Chapter 7: Nutrition Basics ............................................................................................
Stop when you’re satisfied. Eat half of what’s on your plate and then take
a ten-minute break and assess whether you’re still hungry. People often
eat for reasons other than hunger, such as depression and exhaustion.
Make sure that you’re eating for the right reasons.
Eat regular meals. Skipping meals sets you up for losing control and
overeating. You’re less likely to pig out if you avoid becoming a ravenous
monster in the first place.
Get the Skinny on Fat ....................................................................................
For years we’ve heard a single message about fat: It’s bad for you. There’s
just one problem with this message: It’s not true. In reality, only certain types
of fat are harmful to your health. Others may actually help prevent heart dis-
ease. And we all need some fat to absorb certain vitamins and maintain a
healthy immune system; fat also provides the material for hormone produc-
tion, such as testosterone.
Distinguish between healthful and unhealthful fats .......................
In the following sections, we take a look at the different types of fat.
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is the really bad stuff. In excess quantities, saturated fat raises
your levels of blood cholesterol and clogs your arteries. It’s found mostly in
animal products, such as beef, pork, chicken, milk, ice cream, and cheese.
But the amount of saturated fat in these foods varies greatly. For instance,
4 ounces of roasted pork tenderloin contain only about 2 grams of saturated
fat, compared to 12 grams of saturated fat in 4 ounces of beef ribs.
How much saturated fat is too much? The major health organizations recom-
mend keeping saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your total calories. If
you eat 2,000 calories per day, that means you can get 200 of those calories
from saturated fat. Because 1 gram of saturated fat (or fat of any kind) contains
9 calories, you can eat about 22 grams of saturated fat per day. (By the way,
that’s four fewersaturated fat grams than the amount in one Burger King
Double Whopper with cheese.)
