"Joe, I want
to talk to you about your fat intake. It should make up less than 30 percent
of your total calories each day. Now, there are three kinds of fat: saturated
fats, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
"Each type affects
our blood cholesterol levels a little differently. Saturated fats cause our
blood cholesterol levels to go up. This is not good, because it puts us at
a greater risk for heart disease. Only seven to 10 percent of our calories
should come from this kind of fat.
"So try to cut down on chocolate
and milk fat from things like most cheeses, butter and whole milk. Also watch
out for fats on beef, pork and lamb. Also, avoid products that contain coconut
and palm oils, which is easy to do since ingredients are listed on food packaging.
"Polyunsaturated
fats, which are the fats found in things like corn oil, safflower seeds and
sunflower seeds, should make up about 10 percent of our calories. These fats,
while they can bring the bad cholesterol levels in our blood down, can also
bring the good levels down.
"The last type of fats, monounsaturated
fats, should make up about 10 percent of our calories as well. These fats
can cause bad cholesterol levels to drop. Monounsaturated fats are found in
olive and peanut oils, canola oil and avocados.
"If you are finding
too many of your calories are coming from saturated fats, just adjust your
diet accordingly."
Tisi says dietitians need to explain
complicated concepts to a wide range of clients. Some are better
able to understand scientific concepts better than others.
"If you're
talking to depressed, obese adults in the community, they're a lot higher
functioning than, let's say, younger schizophrenia-ridden people," says Tisi,
"because they're going to be more challenged to be able to think and follow
the concepts that you're going with."