The Difference between Good Fats and Bad Fats
There is a big difference between good fats and bad fats. According to the Harvard School of Medicine, the type of fat we eat plays a more considerable role in our wellness than the aggregate quantity of fat we have in our diet. The “good fats” (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are actually very healthy for us and boost superb health. The so-called “bad fats” (saturated and trans fats) can actually increase our chance for disease and can contribute to weight gain. The important fact here is that some fat is needed in our diet, and a proper diet includes a reasonable amount of good fats and a very small amount of bad fat, if any at all.
The first rule of thumb for a healthy fat diet is to avoid trans fats. Trans fats are the single most disease-promoting fats found in our diets. Regrettably, they pervade our foods, particularly convenience and restaurant foods, which can make trans fats especially daunting to avoid. The second principle for a wholesome diet is to replace good fats for bad fats. This requires that we know the difference between the two.
The Good Fats: Unsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats are proven to reduce one’s total cholesterol levels and facilitate weight loss by bringing down body fat. You will find monounsaturated fats in almonds, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, avocado, canola oil, and olive oil.
Polyunsaturated fats are also celebrated for lowering bad cholesterol. These fats are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, discovered for the most part in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils (corn oil, soy oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil).
The Bad Fats: Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are best known by the fact that they will be solid (not liquid) at room temperature. The saturated fats then are those we see in meat and dairy products: cheese, butter, lard, bacon fat. Saturated fats arouse LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Saturated fats should be averted kept to a low level.
The Really Bad Fats: Trans Fats
Trans fats do not naturally occur in nature. They are, you might say, made in a lab. Trans fats are created by converting fluid vegetable fats into solid fat through a procedure called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats are a different name for trans fats. Trans fats are found in packaged foods and fried foods. Look on labels on packaged foods for hydrogenated fat content and choose not to eat any foods that contain it.
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