But the source of the fats you choose and the rest of what you typically eat make a big difference.

Recently, a Harvard Heart Letter reader emailed us to say he was puzzled by a statement in our July issue namely, the one saying that low-fat diets don't seem to prevent heart disease. "Don't most major health organizations, including the American Heart Association, recommend a low-fat diet?" he asked.

Yes, they did for more than 40 years. But over the past decade, the American Heart Association, the federal dietary guidelines, and other nutrition authorities have shifted away from advising people to limit the total amount of fat in their diets. "Instead, the focus is on an overall healthy dietary pattern. That means an eating style that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans, along with only modest or small amounts of meat, dairy, eggs, and sweets," says Dr. Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The reality is that eating more whole or minimally processed, plant-based foods will naturally lower your intake of fat, especially saturated fat. Found mainly in meat and dairy products, saturated fat can boost levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, a key contributor to heart disease. But simply cutting back on all types of fat does not necessarily translate into a diet that lowers cardiovascular risk.

Starting in the 1980s, when food manufacturers and consumers cut the fat from their products and diets, they replaced it with refined carbohydrates. People filled up on bread, pasta, low-fat chips and cookies, and low-fat sweetened yogurt. Eating lots of these highly processed carbohydrates floods your bloodstream with sugar, triggering a release of insulin to clear the sugar from your blood. But that can push your blood sugar too low, leaving you hungry again after just a few hours, which encourages overeating and weight gain. What's more, a steady diet of these unhealthy carbs can eventually impair your body's ability to respond to insulin, which can lead to diabetes. Both obesity and diabetes are closely linked to a heightened risk of heart disease.

But eating too many refined carbs wasn't the only problem. Avoiding unsaturated fats those found in nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and fish isn't necessary. Not only do these foods make your meals more satisfying and tasty, unsaturated fat promotes cardiovascular health.

Some physicians advocate an ultra-low-fat diet, which includes just 10% of calories from fat. This diet excludes all animal-based products (such as meat, poultry, dairy, and fish), as well as refined carbohydrates (including white flour, white sugar, and even fruit juice). But it also shuns some healthier unsaturated fats, including added oils and high-fat, plant-based foods such as avocados and nuts. Small studies have shown that this eating pattern may actually reverse the buildup of cholesterol-clogged plaque in the arteries.

At least some of that benefit may stem from the abundant fiber and other nutrients in the diet's copious amounts of vegetables, beans, and whole grains, all of which are fairly scarce in the typical American diet. The only problem with an ultra-low-fat vegan diet is that it's very challenging for most people to stick to over the long term. "If you are among the 1% of people who can, may the Force be with you," says Dr. Rimm.

For everyone else, a Mediterranean-style diet offers the best of both worlds a plant-centric diet that's not overly restrictive (see "Simple steps to a Mediterranean-style eating plan"). "The Mediterranean diet doesn't require extreme eating habits that make it difficult to socialize with other people," he says. What's more, he adds, it tastes good and has the best evidence from long-term clinical studies for lowering a person's risk of heart disease.

To ease into this eating style, look over these suggestions from registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Choose one, try it for a week, then gradually add more changes over time, she advises.

Switch from whatever fats you use now to extra-virgin olive oil. Start by using olive oil when cooking, including in salad dressings. Try swapping olive oil for butter on crusty bread.

Have salad every day. Choose crisp, dark greens and whatever vegetables are in season.

Go nuts. Instead of a bag of chips or cookies, have a handful of raw nuts as a healthy snack.

Add more whole grains to your meals. Experiment with bulgur, barley, farro, brown rice, and whole-grain pasta. Select dense, chewy, country-style bread without added sugar or butter.

Add a variety of vegetables to your menus. Add an extra serving of vegetables to both lunch and dinner, aiming for three to four servings a day. Try a new vegetable every week.

Eat at least three servings of legumes a week. Options include lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans, and black beans.

