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Published on 03/11/1996 All articles from this issue

Expert offers seniors tips for cutting fat from die

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tsBy Clyde NoelTown Crier Staff Writer Medical research has proven that people with high blood pressure, dangerous cholesterol levels or a history of heart and blood vessel diseases, should reduce fat in their diet. But, according to Drew Vranicar, as important as this topic is, it is overlooked by a lot of medical personnel. Speaking at the Jan. 23 Los Altos Senior Coordinating Council meeting, Vranicar told the seniors, "You are what you eat. But you need to change what you eat as you get older."Vranicar is a registered nurse who grew up in Los Altos and works at the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.Although older people need the same nutrients as younger people, they need fewer calories if they are less active. As a person ages, changes affect the food they eat. They also affect the food you buy and how you shop for that food. "There is no perfect food," Vranicar said. "It's a matter of what you eat each day. It's not what you eat between Christmas and New Years. It's what you eat between New Years and Christmas."Vranicar said all fats comprise a mixture of fatty acids and are categorized in three classes: Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products; monosaturated fats are found in olive and canola oils; and polyunsaturated fats in fish and vegetable oils. Comparing the three, saturated fat raises the level of blood cholesterol and goes right to body fat. "Since you want to keep under 50 grams of fat a day," Vranicar said, "you have to read the food labels." Food labels provide a great deal of information than can help consumers find out more about what they're getting in the products they buy. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires information to be shown on labels that include calories, protein, carbohydrates, total fat and sodium. Under FDA regulations, any food to which a nutrient has been added, or any food for which a nutritional claim is made must have the content listed on the label. "The most critical factor in a diet is saturated fat. One gram of fat has nine calories and it doesn't digest like proteins and carbohydrates. It goes right to body fat," Vranicar said.A number of seniors in the audience suggested Olestra as a fat substitute to lighter cooking. Vranicar said the product causes gastro-intestinal pain in some seniors and the product robs the body of nutrients. Vranicar offered additional tips for healthy living besides reading the labels. They are:* Trim all visible fat from meat, remove skin from poultry and limit portion size.* Substitute low fat or nonfat dairy products for those high in fat.* Choose salad dressings that are nonfat or low in fat. * Alter selected baking recipes by using one-third or half the recommended fat. * Bake, don't fry.