Good Fat Vs Bad Fat and Your Cholesterol!

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Good Fat Vs Bad Fat:

When most people think of fat in their diet, they immediately think BAD. We have been conditioned to believe that all fat in the diet is bad. This simply is not true. Fat is an essential nutrient; what matters is what kind of fat it is. Good fats can work wonders; bad fats indeed will destroy your health.

A no-fat diet is a disaster. Without any fat in the diet, your body would react in a multitude of unhealthy ways, such as destroying your gallbladder and having your hair fall out. So the healthiest strategy is to minimize bad fats and go ahead and indulge (in moderation) the good fats.

Remember that all fats, good and bad, contain lots of calories, 9 calories per gram. The difference lies in how heart-healthy the individual fats are.

Good fats in your diet can actually help you lose weight and avoid a whole range of diseases including heart disease and cancer. Nutrition experts insist that if suddenly all Americans were to switch from bad fats to good fats, we’d see huge results and be much healthier. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is loaded with bad fats and short on good fats.

Bad fats do indeed wreak havoc on our health. It’s the bad fats which promote obesity, heart disease, cancer and other ailments. Bad fats are not needed by the body at all but good fats are essential. Every one of the six billion cells in your body requires good fats to function properly.

So which are The good Fats and Which are The Bad Fats?

Put in the most simple terms, saturated fats and trans fats are bad, monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats are good in varying degrees.

Monounsaturated fats are reported to reduce the risk of heart disease and come loaded with Vitamin E and antioxidants. Vitamin E has been reported to aid in the reduction of cholesterol levels and protects cell membranes from damage.

1. Monounsaturated Fats:

• Canola Oil.
• Almond Oil.
• Olive Oil.
• Walnut Oil.
• Peanut Oil.
• Brazil Nuts.
• Almonds.
• Cashews.
• Olives.
• Peanut Butter.

Although these fats are good for you, they should be eaten in moderation, particularly for those on a weight loss journey. I make it a rule to keep my total fat intake between 20 and 25% of my daily calories, and the majority of that percentage is from good fats.

2. Polyunsaturated Fats:

• Fish oils.
• Soybean oil.
• Safflower oil.
• Sesame oil.
• Salmon.
• Mackerel.
• Trout.
• Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and products.
• Cottonseed oil.
• Sunflower oil.
• Nuts and seeds.

Okay, now the bad boys. Saturated fats and Trans fat are known to clog arteries, increase the risk for heart disease and heighten cholesterol levels (the leading cause of strokes).

3. Saturated Fat & Trans Fat:

• Butter.
• Meat.
• Lard.
• Poultry.
• Poultry Skin.
• Coconut Oil.
• Partially Hydrogenated Oils.
• Processed Foods (microwave popcorn, cookies, packaged snacks, etc.).
• High-fat Dairy Products.

Although many foods may claim to have 0 Trans-fat, they can have up to 0.5 grams per serving in order to make that claim. If you eat several servings, you’ve ingested quite a bit of Trans fat. Be label wise. You would not give yourself, your children or others medication without first reading the label and the side effects. This should also be practiced when selecting foods as they too come with side-effects; sometimes deadly ones.

Now, Let’s Talk about Low Fat Diet: 

This is probably the most popular diet. This is so popular because you can still eat many of your favorite foods you just can’t eat them all the time.

The reason why these diets are so popular is because it is a common knowledge that fat = calories. This is absolutely true; fat is the densest food we eat in terms of calories. So it just makes sense that the less fat we eat the fewer calories we consume which will, in turn, make it easier for you to lose weight.

However, there is something you must be aware of. It is not healthy to remove all fat from your diet. There are two kinds of fat and you need to know the differences. The first group of fats I will call the ‘Bad’ Fats.

I. Bad Fats: Losing

• Bad fats are saturated and trans-fats. These fats are ‘bad’ or unhealthy for us to eat because they are linked to cardiovascular disease.
• Another reason these fats are bad for us is that they raise our cholesterol more than any other food item in our diet.

If your diet consists of foods that raise your cholesterol then the following will happen:

• your arteries begin to get clogged which makes them smaller and restricts the flow of blood through your body.
• As a result of your arteries being clogged your heart has to work much harder to pump the blood through all your arteries.
• If your arteries become so clogged that the blood cannot circulate then you have reached a point of having a life-changing event, a very bad event.
• The fact that is considered the worst of the bad fats is trans-fat.
• Another method to identify a fat as a trans-fat is if you see partially hydrogenated on the label.
• It is almost guaranteed that the product contains trans-fats.
• Trans-fats lower the good cholesterol (HDL) and raise the bad cholesterol (LDL).
• The only purpose of trans- fats is to increase the shelf life of the food item; there is no nutritional value to a trans-fat.

Cutting down on bad fats may seem like a chore, but it is not that hard. You can take the cooking oils that are high in bad fats and replace them with oils low in bad fats. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil. You may want to switch to low-fat dairy products too. The amount of unsaturated fats that you eat in a day should be greatly reduced by doing this.

Read the label on the cooking oil that you are using. The law requires producers to label containers with the kind of fatty oils their product contains.

Just remember, not all fats are weighted the same, stay away from saturated fats. Potato chips and milk chocolate, for example, may be what your taste buds are craving but they are pumped full of bad fats.

II. Good Fats:

Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats contain elements that aid proper cell structure, the production of hormones and these fats get stored for energy.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure.

It is difficult to see how you could go wrong consuming something that reduces the chances of getting those terrible diseases. Anytime you can consume something that reduces those devastating diseases, you are doing exactly what you should be doing.

Pros:

• Low-Fat diets are one of the easiest methods to lose weight. By reducing the level of fats in your diet you also limit your calories. Think of how this would help you reach your 500 calories daily deficit.
• Your favorite foods are still on your menu. You won’t find yourself craving your favorites and although the foods you eat might be high in carbs it is also low in fat and that’s the key to this diet.
• You can eat from all food groups. Take your pick, carbs, fat, proteins and nutrients are all part of an important to this diet.  Losing Losing Losing Losing Losing

Cons:

• If you go overboard and cut out all fats, you might be losing some very important facts that will help in developing healthy cells and storing energy.
• This diet makes it easy to cheat. It is very easy to grab a piece of cake, a chocolate bar, or other favorites when you don’t have a restrictive diet. If in your mind fat doesn’t equal calories then you might not be able to sustain this diet.
• As with any diet you have to be committed to making the diet work. This might mean not being able to eat all of your favorite foods. So commitment is absolutely critical. Take a look at the diet and then be honest with yourself and decide whether you can commit to this program.

Conclusion:

By significantly reducing your fat intake, you will be healthier, lose weight and feel great. It’s recommended that you eat whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, non-fat dairy products, lean meats, olive or peanut oils and stay clear of the processed foods as much as possible. Keep your sugar intake to a minimum, exercise daily and drink plenty of water.

Most of us know the formula for a lean, healthy body and although putting it into practice may seem difficult at first, soon it becomes a lifestyle and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you lose the craving for unhealthy foods. For some of us, they become a complete turn-off. 

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.

Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”

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