Dear Melinda:
Once and for all, what's the real deal with fats and carbs? Which is the one to stay away from?

Neither, really. Fat and carbohydrate both play a vital role in your body's metabolism. There are, however, fats that can promote health and fats that can hinder health. We know saturated fats found mostly in animal products, and, hydrogenated or trans fats, found in many packaged, processed, or convenience foods can assist in elevating LDL cholesterol or the "bad" cholesterol. Whereas, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in plant foods like nuts, olives, soy, vegetables, and fish and contribute to heart health. Likewise there are healthy carbs such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lowfat dairy that contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that lower risk for disease. Other carbs like white flour products and high sugar products are not necessarily harmful, but they don't contribute to health either. And if these are consumed in quantity, can lead to a nice weight gain. When it comes to weight loss, it's simple: stick with the "good" fats and "good" carbs and eat them in moderation.

Dear Melinda:
I'm a vegetarian, and I'm afraid I'm not getting enough protein in my diet. What are some good non-meat sources of protein?

In general, non-meat sources of protein include: Legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), nuts or nut products, dairy products especially milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese, and seeds. Protein is found in highest concentration in legumes (including soy products) and dairy. Today, there are hundreds of
vegetarian foods that contain soy protein that make living a vegetarian lifestyle easy.

Dear Melinda:
I've heard it's good to eat 6 small meals vs. 3 large ones. Is that right? Why is it better?

Eating 6 smaller meals can be helpful if you are trying to lose weight in a few ways: 1. Waiting too long between meals and especially before you eat your first meal of the day over time can cause your body to become to "efficient" with utilizing or burning calories. In other words, your body
can figure out how to sustain itself on fewer calories during the day if you eat more haphazardly. 2. If you eat smaller meals and more frequently, you will stave off hunger which can set you up to overeat at your next meal. 3. It can help you to move calories often consumed in quantity in the
evening hours to earlier in the day. This is helpful, as most calories consumed in the evening that are "extra" will be stored as fat.

Dear Melinda:
I've been hearing a lot about Trans fats.. What exactly are they, and why doesn't the FDA require them to be listed?

The FDA will be requiring manufacturers to list trans fats on the nutrition facts label soon. Trans fats are created through a process called hydrogenation in which a liquid vegetable oil is rendered solid (ie: margarine, shortening, etc...) Trans fats also known as hydrogenated fats are fats that act similarly to saturated fats in raising your risk for heart disease. These fats are now found in many pre-pre-prepared foods, boxed foods, frozen foods, convenience foods. Until the trans fats are listed on the label, you can search for any hydrogenated oils on the ingredients lists
of products.