Eat less meat. Choose lean poultry in moderate, 3- to 4-ounce portions. Save red meat for occasional consumption or use meat as a condiment, accompanied by lots of vegetables, as in stews, stir-fries, and soups. Eat more fish, aiming for two servings a week. Both canned and fresh fish are fine.

Cut out sugary beverages. Replace soda and juices with water.

Eat fewer high-fat, high-sugar desserts. Fresh fruit or poached fruit is best. Aim for three servings of fresh fruit a day. Save cakes and pastries for special occasions.

Image: vaaseenaa/Getty Images

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A heart-healthy diet doesn't need to be low in fat - Harvard Health - Harvard Health

Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps our bodies absorb vitamins and minerals, maintains metabolism, and stores energy. But not all dietary fats are created equal.

Here is what you need to know about the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats, their effects on your health, and how much of each you should be eating.

Saturated fats are fat molecules with only a single bond between carbon molecules. They are found in animal products and tropical oils like coconut and palm oils, says Alana Kessler, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in New York City.

Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature and include:

Eating too many saturated fats can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels the "bad" kind of cholesterol that increases your risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated fats are fats with one or more unsaturated carbon bonds, Kessler says. Unlike saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature, unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and harden when chilled.

There are two types of unsaturated fat. They are:

Unsaturated fats are mostly found in foods from plants and seafood, including:

In moderation, both fats can have benefits, and in excess, both fats can be counterproductive to your overall health, Kessler says. In general, unsaturated fats are healthier and can help lower inflammation and positively impact cholesterol.

On the other hand, saturated fats raise levels of blood lipids. These fatty substances found in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, may be associated with poor cardiovascular health. But the science is less clear on whether or not there is a direct correlation between high blood lipid levels and heart disease.

For example, a 2014 review involving more than 650,000 participants found no association between saturated fat intake and heart disease. But other studies do show a link. A 2020 analysis with more than 56,000 participants concluded that cutting down on saturated fat resulted in a 17% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

While research on saturated fats is still emerging, there is strong evidence that unsaturated fats have a positive effect on heart health.

A very large 2009 study found that participants who replaced 5% of their dietary intake of saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats were significantly less likely to experience coronary heart disease than those who did not over a four to ten year follow up period. The study also found that swapping 5% of saturated fats with monounsaturated fats or carbohydrates did not reduce coronary heart disease risk.

Another smaller study on overweight and obese people found monounsaturated fats decreased their risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels.

Unsaturated fat appears to offer more health benefits than saturated fat, but it's important to remember that dietary fat is one part of your overall diet and lifestyle. Maintaining healthy habits like exercising regularly, not smoking, and consuming a variety of wholesome foods, including vegetables, fruit, and whole grains can all reduce your risk of heart disease.

Fat is an essential part of our diet.

"Fat is one of the three key macronutrients that we need for our health," says Eshani Ewing, a registered dietitian with Orlando Health, a not-for-profit healthcare organization.

Overall, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends unsaturated fats make up 20% to 35% of your total daily calories, and saturated fats make up less than 10%. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat even more to less than 6% of your daily calories.

It can be especially helpful to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats in your diet. Some easy ways to swap out saturated fats for their unsaturated counterparts include:

While both saturated and unsaturated fats can be part of a nutritious diet, trans fat a third type of fat should be avoided. Trans fats offer no nutritional value and can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans fats can be found in fried and processed foods like:

It's important to note that, as of 2018, most food processors have stopped using trans fats due to FDA regulations.

Fat is an important part of a healthy diet, but not all fats are equally beneficial. For a nutritious diet, avoid trans fat as much as possible, eat saturated fat in moderation, and try to boost your consumption of foods high in unsaturated fat, like avocados and salmon.

