What You Need to Know about Good Fat and Bad Fat
According to a recent medical report published by the Harvard School of Medicine, the type of fat we eat plays a bigger role in our health than the complete quantity of fat we eat. The “good fats” (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are in reality essential for us and support good health. What are named “bad fats” (saturated and trans fats) can provoke our danger for disease and contribute to weight gain. The bottom line is that some fat is vital in our regular diet. A proper diet includes a reasonable amount of good fat and a marginal amount of bad fat, if any at all.
The first rule of thumb for a healthy fat diet is to avoid trans fats. They are the most disease-promoting fats found in our diets. Unfortunately, they penetrate our foods, especially processed, convenience store and and restaurant foods, which can make trans fats extremely hard to avoid. The second rule for a healthy diet is to exchange good fats in place of bad fats. And this asks that we know the difference between the two.
Good Fats
Monounsaturated fats are known to reduce one’s overall cholesterol levels and foster weight loss by actually reducing body fat. Monounsaturated fats are found in almonds, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, avocado, canola oil, and olive oil.
Polyunsaturated fats are also recognized for lowering bad cholesterol. These fats are a beneficial source of omega-3 fatty acids, discovered mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils (corn oil, soy oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil).
Bad Fats
Saturated fats are best identified by the fact that they are solid (not liquid) at room temperature. Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products: cheese, butter, lard, bacon fat. Saturated fats arouse LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Saturated fats should be avoided as much as possible.
The Really Bad Fats: Trans Fats
Trans fats do not naturally occur in nature. They are, in fact, developed in a lab. Trans fats are constituted by changing fluid vegetable fats into solid fat through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats are a different name for trans fats. Hydrogenated fats are found in processed foods and fried foods. Look on labels on packaged foods for hydrogenated fat content and opt not to eat any foods that contain it.
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