Part 07 - Understanding Fats
The good, the fat and the ugly
Confused about poly- mono- saturated gobbledygook? This month I’ll be telling you the truth about dietary fats.
During the summer the last thing anyone wants to think about is fat, but after spending months trying to burn fat for the summer, I’ll show you how some fats can make you healthier. Don’t be scared, there are good fats and bad fats and for a healthy diet you’ll need more of one and less of the other.
And no that won't mean you’re allowed to eat more cheese burgers.
About 20% of our diet should be made up of fat, 60% carbohydrates and 20% protein. Some "health experts" recommend restricting dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health. But restricting any one of the three essential food groups works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.
The real problem is that the good fats (natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have been mistakenly lumped together with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of processed food sold at the local grocery store and fast food restaurants. These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere but we're here to help you know what to look for and how make smart choices in what you feed your body.
Good Fats
The first good fat is monounsaturated fats. These fats can lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Nut, canola and olive oils are high in monounsaturated fats.
The other good fat is polyunsaturated fats, which also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group, and have been proven to have tremendous benefits for your all around health.
Bad Fats
Saturated fats raise total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products like meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil. These fats are made worse because of an over abundance in our diet and the way animal products are processed.
The worst kind of fat is Trans fats. These fats were “invented” by science and begin as "hydrogenate" oils so that they can aid the food production process and provide a better shelf life. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, fried food, packaged snacks as well as vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine. These hydrogenated oils have been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy. If the ingredient list includes the words "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" or "hydrogenated vegetable oil," the food contains trans fat. Because ingredients are listed in descending order, smaller amounts will be at the end of the list.
What To Do
Now you know the differences and the value of good fats, here are some suggestions:
- Avoid cooking oils that are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats and use oils that are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil.
- Eat less (or none!) commercially packaged foods that are high in trans fats. As saturated fats are found in animal products, use lower-fat versions or organic alternatives.
- If you don’t like fish consider adding an Omega 3 supplement to your diet.
- Read the ingredients whenever you can. See how much fat and what kind is in the food you eat. That pasta salad may look good but when it contains 50grams of fat (likely almost all saturated fat) and 75% of the fat you should be having in a day you might reconsider.
- Have fun, eat good whole nutritious foods, and stay active as always.
If there are any topics on nutrition and fitness you’d like to see addressed or any questions you have please contact me.
