Carbs replace fats as evil part of diet

Remember the fat-free fad?

Fat was evil, we were told; stay away from butter, bacon, meat, eggs, nuts and avocados, and you'll reduce your risk of heart disease.

Food manufacturers responded by creating "fat-free" cookies, pudding and even cheese -- but some of their offerings tasted so terrible, they resorted to adding carbohydrates to make their products palatable enough to sell.

Not surprisingly, it turns out that replacing fats with carbohydrates such as breads, processed snack foods and white pasta, did not reduce heart disease, and maDe factors such as blood glucose and others worse.

Saturated fats can raise "bad" LDL cholesterol, but are relatively neutral as compared to carbs, according to experts.

Now it seems clear that plant-based fats and those in fatty fish are beneficial. That might explain the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which includes nuts, olive oil, fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes and small amounts of cheese and meat, despite consisting of 40 to 45 percent of calories from fat.

The message? No, it's not time to wolf down pounds of meat and saturated fats, but there's nothing wrong with a little fat in your diet.

Before making any drastic change in your diet, check with your healthcare provider.

Improving your diet is a good start, but exercise is another key component to creating or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The Southwest Nebraska Regional Health Department is doing its part, sponsoring a number of activities through next week's National Public Health Week.

They include a free Walk to Health program, which begins Sunday. Register online at www.swhealth.ne.gov, call 308-345-4223, email info@swhealth.ne.gov for a registration form or walk-in at 404 West 10th.