Healthy diet should include some fat

Question: Is it possible to lose all body fat? Should you eliminate all fat from your diet?

Answer: In a word, no! Fat — both on our bodies and in our diet — has received such a bad rap, but it is essential for our survival. It’s found in places you might not be aware of. It’s part of every cell membrane, some hormones and prostaglandins (hormone-like substances) that regulate many body functions and nerve sheaths (nerve coverings). Fat also plays an important role in keeping our bodies healthy. For example a layer of fat surrounds each organ (such as your heart, liver, kidneys, etc.), protecting and cushioning it against impact during sports or accidents. Fat helps maintain normal body temperature and it provides us with a supply of stored energy that can sustain us if food is not available.

It is dangerous to eliminate all fat from your diet. Certain fats, essential fatty acids, can only be obtained from foods. These are incorporated into regulators of specific body processes, such as blood pressure. Dietary fats are also required to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. These nutrients are vital to our vision, bone formation and maintenance, blood protection and clotting, nerve development, and can act as a defense against oxidation.

In addition to their health benefits, fats provide joy in eating. They carry flavors and aromas, and provide foods with pleasurable textures. Fats also fill us and help satisfy our appetite. When it comes to fat, too much or too little on our bodies and in our diets is not recommended. Taking more of a “middle-of-the-road” approach is the best bet.

Question: I am totally stressed out from so much schoolwork. What can I do?

Answer: One of the best ways to managing stress is to develop a plan. Your plan should have four components:

Sleep: Try to get the nightly sleep you require to feel just right the following day, without having to drag yourself from class to class. Not only is it more difficult to deal with stress when fatigued, but sleep deprivation also weakens the immune system, according to recent research findings. Sleeping the same number of hours each night during the same time block can give you a more reliable energy supply.

Exercise: One of the best ways to reduce stress is to engage in some form or aerobic activity, such as walking briskly, jogging, swimming, cycling, playing tennis, basketball, volleyball, racquetball, or working out on a stair-climber, treadmill, or rowing machine at the gym. Aerobic action spends stress hormones, strengthens organs targeted by stress, improves sleep and increases energy, just to name a few benefits.

Eat: A healthy, balanced diet is essential to stress reduction. Also consider your eating habits: heavy, meat-laden lunches make for lethargic afternoons, while caffeine, alcohol and other drugs can put your energy cycle on a roller coaster ride.

Manage time: Time management is about self-management and setting priorities. The first step is to identify all the stuff you have to do, make sure you include things like work, exercising and hanging out with friends. Decide what on the list is most important to accomplish. Then find out when your time during the day is already accounted for with classes, group meetings, work schedule, etc. During your non-scheduled time, start to make a plan for when you will work on the items you identified as priorities.