The Harvard School of Public Health couldn't have said it better: it's not about the calories in fats that lead to disease, it's the type of fat that's responsible. While unsaturated fats (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can lower risk of disease, saturated and trans fats can increase risk. Fat intake is vital for a healthy body, but it's important to be wary of the types we're consuming and to monitor how much of them we eat— both healthy and unhealthy.
Forget everything you've heard about fat being bad for us; yes, certain types are harmful, but others are essential for maintaining good health. I'm always stressing how healthy fats aid in making us feel satiated and help to prevent overeating, but they also work to increase our levels of energy, reduce inflammation, decrease levels of bad LDL cholesterol and increase levels of good HDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and help us to better absorb nutrients from fruits and veggies (another reason to skip out on the fat-free salad dressing). Good sources of unsaturated fat include fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel), nuts, seeds, avocados, and a wide assortment of oils (including olive, safflower, almond, and canola).
Even though unsaturated fats are highly advantageous for our bodies, they're high in calories, as well. If eaten in the right amounts, these healthy fats can help us lose weight or maintain a healthy one. However, going overboard can result in weight gain. Get your fill, but be sure to keep an eye on your intake.
Like healthy fats, saturated and trans fats can make us feel satiated, too, but our bodies become filled with much more than contentment from these unhealthy sorts. Saturated fat is a naturally occurring fat found largely in food sources derived from animals. Trans fat (which many believe to be more harmful than saturated fat) can also be naturally occurring, but the majority of it out there is created through a process called hydrogenation. Through this process, a partially hydrogenated oil is created, which changes the oil from liquid to solid and extends its span of time before spoiling occurs. Because of their longer shelf life and low cost, many food manufacturers choose to use saturated and trans fats in their products. Regular intake of these unhealthy fats can have adverse effects on the heart, increasing your chances of heart disease, stroke, raised LDL cholesterol, and diabetes.
Saturated and trans fats are commonly found in high-fat dairy (including ice cream, sour cream, butter, margarine, and cheese), red meat (pork, lamb, and beef), fried foods, and many processed foods (such as cake mixes and frostings, chips, pancake and waffle mixes, non-dairy creamers, crackers, and cookies). Even some plant-based foods are loaded with unhealthy fat. Coconut oil is one such example, being high in saturated fat; despite its popularity within the health scene, it should be consumed in moderation. Other plant-based sources that are high in saturated fat include palm oil and palm kernel oil, which are found in no-stir peanut butters.
If you're unsure if a product boasts high amounts of unhealthy fat, always check the nutrition label. Look to see if the product reads as having 0 grams trans fat (keep in mind that it may actually contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat — food labeling laws actually allow for manufactures to use up to this amount and still have the trans fat listed as "0"), then survey the ingredient list to see if "partially hydrogenated oil" is listed. You'll also want to check to see if the saturated fat content is low.
Don't be worried about taking in a bit of unhealthy fat here and there; most foods are made up of a mix of fats, so even natural, healthy foods such as chicken, nuts, olive oil, and fish will contain some saturated fat. While unsaturated fats should be where the largest portion of your fat intake comes from, saturated fat can be consumed in moderation, and trans fat should be avoided whenever possible.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting your overall fat intake to 25-35% of your total daily calories, with less than 7% coming from saturated fat (if you're eating 2,000 calories a day, that's less than 16 grams) and less than 1% coming from trans fat (within a 2,000 calorie diet, that's less than 2 grams). So, in case I haven't emphasized it enough, be sure to keep tabs on how much fat you take in and on the kinds you choose to eat!
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