4 Easy Ways to Remember Which Fats Are Good – And Which Are Bad!
Health experts are always telling us that we have too much fat in our diets, but it is the type of fats you eat which affect your risk of developing heart disease. In fact, it is not necessary to reduce fat consumption in order to lower your risk of getting heart disease.
What is important is that you change the type of fats you eat. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that by increasing the amount of healthy fats you eat, you can substantially lower your risk of getting heart disease, reduce inflammation in your joints, boost your immune system, and protect against cancer.
Here are some easy ways to help you remember which fats are good – and which are bad.
- Saturated fats – bad, are solid at room temperature and found in meat, chicken skin, dairy products and some oils.
- Monounsaturated oils – good, are liquid at room temperature but become cloudy or solid in the fridge. They are found in avocados and olive oil. Studies have shown that monounsaturated fats lower the risk of heart disease, and protect against many forms of cancer. Nutrition experts recommend the majority of dietary fats should come from these oils.
- Polyunsaturated oils – good, remain liquid even when refrigerated. Polyunsaturated oils are made from plant and vegetable extracts and are high in omega 6.
- Trans fats. This is the most dangerous fat of all. Trans fats are made when unsaturated oils are artificially hydrogenated to improve shelf life and include most packaged foods such as cake mixes, breakfast cereals, crackers, and mayonnaise. Research has shown that hydrogenated fats clog arteries, which may result in heart disease. Trans fats are also created when unsaturated oils are heated to high temperatures to deep-fat fry certain foods, especially in restaurants or take-out food establishments.
How to take control of your fat intake.
- Avoid the dangerous Trans fats. Read the labels of packaged good carefully and if you see the words “hydrogenated” or “partly hydrogenated” it contains trans fats.
- Trim all the visible fat off red meat, and opt for grilled instead of fried.
- Don’t eat the chicken skin, no matter how deliciously deep-fried it may be! All the fat glands of the chicken are in the skin.
- Eat more veggies, fruit, and salad, for a higher natural vitamin intake.
- Omega 3, essential for a healthy heart, is found if fatty fish such as tuna, sardines, and mackerel.
Your weight and bad fats.
If your intake of the bad fats is high, it can lead to overweight problems. Obesity will dramatically increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, and possibly even lead to diabetes.
You may already be overweight and perhaps struggling to lose weight. You could be ready to give because you are having no success.
The Clean Start Weight Loss Program can help! Physician Monitored Weight LossClich here to take the weight loss survey to see if you are a candidate for the program. You will also be given the location of the nearest Renew office.
