Hidden hazards: sneaky places fat and sugar show up in foods
When you're surprised by something -- pleasing or frightening -- your emotional intensity ratchets up 400%, according to the authors of the book "Surprise." So how do you feel about discovering that saturated fat and added sugar are hiding out in potentially unhealthy quantities in foods you never thought were risky?
A new study in Nutrients says that cheese, pizza, and frozen desserts are three main sources of saturated fat in the American diet, but you probably never guessed that tacos and burritos are major contributors (more than chicken or burgers). Or that your intake of saturated fat can hit surprising levels when you eat prepared salad dressings (ranch, blue cheese, some French), drink reduced-fat milk (3 grams in a cup) and use cream substitutes (3 ounces of light coconut milk = 4 grams).
You want to hold your saturated fat intake to 10% or less of daily calories. Aim to do that with vegetable fats, especially extra-virgin olive oil, fatty fish (like salmon or ocean trout) that are loaded with omega-3s, and fats from 100% whole grains. They lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Sugar surprises are everywhere, too. Did you know that it commonly sneaks onto your plate via bread, rolls and buns, ketchup and tomato-based condiments, and cereals and cereal bars? Gotta have a sugar boost sometimes? Dr. Oz recommends allulose, a natural sweetener found in figs that isn't very well absorbed by the body, so it doesn't add as many calories or affect insulin as much as sugar. Check out his blog "Allulose: A Rare, Guilt-Free Sugar" at iHerb.com/blog.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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