Hey Reader
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Sat fat has got a lot of headline space in recent years. Some say saturated fat—found in coconut, chocolate, butter, and fattier cuts of meat—is terrible for your health, gumming up your arteries and leading to heart attacks and other health issues...

Others say caution is outdated—and even advise you to eat more of it... We've all seen people pushing coconut oil for cooking and in nutrition circles, butter is having a serious comeback. Then there are ketovores popping up all over!

But what does the research say?

In a nutshell:

1. When consumed in excess, saturated fats increase cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular events.

But...

2. Saturated fats don’t increase your risk of dying.

The truth is, saturated fat is neither all bad nor completely harmless.

Rather, it’s a matter of consuming saturated fats in the appropriate doses, in the right context.

In fact, if you’re eating a balanced whole foods diet, and you’re not eating excess calories, you probably don’t need to worry about your saturated fat intake.

A good general guideline:

Keep saturated fats to about 10 percent or less of total daily calories to reduce risk of negative health effects, but don't stress if you're over it occasionally.

In terms of cholesterol, only a maximum of 20% of your cholesterol level is influenced by food... and having "high cholesterol" isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway. It's the ratio of HDL and LDL that counts.

It’s worth noting: Trans fatty acids are the bigger concern, one of the biggest in fact. They’re directly linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and allergy. As I've said before, if a packet includes trans fats or anything partially or fully hydrogenated, put it back in a hurry!

Moments to Savour

• Something I loved: Looking at the events coming up between here and summer. We have many incredible memories to create, including a highly anticipated trip to Disneyland Paris!
• Something I learnt: That I really like standing at work. I finally succumbed and purchased a Yoyo desk riser and have found it much more comfortable standing for a couple of hours each day.
• Something I ate: The slow cooker is back out, but curry is still on the menu. This super-simple Hungry Happy Healthy recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Curry was absolutely delicious.

Have a wonderful week,

Zoey Nutrition & Health Coach

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Garden Avenue, Portstewart, BT55 7AW
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