Triglycerides are the most common type found in foods and about 95% of the fats we eat contain tryglicerides. These are also the fats you want to consume in the least amount as they can lead to high cholesterol 

Phospholipids are similar to tryglicerides however they are your bodies main emulsifier I.E. They keep the fat and water in foods from separating. Without these food would seem oily and have a sandy/rough texture 

The last lipid is called sterols, cholesterol is the most well known sterol and can be found in foods from animals such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. We get about 1/3 from food we eat and the rest is manufactured by our body to replenish bile and make hormones.

The institute of medicine has recommendations regarding daily fat intake: 

Total dietary fat should be approximately 20 to 35% of daily calories

Saturated, trans, and unsaturated fat should be as low as possible 

Omega 6 should be 5% of calories

Omega 3 should be 0.6 to 1.2% of calories 

And cholesterol should be as low as possible 

Did you know that 3oz of beef brains (gross) contain 2,635mg of cholesterol?? Wow just wow. 

Let's face it, you aren't always gonna know the fat content of everything you eat, do what do you do if you are trying to watch your fat intake? There are a couple options, first is download one of the many apps available that will help you not only log your food but give you nutritional facts as well. My favorite app is MyFitnessPal but there are tons of apps out there to help, the second but lengthy option is to grab yourself some paperback books, my personal favs are the complete book of food counts by Corinne T. Netzer or eat this not that 2011 edition by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding ( I really like this one because it basically gives you healthier options at your favorite restaurants and at home without sacrificing your cravings) now that doesn't mean you have to swap things out but if you are trying to lose simple swaps like this add up and can really help!