Low Fat Diet
For health eating, experts suggest that not more than 30% of the required calories for the human body must come from fat food items. However, this is the case with normal people, and when it comes to people with medical conditions that cannot even tolerate this much fat, there is no other choice but to reduce the fat content still, and a diet that helps one to do so is the low fat diet. As the term indicates, low fat diet includes those food items that are very low in fat content. And its immediate benefits include fewer chances for heart attack and certain cancers, improved brain productivity, and long-term weight regulation.
Low fat diet typically encompasses complex carbohydrates, which are present plenty in whole grained and enriched bread, pasta, and vegetables. Other foods that are quite acceptable to be qualified as low fat diet ingredients are skimmed milk, broiled meat, fat-free oils and soups, decaffeinated coffee, egg white, raw fruits, non-fat yogurt, and maple syrup. Also, keep in mind that while selecting a food item, take care to avoid the ones with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) – such as corn oil and sunflower oil – use fish oil and olive oil instead - trans fatty acids (TFA), like margarines and common snack items, and highly processed foods. Finally, while following the low fat diet program, make it a point to workout regularly – at least three times a week - and drink lots of water. No diet program had ever been successful without regular and measured physical activity.
On the flip side, if the low fat diet you follow becomes too low in fat content, it can be counterproductive. Also, some critics point out that high carbohydrate pushed by low fat diet is unnatural to the human body and hence can be unhealthy. Hence, on a safer side, it is advisable that one first may listen to the suggestions from his/her doctor or nutritionist before attempting the low fat diet program. A professional dietician or nutritionist could devise a menu that suits individually. Websites better be depended upon only as a reference and not as the sole guide. |