| Fat: The difference between the Good and the Bad |
| The truth is, your body needs fat: to create some vital substances and to transport vitamins throughout its many systems. However, consumed in excess amount, fats can lead to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancer. While some fats promote good health, others increase the risk of heart disease. You just have to know which fats to avoid. |
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The Good Fats
Good fats are naturally-occurring, traditional fats that haven't been damaged by high heat, refining, processing or other man-made tampering such as 'partial hydrogenation'. The best ‘good fats’ are found in fish, nuts, avocados and seeds. |
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Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs)
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lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) |
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increase HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) |
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also help in weight loss, particularly in reducing body fat |
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found in peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil |
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| Polyunsaturated Fats |
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lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol |
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found in seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. |
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Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group. |
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| The Bad Fats |
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Saturated Fats
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raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) |
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mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood, and some plant foods such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil |
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| Trans Fats |
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man-made, created by scientists who "hydrogenate" liquid oils to give foods a longer shelf life |
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found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as french fries, packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn, as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine |
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| More Tips: |
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Avoid using cooking oils such as coconut oil, palm oil or vegetable shortening. Instead, use oils such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil that are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats |
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Avoid commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats. Always read labels to look for trans-fat free alternatives. |
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As saturated fats are found in animals products, use lower-fat version dairy such as 1% or skim milk instead of whole milk. Trim visible fats and skins from meat products. |
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