812-Laricaatar Farming, Saturday, March 21, 1998
During a recent nutrition workshop, Marlene Nash, multi-extension agent, explains
how scientists determine the amount of fat grams In food.
Nutrition Workshop
Facts From Fiction
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
WEST CHESTER (Chester
Co.) What’s a person to
believe?
Magazines, newspapers, and
television constantly sprout out the
results of new nutritional studies.
While some research remains con
sistent, much appears to flip-flop
or sound outrageously conflicting.
To help sort out truth from sen
sationalism, Marlene Nash, R.D.,
multi-extension agent, held a
nutritional workshop at the Ches
ter County extension office
recently.
In easy-to-understand language,
Nash explained scientifically how
human bodies use nutrients and
how studies can come to different
conclusions when not conducted
properly.
Nash said, “Most health profes
sionals agree that if you reduce the
amount of cholesterol and total fat
in your diet, you can increase your
chances of living a healthier life.”
Lowering fat lowers your risk of
heart disease and certain cancers.
Scientists have identified three
different types of fats:
• Monounsaturated fat is liquid
at room temperature and is consid
ered to have heart protection.
Souces include olive, canola, pea
nut, and avocado oils.
• Polyunsaturated fat tends to be
liquid at room temperature. These
include safflower, sunflower,
com, sesame seed, soybean, and
cottonseed oils, and most margar
ines. However hydrogenating
(adding hydrogen to) unsaturated
oils makes them more solid at
room temperature and behave
more like saturated fat. When buy
ing tub or stick margarines, the
first ingredient should read liquid
soybean or com oil and not hydro
genated or partially hydrogenated
mis.
• Saturated fat comes from ani
mal sources and is found in dairy
products and meats. In addition,
palm and coconut oil also have
saturated fat Saturated fat and
cholesterol are not the same thing,
but foods rich in saturated fat are
usually high in cholesterol as well.
Cholesterol is present only in ani
mal products. Recommended con
sumption is 300 mg daily.
Cholesterol is a wax-like sub
stance that is present and produced
in body cells. It is found only in
foods of animal origin such as
meats, dairy products, and eggs.
These foods also contain valu
able nutrients and need not be eli
minated to meet the daily recom
mended amount of 300 milligrams
of cholesterol daily.
Select low-fat dairy foods.
Replace whole eggs with egg
whites and eat smaller and leaner
portions of meat
Most American women’s body
weights are 30 percent fat, but the
recommended body fat should be
20 percent Nash cautioned parti
cipants to steer clear of fad diets,
which often allow people to exper
ience temporary weight loss at a
nutritional loss.
To eat properly and to lose
weight safely, it is important to
understand the role proteins, car
bohydrates, and fats play in the
body.
Proteins, carbohydrates, and
fats provide calories for energy,
but fat has more than twice the
amount of calories as a gram of
carbohydrates or protein. For car
bohydrates and protein, one gram
equals four calories, but one gram
of fat equals nine calories.
Nash explained how scientists
determine calories by igniting food
to find out how high the tempera
ture rises and how long it bums.
When measuring intake, 1,000 mg
equals 1 gram.
Fats are stored and work as a
body pantry.
Nash said, “It’s a survival
mechanism.”
However, one doesn’t need to
eat fat to have fat stored. If more
protein or carbohydrates than the
body can use is consumed, the
body turns the excess protein and
carbohydrates into Cat
The body stores about 16 hours
worth of carbohydrates in the liver.
Although protein is the lowest
choice for the body to bum calo
ries, the body will break down pro
tein and use it if food isn’t con
sumed for 16 hours. But for long
term non-eating, the body begins
to bum fat and protein together.
Nutritionists recommend that
adults get 30 percent of calories
from fat, but they can reduce that
amount without problems. How
ever, children under two should
never have eat a diet that is less
dun 30 percent Cat, since a high
Separates
percentage of fat is needed for
proper brain cell development
Most carbohydrates are a great
source of energy and low in fat
There are two different kinds of
carbohydrates:
• Complex carbohydrates come
from starches, cereals, vegetables,
etc.
• Simple carbohydrates include
sugars. Ingredients that end with
“ose” such as lactose and fructose
are sugars.
Complex carbohydrates take the
body longer to digest and absorb.
Sodium is an essential nutrient.
Daily recommended amount is
3,000-4,000 mg which is equal to 3
to 4 grams, but the body needs only
17S mg. Most Americans consume
10,000 mg of salt One teaspoon of
salt equals 2,000 mg. Table salt
can be completely eliminated and a
sufficent amount is found naturally
in food. Canned and prepared
foods often contain high dosages
of sodium.
Nash said that 42 essential nutri
ents are needed daily. Minerals,
vitamins, and water are needed to
help the body grow and remain
healthy. Water soluble vitamins
are needed daily because they are
used in water and excreted rather
than stored. Fat soluble vitamins
are not needed every day.
It is best to get vitamins and
minerals from food rather then
from supplements, but many peo
ple do not eat a balanced diet every
day. To determine if you should
take daily vitamins, assess what
you are eating or ask your doctor.
You may need only a calcium sup
plement rather than a multi
vitamin.
For literature or more informa
tion on nutrition or weight control,
contact your county extension
office or Penn State Cooperative
Extension Chester County, Gov
ernment Services Center, 601
Westtown Rd. Suite 370, West
Chester. PA 19382-4546.
SEE YOUR NEAREST
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I\EW HOLLAND
DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE
EQUIPMENT & SERVICE
PENNSYLVANIA
Abbottstowi
Messick
Equipment
RD 1, Box 255 A
717-259-6617
.nnville. PA
M F
Equipment,
Inc.
RD 1, Rte. 934
717-867-2211
Carlisle. PA
R&W
Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc
Rt. 283 - Rheem’s
Exit
717-367-1319
Halifax. PA
Sweigard Bros
R.D. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
West Grove. PA
S.G.Lewis & Son, Inc.
352 N. Jennersville Rd.
610-869-2214 1-800-869-9029
MARYLAND
Frederick. MD
Ceresville. Ford New Holland, Inc,
Rt. 26 East 301-662-4107
Outside MD, 800-331-9122
Hagerstown. MD
Antietam Ford Tractor, Inc.
2027 Leitersburg Pike
800-553-6731
301-791-1200
Ag Industrial Equipment
Route 1,50 N. Greenmont Rd.
401-658-5568
NEW JERSEY -
Bridgeton. NJ Washington. NJ
Leslie G. Fogg, Smith Tractor &
Inc. Equip., Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek 15 Hillcrest Ave.
Landing Rd. 908-689-7900
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
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Credit Company
Honev Grove. P,
Norman D. Clark
& Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
New Holland. PA
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Oley. PA
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R.D. 2
610-987-6257
Pitman. P;
Schreffler
Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Tamaqua. PA
Charles S.
Snyder, Inc
R.D. 3
717-386-5945
Woodstown. NJ
Owen Supply Co
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308