Diets low in fat are useful for people who are trying to lose weight, and for those with certain medical conditions including gallbladder disease and digestive disorders. You can intuitively decide to eat foods that are low in fat, or you can choose from several low-fat diets for structure.
Importance
Excess fat gets stored in fat cells, most of it just below the surface of your skin. But it creates more than a cosmetic problem. Excessive fat can be harmful to your health. Not only can it increase your risk of dying from heart disease, it also puts you at greater risk for diabetes, kidney disease and certain cancers (breast, colon and pancreatic.)
To reduce the buildup of stored fats, you must reduce how much fat you eat--and exercise to burn off the excess.
High-Carbohydrate
Many low-fat diets are high in carbohydrates. You are supposed to fill up on whole grains and fruits and vegetables instead of fats, and this is very possible since carbs help you feel full. You can eat twice as many carbs as you can fats for the same amount of calories.
The Ornish Diet is one popular low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet which has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. However, critics say the diet is not healthy because it restricts essential fatty acids, say Dr. Darwin Deen and dietitian Lisa Hark in their book "Nutrition for Life."
They say the Pritikin Program is healthier because no food groups are entirely eliminated, and they like the Hawaii Diet because it emphasizes the nutrient density of foods.
They also call the Low-Fat Living diet "very healthy." It uses four small, low-fat meals and three low-fat, high-fiber snacks per day, which they say can give you more energy and make you feel good.
Liquids
Liquid meal replacements are part of a medically supervised diet for the seriously obese. They provide a precise amount of calories and fat, in a liquid form. Such programs are usually short term, until the person transitions onto regular solid food.
SlimFast is one example of a commercial meal replacement that is popular with dieters. Often the liquid replaces one or two regular daily meals. Success often depends on eating healthy low-fat foods for the other meals.
Precautions
Since low-fat foods can be bland and unsatisfying, diets made up of less than 20 percent or 25 percent fat can cause cravings, which can be difficult to ignore. Binging on a high-fat food such as cookies or ice cream can ruin a whole day's worth of low-fat eating.
Healthy Fats
Healthy diets that are low in fat restrict the amount of fat your body receives, but they do not cut it out completely since fat is essential to your health.
The key is choosing the right sorts of fats. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can help lower your triglycerides and the unhealthy type of cholesterol in your blood. You find them in foods such as plant oils, avocados, peanuts and pecans, plus fish and vegetable oils including sunflower, canola and corn.
Characteristics
In general, diets that are low in fat include lots of vegetables and other carbohydrates. Meat is usually downplayed, though it is not forbidden. Cakes, cookies and other foods that are high in sugar occupy small places on the table--if at all. People following low-fat diets typically fill up on whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
References
- Weight Loss for All: Liquid Diets for Losing Weight
- "Nutrition for Life: The No-Fad, No-Nonsense Approach to Eating Well and Reaching Your Healthy Weight;" dietitian Lisa Hark and Dr. Darwin Deen; 2005
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