However sticking to a fat free diet isn't the answer. As a matter of fact, there are healthy fats that are vitally important for your health. Healthy fats a.k.a good fats play a huge role in helping you manage your mental well being, manage your moods, fight fatigue and even control your body weight. More importantly these good fats help to lower your blood cholesterol levels, they decrease you risk of heart disease and they also facilitate the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins that would otherwise be lost..
Understanding the difference between GOOD and BAD fats can be seen as confusing and frustrating, however this post explains the types of fats, where they are found and also some quick easy tips on how you can make some easy changes.
Good Fats - these fats are vitally important for your health. There are two types of fat that are labelled as HEALTHY or GOOD fats... these are Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats.
Monounsaturated Fats are commonly found in - Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Peanut Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocados, Olives, Nuts (includes almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans and cashews) and Peanut Butter.
Polyunsaturated Fats are commonly found in - Soybean Oil, Corn Oil, Safflower Oil, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Flaxseed, Fatty fish (Salmon, Tuna, Mackeral, Herring, Trout and Sardines), and also in Soymilk and Tofu.
Omega 3 Fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat and are vitally important for brain and heart health and should be consumed on a DAILY basis. Current research has linked these fatty acids to reduction in symptoms of depression, protection against memory loss and dementia, reduction in the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, eases arthritis pain, joint pain and other inflammatory conditions and also supports healthy pregnancy. Fatty fish is the most abundant source of Omega-3 fatty acids, however they are also in flaxseed, canola oil and walnuts.
Bad Fats - these fats are bad for your health, they clog your arteries, can lead to weight gain, elevate your cholesterol levels and also significantly increase your risk of developing heart disease. These BAD and UNHEALTHY fats are commonly known as saturated and trans fats.
Saturated Fats are commonly found in high fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb and pork), chicken with skin, whole fat dairy products (milk and cream), butter, cheese, ice-cream, palm and coconut oil and also lard.
Trans Fats are commonly found in commercially baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes and pizza doughs. It is also found in packaged snack foods, such as crackers, microwave popcorn and potato chips. Furthermore, in stick margarine, vegetable shortening, fried foods - french fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets and crumbed/fried fish, and also in chocolate bars.
Bad and unhealthy fats can typically be identified through appearance, they are generally solid at room temperature e.g. butter, whilst healthy fats tend to be liquid at room temperature e.g. olive and corn oil. *exception palm and coconut oil (bad fat)
The types of fat present in foods can also be identified through checking the food labelling. Look for terms such as total fat or fat, and then look below for terms such as saturated, trans, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
Simple tips to reduce the bad fats...
1. Eat less red meat (beef, pork or lamb) and more fish and lean chicken
2. Purchase lean cuts of meat, and purchase white mean more often as it is lower in saturated fat. *Don't stop eating red meat all together, it is an important source of iron, moderation is the key.
3. Bake and grill foods rather than frying
4. Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat of the meat as possible prior to cooking
5. Avoid deep-fried foods such as fish, chicken etc.
6. Choose low-fat dairy options, and lower fat cheeses (mozzarella). Enjoy full-fat dairy but in moderation, not everyday.
7. Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive or canola oil instead of lard, shortening or butter.
8. Avoid cream and cheese based sauces.
Simple tips to increase the good fats...
1. Add nuts such as almonds or walnuts to your meals, or salads.
2. Increase your intake of fatty fish during the week
3. Cook with canola and olive oil
4. Add avocados to your lunchtime sandwiches or salads at dinner.
5. Make up your own salad dressings, most commercial dressings are high in saturated fats therefor prepare your own healthy alternatives.
So next time you are at the supermarket take the time to read the food labels and learn to understand the types of fats present in food, try and work to better your understanding and also improve your health for the future.
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