What's the Impact of a High-Fat Meal on the Body?
What’s one of the riskiest things you can do in a car? Buy food at a drive thru! According to USA Today, eating fast food doesn’t just pack on the pounds. Just ONE high fat meal stresses out your heart and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the University of Calgary compared the effects of two different meals on college-age volunteers. One group ate a high-fat breakfast. I’m talking a Sausage McMuffin, an Egg McMuffin, and hash browns. The second group had Frosted Flakes, a cereal bar, and yogurt - low fat, but definitely high in sugar. In fact, neither meal is healthy. Both have a diet-blowing 800-plus calories. But the researchers wanted to isolate the impact of high-FAT meals on the body.
After eating, the students took several different stress tests - things like holding an arm in ice water and giving a speech on a tough topic. The results? Students who ate the high fat meal had higher blood pressure and heart rates than the people who ate the sugary meal. So what’s this mean to you? If just one high-fat meal can cause so much trouble, imagine the long-term effects of eating a high-fat diet. Trading the breakfast sandwich or cheeseburger for something lean is a no-brainer. It won’t just help you lose weight - helping your heart also cuts your risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and stroke.
