Fats and Sodium The WVU Extension Educator will welcome participants and introduce the health care partner presenting this lesson. The health care partner begins with the next slide.

Diabetes is hard on all parts of the body People who have diabetes have twice the risk of heart attacks as people with diabetes. People with diabetes who have a heart attack are much more likely to die or to have a second, fatal heart attack than people without diabetes. The risk of stroke is increased by two to four times for people with diabetes. The experts think that high blood glucose and high blood pressure in people with diabetes may cause some changes in blood vessels. These changes may explain why people with diabetes have such high rates of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and bad circulation to the legs and feet. This also may be one reason for high rates of impotence in men with diabetes. The experts recommend that all people with diabetes should try to get their blood glucose and blood pressure under control and should try to follow Heart Healthy patterns of eating.

Heart Healthy Choose More Monounsaturated Fats Almonds Walnuts Peanuts Monounsaturated fatty acids may help lower LDL cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart disease. Olive oil, canola oil, and certain nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, and peanuts) are good sources of these special fats and should be chosen whenever possible for cooking and food preparation. Almonds Walnuts Peanuts Olive oil Canola Oil

Heart Healthy fat is high in calories!! Remember that all fats are high in calories, so people who are trying to lose weight will want to go easy on these healthful oils while avoiding saturated and trans-fatty acids whenever they can.

Heart Healthy Saturated Fat/Cholesterol Trans-fats Meat High-fat Dairy Products Eggs Heart healthy eating includes cutting down on saturated fats and cholesterol. All animal, including people, make cholesterol. Some people make too much cholesterol in their bodies, but others get too much cholesterol by eating too many animal foods, such as meat, eggs, cheese, and high-fat dairy products. Heart healthy eating suggests eating less of these foods. Saturated is a word that refers to the chemical structure of some fat. Saturated fats are usually firm or hold their shapes at room temperature. The fat that is on meat as well as the marbling within meat can be a major source of saturated fat in the diet. The fat in most red meat is more saturated than the fat in chicken, turkey, and fish. Be sure to buy the leanest cuts of red meats and to trim all the fat that you can see from meat before cooking. Removing the skin from poultry helps to remove most of the fat. Trans fat or trans fatty acids are formed when vegetable oils are made into margarine or shortening. Trans fats are found in foods made with “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “vegetable shortening.” Trans fats also occur naturally in small quantities in animal products such as beef, pork, butter and milk. In the body, trans fats act like saturated fats and raise blood cholesterol levels. Margarine Shortening

Healthy Choices Fats and Oils Lard/ Bacon fat Butter Regular Stick Margarine Reduced Fat Margarine Fat-free Margarine Olive and Canola Oil Other Vegetable Oils Spreading Baking Frying Salad Dressing We also get saturated fat and cholesterol from shortenings used to prepare many foods. You have a chart in your notebook that lists many kinds of fats and oils used for cooking. This is a portion of that chart. There are many kinds of shortening and oils to choose from. Each kind has a different cooking quality. Lard, bacon fat, and butter add a taste to foods that many of us like. Since they are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, lard, bacon fat, and butter should be avoided for daily use.

Alternative Seasonings Heart Healthy Choose More Alternative Seasonings Preparing food at home is one of the best ways to begin cutting back on sodium as well as unhealthy fats and hidden sugars. Here are some suggestions: Salt makes the flavor of most foods taste stronger. Herbs, lemon juice, hot sauce, and spices change the flavor of food by adding a new strong flavor. Try using small amounts of fresh or dried herbs to learn these new tastes when salt must be reduced. Herbs should be added toward the end of cooking time because they lose flavor and color when they are overcooked. Dried herbs are two or three times as strong as fresh herbs. Read labels carefully when you buy seasoning mixtures. Garlic salt is made from salt with just a small amount of garlic powder added. Choose garlic powder instead. Some herb mixtures, such as Mrs. Dash, are very spicy and flavorful with no added salt. Start with small amounts to get the taste you like.

Salt Substitutes contain potassium chloride Be careful when choosing salt substitutes. Some commercial salt substitutes are made from potassium chloride. This type of substitute is not safe for all people. Be sure to ask your doctor before using salt substitutes that contain potassium chloride.

Heart Healthy Sodium Some people with high blood pressure are very sensitive to large amounts of sodium in their diets. Sodium is measured in milligrams or mg. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,400 mg of sodium. A meal plan that is moderate in sodium might have 3,000 mg of sodium. An important way to begin reducing sodium is to stop adding salt at the table. According to the American Diabetes Association, “hidden salt” may be the biggest source of sodium in our meal plans. Hidden salt is found in fast food, restaurant food, and canned food.

Food Labels Total Fat 3 g 5% Saturated Fat 0 g 0% Trans Fat 0 g 0% Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g 0% Monounsaturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0 g 0% The Nutrition Facts label for food lists the amount of Total Fat near the top of the label. Be sure to look and compare the amount of Saturated Fat in spreads, cheeses, and meats. Labels will soon be listing the amount of Trans fats found in a food. Some labels for spreads, oils, and shortenings also list the amount of Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fat.

Food Labels Sodium 300 mg. 13% This a picture of the nutrition label found on almost all foods sold in this country. Look at the portion of the label that tells how much Sodium is in the food. Keep in mind you want to limit your sodium to 3000 mg per day. Activity Cardboard food models from the Dairy Council are supplied with the Equipment Kits. Choose models of meats, fast foods, and combination foods (such as lasagna). Give the food models to volunteers who will each hold one model at the front of the room. The remaining participants then try to arrange food models in order from most fat to least fat by asking the volunteers to move about the front of the room. Allow about 5 minutes for this activity. Then ask the volunteers to read the Total Fat information on the food model and move to the appropriate position in the lineup. If time permits, repeat this activity using the sodium contents of each food.

The Plate Method Meat Vegetables Starches Milk Fruit Heart healthy meal planning may not be easy. As this plate shows, fats and sodium can be found in most types of foods. The key to healthy heart eating is to limit the amounts of fat and sodium. By substituting a limited amount of “good” fat and alternative seasonings, meals can be healthy and tasty.