Good Fats vs Bad Fats

Fats! Fats! Fats! is all around you and I know you have heard that fats are bad for you, but did you know that some fats are good for you. Yes, I said that some fats are good for you and let me explain. Having fats in your food intake is important part of a healthy diet. These fats provide essential fatty acids that helps keep our skin soft, deliver fat soluble vitamins, and is a source of energy for fuel. Now, with me saying that; there are also bad fats that can cause damage in our bodies. Eating too much of these bad fats leads to obesity, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines recommended that at least 10% of our calories are to come from fat. Now, the problem with Americans that the average diet consumes about 34%- 40% of the calories comes from fat. Well the reason for that is because fats enhances the flavor of foods and that gives a satisfied feeling to us when we are eating fatty foods. So by having the knowledge to choose the right fats to eat is very important in reducing heart disease, so you can live longer and healthier. So let me explain these 2 types of fats called good fats(unsaturated fats) and bad fats(saturated fats). Below I will go more into details about these fats and the foods that consumes them.

Good Fats:

Unsaturated fats are considered to be the "good" fats. Unsaturated fats are broken into polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. These particular fats can help lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease, when eaten in moderation and is used to replace saturated or trans fats. Lets begin with polyunsaturated fatty acids, they are mostly found in vegetables oils. One type of polyunsaturated fat is Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are found in salmon, trout, mackerel, catfish, flaxseed, and walnuts. To get your Omega-3 intake it is recommended to eat 2 servings of fish per week.
Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature, but solids when refrigerated. Now monousaturated  are considered to be heart healthy and an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin E. The foods that they are found in is olives; avocados; hazelnuts; almonds; cashews; pumpkin seeds; and oils (olive, canola, and peanut).

Bad Fats:

Saturated and trans fatty acids (trans fats) are considered to be the "bad" fats. Bad fats should be eaten sparingly due to the fact they raise cholesterol levels, clog arteries, and increase heart disease. Saturated fats are found in animals products (meats and poultry skin), eggs, and high fat dairy. Trans fats are categorized into two types and the first type occurs naturally and is found in small amounts in meats and dairy. Natural trans fats is not a big concern if you eat low- fat dairy products and lean meats. The other type trans fats are artificial trans fats and they are found in baked goods, cookies, icings, packaged snack foods. microwave popcorn, and some margarine. The artificial trans fats are a big concern due to the impact of increasing the risk of heart disease by raising LDL "bad" cholesterol and lowering HDL "good" cholesterol.  American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 2 grams per day including the naturally occuring trans fats.

If bad fats and good fats are still confusing to you and believe me it can be, I put together a list of some these fats. So you will know what foods to avoid and what foods are okay. Most of the foods do contain a combination of the fats, but are classified according to the dominant fat in them.


Saturated Fats / Trans Fats (bad fats):

-- Butter     -- Lard   -- Meat/ Lunch meat    -- Poultry skin    -- Coconut products   -- Palm oil    -- Dairy product (no skim)


Polyunsaturated Fats (good fats):

-- Corn oil  -- Fish oil  -- Soybean oil  --Safflower oil  -- Sesame oil  -- Cottonseed oil  -- Sunflower oil  --Nut and seeds


Monounsaturated Fats (good fats):

-- Peanut butter  -- Olives  -- Avocado  -- Peanut oil  -- Walnut oil  --Peanut oil  -- Almond oil  -- Olive oil


Below are some more tips to reduce the amount of fats in your diet and consume the healthy ones for your lifestyle:

•  Eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
•  Low- fat or skim dairy products
•  Light or fat free salad dressings
•  Replace fattier sauces with vinegars, mustard, or lemon juice
•  Use canola or olive oil
•  Use low- fat sour cream or cream cheese
•  Limit consumption of high- fat foods such as fried foods, sweets, and processed foods