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Saturated vs. unsaturated fat: Why both are part of a healthy diet, according to nutritionists - Insider - INSIDER

About fifteen minutes into our interview, after hes just detailed his stretching routine, a five-step core circuit, and his yoga practice, Wilson Cruz says something mind boggling: That was just a warmup. What follows for the 46-year-old actor is another hours worth of strength training, which hes lately been doing using TRX straps and a flywheel machine at home.

Cruz wasnt always a pre-workout workout type guy. He gradually picked up healthy habits while he was playing Angel in the original Broadway run of Rent, where he rapidly lost weight dancing around under layers of costumes. I had to make up for it by eating a lot, he says, so he started paying attention to what he was putting in his body. Once the show wrapped and he felt ready to take on TV roles, he started learning how to lift. These days, hes careful to keep his body looking sharp as Dr. Hugh Culber, a doctor aboard the USS Discovery in CBSs Star Trek spinoff. Plus, he likes to use his muscles for good every so oftenhe's been known to drop an annual thirst trap in honor of Pride Month or, more recently, to get out the vote.

GQ caught up with Cruz, whos tuning into Season 3 of Discovery while prepping for a new role in Toronto, on how hes fine-tuned his routine.

GQ: Whats your morning routine like right now?

Wilson Cruz: On a normal day I get up around 7:00 and have black coffee. Ill get things done and answer e-mails and try to let that coffee kick in. Then Ill work out from around 9:00 to 11:00. I'll continue to drink my black coffee through my morning workout 'cause I'm an addict.

Let me preface this by saying, I'm gonna be 47 years old in December, so my workouts are very different than they were 20 years ago. I have to put everything in place these days when I wake up [laughs]. So I get up and readjust my 47-year-old back so that I can walk through the day. A lot of it is waking up the body and getting it ready for physical exertion. Priming it. I'm stretching, I'm working on my flexibility, I'm working on my stabilizing core muscles.

I do about 30 minutes of core before I work out, because your core is everything. If your core isn't awake and ready, your workout is useless. It's an entire routine that consists of bird dogs, shoulder taps, the ab wheel, planks, and the one where you're on your back and you kinda hollow everything out.

I do my yoga after my core routine, for about 20 minutes. And then I can work out.

What does the main workout typically look like?

I'll pick a couple of body parts that I combine, and do about an hour, which usually gets me about eight different setups. Nowadays, I'm working out at home, so it's all right here. I have my TRX, I have my pull-up bar. I bought this new machine that my trainer introduced me to in the early days of shelter-in-place called the flywheel. However hard you pull, it'll pull back.

Do you always work out in the morning?

If I had my druthers I'd get up, have my coffee, and go. The earlier the better. But you have to be willing to adjust with filming schedules. Sometimes, like early in the week, it's easy to do it in the morning before work. Later in the week is harder. Sometimes it's just about sneaking it in where you can. Or you skip the day and make up for it the next day. I try to look at the whole week. As long as I'm getting a workout in five out of seven days a week, I'm doing all right.

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Star Trek: Discovery's Wilson Cruz Works Out Before His Workout - GQ

Being on a keto diet doesn't mean you can't enjoy all the festive flavors that make a terrific and satisfying Thanksgiving dinner.

In fact, Michelle Stacey, author of "Holiday Keto: Eat, Drink and Still Shrink!" shared all the versatile ingredients needed to turn a keto-friendly menu into something the whole family can enjoy.

The high-fat, low-carb diet encourages protein and vegetables, so a turkey and sides such as Brussels sprouts with bacon or green beans and even cheesy cauliflower casserole are all fair game, Stacey explained to "Good Morning America."

PHOTO: 'Holiday Keto: Eat, Drink and Still Shrink' has all the easy recipes to stay on track during the holidays. (Centennial Media)

"The main event is the turkey, which is totally keto itself," she said. "And with baking, it's all about the right substitutions."

