There exists a stereotype that all fats are bad for you. This is a stereotype
that is frequently misunderstood. In fact, there are fats and oils that are
good for your body and which are necessary for a healthy lifestyle. The trick
is to stay away from the bad fats, like Saturated Fats and Trans Fats, and to
include healthy fats like Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats. Some of
the benefits of eating healthy fats include:
- Improved transportation of your fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)
- Better protection on your internal organs (heart)
- Concentrated body energy
There are four types of fats: monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated
fats and trans fats. The following is a brief description of each type of fat.
Monounsaturated Fats:
Proven to be the best and healthiest fat that we can intake, this type of fat
lowers both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). Most types
of nuts, canola and olive oil are rich in monounsaturated fats that also increase
HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Monounsaturated fat also offer protection against
breast cancer and colon cancer and are extremely rich in Vitamin E.
Polyunsaturated Fats:
Is an essential element in our diet due to the fact that Polyunsaturated Fats
include a special family of essential fatty acids (EFA’s), which the human
body cannot manufacture itself. Unfortunately, like all fats, polyunsaturated
fat is high in calories. So if you want to lose weight, be careful to limit
your intake of these fats. Corn, soybean, safflower, cottonseed oils and many
types of fish contain high amounts of Polyunsaturated Fats. Like Monounsaturated
Fats, these fats lower both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, as well it
boosts HDL cholesterol (the good kind).
Fish is a good source of polyunsaturated fats (commonly referred to as omega-3
fatty acid). Examples of fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acid include salmon,
mackerel, sardines and swordfish. There have been many studies that demonstrate
that eating fish with omega-3 fatty acid is extremely healthy and is very good
for the heart. Studies have shown that rates of heart disease have dramatically
reduced in people who eat fish at least once or twice a week.
Saturated Fats:
Saturated Fats (usually found in whole milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, red
meat, chocolate, and all produce of coconuts) raises your total blood cholesterol
and boosts your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated Fats are the
most unhealthy fat/lipid and you should limit or even avoid them. It has been
scientifically proven that our body manufactures its own saturated fat. This
being so, it is completely unnecessary to add any more saturated fats to your
system and it is extremely wise to stay away from them.
Trans Fats "Hydrogenated Fats":
Trans Fats are an arteries worst nightmare. Trans fats are a man made fat which
is produced when fats in foods are hydrogenated; this is done to prolong the
shelf life of the food. In some studies it has been shown that Trans fats are
sometimes even more detrimental for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because
they raise LDL cholesterol (the bad type) and lower good HDL. Trans Fats can
be found in most margarines, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, deep-fried
chips, almost all fast foods and most commercial baked goods.
The types of fats that one eats play a key role in determining cholesterol
levels. Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats play a key role in improving
your good cholesterol levels while saturated and trans fats will increase your
bad cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is made by the liver and is used to transport
proteins throughout the body, through the bloodstream. Having an excess of bad
cholesterol can lead to the blockage of arteries which in turn can result in
serious heart problems. As such it is important to limit the consumption of
saturated and trans fats. Eating food (like salmon) that contains good fats,
while limiting food (like chips) that contains bad fats is the key to controlling
your cholesterol levels.
It is very easy to eat the proper amount of fats in order to maintain a healthy
lifestyle. For example, when cooking you should try to use virgin olive oil
instead of coconut oil, palm oil or vegetable shortening. When grocery shopping,
try to decrease or eliminate purchasing packaged foods and always be sure to
read food labels in order to avoid foods that may contain trans-fats or high
amounts of saturated fats. Other ways of controlling your fat intake would be
to drink skim milk instead of whole milk, trim visible fats from all meat products
and minimize your intake of processed foods. When eating out in restaurants,
avoid deep fried foods since many restaurants use hydrogenated oils (which contain
trans fats) in their fryers; moreover most deep fried foods are very high in
saturated fats.
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