The down low on FAT.
Fat is ESSENTIAL to our diet as it gives us Vitamins (A, D, E, K) and contains fatty acids that our body does not produce. 30% of our diet should be fat, however there are 4 kinds of fat.
The Good:
Polyunsaturated Fat: tends to lower blood cholesterol levels
Sources: found mostly in plant sources. (safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed)
Monounsaturated Fat: tends to lower LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
Sources: found in both plant and animal products, such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and in some plant foods such as avocado
The bad:
Saturated Fat: tends to increase blood cholesterol levels.
Sources: found mostly in meat and dairy products, as well as some vegetable oils, such as coconut and palm oils (tropical oils). Butter is high in saturated fat, while margarine tends to have more unsaturated fat. Most saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature (like butter), with the exception of tropical oils.
Trans Fat: Trans fats not only raise total cholesterol levels, they also deplete good cholesterol (HDL), which helps protect against heart disease
Sources: They are man-made or processed fats, which are made from a liquid oil. When you add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and then add pressure, the result is a stiffer fat, like the fat found in a can of Crisco. Trans fats are also called hydrogenated fats. Check your food labels for it.
It is also important to check and know how much fat your food has in it.- Did you know 1 cup of nuts has more fat than 1 big mac?!
HOWEVER, nuts contain a good fat, while big macs don’t.
This means I can eat as much as I want of anything with good fat right? While it’s better than eating things with bad fat, but you need to take into consideration that it still only is 30% of our diet, so eating TOO much fat, good or bad, will still cause you to pile on the pounds.
The daily recommended intake is 10% saturated fat, and 20% non saturated fat. We have no need for trans fat at all!
