The Challenge: Choose good fats instead of bad fats for 22 days.

Specifically:

1. Limit unsaturated fats to 20% of your caloric intake (40 grams per day—based on 2000 calorie day).
2. Limit saturated fats to 10% of your caloric intake (20 grams per day).
3. Avoid trans fats!!

Fat Facts:
Good fats are an important part of your diet. You have to limit (but not avoid) good fats, since they are loaded with calories. One gram of fat equals 9 calories, while one gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories. Unsaturated fats are a liquid at room temperature, while saturated and Trans fats are a solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are good for the heart. Saturated and Trans fats clog heart arteries and cause heart disease. Just because a product is “Fat Free” does not mean it is healthy; the fat could be replaced with empty calories that do not satisfy—read the label to evaluate the product.

Terms:

Monounsaturated Fats - Best Fat

Fats from plants that may help lower blood cholesterol if substituted for saturated fat. Examples include canola, olive, and peanut oil.

Polyunsaturated Fats - Good Fat

Fats from vegetable oils that may help to lower blood cholesterol levels if substituted for saturated fats. Examples include sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed, and sesame seed oil.

Saturated Fat - Bad fat

Fat from animals (whole milk, cheese, butter) and some plants (e.g. coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil). These raise cholesterol levels.

Hydrogenation

A process that converts vegetable oil to a solid fat. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats and are not recommended. Examples include stick margarine and solid shortening.

Trans Unsaturated Fatty Acids or Trans Fats - Worst Fat

Solid fats produced by hardening liquid vegetable oils (hydrogenation) into shortening and margarines. These fats are usually used to cook French fries, other fried fast foods, and is often used in cookies and pastries. Trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and decrease HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

Why this challenge?
Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. Since the 90s, Americans have gorged on “Fat Free” food and put on even more weight. It is important to learn the important role of fat in your diet and pick the good fats instead of the artery clogging bad fats.

This generation of students faces extraordinary health issues related to diet and exercise. Healthy students are better learners. The Nebo School District Student Wellness Policy asks that the food and beverages be more nutritious and feature healthy choices.

See the following links for more information:

• Nebo Student Wellness policy (EFA)
• Instructions to teachers to provide healthy rewards
• Instructions to parents to provide healthy rewards

See the ideas submitted by the Nebo Employees describing fun effective ways of healthy classrooms rewards, celebrations or whole school rewards.

All preventative screening forms for the 2009 - 2010 challenge year, are due to John Allan at the District Office by June 30, 2010. Those that are compliant, will receive a gift certificate at the Provo Town Centre Mall (Cash gift cards are subject to taxes).