PHOTO: Mashed cauliflower is severed in a bowl in an undated stock image. (Markela4ka/Getty Images)

Cauliflower is the chameleon ingredient for a keto-friendly feast

It is the most versatile ingredient you can have in your kitchen when it comes to keto. It's so neutral in flavor, so it can be the base of something that's totally keto and full of other flavors," she said. "You can make a sweet potato casserole that uses mashed cauliflower -- you can rice it and transform it into a pumpkin risotto. You can thinly slice the stems and make scalloped potatoes -- layer them in a pan with cream and cheese, and its totally gooey and wonderful with literally five ingredients."

Cauliflower 'Mac' and Cheese

PHOTO: Keto-friendly cauliflower 'mac' and cheese is a perfect Thanksgiving side. (Centennial Media)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray

4 cups cauliflower florets

14 cup melted butter

12 teaspoon salt

12 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

13 cup heavy cream

14 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower florets, melted butter, salt and pepper.

Place cauliflower on baking sheet; roast for 15 minutes or until tender.

In a glass bowl, combine cheddar cheese, cream and milk. Microwave mixture until melted, about 1 minute.

Toss cauliflower with cheese mixture, place into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Garnish as desired with cheese and freshly cracked pepper to serve.

Whipped Cauliflower Mash

PHOTO: Mashed cauliflower is served in a wooden bowl in an undated stock image. (Ermak Oksana/Shutterstock )

Serves: 4 Ingredients

6 cups water

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

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1 tablespoon minced garlic

14 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

12 teaspoon sea salt

12 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnishes: chopped chives, cracked black pepper

Instructions

Add water to large pot and boil, then add cauliflower. Boil until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain cauliflower.

In a blender, combine cauliflower, garlic, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt and pepper; blend until smooth. (If the mash is too thick, slowly add reserved cooking liquid to obtain the desired consistency.)

Pour cauliflower mash into serving bowl, and garnish as desired.

Brussels Sprouts Casserole

PHOTO: Keto-friendly Brussels sprouts casserole can be made for a Thanksgiving side dish. (Centennial Media)

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 teaspoon sea salt

12 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons cream cheese

13 cup heavy cream

12 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper; cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in cream cheese and heavy cream; cook for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Place in serving dish; top with chopped pecans.

Carve out a cycle day to stay on track before and after

In order to stick with the program, Stacey advised keto eaters on a long-term diet "build in a cycle day," which is basically a cheat day that you don't use to binge. "You can use it as a mental safety valve to stick to keto day to day and then use this to fulfill a small craving."

"Thanksgiving comes once a year. So if your aunt makes the best pumpkin pie -- plan to have a piece of it. Don't approach it with a diet mentality of 'I had one bite of something, it's all over.' If you say, 'Im gonna make this exception for pumpkin pie and Im gonna enjoy every minute of it,' then you can be chill about it and not stress or feel guilty later."

Stacey explained that diets that work best are the ones people can "maintain long term and find strategies that allow to coast through stuck points."

Make spices and fresh herbs the MVP ingredients of holiday keto cooking

PHOTO: Cinammon sticks sit in a bowl in an undated stock image. (Carlos Restrepo/Shutterstock)

"Spices are totally freebies on keto, the only limit is your palate," Stacey said.

Many of the spices seen in holiday recipes like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, garlic and ginger are full of potential health benefits, plus they add tons of flavor to your home cooked food.

"Cinnamon plays a big role in Thanksgiving and its one of the best spices for you. It's such a powerful antioxidant," Stacey said of the popular seasonal spice that can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

PHOTO: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and Oregano are bundled in am undated stock image. (Harmonyjoy/Shutterstock )

"Herbs like rosemary are really powerful in terms of phytochemicals," she explained of the savory green stems that are often used to liven up everything from the turkey to sides like stuffing or gravy. "You can really up the satiation factor of foods -- like turkey which is a pretty bland meat -- using things like fresh rosemary and fresh thyme."

