Reducing Saturated Fat

[Mike Nolan]

This article may be behind their paywall, but it is interesting, it talks about a study that may be flawed.

See Wall Street Journal article.

[BakerAunt]

Only the first paragraph can be viewed, and then the paywall hits.

I was always puzzled by high carb diets.

I was also puzzled by the low-carb diets that threw bread out the window.

[Mike Nolan]

Many store breads deserve to be thrown out the window.

[chocomouse]

I have not bought any "store breads" for many years (except I do keep Sandwich Thins in tee freezer, for when I run out of bread; I'm still trying to replicate the Thins, but nothing is right yet), and I am including any bakery type products. I did meet up with friends, twice in the last year, at the KAF Cafe. Once I had a scone, and the other time an elephant ear. I was so disappointed - they were not good at all: dry, hard, no flavor, stale even, although they are fresh every day.

As for cutting bread out of a low carb diet? Amazing! A reasonable serving size can be good for you - loaded with healthy whole grains and good fats. On the other hand, a real pet peeve of mine is discussions of diabetic diets that cut out all sugar, but ignore carbs. Digested sugars turn to carbs, so diabetics need to monitor breads, potatoes, corn, etc - it isn't just about the frosting on the cake! Thanks everyone for getting me excited -- rant over!

[Mike Nolan]

My wife is a big fan of the Diabetes Solution Kit, which she used to lose quite a bit of weight, though it did not bring her type II diabetes under control (nor did she really expect it to.)

It emphasizes carbs over calories.

Their website is terrible, though. IMHO it's worse than their infomercials.

There are a number of sites that have reviewed this material, some are positive, others are negative. My wife showed the material to her GP, he was impressed by it.

[BakerAunt]

Of course, we all need some fat in our diet. I read that we cannot fully access the nutrients in a salad without the oil in some salad dressing; the key is in not overdoing it.

[BakerAunt]

We returned today from my husband's family reunion. I never realized how heavy his cousins are on the saturated fat and trans fat. We both took along our oatmeal for breakfast, while they had bacon and eggs and potatoes for breakfast every morning. Lunch was usually some kind of sandwich, so I could make that meal work, especially as I brought wholegrain bread (which I discovered they avoid, something of which I'd had an inkling at a previous reunion) as well as non-fat Greek yogurt. Dinner, every night, was a major issue for me, although I kept quiet and tried to limit the damage--not easy when two nights feature savory pies (and Crisco crusts), and the early Thanksgiving dinner featured a turkey that had baked under cheesecloth soaked in butter. My husband also let me know that a lot of butter and half and half went into the potatoes, so I kept my helping small. I had not shared my lifestyle change in advance of the reunion because I thought it would be an easy workaround, with an occasional choice of when to allow myself to eat an item that was outside parameters. At least there were nice salads every evening.

I will need to give some thought to how to stay on course at the next reunion, as they are usually 3-4 day affairs in removed locations. I should have a better idea in a year where I stand in terms of my cholesterol numbers. I don't want to insist that meals conform to my needs, but it would have been nice if it had not been so difficult to stay on track.

[BakerAunt]

A year ago, I began following a way of eating that reduced saturated fat to less than 11g per day (and sometimes less). I also incorporated additional whole grains and a variety of beans. With the high cholesterol diagnosis came an osteopenia diagnosis. I've been trying to balance the two, which most dietary advice does not do. I began incorporating some exercise, but not as diligently the past six months. I gradually lost 15 pounds, which was not a goal but a nice side benefit.

It's been a year. My cholesterol was down by 25--even with having the blood drawn after a breakfast of coffee, oatmeal, and a banana. (I didn't know they would draw blood, but the doctor said that particular breakfast would be ok. I'm now at the low end of "high risk" for LDL cholesterol, but all the other numbers are still fine. The doctor said to continue what I've been doing, so I'm hoping that it will come down further. I think that more exercise, more beans, and more fruits and vegetables will bring it down further.

I won't know about progress on bone density until I have another scan. I've incorporated 900mg calcium into my daily diet, since calcium from food is better than supplements, although I still take a 300mg supplement, along with 2000 Vitamin D. (The doctor insists on that.) Walking will help here, as it will with the cholesterol (and the dog loves it). I've also upped the weight bearing exercise.

I appreciate the discussions we have here at Nebraska Kitchen about food and health, and the links people provide to useful articles on nutrition, and the information in some of the Daily Quiz questions. It can be a challenge when the two baking magazines I get regularly, Bake from Scratch and Sift, are so butter-centric. I don't plan to renew Bake from Scratch for that reason. Sift usually has at least some bread recipes that I can use or adapt. Entrees can be a little more challenging, given the prevalence of cheese in the recipes that land in my email in-box, and I also have to ask myself if my husband will eat it, or if it is one that I can make for myself for lunch.

It is an interesting journey, but oh, I miss BLTs in the summertime!

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