MORE: Amy Robach shares mom's keto cheesecake pie recipe

Make a keto-friendly dish and bring it with you

"If you know that you're going to an aunt and uncles or something, you can make a keto pumpkin cheesecake and bring it with you, so you know that you're going to get those flavors that you want," she said.

Even for families separated due to the pandemic who may have to cook their own individual Thanksgiving spread this year, Stacey reminded and encouraged that "if youre cooking your own food, its automatically going to be healthier" because you'll omit long lists of additives and "you have more control over what you're putting in your food."

PHOTO: No-Bake Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie from chef Sarah Steffens. (Real Ketones )

Check out this easy recipe for chef Sarah Steffans' no-bake pumpkin cheesecake from Real Ketones.

"The ultra-decadent no-bake pie has the perfect combination of creamy and crunchy and can be made up to two days in advance of serving," Steffans said in the sweet holiday recipe.

End the evening with a keto-friendly toast

PHOTO: Pumpkin spice cocktail with cinnamon and star anise garnish. (Atkins)

Stacey suggests doing a cocktail such as a hot toddy or an old-fashioned with a granulated sugar substitute or a champagne toast to enjoy a keto nightcap.

"Spirits of any kind have zero carbs and wine is pretty low-carb," she said. "Mixed drinks with tonic or coke can get you in trouble, but a glass of champagne is only one or two carbs."

Don't worry about your diet this Thanksgiving, these keto recipes and tips can help make it easy originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

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Don't worry about your diet this Thanksgiving, these keto recipes and tips can help make it easy - Yahoo! Voices

The supplement makes up less than 0.3% of the cattles feed; the company said it works by preventing hydrogens from binding to carbon atoms during digestion and creating methane in cattle burps.

A study by researchers at University of California, Davis, published in July this year, claimed that the persistent reduction of methane emissions in beef steersbysuch A. taxiformissupplementation would suggest this is a viable feed additive to decrease the carbon footprint of ruminant livestock and potentially increase production efficiency.

FeedNavigator (FEN) had a Q&A with Joan Salwen, CEO and co-founder of Blue Ocean Barns, to gauge the potential for the cattle feed supplement.

JS: A commercial pilot using the red seaweed supplement was approved by the USDA National Organic Program this year. Blue Ocean Barns is in conversation with other regulators, both at the state and federal levels. As for commercial scale-up, we already have begun cultivating in Hawaii, and expanded operations to Southern California this month. We are on track for commercial operations to begin late next year.

JS: We are planning to commercially launch with farmers inCalifornia. That said, Blue Ocean Barns has been in discussions with several global brands and their supply chains may encourage us to launch in other states or countries.We do not yet have a brand name for our supplement.

JS: Our cultivation is on land in controlled photobioreactors, but we also will source material from ocean farms that meet our standards for quality and environmental stewardship. We have multiple patents pending that cover our proprietary manufacturing method.

JS: Producing this type of red seaweed at scale and at high potency is not an easy task. The seaweed grows fast and plentifully but can be fragile and needs to be optimized for use in cattle. I'm happy to say that our scientists and growing team have made a string of significant breakthroughs and our seed stock is expanding exponentially. By the end of 2021, we expect our proprietary supplement to be available at commercial scale.

JS: Like kelp and nearly all seaweeds approved for use in food and feed, A. taxiformis produces bromoform. Study after study has shown the same thing: No bromoform residue nor abnormalities of any kind were detected in the animals meat, organs, fat, or feces. Additionally, bromoform levels in the tested milk were exactly the same as those found in the cows' drinking water on the farm - with no increase from the seaweed supplement.

JS: Our product has been shown in tests at UC Davis to reduce feed intake by 14% without any loss of average daily gain (ADG). A significant cost reduction in feed would be a strong win for farmers, since feed is their highest cost. We aren't yet ready to announce our commercial sales and distribution strategy, but the Blue Ocean Barns supplement will be a clear net-positive for farmers.

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Greening cattle diets, US company looks to the ocean - FeedNavigator.com